I'm currently looking after my folks' 2 year old Sprocker, who was a rescue dog and has a tendency towards nervousness (the odd wee if he thinks someone's shouting at him etc) although is by and large much more confident now he's been rehomed nearly a year. One issue he does still have is that he hates being groomed or anythign taht resembles it - he'll allow anyone to dry his feet and legs when he comes in from outside, and will let you stroke him briefly on his back legs, but if you try to groom him on his legs or tummy, or even generally he wees and at times bares his teeth. He's been to a new groomer twice recently and she said he improved the second time, however, yesterday and today he picked up a bunch of thise horrible thistley sticky things whilst on a walks - yesterday they stuck to teh side of his tummy and today to his chest - and he won't let us near them to take them off. My husband just went to show me where they were on the dog (Jed) last night and hadn't even touched him, when Jed wee'd. We don't want to distress him but we need to get them off somehow! We're going to try again just with being very gentle amd doing it a bit at a time, but has anyone got any bright ideas??

Thanks!

What's he like with water?
My Sheltie get's them in her a lot and she hates me trying to pull them out, I find the easiest thing to do is but her in the bath and use the shower head (hand held job) to wash them out. They go very squishy when wet and come out more easily

He loves swimming, and thinking about it, I've got a feeling he likes baths too.... These are the thistle things that break up whenyou try to pul them off and are made up of loads of little hooks that even grab your skin - are they the same ones your Sheltie's had that are eaisre to remove when wet?

Sounds the same, they're about the size of a very small marble, lots of hooky things when you squash them, they break up and leave lots of bits in the dog fur and in my Shletie's very long coat if I don't get them out they can even start to create matts, the more you pull the worse they seem to get. So I just stand Skye in the bath and get the shower head running over where the beasts are, it can take a bit of doing and you sort of have to swish the hair about and gently pull on the thing. Now is the time of year for them, not sure which plants they come, maybe somebody else on the forum might know, I just know we've got loads of them in the fields next to us and Skye can get loads of the little b*@~**_

>not sure which plants they come, maybe somebody else on the forum might know,

They're burrs from the burdock.

That's the ones,
Ta

I think you need to start with a gentle assosciation, get some tasty bits of ham/sausage/cheese what ever floats Jeds boat lol and gentle just go near the areas he doesnt like being touched. its all about timing and reading his signals if he starts to get nervous give him a treat and praise. then leave him alone, try not to crowd him and dont all stand lurching over him. You will have to repeat this until the cows come home, but it sounds asif he has had a bad experience in the past and he just needs reminding that your not going to hurt him. Try the shower thing to get the barbs out of his fur to start with, but its better if you overcome the issue to start with. You could start with a gentle hand stroking the area he is happy with then gradually move up, giving treats when he starts to get anxious. after he is comfortable with you touching him all over gently with your hand next try him with a baby brush you know the type very soft bristles and carry on with the same procedure. He will eventually habitutate to the grooming and it will become less of an issue for him, maybe avoid the groomers for a while until you have done some work with him, forcing it on him like a professional place might send him back to square one with his nervous disposition. It will take time and go through this with your parents so they can help him too.

Louise