Am I doing the right thing?

[Ellie]

Sorry, it's me again  .  Am about to go on holiday and wanted to get rid of the matts under Daisy's armpits first.  Tried booking her into the local groomers but they're on holiday.  So I've bought some sharp scissors and am having a go at them myself before they get any worse.  (My fault they've got this bad and am determined to get them under control)

Last night OH held her by her arms and laid her on her back on his knee with his wrist under her chin while I got to work.  I had a little pile of cooked chicken ready and popped a bit in her mouth before each snip.  Both of us were saying soothing things to her but she got quite distressed, showing the whites of her eyes and kind of hyperventilating (though she kept managing to unclench her jaw to eat the chicken!).  Am I doing the right thing?

[Pammy]

Basically no. You're turning it into a big issue. Being pinned down will distress any dog.

Try standing her on a table and see if you can lift the untangled hair up to reveal the mats and snip them out that way. Have you tried a Mikki matt splitter? It's a single blade that's hooked - very safe and releases the pressure on matts really well.

[Ellie]

Thank goodness I asked! I was a bit dubious after last night's go but was maybe planning on another little session tonight.

I'll do as you suggest on a table and get a matt splitter instead.  Thank you    .

[Ellie]

PS  Think I will get myself a grooming video before doing any more DIY jobs and then I can stop asking these kinds of questions!

[jann]

As Pammy said Ellie, don't make a big issue of it. If you just get on with it without any fuss Daisy should accept it  eventually. Just don't try to do too much in one go and she'll get used to it.I wouldn't reward her until you've finished either! Good Luck Jann

[MaxG]

Have you tried doing it when she's a bit tired & dopey & less likely to be as aware? You could get on the floor with her & start by stroking her, getting her to roll over on her back & tickle her tumy etc,  then have a bit of a 'snip' - rather than hold her in a position she wouldn't normally be held in, which is probably what's making her freak out a bit. I'm not saying you should 'trick' her & avoid trying to get her used to it properly, but it might be a place to start,  then work up? You might have to just do one or 2 snips a night!!

That's how we started Max off from when he was 10+ weeks old - we literally did something to him almost every day - even if it was just a single brush stroke - just so he could see it was an everyday thing - we used to let him play with the brush a bit too. We started when he was a bit less likely to be hyper about it - at night, when he was dopey & tired, then gradually started doing it at all times of the day & evening - sometimes after a walk, sometimes in his play/training sessions, last thing in the evening, before his tea, etc etc - he wasn't overly keen to start with & just wanted to grab the brush & bite it, but it didn't take long for him to just accept it. Even though Daisy is a bit older now, it should still be fairly easy to get her used to it - might take a while though, but she'll get there!

I think we've been pretty lucky with Max cos he's a real 'sook' & loves to be fussed & groomed - he's a real little attention seeker!! We can do almost anything to him now - he occasionally puts up with it  under sufferance if he's wanting to be off doing something else but he usually just stands/lies there & looks at us, bemused, then often falls asleep!! I was grooming his tail area the other day while he'd dozed off on the table & he actually f@rted in my face - now that's a bit TOO relaxed for my liking!!!!!!! 

[clairep4]

I did it that way with Bella a couple of times when I first had her and it turned it into a bit of an "issue". For a while, if one of us had her in our lap and the other one reached out to touch her she'd get growly cos she expected something unpleasant (she did get over it though).

I groom her on a table and ask her to sit and then just lift her front leg out in front of her, you can get in there pretty well if you do that and although she's not overly fond of it, she does let me do it these days without any fuss. I also keep that bit under her armpits quite short as it stops the matts building up and then neither of you has to go through the experience of getting rid of them...

Bella will tolerate grooming to a certain degree with a few treats thrown in but she's much easier when tired.

[MollieMoo]

Have you tried doing it when she's a bit tired & dopey & less likely to be as aware? You could get on the floor with her & start by stroking her, getting her to roll over on her back & tickle her tumy etc,  then have a bit of a 'snip'

I agree, this has been my tactic also, just getting her to lie down by me and stroking and having a feel under the armpit area, then I have my Matki matt splitter with me and have a little go at them.  She will only tolerate it for so long and then I have to leave it and have another go the next day.

Also we are 'learning' to be groomed on her table.  She is not keen on the scissors coming out, but I am trying to introduce this slowly.  She also hates any type of spray being sprayed onto her (don't blame her really!), so I spray it direct onto the brush and then just brush it onto her coat.

I hadn't thought about trying to groom when she is tired,I just do it when I remember!  Will have to try that.

[Ellie]

I was grooming his tail area the other day while he'd dozed off on the table & he actually f@rted in my face - now that's a bit TOO relaxed for my liking!!!!!!! 


[/quote]

Hee Hee

When Daisy is tired and dopey (which is quite often in this heat), if she hears my fingers so much as casually brush against the scissors she's up and ready for action!  I think she'd have to be unconsious not to notice the scissors are out.  And once she knows they're out she's not staying still for anything. 

I'm afraid the matts are getting quite chunky because of debris which has got embedded in them (or probably caused them in the first place) and it's a matter of whittling away at them bit by bit but they are very close to the skin and because her fur is white under her armpits it's a job sometimes seeing where the hair ends and the skin starts.  This combined with scissors and an unwilling puppy is making me very anxious which Daisy picks up on and it's turning into a vicious circle. 

I'm scared of cutting her which would make the operation even more stressful for the pair of us.  She's incredibly gentle and I know she wouldn't bite me or anything like that, I just don't want to cut her and these matts have got to be dealt with.  I'm renting my house out, buying another, going on holiday and facing possible redundancy but all that's on my mind is these blooming armpits!!!  Perhaps I should just chill out, let a groomer sort them when I get back from holiday and then take your advice Claire and keep the hair under the armpits really short so we don't get in this situation again.  Which reminds me, must do mine before I go away!

[Pammy]

I'm sure yours are nowhere near as bad as Daisy's 

But a tip to help ensure you don;t nock the skin is to put a comb in and cut up to the comb so you can't hit the skin. Hope that makes sens. If Daisy is uncooperative though it's probably going to be nigh on impossible.

You've clearly got a lot oging on atm and Daisy will be opicking up your anxieties and that's prob whats making her nervous. You might be better getting a groomer to have a look and see what thery can do. They're used to twitchy mutts Then you can have a clean sheet to start with again.

[DennyK]

Ellie

Do you have any thinning scissors?  When Paddy got matted in his armpits, Iused the thinning scissors to cut into the mats bit by bit.  Since they're not as scary as the ordinary scissors (less likely to cut her!), you can tinker away at it...

Denise