HELP... bathing him is getting harder every time.

[deonk1]

It could be fuzzy just from rolling around... Harley's gets fuzzy sometimes when I don't brush him often. But his silks right out when I bath him... so I'm not sure. Gotta picture of it.. that may help us figure it out... It's not dry is it?

[IamMiasmom]

Obviously not like tail or mane fur but not as fuzzy as baby horse hair. I know you will get that one. Mia is just happy being with all of us. I keep telling her I need a pouch for her to ride with me. I ride the bomb proof mare. My daughter the future vet shows in pleasure, showmanship, horsemanship a little hunt seat and BARRELS that is her BIG passion. One of the families we know and see at Josey Clinics has a Yorkie that did very well traveling, I would have never thought it. SO when Jenna was over the moon for one for her birthday I gave in (OK I wanted one really badly) and walla Miss Mia joined our family. She has been the greatest joy ever. I have had some pretty horrible rides way back that I remember so I ride the old safe mare..... What all did you teach? Did you show?

[deonk1]

I was a show jumper and dressage. competed a bit, but could never afford the grand show horse type. I always rode the mutts... so while they were amazing horses, they never went too big. I focused on teaching a lot. My coach was European so I tried to spread that style around.

As for the hair... not sure... I can't picture the type of hair you mean, but can't think what would cause it or fix it... hummm. What type of products do you use on her to bath? Is it possible that she's scratching it on something when you're not looking...

[Britster]

Honestly, I would start all over again. Go VERY slowly. Don't blowdry him after every bath. Simply start by giving him a bath, and then putting him into the bathroom but letting him just explore, sniff, and be happy. Don't even bring out the blowdryer. Just get him used to the fact that after bath = going into bathroom. Give him many treats and praise while in this bathroom. Make the bathroom a totally happy place. Do this a few times a day if you can or need to.

After a week or so of making the bathroom a happy place, bring out the blowdryer but don't turn it on. Put some VERY high value reward treats around the blowdryer and don't touch your dog, just let the dog take the treats. Then put the treats even ON the blowdryer so he has to touch it to grab the treats. After a few sessions of this, he should begin seeing the blowdryer as a treat-giver basically, lol. Bring the blowdryer out whenever you are doing good things... in the kitchen, going for a walk, getting food. Just get him accustomed to being around the blowdryer. You wanna make this as much of a positive experience as you can.

After maybe 2 weeks or however long is needed of this slow re-introduction to the blowdryer... begin turning the blowdryer on, but don't blow it at him. Just leave it on so he gets used to hearing the noise for a little bit. Let him know that just because the blowdryer is on, does not mean he's automatically gonna have that scary thing on him.

I think just patience and positive reinforcement will help this. A blow dryer can be a scary thing to a lil' pup, the noise, it's something new, the air, etc, so you don't wanna be forcing it on him or he will probably never like it. You don't want to let him get away with acting like a fool either, so just a firm 'no' should do when he does what you don't want him to. It sounds like fear aggression to me, so you just need to prove to him that it's not scary and he has nothing to be fearful of

[deonk1]

Thanks, that sounds great. I've actually gone ever further back with him... he tries to bite the brush/comb, so I've started making him lay down, and stay while I brush him. He gets a treat when I can touch him with the brush without him moving. then by the end of the session I try to get his face at least once without him moving. We're making some progress.

I will start treating him for being around the blowdryer to.

He isn't afraid of the bathroom, cause he loves to run and play in there when he's free, and he likes water, so the bathing/being in the bath tub is ok as well.

Thanks again!

[deonk1]

Oh ... another question... I'm having a wicked time finding treats he likes. He likes people food, but I don't want to give him a lot of that. But he really likes beef jerky is that ok for him to have as a high value treat. The little bugger likes lobster too, but its the off season so my family (dad's a lobster fisherman) isn't going to have any until November... Any ideas for good treats? Or people food that is good for him? He just doesn't like processed dog treats... mind you I don't think I blame him.

[MyBabyFynnlie]

Fynnlie loves the bath. It's not an issue with him. I don't blow dry him as it's still hot outside. I just towel dry him and let him go! When he's all dry, I'll brush him out..

Sorry I'm not more help! Good luck!!

[Britster]

Originally Posted by deonk1

Oh ... another question... I'm having a wicked time finding treats he likes. He likes people food, but I don't want to give him a lot of that. But he really likes beef jerky is that ok for him to have as a high value treat. The little bugger likes lobster too, but its the off season so my family (dad's a lobster fisherman) isn't going to have any until November... Any ideas for good treats? Or people food that is good for him? He just doesn't like processed dog treats... mind you I don't think I blame him.

Jackson is really picky about his dog treats too. He usually turns his nose up at most of them, lol. Dehydrated chicken jerky is his favorite though. Also, regular chicken breast is a great human treat, I also use cheese.

[MyBabyFynnlie]

Fynnlie got blow dryed today. He did NOT like it. Not ONE LITTLE BIT. He whined and barked and cried. It was heart breaking.

[Melcakes]

I skimmed most of the posts so I'm not sure if anything I'm about to write has been said. Zoey hated the water, but loves it now. To restrain her at her first I got bathing tethers (suction cup restraints) so she wouldn't thrash about and they worked great. I would recommend getting a pair to use for bathing and blow drying, since they leave both your hands free and keeps your dog in one place. I don't blow dry Zoey, but towel dry her with a microfiber towel and then put down another towel on the bathroom floor so she can roll and dry herself off on it. She's usually completely dry after 10 minutes out of the tub. She also use to hate to be brushed and would bite the brushes and run off with them in her mouth. I find brushing her and giving her a bath at night when she's tired works best. After her bath I get her up on my lap when I know she's tired and then brush her, she doesn't fight it, and it also puts her right to bed.

[BabyGirl Rosie]

Originally Posted by Britster

Jackson is really picky about his dog treats too. He usually turns his nose up at most of them, lol. Dehydrated chicken jerky is his favorite though. Also, regular chicken breast is a great human treat, I also use cheese.

Rosie is picky too. We go places all the time and they try to give her treats. She will smell them and walk away. However, we went to a snowcone place and they gave her one that she gobbled up. The lady said it was some home made doggie treats that smelled like cookies? I don't know what they are but she loved them. I bought some cookies ones made here in Arkansas from Walmart but they obviously were not the same. Does anyone know what these are? Maybe your babies would like them too.

[gemy]

Originally Posted by deonk1

Oh ... another question... I'm having a wicked time finding treats he likes. He likes people food, but I don't want to give him a lot of that. But he really likes beef jerky is that ok for him to have as a high value treat. The little bugger likes lobster too, but its the off season so my family (dad's a lobster fisherman) isn't going to have any until November... Any ideas for good treats? Or people food that is good for him? He just doesn't like processed dog treats... mind you I don't think I blame him.

Oh my Lobster yumssss what a lucky boy. Some ppl use cheerios, they are small, and crunchy and as treats not too bad.

Just use about a pea sized treat to reward. I mix up the treats a bit. Whenever I'm cooking, roasting chicken or turkey, or beef etc, I package up small treat bags and put in the freezer.

Also Razz likes frozen yams, They are good for them, too. I also will use bits of left over salmon too. I don't buy the store bought treats too often, first they are pricey, and secondly if Imake the treats I know what is in them. Cheese get very low fat cheese, and don't treat to much with that, maybe that one can be an extra extra special treat.

Sometimes I cook up liver in the oven slow slow roast time, 200 degrees for 1 hour or so, and cut up into little pieces, all my dogs love that one.

Of course it is easier if you have a freezer. My dogs also like small pieces of beans yellow and green.

Watermelon in the summertime is a super good treat. I make sure to deseed, and for my Yorkie I take off the rind.

I'm lucky that all my dogs are lil piggies. They eat just about anything.

[deonk1]

Wow I didn't know watermelon was good for them... yummy. Yeah I try to save him stuff when I cook some times, I'm moving in two weeks and trying to clean out my freezer, I have a lot of pork chops... I think I'll cook him one and cut it up and save little pieces for him for the week.
... yes he loves lobster, and it doesn't make him sick either. A lot of people cautioned me that it may upset his tummy, because it is rich, but I started in small portions and he loved it, and it had zero effect on him... the first day I went to visit him at the breeders I brought some for my breeder and we were eating them and he started cleaning my hands up afterwards... absolutely loved it... now he's hooked.

He likes cream cheese to, should I buy low fat for that, the same as I would for cheese? I usually only give it to him when I give his wormers, but my family buys it for him when we go visit... I caught them trying to give him icecream! So I had to find a compromise. (oh fur grandparents... they think they can just give him all junk *rolls eyes*)...

[MyBabyFynnlie]

Fynnlie had his first run in with the blow dryer on Saturday. He hated it. Yipped and cried and whined and squirmed and tried desperately to run away. I gave him breaks and treats throughout the whole ordeal, but he was NOT a happy boy...

[Maddie23]

Originally Posted by deonk1

Is this hold, sort of like the way you hold them if you were stacking them in confirmation, sort of by the jaw bone? I tried that, but he gets out of my hold and bites my hand. I think I "mean it" when I do that, but maybe I'm not "meaning it" enough... that is very possible.

I don't hold the actual jaw, just the hair under her chin. I guess what I meant by "mean it" was a firm grip, close to the skin so she knows I have a hold of her. At the beginning I was just holding the end of the hair and if she would wrestle away I would let go thinking I was going to hurt her.