Help! She won't let me brush her or clip her nails!
 

For some reason, Yuki HATES being brushed and she won't let me clip her nails! The only way I can brush her is if she's chewing on a bone and I can only get the top of her. Yesterday when my boyfriend and I tried to clip her nails she freaked out and would stop squirming.

Does anyone have any advice on how to let me brush her (maybe it's the type of brush I'm using?)

Also, do you clip your Yorkie's nails, and how do you do it?

Poor Yuki is starting to look like a homeless dog... she is so scraggly! lol

Any advice is greatly appreciated!! :)

I have the same problem with gracie. I have tried ever type of comb and brush, she doesn't isn't a fan of getting it done. I am a hairstylist and have tried everything i know. I just get her now and and comb her and she squirms and tries to get away but i just try to get done what I can. The same goes for her nails, I just get one or two done a a time and then go back later and get another couple till they are done. I also get her groomed ever 8 weeks and that helps. Good Luck and just keep at it.

To be real honest ....you just have to show her who is alpha, which is the boss. You have to constantly do it and make her stay still. If she wiggles, hold her tight. Do not let her up or she will do it again & again. Dogs need to have a leader, just like the wild dogs. They all have leaders, or else you will have a dog that does what she wants and you do what she wants. Wrong way to go, in the end you will be unhappy.

Blessings

:goodpost:

Yup Yup! Percy hated both at first, but, you really just have to be firm. When they start to stay still and you can get something done, offer praise.

I swear to you that cc gold series brush is less harsh on their skin than any i have ever tried. they love being brushed. i have said before when I brush one of mine I have to brush all 4 at once. they love it that much. it does not scratch their skin and it is more like a massage.
you might start when your baby is laying on your lap asleep. first start with our hand only brushing the hair slowly ,then ,use the brush just on top of the hair. you can work your way deeper as you go. just an idea.
the nails... when they did mine at the vets office the assistant would hold them upright to their chest. the other would clip the nails. I tried this method with my husband holding them....maybe yours will do a better job than my husband did. worked good with the vet and assistant.LOL.
we no longer have to clip due to the fact they walk on a lot of pavement.

Use lots of treats until they get used to it. Make the treats real small so you are not giving too much. First give them a treat about every other stroke that they are good. If they are not good then say no firmly and don't give them a treat. Then decrease the amount of treats until you give no more treats. This worked great for us and now she loves it. You can try this with the nails too.

Thank you so much for all the advice! I definitely need to establish that I'm the alpha (because sometimes I think she rules me! ;) ). Maybe I should try a new brush, one that feels more like a massage. Has anyone ever tried the kind that goes on your hand like a glove? Also, next time I'll be sure to bring some treats down, maybe that will distract her.

I am having the same problem with Jazzy. Last night I made him let me brush him. Everyone in the house came running he was screaming so loud. You would had thought I was beating him with the brush. I was being as gently as I could. I didn't stop brushing until he stopped screaming. I am going to do that a couple times a week until I get him use to it. Only thing I hated he pouted in the corner forever. I felt so bad...

I would continue trying brushing gently with lots of soothing praise and of course treats.

Good advice to not stop when they scream. Then they will think any time they scream means they will get their way.

I totally agree with the CC brushes. I have a Gold Series and Fusion brush and they are great. My dogs didn't like being brushed either, but when I got the Gold Series brush, one of mine rolled over to have her tummy brushed. That sold me life!:thumbup: My youngest is in the stage of learning, too. I purposely put her on her back on my lap to brush her tummy and legs. She is pretty squirmey but she is definitely making progress.

So, between a brush that actually feels good and letting the dog know who's boss and having patience, it will come around.

That's what happened with me trying to clip Chloe's nails the other day. She squirmed so much and literally FREAKED so that I could not clip them. She did the pout thing too.

Wrap a towel or blanket around them real tight and leave only the paw that you are cutting the nails out. This way they cannot move around as much. It works great if you can get them used to laying on their backs. I wrap Rosie in the blanket, then lay her on her back on my legs and cut her nails.

I got them use to brushing the hair slowly. I would brush a little bit twice a day and build up to brushing all over once a day now. I also use Cheerios as treats while I am brushing. Make it an experience they enjoy and actually like it. If they have a lot of mats you may want to have them groomed professionally and start out fresh. I do not clip the nails anymore, I have a very experienced groomer that uses a Dremel and the nails have no sharp edges. She said that she has customers that are elderly and their skin is torn easily by the sharp nails. It is something that you need the professional to do since it would be easy to accidently hurt them. So much better than I could ever do myself.

Where do you get this cc gold series brush?

Be patient, be firm, and be loving. Try to do it in short brushings doing a little at a time. Soon it will become much easier. IMO avoid making it seem like a chore and more of mommie and me time, with lots of kisses and extra attention. The less stresed they are when brushed the easier it becomes. I also recommend filling a Kong with peanut butter and letting them lay there and lick it while being brushed to keep their mind off the brush as much as possible.

I did that...she literally THRASHED about so violently, that she pulled herself out from the blanket...and I had it pretty tight. The thing is, I wonder if she had a bad experience last time she was gr omed. She hasn't really been the same since she came back (it was over a month ago). She's rather hand shy now.

Sorry to hear that. It works for us real well. Putting her on her back makes brushing her hair, teeth, and clipping her nails real easy. Be patient like others mentioned. We kept holding her on her back until she learned to love it. Now she falls asleep on her back in our arms. The key is when they swarm around or scream don't give in. Hold on to them until they stop screaming and stop trying to get out.

Others try putting peanut butter on the counter and get close enough to the peanut butter so they are trying to eat it but far enough so they don't eat it. This way they are focusing on the peanut butter and not on what you are doing.

Your dog will get used to it eventually. How long have you tried brushing her and clipping her nails.

Brushing her is no problem. She is fine with that and all relaxed. It's just the nail clipping that she won't have.

I think it is all about time... Pepper used to be very bad about brushing and would try to run away and hide or try to bite me. But every day he'd get brushed and I'd try my best to stay calm and persistent. It took a couple months but he learned it had to be done. He doesn't love it (I don't think he ever will) but stays still or just lies down and lets me comb him...

Someone else posted about being alpha - this is so true. Establish alpha role - let her know that you are in charge and you will never allow anything or anyone to harm her. Leash train her - walk with her and tire her out. Then when she is tired put her on your lap, slowly pet her with your hand then start combing her hair. Gently - never with force or push the comb/brush into her skin. I always coo and really softly talk (almost a whisper) while I'm doing it. They relax, you relax and everyone enjoys the experience. it takes some time but once she realizes this is a treat she will stop fighting.

As for toenails - start by touch her feet. Just touch and release. Then hold her foot and release. Every day make an effort to touch her feet. Make sure you are touching her toenails too. For the jumpy pups I always put them in the bath and allow them to stand in a little bit of water to soften the nail. Gently I lift the back foot and clip. I put a rubber duck in the water so they are distracted. Then when you do the front nails just gently lift and clip - if she squirms just keep going - don't let her decide when you are done. If you get a couple nails without a fight you've won. Then try again - until they are all done. It takes time - just be patient and work with her. She will learn to trust you.

Best of luck!!

Thanks for all the good advice. :)

Update: I used one of my old boar's hair brushes on her today, and she actually let me brush her for a little while! Also, I tried clipping only a few nails over the weekend, and I actually got 3 done! I got two from her back paws and one from her front. I like the idea from simplyyorkies....I definitely should take her on a walk, tire her out, and then try to gently brush her hair (I think I may have been too rough in the past). I do try and touch her feet everyday, but she jerks them away very quickly. Anyway, I will keep working patiently on her... hopefully someday I'll be able to brush and clip her nails all in the same day!:D

what is the best brand of shampoo to use? I normally buy the the stuff that petco sells, but it leaves Teddy's hair looking dull after about a few days. It says it's mousturizing, but it doesn't look that way. He hates brushes too, but i get what i can get done, and go back later for the rest of him. :)
yorkiemomma7

As a groomer I use Quadruped Protein shampoo. It is amazing! go to their website and order - fast shipping and great customer service!! http://www.quadrupedpetcare.com/ Tell them Tangled Knot Grooming sent you - he'll usually give you a deal or send nice samples!!