11 week puppy hates grooming!

brendagates · 01-11-2013, 10:15 AM

Hello!
We got the most lovely Havanese puppy 2 weeks ago (His name is Malfoy). I have had past experience with the Havanese breed and know how important it is to brush/comb them regularly. I have been brushing my puppy daily to get him used to it and have also been giving him plenty of treats during the process to help make it more pleasant for him.

He hates every minute of it and will not stay still. This is making it extremely difficult for me to properly groom him – his hair is VERY thick and it's hard to get all the way down to the root of the hair to get rid of any tangles.

Anyone have a similar experience and/or have any tips or advice for me?

Tom King · 01-11-2013, 11:02 AM

None of them like it to start with. The most important things are that you release the INSTANT he releases using absolutely no more force than is required. You have to not only show no anxiety, but FEEL no anxiety.

Like any other training, they learn quickly with proper training-as in minutes.

If you can't do it fairly quickly, find help. It's not an easy thing to explain in written words, but fairly simple once you see it done.

We have a puppy from the last litter in Brooklyn. She posts here. They came and had some hands-on instruction with grooming.

Sparkle · 01-11-2013, 11:46 AM

Just hang in there & keep grooming. I had serious doubts that Kallie would EVER be groomed in the beginning. We got her @ 10 wks and she hated every moment of it. Bite, twist & twirl, etc. There were times I was in tears, thinking I was the worst @ training ever. But just keep grooming him. Very short sessions. I'm talking minutes @ this stage. I found that Kallie tolerated the comb more than the brush. I might only get 1 foot combed at a time. But that was ok. Just move to another area the next time. And treats for not wiggling. Bribery is more like it! Don't expect him to love grooming in a week or so. It truly takes time. And lots of patience. At about 4 months I did buy a grooming arm & loop & attached it to an old table. You can search the forum & you'll see lots of grooming set-ups. At least with the arm/loop I could use 2 hands & know that she wasn't going to fall off the table. Just make sure you continue to groom. It gets a little bit better each time. Before you know it, you'll be able to brush/comb him so much easier. Kallie still doesn't love it (she's just shy of 9 months) but she tolerates it very well.

krandall · 01-11-2013, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparkle

Just hang in there & keep grooming. I had serious doubts that Kallie would EVER be groomed in the beginning. We got her @ 10 wks and she hated every moment of it. Bite, twist & twirl, etc. There were times I was in tears, thinking I was the worst @ training ever. But just keep grooming him. Very short sessions. I'm talking minutes @ this stage. I found that Kallie tolerated the comb more than the brush. I might only get 1 foot combed at a time. But that was ok. Just move to another area the next time. And treats for not wiggling. Bribery is more like it! Don't expect him to love grooming in a week or so. It truly takes time. And lots of patience. At about 4 months I did buy a grooming arm & loop & attached it to an old table. You can search the forum & you'll see lots of grooming set-ups. At least with the arm/loop I could use 2 hands & know that she wasn't going to fall off the table. Just make sure you continue to groom. It gets a little bit better each time. Before you know it, you'll be able to brush/comb him so much easier. Kallie still doesn't love it (she's just shy of 9 months) but she tolerates it very well.

I think that MANY of them never "love it", but they learn that it is just a fact of life, and tolerate it in good grace. I'd put Kodi in this category for sure!

HavaneseSoon · 01-11-2013, 12:18 PM

Very short sessions to begin with......30 sec...1 min...slowly building it up. Praise all good behavior. Only twice a day to begin with....

krandall · 01-11-2013, 12:27 PM

I don't remember it being a huge big deal when Kodi was little, but he didn't have as dense a coat as some Hav puppies, so there was nothing for the comb or brush to get caught on, either. I DO know that I got a couple of cheap brushes and combs that he reacted to very negatively. I tried them on my own skin, and realized that they were very scratchy. I think they were too rough on his skin.

After not believing all the people here on the forum that CC tools were so much better, buying LOTS of tools that I have since tossed, I finally caved and spent the money on good quality CC combs and brushes. What a difference! Not only in terms of ease of use, but also in terms of his obvious comfort. And because the quality is so good, once you have them, you are set for a long, long time. I wasted a LOT more money on the "cheap" pet store tools!

Kodi shows an obvious preference for the CC Buttercomb and the CC wood pin brush in terms of comfort. There are other tools that I use occasionally, but these are my everyday, go-to tools. My guess is that for a puppy with a lighter coat like Kodi's, the wood pin brush would be a great "starter tool". For a puppy with enough coat that matting is a possibility from a young age, I'd start right in with the Buttercomb, which was my staple tool all through blowing coat, and is STILL the first tool I turn to each day.

Lizzie'sMom · 01-11-2013, 01:50 PM

Malfoy! I love it. Harry Potter fan?

Lizzie only tolerates grooming now. I had to buy a little grooming table with a slip that I put on my island. She would stay fairly still on that but not anywhere else. I only comb her out on bath day now which is about every one and a half weeks. We take a few breaks and she EXPECTS a little cookie each time she gets off the table. She is nearly 3 and I still cannot trim her feet or nails. She is constant motion then. I take her into a groomer for that.

It is going to take patience and short sessions.

Beau's mom · 01-11-2013, 05:53 PM

I got Beau when he was 12 weeks old. I tried and tried and tried and tried. Short sessions were so short not a single hair was brushed. He just turned 2 years in December -- and I still can't brush or comb him at all!! I have always given the groomer "combat pay" because he is such a wiggler!! Just last month she told me he is getting "a little easier" to handle. Sigh . . .

Pixiesmom · 01-12-2013, 07:11 AM

I've found that the best time to work on my two is in the evening when they're sleepy. I can only comb out Mig's tail when he's distracted, so I get my daughter to talk to him, and while he's looking at her I comb it out. You'l develop your methods, probably not as goofy as mine.

atsilvers27 · 01-12-2013, 08:36 AM

As long as you don't keep things on him ie collar, harness, sweaters etc and he stays fairly clean (doesn't get into the mud or get debris in his coat) you don't have to stress too much about the coat matting up forthe moment. Puppies are kind of like a fine balancing act. You are teaching the puppy that grooming is a fact of life, but you have to not stress out the puppy. He may be annoyed, but if he goes into panipanic mode that's not good. There are some great tips here, including that it may be time to take him to someone experienced with puppy grooming and can show you what to do.