Why is it always my legs, you may ask? I am applying an Anita Blake Vampire Hunter (author Laurell K. Hamilton) stratagem. Let them chew up the non-dominant part of you so that your dominant hand remains unscathed. In my case my legs are what tends to take the the most damage as I tend to use both of my hands in grooming. Not to say my arms don't get well clawed. I've only been bitten a few times. I can read a dogs body language like a ninja, so I tend to know they're going to bite before they do. If only I could the same with people. I tend to take the cast away dogs. The dogs the other two groomers that share my salon perhaps don't wish to manage. Not that they don't have their cases, but I must say the bulk falls on me. If it's large, matted or difficult it's likely on my schedule. Many of these dogs can not be groomed safely on my small table so I am often crawling around on the floor for much of my day. Yet another reason my legs take on much collateral damage. The big ones especially but some of the little guys are more easily managed on the floor. Better than to risk them jumping off. The middle image was actually a very small dog that I was trying hold in my lap to keep calm for a nail trim. Needless to say, it didn't work. I no longer groom this dog because she was so very hyper and wiggly. I didn't feel safe grooming her. A dog that won't hold still is always a huge risk around sharp blades and shears.
There's more to grooming than love and tail wags. Dogs do not get the concept of "spa". They just know you are holding their foot and they don't like it. The fact that the nails could grow into their foot if left unchecked is not common knowledge amongst dog brains. They react often out of pure emotion that can not be reasoned with. Attempts to soothe can be lost entirely. Although for some useful, often the emotion is too strong, too overpowering. Sometimes it's a bit like taking a child to get a vaccination. It must be done for childs health and well-being, but they're not going to like it. In such cases the best thing to do is proceed as quickly and mercifully as possible. Much like the best nurses in the worlds. Those lovely sneaky types that can give a shot before you've realized it. I try my best, but sometimes you get the crap knocked out of you anyways.
