# First time using grooming table...need help



## JayBen (Aug 30, 2012)

Hi. I just made a grooming table with a ramp for my girl. My Table Works arm came in today so I was anxious to get here up there and try it out. Without the arm she didn't have a huge problem with going up onto the table. Well I put the arm on and she was scared of it. I finally lured her up with high value treats and she was shaking really bad (noose not on). After a few minutes I let her go off of it. A little later we tried again. This time she went up, still a bit scared but I kept petting her and she calmed down a lot. The third time I got her up there and she didn't shake at all. Still a little scared but I was able to get the noose on. She didn't like it and kept trying to sit and back away. She was kinda choking her self. 
I have no idea if I'm going about this the right way. I don't want to traumatize her and have her scared of being groomed...or have her get hurt. I could use all the advise you can give. Should the arm be high enough so that she has to stand tall and not slouch with her head in the noose? Can I do anything differently here?
Thank You so much.


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## kwhit (Apr 7, 2008)

I know a groomer that's been grooming since she was 7 years old, (her mom owned a grooming shop), and what she's always done with a nervous dog, (with the owner's permission), is smear a tiny bit of peanut butter on the arm and let the dog lick it off while she starts to groom. A little on the side of the tub at the beginning of a bath works, too. : 

She groomed in a shop I managed and it always worked for her and the dogs.


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## JayBen (Aug 30, 2012)

It did the trick. Its funny how a little PB can make a scary thing a good thing...lol...Thank you


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