hi... any ideas how to get my puppy to like being groomed!  At the moment he just wants to bite the comb, won't sit still and more often than not ends up on his back!  is grooming something that puppies gradually come to accept as they get older and eventually stand still, am I doing something wrong??  Any advice given on this topic would be very much appreciated!... (he's 12 weeks)

Hi Chud,

You don't say what breed your puppy is so no way of knowing what coat he has but to be honest at only 12 weeks that's almost immaterial because I'd not recommend a COMB!  Think about it - that must be very uncomfortable going over his bones never mind his skin :(

If he's a smooth coated breed get a hound glove or if he's a bit on the fluffy side buy a very soft bristle brush - if it's uncomfortable rubbing it across the skin on your palm then it's uncomfortable for him too ;)  Put his collar and lead on him and have someone feeding him titbits as you gently go over his back and along his sides with which ever of the above is most apt.

Don't try and groom him singlehanded just now as he'll be too wriggly and you'lll either turn the whole procedure into a trauma or a game.  Do it daily and practice lifting his feet and tail and wiping them with a bit of kitchen roll or similar - again when on lead and distracted.   He will gradually become used to it and your aim is to be able to go over every bit of him eventually - but leave his underside and his legs until he's used to the other bits first ;)

Good luck, Teri 

hello... thanks for your tips!!....  my puppy is a soft coated wheaten terrier, so he has long hair which likes to get mucky and full of twigs! 

The comb I've been using is very small one which the breeder recommended I bought and I've been using it gently on him.  I've also bought a soft puppy brush however he likes to attack that as well! :(  

maybe I'll have a go when he's all sleepy and too tierd to be bothered to play :)

SCWT needs training straight away!!  You've got a lot of grooming ahead of you both.
You need a slicker brush and a dematting comb for when the puppy coat changes to adult coat.
You'll either need another pair of hands to hold him, leaving you with both of your hands to work with, or you'll need to tie him to a door handle (while you sit on the floor) so that you can hold his fur up with one hand and brush with the other.
If his breeder hasn't already trained him to be groomed, start by stroking him with the wrong side of the brush, talking calmly and confidently all the time.  Give a tiny treat when he is being particularly good.  The fairly but firmly proceed to real brushing, making sure that you get right back to the skin.  Stop when you think you have done enough NOT when he is playing up!
If your breeder isn't too far away, it might be worth asking if you could take him back there for a lesson.

Hi Chud,

SCWT, eh ;) Lovely!  Now as others have pointed out that will be a lot of work ahead but at 12 weeks you've got loads of time - so don't panic.

Combs and slickers are great for longer and double coats which matt very easily.  That said, I still think a comb and a slicker for that matter is a little too much for a pup that age - perhaps try a Mason & Pearson type (actual ones are rather expensive since it's not going to be part of your long term grooming kit) which is a mixtures of bristle and nylon.   This will easily go through the current coat as thoroughly as needed, right down to the skin - but, NOT scratching the skin.  (Try running a slicker through your own hair down to the scalp and you'll see what I mean!)

When he can be relied upon to behave with that, which should be before he has more of an *obvious* puppy coat, by all means switch to a comb and slicker - but it's usually best with slickers to spray the coat lightly with water first to avoid breaking it and leaving the undercoat looking like cotton wool ;)

Regards,  Teri

    

I sympathise with you as I have a very long & thick coated breed and I had to learn how to get him used to grooming :)

First of all, try to keep the grooming sessions short so that he doesn't get bored and use treats. I have always found that distraction is the order of the day. Try not to groom when he is too playful and lively as more often than not he will want to be off exploring the world, not sitting down being a good boy :) So I used to do it when mine was fairly relaxed, normally about an hour after feeding. Be consistant, groom regularly so that he does get used to it.

He is still very young and it took me until my boy was 6 months before he would compromise with me, even now if he's not in the mood he can be a real pain and he has just turned 2yrs :D You are not doing anything wrong and if you keep at it, you and him will get better :)

Is you puppy quite happy about being handled and restrained without a comb or brush in your hand?   All puppies should get used to being handled all over and gently restrained.   Do it when he is not too sleepy and not too excited.   Keep very calm yourself and only let him go when he is not fidgeting - you don't want him to learn that fidgeting or biting works.  Make is nice and pleasurable for him.

Wendy

My dog was the same and i gently restrained her with lead and used a toy or a treat pot just out of reach for her to focus on. Use whatever your pup likes best, if you use food avoid boring biscuit! ;)

Just brush one stroke and then reward, another and then reward, and so on until you can see the pup is looking forward to game/toy/food etc and you can gradually build up the number of strokes before giving the reward. Also reward randomly as a surprise just once in  a while. The pup should understand the reward is for standing nicely so either reward in position or use a release word to give permission to move for a game.

I also did change from a pin brush to a slicker and made sure to take care with tangles etc and not pull skin.

It didn't take long before my dog was happy to accept grooming, and she will stand now for me nicely :)

Hth
Lindsay
X

Thanks for all your kind advice, it's nice to know that there are people out there offering help!... I've now got lots of ideas to go away and work with...... so fingers crossed!!...  :) :)