I had a great conversation with The Amazing Susy Scott on The Groom Pod. She's a friend and a Master Groomer Behavior Specialist. You can find The Groom Pod at https://www.thegroompod.com/ The video can be found at https://www.creatinggreatgroomingdogs.com/videos/groom-pod-cggd/ For full transcripts, go to the audio episode on CreatingGreatGroomingDogs.com You can also listen to this episode as a podcast on my website or anywhere you listen to podcasts. For more information about my classes- The...
Jul 05, 2025•58 min
Kindness is such a subjective word. How can we ensure that we're making kind decisions for the pets in our care and for our own pets? Because there are many pet owners listening to this podcast also. For full transcripts, go to the audio episode on CreatingGreatGroomingDogs.com You can also listen to this episode as a podcast on my website or anywhere you listen to podcasts. For more information about my classes- The full diploma program Master Groomer Behavior Specialist(MGBS) diploma program S...
Jun 22, 2025•24 min•Ep. 208
Episode 207. How do I get my boss on board? Geez, Chrissy. I like the show and I wanna do all these things, but I'm not self-employed and my boss isn't on board yet. So if you work for someone else, it may feel impossible to make these kinds of changes, but we're gonna talk about that this week, 'cause there are some great discussions that we can have with your boss. For full transcripts, go to the audio episode on CreatingGreatGroomingDogs.com You can also listen to this episode as a podcast on...
Jun 03, 2025•20 min•Ep. 207
This week, we are talking about a game that anybody can play with their dog to help them be more prepared for grooming and other types of care. It's super easy. Young dogs, old dogs, dogs with no issues, dogs with plenty of issues—this is easy stuff that anyone can do. For full transcripts, go to the audio episode on CreatingGreatGroomingDogs.com You can also listen to this episode as a podcast on my website or anywhere you listen to podcasts. For more information about my classes- The full dipl...
May 26, 2025•16 min•Ep. 206
This week, we're answering the question "If he hates it, why on earth would you do it more often?" Oh, this is such a great question. We're gonna have so much fun covering this one because I think we hear that a lot from our owners, but we also hear that from the non dog trainers. A lot of dog pros who aren't dog trainers might also question this. So we're gonna break it down this week For full transcripts, go to the audio episode on CreatingGreatGroomingDogs.com You can also listen to this epis...
May 18, 2025•19 min•Ep. 205
This week we're talking about why humane handling must be a priority for groomers, for owners. For veterinarians, we have to make humane handling a priority. And that gets tricky if we haven't yet defined what humane handling is. For full transcripts, go to the audio episode on CreatingGreatGroomingDogs.com You can also listen to this episode as a podcast on my website or anywhere you listen to podcasts. For more information about my classes- The full diploma program Master Groomer Behavior Spec...
May 10, 2025•20 min•Ep. 204
This week we'll talk about how grooming is more than just getting it done. We'll talk about how we can tailor our grooming sessions to each and every dog. We often think that groomers either have to get the job done or refuse, and there's so much that happens in between those two choices. It's not black and white. It's not yes or no. There's a lot more tailoring that we can do. The Bitey End of the Dog: Chrissy Neumyer Smith For full transcripts, go to the audio episode on CreatingGreatGroomingD...
Oct 14, 2024•21 min•Ep. 203
This week, we’re talking about cooperative care in the real world. What do we really need to focus on? This episode is primarily for trainers, but also for anyone who communicates with them. The grooming world has some unique challenges and specific goals that set it apart. We'll talk about Grooming as a Very Elaborate Stand Stay. The Bitey End of the Dog: Chrissy Neumyer Smith For full transcripts, go to the audio episode on CreatingGreatGroomingDogs.com You can also listen to this episode as a...
Oct 06, 2024•23 min•Ep. 202
This week we're talking about communicating with people. There's a human end to working with animals. We need to communicate with the owners. We need to communicate with other pet professionals, and if you're an owner, you need to communicate with everybody. So we're gonna talk about how we can best get everyone on the same page. For full transcripts, go to the audio episode on CreatingGreatGroomingDogs.com You can also listen to this episode as a podcast on my website or anywhere you listen to ...
Aug 05, 2024•22 min•Ep. 201
Working with behavior cases should not be frustrating. If you are frustrated working on behavior cases or working with dogs and pets who have difficulty with grooming, we will troubleshoot that this week. For full transcripts, go to the audio episode on CreatingGreat GroomingDogs.com You can also listen to this episode as a podcast on my website or anywhere you listen to podcasts. You can watch episodes at youtube.com/@creatinggreatgroomingdogs For more information about my classes, go to Master...
Jul 16, 2024•23 min•Ep. 200
Does your owner know why their dog needs to be dried? Why do groomers want to dry the dog? And then what kind of drying can we do? What kind of tools and techniques do we have? And let's also discuss if dogs are really afraid of drying? For full transcripts, go to the audio episode on CreatingGreat GroomingDogs.com You can also listen to this episode as a podcast on my website or anywhere you listen to podcasts. You can watch episodes at youtube.com/@creatinggreatgroomingdogs For more informatio...
Jul 08, 2024•28 min•Ep. 199
This week we're talking about repetition. Why is repetition important to learning? Why is that something that we would want to use in dog grooming, and how can that help us in dog grooming? Find out this week. For full transcripts, go to the audio episode on CreatingGreat GroomingDogs.com You can also listen to this episode as a podcast on my website or anywhere you listen to podcasts. You can watch episodes at youtube.com/@creatinggreatgroomingdogs For more information about my classes, go to M...
Jun 18, 2024•25 min•Ep. 198
This week, we'll talk about scratchboards and the dog toys designed to help you file your dog's nails or help your dog file their own nails. We'll talk about what they're good for, what they're not good for, and why your groomer might give you the hard eye roll if you say you've been using one. Dog Nail Scratch Board File https://a.co/d/eo6mDLG De' Vora Scratch Square Dog Nail Trimmer & File https://a.co/d/9pjlyQt For full transcripts, go to the audio episode on CreatingGreat GroomingDogs.co...
Jun 03, 2024•20 min•Ep. 197
Together We're Better Behavior Chats! Welcome to a special bonus episode of the Creating Great Grooming Dogs show! In this installment of "Together We're Better Behavior Chats," your host, Chrissy, engages in a fascinating conversation with the amazing Kayce Cover from Syn Alia Training Systems. In this episode of Creating Great Grooming Dogs, Chrissy Neumyer Smith sits down with the renowned Kayce Cover, a friend, mentor, and pioneer in the field of animal training and cooperative care. Kayce s...
May 26, 2024•1 hr 38 min
This week, we'll talk about the "it came out of nowhere" bites. Some bites happen without warning, but what can cause that? What subtle warnings might have been missed? Now, whether you're a seasoned groomer or just starting out, this episode will give you some insights and help you have a safer, more understanding work environment. For full transcripts, go to the episode on CreatingGreat GroomingDogs.com You can also listen to this episode as a podcast on my website or anywhere you listen to po...
May 20, 2024•23 min•Ep. 196
We'll discuss how to talk with pet owners about the importance of safety in addressing behavior issues. This may be relevant to you if you're a pet owner or if your groomer has directed you here. Sometimes, conveying the significance of safety to owners who don't fully understand its relevance in addressing behavior and safety problems can be challenging. For full transcripts, go to the episode on CreatingGreat GroomingDogs.com You can also listen to this episode as a podcast on my website or an...
May 06, 2024•22 min•Ep. 195
Why can it be so much harder when it's your own dog? What makes it so different? There are some extra steps that we need to take when it's our own dogs. We have some blind spots, and sometimes, we get in our own way. We're going to explore some of those blind spots this week. For full transcripts, go to the episode on CreatingGreat GroomingDogs.com You can also listen to this episode as a podcast on my website or anywhere you listen to podcasts. You can watch episodes at youtube.com/@creatinggre...
Apr 22, 2024•24 min•Ep. 194
What do you do with the really difficult cases? We're going explore that this week. What do you do when a dog is really, really "bad" for grooming when we already know everything about him. We've been grooming him for years and he's just not going to get better. What do you do? For full transcripts, go to the episode on CreatingGreat GroomingDogs.com You can also listen to this episode as a podcast on my website or anywhere you listen to podcasts. You can watch episodes at youtube.com/@creatingg...
Apr 01, 2024•28 min•Ep. 193
Together We're Better Behavior Chats! Welcome to a special bonus episode of the Creating Great Grooming Dogs show! In this installment of "Together We're Better Behavior Chats," your host Chrissy engages in a fascinating conversation with the incredible Stephanie Zikmann from The Holistic Grooming Academy! She is the renowned author of "The Magic of Holistic Grooming" and "A Teacher's Guide to Low-Stress Grooming." holisticgroomingacademy.com For more info about Stephanie go to holisticgroominga...
Mar 04, 2024•1 hr 30 min
We will talk about the controversy about using meds for animals who have difficulty with grooming. There are lots of strong feelings about this. I think that many groomers refuse to work with animals that are medicated. And then there are other people who really want the animals to be medicated. So we'll talk about where some of this bias comes from. This is not veterinary advice. I am not a veterinarian, and we will not list specific medications. We'll just talk about how many groomers feel abo...
Jan 29, 2024•21 min•Ep. 192
Episode 191. This week, we're talking about National Train Your Dog Month. So January in the United States is National Train Your Dog Month, and I wanna talk about a variety of dog training options out there for owners to explore and also talk about the idea that training is enrichment and it should be fun for people and dogs. For full transcripts, go to the episode on CreatingGreat GroomingDogs.com You can also listen to this episode as a podcast on my website or anywhere you listen to podcasts...
Jan 21, 2024•20 min•Ep. 191
Episode 190 Warnings and Bites. What is the difference between a dog giving you a warning and a dog trying to hurt you? I don't want you to think a dog can't hurt you. Maybe you think they're too small, old, or young. Any pet can hurt you. I also don't want you to think that maybe a dog missed. “You got lucky that he missed.” They rarely miss. So we're gonna talk about the difference between warnings and a dog that's trying to hurt you and why we, as professionals, should take warnings very seri...
Jan 14, 2024•28 min•Ep. 190
There are lots of ways we can define learning. I think these 4 stages are going to be helpful. If you've ever wondered, well, we worked on it last time, why doesn't he understand this time? Or why does he need to practice this? There are lots of things that we can do better if we understand how dogs learn. This is the Creating Great Grooming Dog Show. I'm Chrissy Neumyer Smith. I'm a master groomer behavior specialist(MGBS), a certified professional groomer(CPG), a certified behavior consultant ...
Jan 02, 2024•20 min•Ep. 189
Episode 188, is punishment necessary? Is that something that we need to do to get our jobs done? Is that something that's going to be helpful? We'll explore that this week. This is the Creating Great Grooming Dog Show. I'm Chrissy Neumyer Smith. I'm a master groomer behavior specialist(MGBS), a certified professional groomer(CPG), a certified behavior consultant for canines(CBCC-KA), a certified professional dog trainer(CPDT-KA), a Fear Free certified professional(FFCP) in training and grooming,...
Dec 19, 2023•19 min•Ep. 188
Episode 187 Desensitization. What is it? How does it work? Why could it be helpful? What are a few reasons why maybe you haven't had good luck with it. That's what we'll be talking about this week. This is the Creating Great Grooming Dog Show. I'm Chrissy Neumyer Smith. I'm a master groomer behavior specialist(MGBS), a certified professional groomer(CPG), a certified professional dog trainer(CPDT-KA), and a certified behavior consultant for canines(CBCC-KA). I'm an instructor at Whole Pet Groomi...
Dec 15, 2023•17 min•Ep. 187
Emotions And The"Why?" Ep 186 Episode 186. Is it okay to talk about emotions and animals? Is it anthropomorphic to talk about emotions and animals? Where is the line, between what we see and the story that we build around what we see? And let's talk about emotions and what we observe this week. Find all show details, including transcripts, at CreatingGreatGroomingDogs.com You can find my online classes at Whole Pet Grooming Academy WholePetNH.com For more information about my Master Groomer Beha...
Sep 16, 2023•24 min•Ep. 186
Why Some Dogs Get Worse Every Time Ep185 [00:00:00] Episode 185. Why do some dogs get worse about grooming time after time and they just keep getting worse? Shouldn't they eventually realize that it doesn't hurt them? Why don't they learn to just go with the flow? That's what we're gonna cover today in episode 185. The Six Reasons Why Some dogs get worse every time. [00:00:18] I am Chrissy Neumyer Smith. This is the Creating Great Grooming Dogs Show. I am a master groomer behavior specialist, a ...
Sep 04, 2023•28 min•Ep. 185
Episode 184, but we touch his feet. We touch his feet, just like the trainer and the groomer. And the veterinarian said, why is this dog still having a problem? That's our question for this week. This is the Creating Great Grooming Dogs show. I'm Chrissy Neumyer Smith. I'm a certified professional groomer, a certified behavior consultant for canines, a certified professional dog trainer. I'm a fear free certified groomer and. Fear free certified trainer. And I'm also a master groomer behavior sp...
Aug 26, 2023•21 min•Ep. 184
This week we're talking about how to make owners happy. How do we make a living working on dogs with difficulty with grooming? Now, this is very much for the groomers, but this is also for owners to understand where groomers are coming from and for the trainers and for anybody else because our customer service angle in the grooming industry needs to be tweaked and needs to be changed. My example of a Safety Policy. "To provide the highest level of care for your pet, we have a safety policy. If a...
Apr 26, 2023•24 min•Ep. 183
This week we're talking about science-based training. What does that mean? Why is there a controversy and what do you need to know? You'll get my take on that this week. CreatingGreatGroomingDogs.com Ep182 What Does Science Based Dog Training Mean === [00:00:00] Chrissy: . Episode 180 2 of the show this week we're talking about science-based training. What does that mean? Why is there a controversy and what do you need to know? [00:00:09] You'll get my take on that this week. This is the Creatin...
Apr 14, 2023•24 min•Ep. 182
