Our dogs do so much when they have to take care of us, and sometimes that can be a bit overwhelming.
Other times, they could’ve gone through a traumatic experience that’s making it difficult for them to do a previously mundane task.
Such is the case for Sully, who had gone through a few rough experiences to the point where he can’t go through a grooming session without panicking.
However, thanks to his emotional support animal, a rat named Benny, he can manage it a lot better, as seen in the video posted by youtuber Girl With The Dogs.
The Two Unlikely Friends Are Due For A Good Grooming
When the two arrive at the groomer’s, it’s clear that the young Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix is a bit more nervous than his little friend here who’s scurrying about the place.
Though, once the groomer is informed of the situation, she keeps the two close to one another, and, soon enough, Sully simmers down just as well.
Time For A Bath!
With the behavior sorted, it was time to get their clean-up started. Sully was first in line.
While he did attempt to escape at least once, as soon as Benny was brought close to him, he’d calm down and wouldn’t protest the showering.
He was a little scared of the water, and treats weren’t helping, so visits from his emotional support friend and words of praise were used instead.
Drying The Dog
The drying process was a bit harder, despite him being secured.
Dogs are normally scared of loud noises, and you can’t avoid loud noise with a blowdryer.
However, the groomer did her best to shield his ears from the noise by using a Happy Hoodie.
She also avoided washing the face and ears during the bath so she wouldn’t have to dry the area later.
This appears to be standard procedure for dogs who are getting groomed for the first time so their first experience doesn’t scare them from future ones.
Finishing Up
With him fully dried, it was time to give his fur a trim in places and clip his nails.
The trimmer was a bit loud which had Sully scared, but similar calming procedures were used as before which helped him get through the fur trimming.
The nail clipping, on the other hand, was a bit harder.
Sully had a bad experience with nail clipping when he was a younger pup which left him extremely wary and jumpy at the sound of them.
Thankfully, the groomer is a professional, so she managed, but it took a while, taking it real slow and allowing Sully plenty of breaks if he looked a bit too spooked.
In the end, she managed to get everything done and Sully was all done with his grooming.
Now, it was time to move on to the more agreeable of the duo, Benny.
Benny’s Getting A Bath
Grooming a rat is a lot simpler than handling a dog as all the rat’s going to need is a bath and Benny handled that part with ease.
While he was scurrying about the edge of the tub, he didn’t really protest the process.
He did try shaking the water out of his fur after the fact like a dog would though, which was quite entertaining to watch.
Best Buds Reunited
With the whole process done, the atmosphere was a lot lighter and the two were let to roam about in the groomer’s yard.
Sully was a lot less reserved and Benny was more than eager to accommodate his doggy friend’s needs.
The odd pair share an absolutely heartwarming bond that’s quite rare to see, and I encourage everyone to follow in their footsteps.
Can Any Animal Be An Emotional Support Animal?
It most certainly can. It’s not a job that only dogs can perform as it just depends on what helps you relieve stress.
In Sully’s case, that’s the rat, Benny, who he had managed to find a special bond with, and being around his friend helps him forget about past trauma.
And, if you ever find your own pup having some issues handling something specific due to trauma or other reasons, he may just need a friend to help him weather the storm.
Until next time, pet parents.
