Advice Needed

[Spanielsmum]

As you will have gathered I'm relatively new to cocker spaniel ownership I also have a working springer but grooming wise he's a doddle

My rescue cocker (nearly 2 yrs old) came to me absolutely matted up on his ears and in his armpits. His feathers had been chopped off. I was told by the lady at the rescue that "he needs to be sedated at the groomers" Well, I booked him in to be castrated and asked for him to be trimmed whilst under the anaesthetic which he was.

I'm taking things very slowly as I think he's been bashed with a hairbrush.  If he sees me get the grooming tools out (I also have persian cats ) he shoots away and won't come near me. I asked at the vet's for advice and they sold me a slicker brush which has a rubber flexible back so it fits nicely in your palm and he doesn't see it (hopefully!) Once he realises what I'm doing I have to virtually pin him down (not cruelly though, I hasten to add) I'm trying to keep on top of his coat but would you recommend that I booked him in to a groomers or just persevere myself? I only got him at the end of July so he's still learning to trust me and I don't want to undo the very small progress we are making.
Thanks for reading this  

[Joelf]

Hi Glynis.
Your poor dog! No wonder he dislikes being groomed if he's been hit with the brush. His previous owners were probably less than tactful when they groomed him (if they did at all!!)
I think you will have to take things very slowly; just a few strokes with the slicker if he will let you followed by lots of treats when you manage to do a small bit. Perhaps it might be worth having him done by a groomer(possibly under sedation) until you can groom him a bit more throughly yourself, although hopefully the trimming he had when he was castrated will last a little while.
I'm sure that once he learns to trust you he will let you groom him. Do you put him up on a table as I have found that Domino stands like a rock to be groomed if he's on his table whereas it was impossible to groom him when he was on the floor as he thought we were having a game!!
Good Luck!

[taliska]

just a thought but what about one of those gloves for grooming, i know it probably won't get through the coat but it might get him used to being stroked/groomed.

We have to use treats with tali a fair amount as he doesn't like being groomed so you could try very short sessions with lots of praise and treats.

[Spanielsmum]

Hi Glynis.
Your poor dog! No wonder he dislikes being groomed if he's been hit with the brush. His previous owners were probably less than tactful when they groomed him (if they did at all!!)
I think you will have to take things very slowly; just a few strokes with the slicker if he will let you followed by lots of treats when you manage to do a small bit. Perhaps it might be worth having him done by a groomer(possibly under sedation) until you can groom him a bit more throughly yourself, although hopefully the trimming he had when he was castrated will last a little while.
I'm sure that once he learns to trust you he will let you groom him. Do you put him up on a table as I have found that Domino stands like a rock to be groomed if he's on his table whereas it was impossible to groom him when he was on the floor as he thought we were having a game!!
Good Luck!

[snapback]152935[/snapback]

 Thanks....I'll certainly try him on a table. When you say have him to a groomer, possibly sedated.....do they sedate him or do I get something from the vet? Sorry if I sound a thickie but just want to do right by him. I think he's had a pretty c*** life so far, he flinches if you touch him sometimes,especially when he's eating and if you raise your voice he hides. He's such a little love, although we've had to allow him in our bedroom (in a puppy crate) as we had 4 weeks of him crying and howling :: He still cries and whinges a lot if one of us goes upstairs for eg.

[Elisa]

I dont think a groomer would sedate him but I could be wrong.     The poor love     I think the glove is a good idea, or maybe getting a groomer out to the house rather than taking him to a parlour. Being somewhere he knows might make him feel safer.  Bachs rescue remedy might take the edge of any anxiety also.

Good luck  

[Spanielsmum]

I dont think a groomer would sedate him but I could be wrong.     The poor love     I think the glove is a good idea, or maybe getting a groomer out to the house rather than taking him to a parlour. Being somewhere he knows might make him feel safer.  Bachs rescue remedy might take the edge of any anxiety also.

Good luck 

[snapback]152946[/snapback]

Can anyone recommend a visiting groomer? I'm in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
Also I've be giving him Bachs Rescue Remedy since I got him He's calming down a little( and I mean a [size=8]little[/size]) although his Seperation Anxiety is still a  worry.....

[Joelf]

I think you would have to get some sedative from the vet & possibly put it in his food??
To be honest I've never sedated a dog but I've had to get the vet out to sedate a horse for clipping!!
I'm sure someone on here will be able to advise you.
If he's only been with you for 4 weeks or so it is still very early days; once he gets into a routine he can trust I'm sure he'll settle down & get a little more confidence.

[Cob-Web]

Oh poor little chap  

I am by no means an expert but I would suggest you arrange with the vet and groomer to have him sedated for a really thorough grooming session; perhaps at home,  if it can be arranged  

Once his coat is neat enough to be kept tidy with little effort then maybe you could approach him like you would a pup - up on a table and very gradually let him sniff him the brush and comb, then once he's at ease with these (it will take days or even weeks!), then hold the brush in your hand while stroking him, and slowly build up over weeks and months, to placing the brush on his body, etc etc. If you are clicker training him, click/treat might work well as reinforcement, too  

I know the cocker coat looks gorgeous, but I think in this chaps case, a close-clipped coat may be the fairest way of getting him habitualised to day to day grooming  

Good luck!

[silkstocking]

Some people do such terrible things to dogs, grooming is supposed to be a pleasure not a punishment. Your poor baby!

If I were you I would groom your dog yourself, if you have the time, after all he has to learn to trust people again and you are the person he spends the most time with....it's going to be a hard slog but he has to realise that grooming is a pleasurable time and not something to be fearful of. You need to take it a step at a time ( like maybe do his ears one day, his legs the next etc etc) and I would make such a fuss of him he'd just want to keep coming back for more!! Always give him plenty of treats whilst you are doing it and tell him what a good boy he is. I would also leave the grooming things around the house so that he gets used to seeing and smelling them and they aren't some instrument of torture that comes out of the cupboard twice a week. I hope this helps. He is lucky to have you after his bad start in life.

Lisa aka silkstocking

[Penel]

Glynis - if you could get a Ttouch practitioner out to see him too, I am sure that would help.  There's a list here http://www.tilleyfarm.co.uk/ click on UK Practitioners Directory.