Why does my puppy hate being brushed?

Do you have a dog who is scared of being brushed? 

Are you wondering how to help your dog who doesn’t want to be brushed or groomed in any way? 

Watch my video to learn why your puppy may hate being brushed and how you can turn it into a pleasant experience for you both. 

Why your puppy hates being brushed 

It’s really common for dogs to hate being groomed. Being held tightly and having their fur pulled isn’t exactly pleasurable.

Why it’s important to teach your dog that being brushed is a good thing

Regular brushing means you can:

• Help keep your dog healthy and keep your house tidier.

• Detect any bumps, growths, cuts, fleas or ticks early.

• Remove mats before they become a real problem.

• Help your dog remove their seasonal coat.

• Help your groomer by teaching your dog to enjoy being handled and groomed. This will make their job so much easier and it will keep your dog and your groomer safe. If your dog is calm at the salon, they’re unlikely to get cuts or grazes from thrashing about. They’re also less likely to bite your groomer and will therefore be welcome back!

Regular brushing also means that your groomer won’t need to shave your dog completely (unless that’s the look you’re going for).

The training method for teaching your dog to enjoy being brushed

1. Choose the right brush. Take your dog to your local groomer and ask for their recommendation.

2. Grab some tasty treats.

3. Repeat each step many times before moving on to the next step, to ensure your pup is comfortable.

4. Let your dog sniff the brush, then give them a treat.

5. Touch the brush to your dog’s fur, give them a treat

6. Give them one soft brush stroke, then treat.

7. Then increase the number of soft brush strokes between treats.

8.  Keep training sessions short and remain calm. 

By pairing grooming with treats, you’re helping your dog build up a positive association to grooming, which means they’ll start looking forward to their grooming sessions rather than hiding every time you reach for the brush.

Do you find that puppy parenting is proving to be more challenging than you anticipated?

Is your adorable bundle of fluff acting like a bit of a maniac at times?

Are they:

·         Refusing to sleep in?

·         Jumping up on you?

·         Destroying all your favourite things?

·         Chewing your hands, feet, and clothes?

·         Peeing and pooping all over your house?

Then check out "The Calm Puppy," a 5-part program designed to transform your energetic puppy into a well-behaved and delightful companion