[chattiesmom]

Hi Shellie,

I have three pups that are almost 5 months old and are full of themselves. I groom them several times a day for just a few minutes each time. For the time being I pick up the "victim" and give some loving, then start brushing gently down the back with a Vellus face brush. Then I "accidentally" do a quick swipe down a leg and reward with a hug when the pup doesn't resist. Then with my hands I feel for nits and tangles and massage a drop of Biosilk Silk into the problem area and use a tiny face pin brush (Chris Christensen) to worry the nit. I always reward good behavior by stopping for a few seconds and just loving the pup then continue.

The three - Savory, Spicy, and Thyme are little hellions and hopefully one or more of them will be my next show prospect, so I need for them to learn to tolerate grooming without a fuss and ultimately enjoy grooming.

Good luck with Milo - just take it slow and easy and try to make grooming a stress free event for both of you. You have many years to "perfect" your technique so don't try to rush it.

ps. I ALWAYS end a grooming session when the pup is quiet and relaxed even if I haven't finished what I wanted to accomplish. My rule of thumb is to end grooming and any training event on a good note.