Teaching Pup To Be Still For Grooming

[Lucy's mama]

I need to brush Banjo dailey to help remove prickles from his coat. He tries to mouth the brush and my hand so we are giving him food or chew toys while I brush and pick out the prickles. He is very accepting of handling and the bit of pulling to get the prickles out, but how do I begin to teach him to stand still?

[Sandra777]

Little and often and it is not a game. Five minutes (or four or three or two :D ) once every two hours where he actually stands still is teaching much better habits than 20 minutes once a day where half of it's a game and the other half a big fight to keep him still.

Put him up on a table with a good non slip surface get him standing up or lying down (maybe save that one for later) and subtly hold him in position for 10-15 seconds, then treat then lift him down and IGNORE him for a minute or so - otherwise all he wants to do is get off the table so you'll play a great game or give him a big treat.

Slowly introduce the brush when he's on the table but at the same time you can start brushing him when he's tired and lying quietly on the floor (assuming mobility for you isn't an issue) so you you are reinforcing the brush = calm and quiet as well as table +/- brush = calm and quiet. If he mouths the brush or your hand this is an ah-ah offence, not a reason to give him a treat - he will figure out the connection quicker than you think!

Personally I always did the major groom on the Portie when she was lying down and it was pretty easy to teach her to lie quietly on her side - she was the laziest dog I've ever met :-)

Edited November 27, 2009 by Sandra777

[Lucy's mama]

Thank Sandra. I have been giving him little brushes when he looks about to drop off to sleep so will start with the short time on the table as well.

ETA: and I will stop the distraction with toys!

Edited November 27, 2009 by Lucy's mama

[Aidan]

My Goldie is hard to wake up when he's being groomed, which only presents a problem when it's time to groom his other side! My GSD, otoh, is a different kettle of fish. I just toss bits of kibble on the ground in front of her when I strip her coat, as Sandra777 has suggested, a few short sessions is better than a long one.

Although recently a friend told me to just dab some peanut butter on the fridge door at nose height so that she can lick it off. Clever! I'll have to try that next time.

[W Sibs]

With Charlie.. when he is sleeping or snoozy. i would to touch him everywhere.. give him massages, I will play with his ears, legs, paws and around the face. He got use of me touching him all the time, and I used the brush on him. Now, he is happy to let me groom him awake or sleeping. Although, he usually falls asleep while I brush him.

[Karelea Aussies]

Smear some peanut butter on a wall or cupboard door and let him stand and lick it while brushing. They are so intent on getting it off they forget about the brush.

Tilly was the same and now I can brush her without a problem. :D

oops sorry Aidan already suggested that.

Edited November 27, 2009 by thelinks

[Sandra777]

Smear some peanut butter on a wall or cupboard door and let him stand and lick it while brushing. They are so intent on getting it off they forget about the brush.

Tilly was the same and now I can brush her without a problem. :D

Can't figure this one out actually. Either you don't groom for long or you feed your dog enormous amounts of peanut butter. Took me over an hour to groom Ms Portie dog after she'd been running in the paddocks....

Also, thie licking would drive me demented in about three seconds!

[Dogsfevr]

grooming isnt about bribing but teaching for the long term.

All ours are taught to stand on the table & groomed from day 1.I have showdogs that even at 8 weeks may require an hr grooming & they accept it very easily .

Be very fair but firm in your commands,dont confuse or over talk. Stand means stand,lay means lay Be confidient & consistent & pup will go ahead in leaps & bounds very quickly

Pups will mouth but a simple no & keep going.

Make sure the tools aren,t hurting,many people use slickers or brushes that are very harsh & will create reactions.

We never attempt grooming when sleeping or tired because it doesnt teach what you want ,if the dog is sleepy & just wants to lay down & you accept it can be an issue if standing is really what you want.

99% of mine stand but my latest has been taught to lay & stand .

Its always funny as a full time groomer the things people claim there dog cant do .It comes down to the method & the way its down & sometimes seeking help on technique & tools is the trick .

Grooming a a table is also the most important thing no matter what size the dog is tables can be made from giant to toy & are cheap to buy

[yotis]

grooming isnt about bribing but teaching for the long term.

All ours are taught to stand on the table & groomed from day 1.I have showdogs that even at 8 weeks may require an hr grooming & they accept it very easily .

Be very fair but firm in your commands,dont confuse or over talk. Stand means stand,lay means lay Be confidient & consistent & pup will go ahead in leaps & bounds very quickly

Pups will mouth but a simple no & keep going.

Make sure the tools aren,t hurting,many people use slickers or brushes that are very harsh & will create reactions.

We never attempt grooming when sleeping or tired because it doesnt teach what you want ,if the dog is sleepy & just wants to lay down & you accept it can be an issue if standing is really what you want.

99% of mine stand but my latest has been taught to lay & stand .

Its always funny as a full time groomer the things people claim there dog cant do .It comes down to the method & the way its down & sometimes seeking help on technique & tools is the trick .

Grooming a a table is also the most important thing no matter what size the dog is tables can be made from giant to toy & are cheap to buy

Can you share some tips/methods/technique/tools on how you train them (or url if you have previously posted this tip)? I have have my challenges in trying to get my 6 months old lab to stand on one spot without them trying to avoid the brush or trying to chew the brush.

[Shelby]

All mine are taught to stand and lay on a grooming table from a young age as well. It makes it so much easier. As babies, there is not much coat to groom but as they mature and the coat becomes longer, they are already used to being up on the table to be brushed, feet trimmed, nails cut. As showdog said, be firm and don't overtalk.

One of my older girls goes into a semi-coma like state when being groomed, she gets so relaxed, when she stands up she is still floppy

[Karelea Aussies]

Smear some peanut butter on a wall or cupboard door and let him stand and lick it while brushing. They are so intent on getting it off they forget about the brush.

Tilly was the same and now I can brush her without a problem.

Can't figure this one out actually. Either you don't groom for long or you feed your dog enormous amounts of peanut butter. Took me over an hour to groom Ms Portie dog after she'd been running in the paddocks....

Also, thie licking would drive me demented in about three seconds!

Nope we dont need to groom for long. Generally Aussies have self cleaning, easy care coats and only need a quick brush to the body and a comb behind the ears and thats it. It probably takes 5 minutes once or twice a week. I am not sure how long the grooming takes for a shown Aussie but we are talking about a young pup here anyway. We did this on the advice of a local trainer but only for the first couple of times to get her mouth off the brush, and then started rewarding for good behaviour. Worked for us but might not be any good for dogs that need heavy grooming.

[Dogsfevr]

Can you share some tips/methods/technique/tools on how you train them (or url if you have previously posted this tip)? I have have my challenges in trying to get my 6 months old lab to stand on one spot without them trying to avoid the brush or trying to chew the brush.

Grooming is about respect in all aspects,if the dog respects & above all understands what you want grooming is very easy.

Dogs will wiggle BUT there is a fine line bewteen allowing a pup be a pup to enjoy the grooming process & bad habits setting in.

Depending on the obedience level of your pup use your lead as part of the tools.

Go to a neutral area to brush until your skill level has improved.If you wish you can use a matt as its "space" for grooming,the matt is where it must stay.

Give the dog the command "stand/stay/wait" what ever your word is & then proceed to brush,no fuss,calmly & quietly.If pup plays up & use your voice tone to firmly re establish your commands/if brushing on the ground tand up straight ,dont continue to bend to its level whilst its playing because this is "fun".just stand up ignore say your word & calmly brush again.

Grooming should also mean checking ears/feet(for grass seeds)

[Lucy's mama]

Thanks everyone.

Thelinks - it is taking longer than it should to groom him because he has a knack for finding every cobbler's peg on the place! They dont comb straight out of his coat easily the way they do from Lucy's.

I'm working on eradicating them from the acre he is fenced into, but he finds more for me than I realized we had!