[Mollykat88]

At what age should you begin grooming? I started mine at 8 weeks and he still hates it

! He does not like to be brushed at all. I'm going to get a girl soon and I need some tips on how to start her when I get her. Kozzie does not enjoy my brushing him at all. I don't quite know why, I never tried to hurt him?

 

[carrie]

Well, I started grooming Massimo at 8 weeks also...he's 16 months now and he STILL hates it. When I get all the grooming supplies out he won't "come"...I have to go pick him up, he doesn't run away, he just sits there and looks pathetic. But when I do blow dry and brush him he sits perfectly still for me...he just sits there and looks....well... pathetic. I feel so bad....but he gets lots of love and treats during and after grooming!

-c

 

[jmm]

Treats, treats, treats....did I mention treats?

Brushing technique can also make a lot of difference. If you are scraping and pulling on them the whole time, they won't like it.

I start by teaching them how to behave on the grooming table with lots of treat and continue the treats for a while until we're down to one treat at the end of the brushing session. My dogs are very patient and don't mind grooming at all.

 

[littlepeanut]

I just eased the boys into it. At first I could only brush one stroke and I would let them down from the table and praise and treat. Clipping nails was so hard with Peanut because he was such a brat about people touching his feet, so to get him used to it I would touch his feet constantly throughout the day. Then I could only clip one or two nails at a time. Over time Peanut has gotten so good about grooming and bathing. It just takes time. The boys even sit for me to brush their teeth now. There are still some days when Peanut won't sit still for me, so I let him go and I'll try again later on. The best advice I got about grooming is to take everything just one step at a time. Tic is still learning, but there has already been such an improvement.

 

[Sylphide and Shrek's Mom]

I started out their very puppy grooming by gently combing their head hair and starting topknot bows (even when there wasn't enough fur for a knot). I do that on my lap every evening, starting with a few minutes per night and gradually adding time and intensity.

They always get the extra special good girl/good boy grooming treat afterwards (usually a tiny cube of cheese).

I made that nonthreatening, soothing, and relaxing, gradually adding more combing and brushing, and fuller grooming with small grooming sessions on the table until they could handle a full groom standing still. I just gave them both full baths, blowdry, comb-outs and topknots and they were so very good. Shrek is now 6 months old; Sylphide, 21 months old.

One technique I use is to spread out unpleasant stuff. For example, they both hate ear treatment. So, I never do that during any regular grooming. I catch them off guard and do the ears separately. That way, they know not to worry about anything unpleasant while they are on the grooming table. They really don't mind the other stuff.