Logan won't let us brush him...

L

Logan's Papa

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When we try, he growls, and if we keep doing it, he snarls and attacks the brush. This behavior is unacceptable. How do you acclimate your Sheltie to brushing?

He's more aggressive than we would like. Is this the "puppy adolescent" stage?

He also doesn't seem very interested in pleasing us. Is this a trait that kicks in when they're older?

He's about 4 and a half months old now.

Thanks in advance. Any help would be MUCH appreciated.
 
I think the key to brushing is starting in extremely small doses, and make it super rewarding. How close do you get with the brush before he starts growling? If all you do is move the brush towards him and he growls, take a step back. Get the brush out of the closet (or wherever) and just set it down. Give Logan LOTS of yummy treats (find something that he loves, liver, cheese, something like that).

Do that for several days until he gets really excited when you get the brush out. Once that's the case, place the brush close to him on the floor. LOTS OF TREATS! Do that until he thinks brush close to me = cookies!

Keep doing that in tiny increments until you can take one brush stroke, a few, etc... If he gets too upset or snaps/growls, take a step back. It's a slow process, but sometimes that's what it takes when something has them freaked out.

And I think that some puppies are too busy in their own behavior to think much about pleasing us. It does take some time, but I think they learn how to bond and that pleasing us is equally pleasing to them.
 
Baby steps,just like Ashley has explained.

i'm sure some may not like grooming,but our thing was starting from day one.And I know our breeder did her share of handling with our two pups,long before they even came home.(Thank you Janet)

Trapp loves to be brushed,trimmed,poop shutes..you name it,he's a peach~Jasper is also well mannered.Poop shutes are new to him.

But just take it slow,give lots of praise, and lots of yummy treats.Don't over due the time you work these sessions.Let him sniff,nibble,the brush. Sometimes you may not eve touch him,but give him lots of praise just the same.I find grooming to be very relaxing,for me and the pups.
 
as everyone else has said.. treat, treat, treat! and praise a bunch. :D

I think some of it is just personality too. I can use a comb on the boys all day long and they love brushes. But if I even sit a slicker brush near them, they leave. They've never liked the way it felt to them, so I very rarely use it anymore.
 
None of mine didn't really like grooming in the beginning, but when they realized how much praise and treats they'd get for tolerating it they had no problem standing still or lying down for grooming.

Ginny is particularly funny. When I tell her what a good girl she is she starts rolling around on her back, soaking up the praise. Makes it a little harder but she's just so darn cute. :smile2:
 
Pandora is just the same way.
Still working on getting the comb near her. It is the only thing she growls at. She is great in the tub though. :)

She will not do anything when we want her to. Shake? Even for bacon? Forget it. Shake just because. Of course. I think it is her age, she thinks agreeing with mom and dad is sooooo uncool. :cool:
Marius on the other had will run through his retinue of tricks as fast as he can as soon as I reach for the treat bag.
 
Definitely you need to acclimatize

Its a slow but steady process, but can be done in a week or so.

When I was introducing my pups to nail dremming, it took several days of treats, praise and finally resignment. They don't love it but they put up with it because they know they'll get treats at the end.

I started with just introducing the tools. If they came to sniff...treat and praise. Then we progressed to touching the tools to the body. Treat and praise. Gradually worked up to longer and longer periods. I admit, though, that I groom on the floor and sometimes I use my legs to keep them in a headlock. When I'm ready I grab four feet and flip them over....sometime I feel like I preparing the steak for BBQ.....slather, slather, flip, flip!
 
I read something years ago that went like this: Start at the back of the dog and work slowly. If you can only do a little bit each night, then do what the dog tolerates. If you do a little bit each night, then by the end of a week, you will have brushed the enire animal.

Emma liked to be brush when younger, but now does not like it at all and does not like to have her nails clipped or paws trimmed. But she loves to have her teeth brushed and her ears wiped out. Go figure that one out.

It just a matter of teaching your puppy that he has nothing to fear and making it fun for him. Slowly introducing him to the tools and then the brushing will work. If you can only get in a few swipes with the brush, next time you will get more.
 
Brush Me In The Bathroom, But The Bed's Getting OK Too

He sounds like a Laddie clone! Laddie,for whatever reason, will tolerate being brushed in the bathroom more and more each time. I guess he just likes it in there - or maybe it's because he sees me brushing my hair in there.
I'm moving him over to the bed and working on him slowly. This way he can lie down on his side and I can hold the hair while I brush. He's slowly getting used to it...realizing he's not going to die from being brushed! I do a little bit, then pet him and praise him, then do a little more and of course he gets a treat (cheese) when we are done.
 
When Spencer was very young, I introduced him to what I call "the gentle brush" which is a soft brush that I've used on our cats for years. All I have to do now is tell him I'm getting the gentle brush and show it to him and he comes running to be groomed. A swipe or two with that brush and then we start the regular grooming. Also Spencer knows that after we're done, we will definitely play a game of fetch. Outside in the good weather with the tennis balls; inside in the bad weather with a soft toy. A game of fetch is even better than a treat to him.
 
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