# Thinks grooming is a game



## Jess (Oct 31, 2010)

Hey everyone,

I am having a problem with grooming my young lad. He was quite good when he was a little younger but now at 8 months, he thinks brushing is a game of how quickly can I snatch the brush off mum? And ooh that dog hair looks tasty!
My older girl loves it and will lie down and go to sleep while I brush her yet he will not sit still and likes to try and the brush from my hand or try to swat it with his paw. 
I've tried treats in between strokes yet when he sees the loose dog hair, all he wants to do is chase it which involves a squirming ball of lanky limbs.
Any suggestions on what I can try?

Thanks


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## Walperstyle (Nov 20, 2012)

He's in his a-hole teenager years. Brush him when he's tired or after a huge run at the dog park. It will make it easier.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Yep, he's being a teenager. Stay strong and don't give up. You may find it easier if you can tie him to something firm while you groom him, so he can't run away or thrash around too much. Be consistent and firm. You may want to spray the brush with Bitter Apple or something that will discourage him putting his mouth on it. 

Has your pup been to obedience classes? If not, now would be a great time to start. Once he learns obedience, everything will be easier. And things will get better once he matures a little bit and grows out of his teenage brattiness.


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

Get him tired first. Long walks, play time, etc. Then clip him to a lead attached somewhere. I have a lead attached to my fence for baths. When he grabs the brush, just say no and keep up the grooming. He will grow up. My old guy would just lay down and let me do anything at all to him. Raina is a little more lively. She will stand for grooming now but I still clip her up for baths just to keep her in one spot.


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## Jess (Oct 31, 2010)

He does go to obedience. He's done the beginner class at 5 months but we've continued going every Monday night. Some things he is excellent at but there are times when he's far too distracted and i know that's a puppy thing and his age. 
We have a big hike today so will see how he is with brushing after that.


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## ofl52 (Apr 11, 2013)

When I first got my GSD at 8weeks-I started a grooming routine with him and although he really didn't get groomed so much in the beginning-It was more establishing the routine, intro to the brush itself and kinda imprinting of sorts or touching every body part with both my hands and brush in a positive way. 
When I first started it was for only seconds and increased with his tolerance. I did use a toy in the beginning and told him to hold it and that gave me a bit more time. Once he grabbed the brush, mouthed me-the grooming session was over.
In time the grooming session got longer and I added in other commands.
Now at 6 months of age-If I pick up his brush-he jumps on the grooming table and stands waiting to be groomed.

IME with my puppy-patience, not expecting him to get it perfect the first time, repetition, consistency and positive reinforcement.

Commands he learned-up, stand, turn, give me your foot, hold it, brush.


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

Jess said:


> He does go to obedience. He's done the beginner class at 5 months but we've continued going every Monday night. Some things he is excellent at but there are times when he's far too distracted and i know that's a puppy thing and his age.
> We have a big hike today so will see how he is with brushing after that.


Do you do homework on the obedience every night as well or just at the class one night a week? Lessons need to be practiced in many different locations at many different times of the day to be cemented. At this age you don't need long periods of time, ten minutes in the morning before feeding and ten minutes in the evening before play or feeding. Then on top of that whenever you are working with him he is also learning. For the distraction, practice eye contact, click and treat.


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## Jess (Oct 31, 2010)

Oh yes, we do a little bit every night, usually only 10/15 minutes. I was just meaning the class we take is every Monday. He's a lot better at home doing his stays and downs, but at the class sometimes gets so distracted by all the other dogs.
He is progressing well, obviously some days are better than others.
I took him out yesterday for a massive hike through the bush and along the beach so he was pretty tired yesterday afternoon. I gave it another try and he did try and grab the brush twice but other than that was a lot better!


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## VTGirlT (May 23, 2013)

Zelda loves human and dog hairbrushes/ brushes. 
So what i did with her was i got a brush that would fit in the palm of my hand so she couldnt bite at it, because my hand covered it, this is just until they get over the sensation of a brush on their fur. And she realized it felt really nice and i was gentle and petted her and she relaxed. It takes longer to groom with a smaller brush obviously, but eventually you can build up to a bigger brush. The one i have has a handle now. The only time she will try to bite it, is when i brush her neck or chest area- so its a huge improvement from when i got her! 
So instead of making this into a game for, I tried to make it into a relaxing bonding time.
Good luck! Mine is 8 months too- those teen pups!


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## Wolfenstein (Feb 26, 2009)

I have a couple ideas that could help. You obviously see where tiring out helps, so there's that.  But I also think you should make sessions shorter (like others have suggested) and keep the reward until the end.

The way I see it when I'm grooming my own dog (I'm actually a professional groomer) is I make it their decision whether they're going to sit down and hang out for the session. Trick of it is, good treats only come to good dogs who wait until you're done! You have to start out with very quick little sessions so your dog will understand the connection. Even if it's just a few swipes of the brush, you stop while the dog is still _relatively _good about it, give a release command like "All Done!" and make a huge deal about what a good dog he is. Treats come after you're done. You want to make sure to stop the session early so he can make the connection that although he might start to get bored (hence the brush and hair biting) the reward when he's finished is even better. The only time I'd really suggest treats DURING a grooming session is for a dog that is fearful of the brush and/or process, because it can be very distracting to have food there, especially with a young dog.

This is like training any other behavior, in that you start with low expectations, and progressively ask the dog for better and better behavior. Maybe you start stretching out the time of the session, or wait until he's more calm about it to finish. Eventually, you want to be able to work it where once he knows the drill, if he gets up and leaves, or if he starts being too much of a wild little punk, the session just stops, and he doesn't get anything. This is when you wait it out, because if you did your base training right, they'll ALWAYS come back! haha No treats until you actually end the session by giving your release command.

Like others have said, eventually he'll calm down more and realize brushing is a time to lay back and relax. But as a puppy, he's frustrated at having to sit still and be bored, so remember to reward him for being good!


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