Eeeek need some grooming advice/help!!

[lisalh]

Hi All,
Well Kooki has bee with me 2 weeks now and although she has settled really well I am having a few problems grooming her.  She is happy to sit with me on the floor and let me brush her and comb her ears but wont let me try and tease out a large knot she has behind one ear or go anywhere near her hobbit feet with the thinning scissors.
 Due to ill health I am unable to lift her onto the table like I do with Fred so am having to resort to getting down to her level iyswim.  Although she hasnt growled at me she has started mouthing my hand to make me stop when I get near her feet with the scissors or if I get near the knot on her ear.  Being a rescue an a recent addition to the family I dont want to put her under any undue stress but by the same token she needs to learn I am not trying to hurt her and it is something she needs to get done.
  Has anyone any advice on how to get her used to being groomed (especially her feet) and as I am getting her spayed next month the best way to introduce her to the groomer if she does turn into a wooly mammoth.

Thanks

Lisa

[joanne_v]

Try giving her little treats each time you touch her with the brush. Start away from the bits she doesn't like being touched then move towards them. Praise and reward for no mouthing. Will take a few sessions before you can actually sort any knots.

With fussy dogs I'm grooming I usually take the tough approach and don't pander to them. There's a few who won't let their owners do anything with a brush but they don't bother trying to play up with me cos it gets them nowhere.

Only you can tell if kooki is actually bothered by brushing or if she's acting up.

[lisalh]

She has been so good so far I just dont want to push her too far iyswim- if it was fred I would just crack on with it and give him occasional treats as I did when he was a pup but am reluctant to push with Kooki as I dont know what/how she has been groomed previously and what negative things she associates it with. Probably pussy footing around too much but adore her already and just want her to be happy...She is fine with the brush the problem there is getting her to stop rolling over to get her belly done and she is fine with her feet being dried it is literally just when the scissors get near them although I have been holding the scissors near her and treating her for not pulling away for a couple of days now and she doesnt mind the scissors near any other part of her body...Tis Kooki by name and nature bless her

[ElaineH]

If she doesn't mind scissors (except near her feet!) would you consider just cutting away the big knot by her ear rather than trying to tease it out?

[joanne_v]

Sounds like you're doing fine, I'd just cut out knots behind ears, far easier!

[lisalh]

I have cut the know as close to the skin as I can but it was v v matted and I am scared of actually cutting her now- we have had a 10 min session tonight and got a bit more out so think I am just going to have o keep chipping away at it...

[happyyappy]

hi

We had huge knots on our poppet when we left BIL looking after it for 2 weeks.

Instead of trying to cut the knot away from the base of it, have you tried cutting across the knot , this seems to work and then you would just use your fingers to fluff the rest out. It may take a few times of cutting accross the knot but you should manage it and stops any chance of cutting into the skin.

I can understand she doesnt want you to do it as ours used to run away from us and this was after trying to get the first knot out