My newly published paper, The Evolution of Canine Stress Physiology in Professional Dog Grooming, examines how chronic stress, anthropomorphism, emotional co-regulation, post-pandemic behavioral changes, and nervous-system dysregulation may be reshaping the grooming experience for both dogs and professionals. It explores why fear-based aggression, handling intolerance, panic responses, emotional shutdown, groomer injuries, and occupational burnout appear to be increasing across the industry.
The paper calls for professional dog grooming to move beyond production-focused and restraint-based systems toward trauma-aware handling, emotional safety, nervous-system literacy, behavioral understanding, and truly integrative canine care.