# How do I get her to let me brush her??



## bethandglen (Jan 5, 2009)

I've been trying to brush Lexi at least once a day but she just wants to eat the brush! In fact, she now wants to eat any brush she sees, like if I'm brushing my daughter's hair in the morning Lexi tries her darndest to get the brush! I've tried having her sit or lay down and giving her a treat while I brush, but that only lasts as long as it takes her to eat the treat then she's back to trying to get the brush. I want to be able to groom her on a regular basis, how do I get her to understand the brush is not a play thing and to sit still and let me do this?

Thanks

beth


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## Papanapa (Mar 1, 2008)

Marley just now started to let me brush her. She is 11 months old. Before this, she was a brush eater too!!! Now she lays calmly while I do it. If she is standing up when I start she lays down and closes her eyes. Your pup may just be a little energetic still and may find it hard to calm down and enjoy the brushing. Good Luck!!


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## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

The best advice I have seen on several shows is the brush needs to equal - relaxation and a treat. So when you bring out the brush you bring out a special treat, let her see the brush when she bites it you say leave it and give a treat. Start to brush her if she bits it say leave it and give her a treat and continue with your grooming. The dog learns the brush comes with good stuff after a while you won't have to even do the treat she just knows it will feel good especially if you are brushing her correctly (which I am sure you are). Sonny sits very still for a brushing every so often if I hit a spot he will try and bite the brush and that is what I do I redirect him if I don't have food then I play with him or scratch him under the neck as I brush that 1 spot 1 handed and then once he is focused again I can get my other hand back. All positive to get a dog to enjoy completely a brushing.


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

I give Brady a treat and he lays down and that is how I brush him


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## sprzybyl (May 15, 2008)

I followed riley around the house for while and/ or had a second party "pet her" aka hold her down for me. But she's slowly but surely warmed up to it with some consistency. Everytime she tried to bite at it I would say no bite and keep going. If she tried to get up I would put her back in a sit and give her a stay. She's coming around, slowly but surely







I still do some "drive bys" when she's not suspecting it though, lol


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

To get a dog used to being brushed I smear peanut butter on the fridge door and let them stand there and lick it off. That keeps them distracted enough for me to start brushing. After that they learn to stand for brushing and get treats at the end.


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## maxsmom1229 (Apr 12, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: Lauri & The GangTo get a dog used to being brushed I smear peanut butter on the fridge door and let them stand there and lick it off. That keeps them distracted enough for me to start brushing. After that they learn to stand for brushing and get treats at the end.


how creative!! i like this idea. max is great for brush but he lays on one side, the same side. and by the time im ready to groom the other side hes already snoring and really hard to roll over. and i wake him and try and roll him over but he still flops on the side i need. when the brush comes out he automatically lays down so getting him to stand would be really helpful


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## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

Peanut butter is great! Great distraction and it takes awhile.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I just brushed Nikon for the first time last week. I let him play for a while so he was good and tired. Then I sat him down, held his collar gently while scratching and massaging his neck, and just started with gentle strokes down his back. I did not use food or toys because these rewards tend to make him MORE worked up and fidgety. I moved the brush slowly so he did not see it as a toy or prey object. I think being tired really helped. I kind of pet and massaged him at the same time and he did fine.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

I was in the same boat with puppy Grimm! Here's what I did:

At the end of the day, about 6 - 7pm, when it starts getting dark.. 1.Feed the puppy so he has a full tummy. 
2.Take him outside on a WALK.. not in the yard. (this tires his brain out!)
3. Bring puppy into the warm house. 
4. Have puppy lay down. 
5.Give a toy that does NOT roll-- no ball.
6. Begin brushing.

The puppy WILL still get all silly and bite the brush. Whoops! Squeak the toy for him.







As he mouths the toy, brush some more.

Now, Grimm lays down for his nightly "massage" with the brush!


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Oh, another suggestion.

Place the dog on top of a small table or plastic dog crate.

Limiting the area the dog can move around in will help to keep them FROM moving around.

Just be sure to watch them at all times or they can jump off.


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## smason (Dec 23, 2008)

what kind of brush is good to use?


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## LedZep (May 4, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: EllyThe best advice I have seen on several shows is the brush needs to equal - relaxation and a treat. So when you bring out the brush you bring out a special treat, let her see the brush when she bites it you say leave it and give a treat. Start to brush her if she bits it say leave it and give her a treat and continue with your grooming.


Sounds to me that what you're really teaching your dog is: If you bite the brush, you will get a treat. 

Perhaps a more effective way is to reward with a high value treat only after the grooming session is finished without any biting, etc. Start with teeny tiny sessions - a couple of brush strokes, then a nice treat with praise and put the brush away. Work into longer sessions, but try to initially stop before the dog gets too interested in the brush. At no time do you want to reward after biting the brush (or your hands, etc.). Once the pup realizes that grooming ends in a nice reward and a happy owner, then you can make the sessions longer. If the dog bites the brush, immediately stop the grooming, say whatever scolding word or phrase you want, and put the brush AND THE TREAT away. This way, Fido will learn that the reward only comes from patiently allowing to be groomed without the biting, etc.


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## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: LedZep
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: EllyThe best advice I have seen on several shows is the brush needs to equal - relaxation and a treat. So when you bring out the brush you bring out a special treat, let her see the brush when she bites it you say leave it and give a treat. Start to brush her if she bits it say leave it and give her a treat and continue with your grooming.
> ...


The limitations of explaning it over the internet can make it seem that was I was trying to reward but it is not, when you bring out the brush you only reward for non biting behavior, so when you bring out the brush and she smells it you reward that if she bites it you say leave it or don't reward, it is an effective method when you can see it in person and myself have tried it and it works.








I would never reward the biting behavior only the behavior that you want when the brush comes out.


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## GunnersMom (Jan 25, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Lauri & The GangTo get a dog used to being brushed I smear peanut butter on the fridge door and let them stand there and lick it off. That keeps them distracted enough for me to start brushing. After that they learn to stand for brushing and get treats at the end.


What a great idea! I never would have thought of that!

I'm trying this with Riley. I still have to hold pieces of chicken in my other hand and let him try to get them in order to brush him without losing fingers. It works, but it's a little difficult since I then have only one hand free and if he has a tangle, I can't hold onto it, so it pulls, hurts him and makes him hate the brush that much more.

Thanks for the idea!


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## LedZep (May 4, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Elly
> 
> The limitations of explaning it over the internet can make it seem that was I was trying to reward but it is not, when you bring out the brush you only reward for non biting behavior, so when you bring out the brush and she smells it you reward that if she bites it you say leave it or don't reward, it is an effective method when you can see it in person and myself have tried it and it works.
> 
> ...



Makes sense... yeah, things can get lost in translation.


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## trudy (Aug 25, 2008)

I use a vacuum on mine and he loves it, I only have a problem when I am done he then wants to bite it. He lifts his head in a big relaxed aaahhh, while I do his chest so it must feel nice, and when I do his sides and hips he is so calm and happy, when he is done and I go to someone else or the furniture then he tries to bite the end, so i put it up until he forgets then do it and he has forgotten or become distracted.


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