Groomer won't let me stay with my anxious dog
Many specialized groomers insist that owners leave the premises during appointments, which can trigger intense worry for owners whose dogs suffer from severe separation anxiety and fear. Without being able to stay close, owners are left torn between getting their dog groomed and risking a deeply stressful experience for their pet.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 44.1× more often in r/dogs than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Groomer won't let me stay with my anxious dog
- 1Trusting professional groomers who have liability policies and experience with anxious dogsDid this help you?
- 2Administering anti-anxiety medication like gabapentin before the appointmentDid this help you?
- 3Explaining concerns and being completely honest about the dog's behavior with the groomerDid this help you?
- 4Using in-home pet sitters instead of kennel facilitiesDid this help you?
- 5Finding pet sitters through platforms like RoverDid this help you?
- 6Hiring dog trainers who board animals in their own homesDid this help you?
- 7Asking vet techs who offer private boarding in their homesDid this help you?
- 8Conducting trial runs for a weekend or a couple of nights before a long tripDid this help you?
- 9Buying an RV to travel with pets instead of boarding themDid this help you?
- 10Holding emotions in to avoid looking like a crazy pet ownerDid this help you?
- 11Arranging pet sitters immediately before planning anything else for an eventDid this help you?
- 12Seeking reassurance from online communities where other owners share similar feelingsDid this help you?
- 13monitoring the puppy closely for any signs of injury or unusual behaviorDid this help you?
- 14asking pet sitters not to hold the puppyDid this help you?
- 15training the puppy to be calm while being held to minimize future dropsDid this help you?
- 16Leaving the pet with family members like a mom.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“We may have a need to board our dog for 2 weeks. Has anyone done this? How were they afterwards?”source ↗
“Ill admit i have a hard time being away from my dogs overnight or for a few days. I always feel that people judge me on it, thinking it shouldn't be a big deal etc. and im making a big deal out of nothing.”source ↗
“I use to try and explain to people but I have just stoppled now and try and hold all my emotions in so I dont look like a crazy pet owner.”source ↗
“He really needs to visit a groomer. As the title says he has separation issues and he's scared of almost everything.”source ↗
“I found a groomer that specializes in double coated fur but she insisted on me not being there when I tried to make an appointment.”source ↗
“Maybe she is right but wanted to hear from other people who have been in the same situation. Could also be that I'm the one with the separation issue.”source ↗
“We did visit a boarding facility with our and honestly it gave me extreme anxiety because i just knew one of our dogs would absolutely hate it.”source ↗
“One dog was fine, one was clearly traumatized.”source ↗
“We can’t board our mini Aussie for 2 days before we’re getting calls the dog is dying because she won’t eat and starts throwing up.”source ↗
“I feel ya. I’m the same way. My dogs make me happier than anything and I hate being away from them.”source ↗
“I feel the same. I got a wedding invite for Jan 2027 and before I did anything else I got a pet sitter for the night. Then I worried about if we were even going and what we had to wear etc.”source ↗
“I’ve never been away from her for more than 12 hours at a time during the 10 years that I’ve had her 😭.”source ↗
“my anxiety of leaving my pup with someone else just continues to build up making it harder to leave the house.”source ↗
“i’m just super anxious and i can’t help but overthink every little thing now.”source ↗
“he has been acting normally for the past few hours but i can’t help but overthink it”source ↗
“i’m a first time owner and i’m working on trusting people with him a bit more, it’s just that the anxiety is really through the roof right now huhu”source ↗
“i guess i genuinely can’t help but overthink it, he’s just too small”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 7Why does my dog cry when left with friends?
- 8Why does my dog forget house training after the vet?
- 30How long can you safely leave a dog alone at home?
- 36How to handle a young puppy alone during sudden schedule changes
- 25How to move abroad or travel without leaving your pets behind
- 9When can I stop crating my puppy when I'm not home?