Pup Problems

[upto mischief]

hi, last week we got a maltese/poodle cross from our pound, she is 10-12 weeks old.

she is settling in quite nicely but won't be brushed, especially on her head. she loves being patted both body & head but as soon as i put the baby hair brush on her she turns feral lol. I took her to our vets after we got her for a check over & he vaccinated her & wormed then 2 days later took her back for a groom, clip around her bottom & eyes but she bit both the girls, they managed to trim a bit but mischief was too upset.

how can I train her to let me brush & trim her?

We also have a staffy, 4yrs old. they have been getting on pretty well, playing together & laying next to each other but about 1/2 hr ago my daughter had mischief on her lap & meka (staffy) got on the lounge beside her. the dogs were haveing bit of a smooch when mischief put her foot on mekas face & meka went her. I didn't see it but mischief took off yelping something horrible, she has a red mark on the side of her nose.

without thinking I went off at meka, I feel I did wrong & am worried i've now wrecked the relationship they were building & meka may resent the pup. is there a way to fix this or am I worried about nothing. we're cautious with them as meka has such powerful jaws which is why i was freaking when missy was yelping, I expected to see a chunk missing from her face.

I 'd appreciate any help you can give

kyie

[Bailey9]

With regards to the brushing, have lots of small tasty treats handy and slowly introduce the brush - first by just putting it near the pup and then slowly start touching the pup with it, gradually building up to proper brushing (feeding her treats while you do this) - pup will learn that brushing = yummy treats, and gradually learn to accept brushing as a positive thing.

[upto mischief]

With regards to the brushing, have lots of small tasty treats handy and slowly introduce the brush - first by just putting it near the pup and then slowly start touching the pup with it, gradually building up to proper brushing (feeding her treats while you do this) - pup will learn that brushing = yummy treats, and gradually learn to accept brushing as a positive thing.

thanks bailey9, she's such a little scruffer lol so she will need continuous brushing so really want to get her used to it.

[Christina]

First you need a soft slicker brush. Try once or twice a day to get her used to it. Tell her,time for a brush or whatever. Stand her in the same place every time to do it. For a dog that struggles a coffee table placed in a corner so they cant wriggle back & away from you is good.

Start by being at the side of her & stand her up. Place left hand under her chin,thumb one side fingers on the other,gently don't restrain. You now have control of her head & can stop her turning to bite you or wrap fingers round her mouth quickly if she gets really vicious.

Start brushing her back first talking softly to her. If she goes to bite just say NO or Ah Ah in a firm voice. See how much of her you can do,a little or all is fine however you decide when its finished not her. Reward when its finished with a treat that is only used when you groom her.

Mine all know what Chockie is & its only given when the clippers are used about monthly.

When you brush her head if she shies away try putting your whole hand over her face just covering her eyes,thumb one side fingers the other again & take the brush gently over her head.

Fingers close quick if she tries to bite & if you are in a corner with the wall behind she cant just run off. When she is ok with a brush start using a comb afterwards.

Gentle,firm persistence until she gives in. Groomers not advisable until she get used to being a good girl. Some use harsh discipline so train her to be a good girl.

[Dogsfevr]

Are you brushing her on your knee??

If so stop asap.Use either a table.washing machine or similiar & ALWAYS use a non slip matt.

I would suggest at first just place pup on table ,tell its to stand(it must stand) & place on floor.Re do & then use the brush

I will be honest & say i dont believe in bribing a pup to be brushed by treats .

We train all our pets owners & clients that being confident,firm but fair & dont fiddle fart about.

Brushing shouldnt be a vocal overload .

Groominbg is about a precise verbal commands & the dog responding & the praise is given on completion.We have seen many that do the treat whilst grooming & the dog presumes to be brushed it must get a reward & often the bad behaviour is rewarded by poor timing of the treat.When grooming your voice & hands are always ready & you must use them to there fulliest

I think the key to remember with the whole family is cute & fluffy should be treated just like your staffy,trained the same way & treated the same way.This fluff ball shouldnt be entitled to special extras.

I would actually suggest finding a good groomer & sticking with because the sooner they get to learn the better ,dont wait & leave it sp long that it becomes a trauma for pup.Many vet nurses arent experienced in this area & grooming done badly can become a life long drama.

I will add the worse we get in here are the Malt crosses simply because when they do come there matted,havent been trained & will try everything possible to be the boss.Generally these ones are totally spoilt monsters that have no respect for there owners or there commands & will try to rule the roost in all aspects.