Groomer Takes Her Brush To Dog Refused By Most Groomers

Vanessa with Girl With the Dogs shared her recent grooming session of Basal, a one-year-old Chow Chow. In the video, she reveals that many groomers avoid Chow Chows because of their “aloof and aggressive temperament” and because they can turn in an instant, making them an unpredictable customer on the grooming table. However, despite looking a bit stressed, Basal is perfectly well behaved.

Vanessa’s video and Basal’s temperament prompted several comments from dog trainers and Chow Chow owners who shared their stories.

One viewer wrote, “I had a Chow and the breeder told me one reason they are so reactive is that their eyes are so recessed and hidden by fur that they are often surprised by any approach and I should make sure people approached her from the front first where she could see them easily. You seem to do that very well.”

“I was a dog trainer once upon a time, and while I was learning, a pair of Chow siblings came into the class of the trainer I was shadowing. They were both puppies, and very stubborn, but also very loving to their owners and to me,” wrote another viewer. “They didn’t do great with other dogs, so they had to sit a bit farther than usual from the other clients. I think their family did everything right, with training them young (they were both about 4 or 5 months at the time) and making sure they socialize with others. Towards the end, they were very chill with the other dogs in the class, but still weren’t allowed to play with them. Still, they made a lot of progress! Can’t honestly say I’ve had a bad experience with a chow, not even when they came into my old grooming salon for baths.”

“I cannot thank you enough for your caring nature and your willingness to accept any breed,” wrote another dog lover. “I had a Chow Chow and she was so gentle and thought everyone was her friend. No one would groom her so I had to learn to do it myself. Basal is a perfect ambassador to his breed.”

Another Chow Chow said, “The most beloved dog I ever had was a Chow Chow. We started socializing him early, and he was friendly with strangers. Our vet said he was the most well behaved Chow he had ever seen. Only once did the dog ever become aggressive, and it was with a strange guy who tried to open my screen door and come in while my children played outside. I KNEW he would have protected me, or died trying to. I love the breed.”