Behavioral Grooming In Verona

Behavioral Grooming Experts

Certified Vet Tech & Groomer with 50+ Years of Experience

The Platinum Pooch LLC

What Is Behavioral Grooming?

Behavioral grooming is a specialized approach designed for dogs who struggle in a standard grooming environment. Anxious dogs, reactive dogs, dogs with fear-based responses, and dogs who have had traumatic grooming experiences in the past all require a groomer who understands animal behavior at a level well beyond the average salon. Behavioral grooming is not about forcing a dog to comply. It is about understanding why a dog is struggling and adjusting every aspect of the experience to meet their needs.

At The Platinum Pooch, behavioral grooming is performed by Donna M. Walko, a Certified Veterinary Technician with a dedicated certification in behavioral grooming and over 50 years of experience working with challenged animals. Donna has worked with dogs that other groomers have refused, dogs with serious anxiety, aggression, phobias, and trauma histories, and she has built a reputation for being the person people call when nobody else can help.

The Platinum Pooch LLC

Has Your Dog Been Turned Away by Other Groomers?

If your dog has been refused by other salons, labeled as too difficult, or has had a grooming experience that left them worse off than before, you are not alone and your dog is not a lost cause. Behavioral challenges during grooming are far more common than most pet parents realize, and they are almost always a sign that the dog needs a different approach, not a more forceful one.

Common signs that your dog may benefit from behavioral grooming include growling, snapping, or biting during grooming, extreme trembling or shutdown behavior, inability to be handled around the face, feet, or rear end, panic responses to clippers, dryers, or water, and a pattern of getting progressively worse with each grooming visit. These behaviors are communicating something. A certified behavioral groomer knows how to listen.

The Platinum Pooch LLC

50 Years of Experience With the Animals Nobody Else Could Handle

Donna's background is unlike anything you will find at a standard grooming salon. Before founding The Platinum Pooch, she spent decades working as a Certified Veterinary Technician and AALAS Lab Technician, regularly handling animals under high-stress clinical conditions. She has worked with fearful, aggressive, and medically compromised animals throughout her entire career, and that experience informs every behavioral grooming appointment she takes.

At The Platinum Pooch, behavioral grooming appointments are conducted in a calm, quiet, one-on-one environment with no other dogs present. There is no chaos, no noise, and no rushing. Donna works at your dog's pace, using techniques grounded in behavioral science and decades of real-world experience. We cannot promise that every dog will love grooming. But we can promise that your dog will be treated with patience, respect, and genuine expertise every single time.

TESTIMONIALS

What Our Behavioral Grooming Customers Say About Us

The Process

Our Simple 3 Step Process

Contact Us

Start by filling out the form on our website. Let us know a little about your dog and what you’re looking for with Dog Grooming. It helps us understand your needs and get things started smoothly.

Schedule Your Visit

After we review your info, we’ll reach out to find a time that works well for you and your dog. We’ll walk through what to expect and make sure everything feels like a good fit for Dog Grooming.

Pick Up Your Happy Pup!

Once your visit is scheduled, you can rest easy. The team at The Platinum Pooch LLC will take great care of your dog with attentive, gentle, and dependable Dog Grooming.