Puppy scared of brush

[Jen & Ember]

Hi all, looking for some suggestions for my puppy, Ember, who is scared of her brush! I usually try to get her when she's tired and always have lots of treats, but she ends up wiggling and scrambling to get away. For a tiny puppy she is surprisingly strong when she wants to escape! I can usually only get one or two brushes in before she loses her mind. 

 

Do you have suggestions for getting her used to being brushed? 

 

 

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Do you think it's the brush she doesn't like or the feel of it on her body?  If it's the feel of then perhaps you need to change to a softer brush and take it baby steps at a time.  Some brushes are pretty hard and also pretty useless so check that it's the correct one for her coat.    I think combs are pretty good too.  You have to win her around and not try to fight her because she is going to get bigger and grooming will become a time of potential conflict rather than something to be enjoyed.  Puppies do wriggle and that's quite normal but resisting and obviously disliking the experience is more difficult.    I would sit on the floor with Ember between you legs.   Arm yourself with lots of treats and do a little at a time.  I started Riley by touching him with my hands (no brush) all over.  I lifted each paw and put my fingers all over and between the pads and say lovely paw and treat.  Then I lifted his ears and touched inside them, lovely ears and treat  and then inside his mouth putting my fingers over his teeth.  I touched all over his tummy and back and everywhere I could before I started with a soft brush and comb.

 

I would just touch the brush to the body and treat, touch and treat.  Don't attempt to actually brush.  Take it tiny steps at a time.   I would do this several times a day for a few days before attempting to run it through the coat.  I am sure with patience Ember will soon love being groomed.

 

[Cindy M, Zachary & the Frenchies]

Hi Jen,

Zach was also really squirmy when I tried to comb him and would try to bite the comb. The breeder sent him home with a couple of long rawhide type of things. I don't usually allow my dogs to chew rawhide because they get so gummy and I think that they are a huge choking risk. Of course Zach loves them. So, he is allowed to chew it during grooming. It keeps him totally occupied, I can get completely through his coat and he blissfully chews away on his rawhide treat. I don't have to continually feed him treats so I can focus on combing him. When I am done I trade the rawhide for  another high value treat (liver). I still have not tackled pulling ear hair, this might be more my nerves than his, but it seems harder to keep him focused on chewing when I have my fingers in his ears.  If you can find a long lasting chew treat that she enjoys it might be worth a try.

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

Mostly puppies just want to remain in control of the situation no matter what it is. Your job is to convince them to give up some of that control. I have a pact with my dogs. I am in control while brushing and combing, and if I hurt them, then they are in control and can ask me to stop. This has created a trust that enables grooming.

 

To get to that point, you have to be firm and fair. Start by using 2 hands to stroke your puppy when they are relaxed. I alternate hands and keep stroking at one speed. Then I put an item in one hand and stroke with one hand, then the item. It could be a spoon or the back of the brush. Once I have desensitized them to being touched with different objects, I use a very soft brush. My dogs now love my new wooden pin brush. I mean the pins are wood, not the handle.

 

Do general leash work in the house with the puppy. Then do the 2 hand exercise on a table with a leash and collar on the puppy. You need a second person to handle the leash for this one. You don't want the puppy to think they can jump off the table. The leash can eventually translate into a grooming loop at the groomers.

[BRADY GOOSE MOORE (Mini Doodle]

Ember is absolutely adorable!!!   Okay - brushing.    When Brady was 8 weeks old I started daily brushing....or, at least that's what he thought we were doing.   Always after a walk,  in same location with same cushion under him and in front of the TV.   I started out with lots of treats ready to give.   Get him to lie down (treat) then let him sniff on the brush - (treat), start  FAKE  BRUSHING using the back side of the brush.    Talk in a sickenly low, calm voice, about brushing and "good brushing" - treat.    Let him sniff the brush a few times and continue to praise for lying down.    For about a week, I faked him out....each day increasing the number of times I sued the real side.   Lots of treats!    By week 2, I couldn't believe he actually fell asleep while I was brushing ( he still isn't keen on his legs being brushed).    BEST ADVICE - DO IT EVERY DAY WITHOUT FAIL.    Hope this will help you some.

[Pam & Trixie]

I started Brushing Trixie at 8 weeks with a Mini Conair People hair brush.  Its purse size.  That worked out very good for 2-3 months.  I then switched to a larger brush similar to it as she was afraid of the Wire Paddle brush...Which she has just recently gotten used to. (it makes a noise when I brush her- I think that scared her the most)