How to Brush Your Dog
Many dogs enjoy the brushing part of a grooming section. A lot of dogs even have a particular spot they really liked brushed, such as their back or tummy. Other dogs, however, never seem to enjoy the process and the best you can hope for is to teach them to tolerate brushing. Either way, brushing your dog on a regular basis is important for maintaining your dog’s health. The steps below will explain how to make this as painless as possible for both you and your dog.
Step One: Preparation
Find a quiet area to brush your dog, preferably during a time of the day when your dog is calm. Gather all of your brushing tools and some doggie treats (just in case). If you already know your dog is hard to groom or if you have never groomed a dog before, you may want to ask another person to help you by handing you tools and petting and calming your dog as you brush. Once you are ready, call your dog to you, using a treat if necessary. Talk softly and calmly to your dog, petting and scratching as you normally would. If you want your dog to learn to like these brushing sessions, you need to fill the session with plenty of positive attention and avoid yelling or scolding your dog.
Step Two: The First Strokes
Pick up your brush and let your dog investigate. Once your dog seems less interested in the brush, try running it down their back while you talk softly. If your dog strains to see what you are doing, allow him to see and smell the brush again. Slowly he will learn to associate the brush with the feeling of the brush on his back and he will become less interested in it. Continue to brush your dog, stopping as often as necessary to allow your dog to sniff the brush and assure your dog with lots of positive attention. You can also break off small pieces of the doggie treats to offer your dog if he becomes restless.
If your dog becomes stressed out or if you find yourself becoming stressed out, take a break and try again the next day. You want the brushing experience to be a positive experience that your dog will come to enjoy. The quickest way to sabotage this is by allowing brushing to become stressful. There is no reason you have to brush your dog all in one session, particularly in the beginning when your dog is just learning what to expect from the brushing session.
Step Three: Problem Areas
You may need to be a little more creative with your dog when you are trying to brush paws, or any other area that may be particularly sensitive. If you find a spot where your dog does not like to be brushed, try just running the brush over the area once or twice and then moving on to brush their favorite spot. You may have to do this a couple of times to get the sensitive area thoroughly brushed. Or, try distracting your dog with treats and quickly brush the sensitive area while your dog eats. If necessary, you can use words like “stay” and “no” or whatever other commands your dog may recognize. Just make sure you do not yell these commands. Focus on keeping the experience positive and don’t forget to reward your dog with praise (and maybe treats) for obeying any commands you do give. Remember that you do not have to get all the brushing done in one session. If brushing becomes too stressful, call it a day and try again tomorrow.
Regular brushing will keep your dog looking better and will keep him cleaner and healthier. Hopefully, with time, your dog will come to enjoy your brushing sessions and you can use this time for just enjoying your dog and providing positive attention.
