Author Topic: Grooming  (Read 715 times)

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Offline Groover

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Grooming
« on: October 07, 2017, 11:12:34 AM »
Sorry if this is the wrong section. My dog has feathering on her legs and she hates any kind of brushing at all. I get two gentle strokes in and then she is squirming and trying to get away. She isn't interested in treats.

If she is sleepy then she lets me manipulate her legs, so it seems it's specifically a brushing issue.

I can brush her ears fine, she seems to actually like that.

I had this exact same with my previous Cocker and it was really tedious - made me not want to groom him because it seemed to distress him too much.

Is the best approach to get a portable/folding grooming table?

Thanks, Andy

Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: Grooming
« Reply #1 on: October 07, 2017, 05:59:14 PM »
Definately!  ;) I use an old table with a rubber non slip mat on it at the moment (its a actually a car mat) but a folding grooming table is obviously even better. Once they're used to it, it makes grooming much easier as they can't keep running off, its also much easier on your back ! Humphrey's not keen on having legs brushed and hates me to do his paws so I usually do one leg, then brush his back which he loves, then do another leg, then an ear, which is also easy and so on and by the time we're half way through he's usually snoring away!
Maybe you could try a tastier treat? Would she be tempted by bits of cheese or meat perhaps?  Also, what sort of brush/comb do you use? I've got one with brIstles on the one side and rounded metal on the other, but he hates the bristle side, I can only assume it maybe causes static (?) I usually do the feathers with a wide tooth comb and then switch to a finer one once I've got the mats out, but I also keep Humphrey's feather's fairly short as he's a "country dog"  ;) as long flowing feathers caked in mud and cow dung aren't very appealing!! 
Main thing is to try and keep the atmosphere as calm as possible , keep talking quietly and praising her if she cooperates and see it as a together time,. I quite enjoy it now, I usually put some music on and find it quite relaxing actually.......



Offline Groover

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Re: Grooming
« Reply #2 on: October 08, 2017, 08:38:10 PM »
Many thanks! Lots of great advice for me to try.  :D

Offline James+Carly

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Re: Grooming
« Reply #3 on: October 08, 2017, 10:36:13 PM »
I've recently started brushing Oscar with a tangle teaser (human hair brush), its plastic but has different sized bristles to de tangle human hair with out snapping it. He hates the dog brush, but he usually sits with me whilst I get ready for work in the mornings and one day I briefly brushed him with it and funnily enough he seemed to really enjoy it - very bizzare little Doggy. So I bought him his own tangle teaser, just have to remember to keep it seperate from mine!  :005: