Hi Becky & Finnigan!
What a great name! Would love to see pictures when you can post some.
Gracie Ruth didn't like the brushing too much as a puppy either. I tried to break it up and not do it all at once. I'd comb and work on a few rats and then give her a couple of Cheerios as a treat. Her coping mechanism was to lick me, lick the comb, lick anything to try and distract me. I tried to keep the grooming sessions short and not too 'painful' for her. Trying to stop just short of her limit. If I didn't get her all combed in one sitting it didn't matter, I'd just do some more later. Their attention span is so short, they have trouble sitting still for too long and I didn't want her to totally hate grooming. She still will do the licking some, but she knows when it's time to be combed there's little she can do to stop it and will usually stand quietly for me. I still give lots of Cheerio treats tho, to help her out to be a good girl. Also, finish up your grooming with a soft brush, firmly brushing from the skin outward to help move their natural oils onto the hairs. This will help to keep the hair healthy and shiny.