The Dog I Couldn't Groom... the 1st Time: Part 1 - The Prep Work 

Jun, don't listen to all these jerks saying mean and nasty things. You were very kind and patient with Sunshine. His life was probably Hell before his new mommy got him. I adopted a Maltese last December. I groom him myself because he doesn't trust people. It took him a long time to trust me. He still won't let me near his mouth or feet without a fuss, but he never bites. My vet has me give him Benadryl. It helps. Sunshine is so very stressed that he should be sedated because it is just too much for him. I'm sure he has been through enough stress in his life. But you did great with him. I would like to have seen you do the head and seen the end results. Keep up the good work.

"he can bite me, it's okay, let it out" LMAO

He has such a calm unflustered demeanour. Well done, for showing this dog that biting doesn't work and in the end calm submission is all good.

You are my inspiration...I'm studying to be a groomer right now...I love the way you handled him...I love that you allow him to be...I cried watching this...I could only imagine the pain he must have been feeling...he's pretty old boy...Thank you very much for giving me courage and for inspiring me...You're the best

+Carol D., Thank you so much for the helpful comment! Looking back, I think you're exactly right. Now that I have this experience, and helpful tips like yours, I'm a much better groomer because of it. Thank goodness the purpose to life is not to live it error-free :-) But to learn from our mistakes and continue to become better.

BIG kudos to this patient and skilled groomer! :)

Kim and Jun- you two are the sweetest angels of people ever; so kind, so very compassionate. You inspired me to adopt a "senior" dog today from the SPCA here in Tacoma, WA. I am watching RU-vids as I will be attempting to do the grooming myself. I gained confidence, Jun, by your comment that it's okay not to get it perfect, just keep learning therein how NOT to do something. Thank you!

You said he is 14 yrs old - chances are good he's got joint pain adding to his problems. I will say you handle him very gently, good job on that! Poor little guy is so freaked out. I wouldn't even try to comb him out for the prep, I'd be using better clippers (Andis are faster and cut better and are also quieter) and go over him with a 7F. He doesn't seem to mind the clippers as much as the pulling on his coat. Also, I agree that using a regular grooming noose would allow you to hold him a little tighter without the concern of him choking. In any case thank you for your care for this little dog and, yes, some of them are just like that and some are ruined by even one bad experience.

Wow, you really care about dogs, more than I can say for some others who do grooming. Thanks for having a heart and compassion that you do.

You are such a caring, intuitive guy - I am so impressed with the work you do.

It's hard to even watch this, the poor soul! God bless you for you patience with him.

You are very patient Jun! Thanks for being so professional and sweet!

I think you are wonderful. Patient and kind. That counts for everything.

The very idea that some people will terrorize such a dear little puppy to such an extent is so heartbreaking. This poor lamb is needing such love, such patience. You're doing a good job inspight of it all.

As a groomer I really appreciate this video. You executed this groom perfectly. You stay so calm, cool and collected throughout the whole groom. You are such compassionate groomer. Thank you for doing such a great job caring for this old dog.

You are amazing with these dogs my poodle is very aggressive after a very bad experience. I cry watching how amazing you are. God bless you 🙏

I like this guy,real calm and kind

I'm a really docile pup and have never been mistreated and have lived with my humans since I was 8 weeks old. And even though I am a gentle guy all other times, I don't like to be groomed either. I do get aggressive when my legs or face are groomed. I made my human watch this video and she learned a lot about how to help me calm down and understand I'm not in danger.

Jun, I so enjoy watching your work as groomer, you are so calming and soothing for the animals. I myself have a 9-10 year old Maltese who has become very difficult to groom. My regular groomer has told me she can't do it anymore for fear he'll get hurt. I wish you were here in Massachusetts to help my little guy. Please keep being you and helping our fur babies! 🐩

You're a great groomer man! I would let you groom my two german shepherds anytime. You're patience surpasses anything I have visually experienced, you can definitely see you're heart.

Your amazing. Hands down the most amazing thing I've ever seen.

+Etta Lee Thank you so much for your feedback! Very informative and helpful information, and I will be sure to take your advice into consideration. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge with me, and I'm sure others can benefit from it as well. I appreciate the support!

You are so calm. That's awesome.

Jun you have an exceptional way with dogs. Throughout all that you remained calm and gave him such lovely vibes. You have a gift :)

I adopted my toy poodle when she was 12 years old. She came with tons of medical and behaviorial issues. She hated being groomed, she was a terrorist. 4 1/2 years later, she's 16 now and healthy. She loves being groomed and stands perfectly still. You're doing great and it's not easy. People want to judge but you don't really know until you've done it. Stay calm and keep the bandaids close by. :) I love being a toy poodle Mom so much I just adopted an old 18 year old filled with cancer. She's now cancer free and healthy. She's also learning grooming can be a wonderful experience. Love does change everything♥

you know something with all the abuse that happens to animals on a daily basis around the globe . such horrific things that people do to animals that to see such a gentle compassionate man like yourself handling this little dog who obviously had some traumatic experience but to see the way that you work with them ,the patience that you have and the solutions that you employey and the advice that you take from other people and just your overall demeanor is fantastic . it's beautiful and the world needs more people like you .I applaud you for your your gift and I think the world is blessed to have you in it. animals are very lucky to have you in it as well keep up the good job and you know some people are mean well with advice sometimes they just perhaps come across rather well not as nice as could be but I think they mean well .you're very very good person with great character and you take advice and criticism very well .kudos to you. much success to you .never change.

I love how you handle Sunshine. As a retired groomer I can say I've been there! I agree 100% u made the right decision as far as continuing to work with him. It's obvious he is very stressed to the point of it being dangerous to his health. As much as tranqing him is dangerous as well at his age I believe it's his only option. Poor little guy. Kudos to you for hanging in there with such a difficult little dog!

Hey Jun! I'm a dog groomer at an animal hospital in Canada and I get a lot of these types of dogs! Just wanted to let you know this video came in handy for me the other day. Had a dog that was super aggressive and scared. Even had him sedated but he fought through it lol He was very similar to this little girl in your video. All in all it finished fine thanks to your video! Thanks for the useful tips!

I adopted a Maltese as a baby and though she does not bite, she HATES to be groomed .... she's NEVER been abused ... so hope people realize, some breeds just don't want to do what we want them to sometimes! BTW .... wish you lived in my area, I'd certainly bring her to you .... you are absolutely amazing with him! :)

I cried thru this whole video poor baby

TY, TY!! I'm so happy you enjoyed our video!!

Lol when the dog slid off the table was hilarious!

I think your great, very caring kind man 😊

I really like how you handle this situation..kudo to u

You are so very gracious with some of these comments. I'm a groomer too. I love your calmness and gentle handling of the dog. It's difficult to keep calm as groomers also get scared and frustrated. We are human. The most difficult part is to keep the dog from hurting himself trying to snap at you or get away from you. You handled this dog well while getting a very needed grooming done. I would just suggest skipping the combing and just clipping everything short with a snap on comb for safety. Great show of patience and kindness!

I really appreciate these videos, because i was never sure how people dealt with nervous or aggressive dogs

Thank you so much for the kind words of encouragement, Lisa! And thank you so much for watching!

He is not brushing out mats, really he is brushing in coat conditioner....He isn't yanking or pulling!! More massaging all over! Mat split combs are a blessing to a dog if you know how to use them properly!! Great Job!!!

I have a toy poodle that is 12 now, I've had him since he was 2-3 months old. He behaves just like this while being groomed. He is not abused and never has been. He is the little love of my life. I don't know why he behaves like that though. He hates loud noises so maybe it's the clippers? He barks at my alarm clock and timer on the stove. I just groom him in stages so he isn't stressed out for a long time.

He looks like such a sweet little dog.. poor baby..

"If you spot it, you got it!" Thank you so much, Karen - I really appreciate it!

You are an awesome groomer!

I know how difficult dog grooming can be, my hands show the proof. A helpful hint, instead of brushing excess hair around the face and ears, scissor most of that away first.... as long as they let you it's less stressful. This has helped me so much, especially for dogs like sunshine.

I've been pet styling for 15 or so now and I can TOTALLY relate! you did an amazing job! exactly what I go through from time to time. exactly what you explained! stay calm and always know we are never hurting the animal just doing our ever best to make them feel and look great!!! keep up the great work!!!

JUn, I found you because i have a Mini poodle bichon mix and a bichon...i got them at 2m...i just want to trim them when i need to , i dont want to shave them...i have not taken them EVER to a groomer....i HAVE to LEARN TO DO THIS MYSELF...i enjoy seeing you work, but i actually thought watch the grooming videos might make me feel like I COULD take them and leave them. I know that is NEVER Going to be the case. THANK YOU FOR SHARING AND HELPING ME LEARN kat ak

Accolades to Jun the Groomer and your videographer! Thanks so much for the helpful video. :)

This dog is old and learned long ago that sudden movements mean disaster for him. Some groomers also fail to consider that a dog may have pain from old fractures and injuries. A simple squeeze on the leg could be agony.. Maybe he won't let go during a bite because of what happened to him in his former home once he did let go. I admire Jun for taking his time and understanding that the dog's behavior is learned, not personal.

Your patience is awesome!!! This little one needs some manners taught at home. You amazed me.

It takes a good heart to take on a tough grooming gig. Great job, I'm sure they thank you later lol :)

bless you.you are a special person.pup just sooo afraid we have case here in town,54 cattle dogs taken out of hot sheds.what the heck,and sell them in horrid condition?2 pomi`s in cage and inches of feces and a 3rd found so weak,blended into the poop!so glued and matted,spca sent cage and all to groomer ,got him shaved and now to live.in the hosp.bless the spca &groomers.

so glad to know that there is a Groomer out there that knows how to handle a frightened and difficult dog! Don't they teach that in Grooming School? Thanks for your patience and understanding and kindness! my dog is an eight year old Shitzu, and there seems to be no Groomer here in the City of Pittsburgh that can do what I just saw you do in this amazing video!

Thank you for the valuable feedback, Queen Aniahs! I totally agree with you, especially after this experience! I recommended to his mommy that the vet would be the best route for little Sunshine. Thanks for watching!

I loooove these videos

I've been grooming for 20+ years and learned the only gloves a dog or cat can't bite thru are welding gloves. You can feel pressure tho. Akso I don't let the dog bite on my gloves, cause older dogs can very easily break a tooth or have one fall out. I always use a muzzel; but only if i have to. Dogs need to learn at there first grooming you are the boss and they are not to bite. But I also totally understand that a dog has feelings and he might not feel like being groomed that day, or just grumpy, so I talk to all of them as if they were my child and at the end of the day, I never forget to tell them how good they were and how pretty they are.

I wish I could find a groomer like you. It is so important for the young dogs to have positive experiences the first few times at the groomer. It sets the stage for a lifetime of haircuts. My geriatric poodle had become arthritic and for the last three or four years of his life I groomed him myself. He would come home stiff and on occasion he would actually limp for few days. (I did a pretty good job, it just took several days) Too bad I am in Southern Georgia.

You have a ton of patience.....Great gloves & vid.

This dog reacts exactly like my toy poodle Samson. Samson has never been abused. We have had him since he was 6 weeks old or so. I love him like crazy, but he is almost impossible to groom. I have never even tried taking him to a professional groomer because I fear he will bite them, as he has bitten me. I like the leather glove idea! I'll use that next time. It takes me several hours to get him clipped,, doing it in installments. It is very stressful for both of us. Samson is almost 9 years old and it never gets any better with each time. I have tried soothing, treats, calm voice, gentle brushing, introducing him and letting him check out the tools, nothing makes it better. I just think some dogs are neurotic for unknown reasons.... Poor babies. He acts as though I'm torturing him. It's really EXACTLY like this pooch. When we're done, he's just a happy little boy running around like nothing happened, and I'm a basket case! LOL Although, reading through the comments, I happened upon Carol's. I did accidentally nick Samson slightly with the clippers when he was a pup. :( Perhaps that is all it took to ruin him. I will look into possible sedation for next time.

14 years old...dang... Don't think I know any dogs who made it past 10 or 11. This guy's still such a fighter, too.

you should show this to your aspca

It is so sad to see that he is so stressed because his owner/previous owner couldn't prevent him getting so matted.

You have so much patience and you handled this dog really well people commenting here about you not handling it well i think have never really groomed a dog that aggressive and old.. i think u were really good, i love all your videos and this dog is really old so it would have anesthesia risks involved and that would risk its life way more.. and about the aggressiveness? why don't you muzzle the dog? however thank you for all you videos :))

you have more patience then I could ever have, even though he bit you over and over you still showed him kindness! Good for you, I'm not sure why it upset so many ppl though? You never hurt the dog, quite the opposite actually.

well done

A past experience, this dog was used a muzzle but the grooming was going even harder. When a pet gets scary, it poos and pees are normal. That is why we suggest a groomer has a person with you when the grooming is ongoing, that person could be a pet owner (in this particular dog) or your assistant. (four hands are always better than two hands) This arrangement is for compassion and for the better control purposes (clean up a messy table). A right leash of a grooming table is important for you to control him, (yours is a walk-dog leash) if it's necessary trying to hang his head straight up, a pet might be resulted in more alert and sit still. Put a secure hook on the pole,;a pet would not fall off from the table (it will cause an accident) and also he cannot bite you when you are managing its body. If you know the dog a bit, please try to find a right time to groom its face ASAP because a bitten dog who almost always has a relaxed time for a groomer to do difficult spots. To apply gloves for protections are fine, but sometime they make your hands inflexible or cause pets injured by blades, find the thin leather gloves when a pet has been tied up probably. Besides, a groomer should be aware his arms as well. Simply saying, right tools, right moments and speeding up grooming time.

This is amazing. I usually have to muzzle Charlie (my pup) 19 lbs. and he is the same way. I learned so much from this video. I will try the "shhh" method... And I will try a cone. I wish there was a groomer like you in NYC because right now I would pay anything then to have to groom Charlie. Thank you for this informational and highly educational video.

Wow! U did great! I have a toy poodle n she is about that size but she is a very good dog....

I have a puddle/terrier, and I'm always brushing her hair, that's her on my profile pic. I just got to get her to let me do her nails more. Now that's a job.

such a patient groomer :)

is he passing out I'm going to watch this story. I haven't been on in awhile 3 rescues are like 3 kids plus I do all their grooming it's a handful

Hey there! I am a dog groomer as well...I've been grooming for 3 years. Alot of people don't realize the work and struggles we go through when it comes to special needs dogs and/or aggressive dogs. I wanted to let you know that you did a good job working on sunshine! The best tactic you used was the cone! I actually never thought of using one on any of the aggressive dogs that I've worked with and NOW that I saw it used I am going to try it out! :-) One thing I noticed is that Sunshine got away from you and fell/jumped off of the grooming table ultimately leading to him hanging himself for a few seconds. To prevent that event from happening either with him or another dog that comes into the shop, you could have another person wearing the same gloves help you keep the dog on the grooming table. Team work sometimes is the best work. Dogs like sunshine still must be groomed otherwise other health risks can develop. Unfortunately it is a stressful process on the dog. So It's a catch 22. The best advice to offer is to talk over the risks with the owner and to come up with a plan that suits sunshine. Sometimes with aggressive dogs at least with some I have worked with, I've asked the owner to stay with me and help control the dog. It can help especially if the owner is aware and understanding of their dogs behavior. However, it can back fire at the same time if the owner does more worrying than helping...so again it's a catch 22. Just keep using your best judgment and go from there! Thank you so much for having the patience to work with a boy like Sunshine that really needs a caring and understanding groomer!!!

The tranquil music is good. As a gov't Auditor dogs would misbehave and when I played a tranquil outdoorsy cd music with streams, birds chirping and wolves howling, wolves/pups noises in play...the dog stopped instantly. Maybe you can try that.

wow you are one brave soul

That dog compared to the other dogs I have seen on YT looks pretty good is all!

Jun if you get a H-Frame instead of the grooming arm you currently use, you will be able then to use both the regular grooming noose and a belly strap which will stop them from falling off the table ;)

Madre mía! que buen bicho es.

good job

Nice job! I have groomed many dogs just like this...I have never tried the gloves and usually muzzle the dog because I refuse to get bit. You did a great job though but agree the dog is to old.

Thank you!

aww sooo cute

Woah, relax there jules - LOL! It's ok that people get upset with these videos. They are concerned about the dogs and their well being - there's nothing wrong with that. Plus they don't know my intentions so they may just be looking at my actions without considering my intent. But I always say, Intent vs. Impact - even if I had good intentions if the impact is negative than I should reconsider what I'm doing. Thank you so much for understanding me!

Love your videos - I have a shih tzu and she can be difficult to groom - so you are very helpful

I'm sorry I had to Crack up June u r so patient, I pray for this virtue daily. u r great man. I have now taken on the responsibility of 3 rescues now and I just got a toy yoke and she is like this she won't bite me she bites the Clippers but their temper is CRAY CRAY LMAO

ok, i have not read through all previous comments.. so apologies in advance!!! I am sorry. I am a mobile pet groomer just a tad over 1yr old newbie in the business. I love all animals (spiders are not considered an animal in my world) I enjoyed that with poor Sunshine, that is basically a typical 1st time client of mine in the mobile world, constantly. I am one to try things and slowly introduce grooming to the sweet animals who have been forsed with that life to them . I have introduced atleast 5 new puppies to a grooming regeme and they are tolerant 1yr on and cank now enjoy it, They are affectionate and looking forward to galloping and coming to me ( WHICH I AM PLEASED ABOUT) :-) I have only turned away ONE client so far and reason being that i felt it TOO DANGEROUS that the dog would lunge toward my hand constantly whether clippers or impale on scirrors.. (done it with scissors, i will offered to wash and trim or clip all over this poor girl but with exception of the head as was too ddangerous for me) I have alot of patents and willing to spend the far long extra time on a pet for no extra charge just to TRY and help through their pet through the next cycle of its life and try and NOT introduce bad habits... Please PPL SEND ME YOUR VIDEOS OF THINGS GONE WRONG AND HOW TO HANDLE THE ANIMALS YOU NEEDS TO RESTRAIN TIO GROOM!!! Always eyes and heart open!!! XX

Thank you very much, supremomichael! Thank you for watching!

That's something I hadn't considered - thank you so much! I really appreciate you watching and for the feedback, TheAussiePainter!

you're a sweetheart

Kudos to the groomer, it takes patience and time to do this although I'm not sure I'd let the dog bite me lol! my fingers and hands are my livelihood. I am fortunate enough to work at a vet and they will give a light sedative to calm him and would monitor him. He has obviously been handled roughly in the past and the owner didn't work with the dog to desensitize him to being handled. I really like the caring attitude of this man, he seems really genuine.

U r the Jeri master .Thanx for givin us hope. I'm always afraid to make it worse, but wish we could do some ness. work. I'll use ur breathing tech. It should help. Some recommend benidril, but who now dosage . Thanx brother ur the realdeal

Thank you so much for your informative comment, +Autumnprepper :-) I really appreciate the pointers, and I promise not to use a noose to kill a dog ;-) Wow, 31 years is a long time to be in any line of work and I bet you are very skilled at your craft. I'm sure this information that you shared will help others watching this video as well. Namaste :-)

I dunno how you did it LOL gloves or not I'd have probably been like AGHHHHHH!!😂😆 totally not calm! You both did a good job. That pup will be tired of struggling before long hopefully, and then you can just finish his groom. What a tough job! At least you're understanding😌

Yay I thought u couldn't ever do it because the way how sunshine is but u did

He's so scared of being hurt that he'll hurt himself to avoid it. I adopted one almost this bad. I did the grooming myself, and I'm not a pro in any way. I took lots of time, did everything very slowly, talked to him, hugged him, and gave him pieces of bologna or hot dogs to change his way of thinking. I also did things for only 5 minutes or so at a time. Put him down on the floor, give him bologna, let him take a break. It worked and he trusts me much more. The owner should do stuff with their own troubled dog at least once a week, very slowly, quietly, gently and with lots of love and praise and really good treats like bologna and lots of breaks! Don't force this on them for long periods of time! The dog can improve. You have to handle them with kid gloves.

Omg I just found ur channel and I just inherited a Shi-Tzu that I'll be grooming myself. Very good informative videos!

I do not use a cone but a soft doughnut collar which seems easier on my dog, I find he can still see but cannot reach the same as a collar x

Jun, you are awesome! I appreciate you filming these grooming jobs to show that it is possible to groom these scared babies. Do you charge extra for the time involved in getting them over the biting? How do you set your price on these jobs?

I wish i could know if you had a shop and if you did where it is at. I have watched your videos and especially with this little guy as he is the same kind of dog as mine. Honestly I would really trust you with my dog. I don't understand why some people gave you grief about the first video wish i could have seen it. But dealing with and aggressive dog is not easy and many organizations as much as they would like to say that they are all humanity aggressive dogs are the first to be euthanized. Everyone is like an iceberg you can see only the outside but underneath you won't see the struggle that they are going through. Thank you for your hard work and dedication. And for having the courage to do something many would not do, groom an aggressive dog. Now i can try and groom my dog with more confidence.

I just watched the video from (TRISH SEAL) how to groom and aggressive dog. She is absolutely amazing !!!

I can't believe after all that you never showed the end result. I'm so sad I wanted to see that sweet little angle with her new doo.

I am also a groomer and somewhat agree with previous comments that this whole process may be far too stressful for a dog this age. I am also curious why you brushed it all out just to shave it off? If I'm shaving a dog, I don't spend any time brushing it. Kudos to you though - you are very kind and patient with him =]

Jun, brother, to deal with that little flea bitten mutt, you have the patience of a saint. After the first bite, I would have grabbed that mutt and beaten it to death. My hat's off to you, brother. Great job!