On the opposite end of the spectrum are the dogs that show their displeasure by refusing to move. Rather than expend all their anxious energy fighting to get away from the groomer, these dogs simply will not cooperate.

Hangers

This dog loves to pull down on the grooming loop and choke herself. It makes no difference what level you hang the loop; she will pull down. Hangers seem to have this idea that if they hang their head, they can avoid the entire grooming process. Hangers are like dogs that pull on the leash and drag you. They will literally choke themselves.

One solution is to put the grooming loop very high up on the neck just under the jaw and keep it at a level that is just low enough for the dog to stand comfortably with his head held high. Think of the dog shows and stacking those dogs. If the loop is just under his jaw, it won't choke him.

Another solution for the hanger is to put the loop just behind the front legs, so it doesn't touch her neck, yet it can still hold the dog in a standing position. If you have trouble keeping the loop from slipping to the waist of the dog, just pull one leg through so that the loop rests like a shoulder seatbelt in a car, across one side of the neck and the middle of the chest.

Sitters

For whatever reason, sitters will not stand up. They sit down while bathing. They sit down while you try to dry them. They sit down while you try to do anything to them. The result is a wet, hairy rear end. Sometimes, the dog is elderly or has bad hips and standing is uncomfortable. A second grooming loop around the dog's waist helps. The dog can rest a little weight on the strap and it can hold him up while you attend to that area. When you are dealing with a sitter, try to groom the underneath part of the dog first. Dry his belly and rear first, and then allow him to sit if he wants. When it's time for you to clip his rear, put your hand underneath his belly and encourage him to stand up. Use that second grooming loop if you need to keep him standing. If he begins to sit, usually just feeling your hand under him will make him stand up again.

Some dogs are touchy under their tail and that's why they sit. Sitters are frustrating, but there are ways to deal with them. Train the dog to stand if she can do it comfortably. Put your hand underneath her and say, “Stand!” and lift her up. Positioning her legs behind her a bit helps. If her legs are under her belly, she will drop down again as soon as your hand is gone. Spread her rear legs out and back and tell her, “Good stand!” when she does. If she's geriatric or arthritic, just work around it and use the second grooming loop to aid you. Moving an arthritic dog is painful for the dog and defeats the purpose.

Pancakes

This dog goes flat on his belly as soon as you put him on the table. This dog, you swear, is magnetically attracted to the table. Picking him up proves incredibly difficult no matter what size he is. It's very hard to groom a dog that lies flat all the time. Sometimes, dogs just have to stand. For the pancake dog, you will need two grooming loops, one around the neck and front leg and one around the waist. Maltese are famous for playing pancake while being groomed. Pancakes are also hard to roll over onto their sides. They usually lie sprawled out on the table and refuse to budge.

Maltese love to play pancake with the groomer.