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Grooming small puppy: product suggestion? tips on keeping the darn guy still? Hi i was trying to groom my yorkie 14 week puppy the other day. Man was it a handful! He wiggled and skwirmed as if I was torturing him...I offered him his favorite treats but he would not let me groom around his face.. finally tried to pin him down for one second and he yelped as if I was abusing him. I treat him like a prince 95% of the time (to be honest I think he's quite spoiled if this is the worst torture he can take) :p Anyways I was wondering on recommendations on grooming gear like scissors or one's that have a guard for when he squirms so I don't poke his little eye. I have clippers that are high quality as well but haven't used them yet Also any recommendations on how to train him to be ok with grooming? One thing I noticed it's best to attempt to do it when he's really sleepy or else he squirms like he being tortured....lol |
I feel for you, I know what that's like. Cheerios came in very handy, they are a small treat that's mostly air, so you can give them quite a few (one at a time) without doing any damage to them nutritionally. My goal for Joey was so that he would tolerate grooming, not so that he would be a well groomed puppy. I groomed him every day, in fact several times a day, and the sessions were short and I didn't get much accomplished, but eventually he learned to tolerate it, and sometimes I really think he enjoys it. I have a soft brush I use on his forehead, and he lies his head down and is patient while I put in his topknot. So my advice is to go slow and reward, and pray for patience! |
For grooming training, my first recommendation is not to force anything. Be assertive and don't give up easily, but make grooming a positive experience and be patient. Work daily with your pup, even if you are just going through the motions. Use treat rewards and plenty of praise. Pet and massage in between doing the undesirable stuff. I still do that. I started with Max by holding and stroking him on my lap until he was relaxed (always choose a time when your pup is worn out from physical activity and isn't fired up :)). Then I would introduce the comb. I used a tiny flea comb for the first few months. Gently I taught him to roll over on his back while I worked on his tiny face. The process seemed impossible and hopeless to me even though Max had a good start with his breeder, but everything became easy in time. |
For scissors -- I would use rounded tip scissors until you and your pup are comfortable working together. Always aim all scissors sort of away from the dog and use your fingers and free hand as a guard in case your pup makes a sudden movement. Be calm and your pup will eventually emulate you. If you are anxious, your pup will know and get anxious too. |
I can see that patience will pay off... he's sitting in my lap right now and i have the scissors sitting right next to him. I'm just combing and touching his face with my fingers. |
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Great advise from Maximo and Nancy 1999. Patience is key for sure. I wouldn't even worry about scissors just yet :eek:. Start with small short sessions, (2 to 3 minutes, several times a day) when he is calm/tired out. Just run the brush over him lightly, with the back side of the brush, not the bristles. Let him smell it, get used to it, and learn that it is not an evil monster, teehee. Spread this out over a period of time, say a couple weeks, then brush one body part at a time, give him a reward if he holds still. Then let it go, go play for awhile, come back to it a couple hours later and do another leg, etc. Before you know it, you will be brushing his entire body, and it will become a bonding time for both of you. Do this with each new grooming tool that you introduce. Mine all l♥ve to be brushed and massaged now, but it did take patience/praise and rewards and consistency to get them used to it as puppies. |
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