Instructions
Accustom your dog to being on a table. Start out by putting it on a smooth, sturdy table for just a few minutes, holding its collar to keep it in place. As it becomes familiar with the table, begin training it to sit, stand and lie down on the table for several minutes at a time in each position.
Familiarize your dog with the feeling of being touched while it is on the table. Pet it, play with its paws and ears, and brush its fur. Gradually lengthen the training sessions until your dog is fully at ease with being touched and brushed on the table.
Desensitize your dog to the sound and feel of a hair-dryer. Let it sniff the dryer while it is turned off; then turn it on, pointed away from to dog, and set it on a nearby surface while it gets used to the noise. When the sound of the dryer no longer has any effect on the dog, blow it lightly on its back while you pet it and talk to it reassuringly.
Repeat this desensitization training once a week in your home, so your dog does not lose its newly acquired comfort with the process of grooming.
Calm a nervous dog who is not desensitized to grooming by talking to it firmly and cheerfully, without any nervousness in your voice, and massaging its back. Hum a happy tune or otherwise demonstrate your own comfort level with the proceedings. Your dog takes its cue from you, so if you are anxious that it might resist the grooming, it will become anxious, too.
How to Calm Your Dog for Grooming
Many elements of the grooming process can be disconcerting for dogs: they must sit or stand on a table; the groomer touches their legs, ears and face; the brush pulls their hair; and they are wet and dried. A dog who has not been desensitized to these things may become anxious when you or a hired groomer begin to approach it with a brush and a hair-dryer. Systematically desensitize your puppy, or, if you have an older dog, keep it calm through the process with a gentle touch and a firm but loving voice.