how to brush the unbrushable

[new2goldens]

gracie will have nothing to do with brushing. i mean she absolutly hates it. i've tried to pet her an brush at the same time, i've tried treats. bout the only thigs left are to hog tie her or some really good drugs. any advice??:054

[jdczekaj]

Whipper and Cocoa weren't crazy about brushing either. They would try to eat the brush. I just kept at it...at first I would only get in a brush or two a night. But I just kept at it and now I can (for the most part) brush them...with the exception of Whipper's tail. He is not willing to let me brush his tail, so I'm still working on that.

I've read that you can bribe them with treats to teach them that brushing is a good thing.

Good luck!
~ Debbie * Whipper * Cocoa

[KCGoldens]

If Gracie does not like brushing, the best thing to do is get her off the floor. "her territory" Make sure you have someone to help you with this.
We had an old wood bench we used to brush Cayenne on. (even an old table will work) My husband would stand her on the bench and hold her collar and I would brush. Once you got her up off the floor and someone would hold her collar she would stand still.
Once Cayenne got used to being brushed, and decided she liked all the attention and pampering, we could do it while she stood on the floor.
I have been told this is why you see even big dogs up on tables at the groomers.

[Rebecca]

My Daisy doesn't mind being brushed if she can hold on to something in her mouth. I try to keep a rawhide handy just for brushings. If she's got that rawhide or a toy, I can brush out her tail, flip her around, roll all over the place, do whatever I need to do. She just doesn't care. If I don't have that rawhide, she wants to eat the brush. After reading a lot of postings, I think I need some new tools -- maybe a rake. I've just been using a regular dog comb and a dog brush. I think I could be doing more to help the shedding. Thanks for all the GOOD ADVICE!

[GoldenGirl]

Rebecca, something to consider buying to help control shedding is the zoomgroom made by Kong. I have one and it keeps the tumblefur population down. :)

Note: it's not a grooming tool, it's a massager and hair removal tool.

[SamsGoldens]

<span style="font-family:comic sans ms; color:red;font-size:small;">I found Molly didn't stay well to be groomed until she really knew the "stay" command. She's just over a year now and loves to be brushed. I normally stand over her to brush her and just keep my free hand on her collar, tell her to stay and repeat a few times what a good girl she is. <img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/smile.gif" /> Sadie, who is almost 15 weeks, is learning what the whole brushing experience is supposed to be about. <img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/laugh.gif" /> I normally kneel down beside her and do the same thing. Good luck!! <img border=0 src="http://www.topgoldenretrieversites.net/smiles/003.gif" /></span>

[Scorpio118]

Maddie doesn't do well with brushing either.... :rolleyes

She loves biting on the "rake" - I usually try and jam a toy in her mouth. It's a two-man job to brush her.

DRYING HER.... :rolleyes that's another story.... she needs to be dried with the hairdryer after a bath - right??? ;)

Hopefully when she gets older she'll get better....

I'm going to have to try and put her on a table of some sort and try that..... Lord knows at the vet yesterday - she was a perfect angel laying completely still for the doc while she clipped her nails and cleaned her ears!!

The doc also told me how to teach her "be still" command. Gotta work on that too....

Puppy class here we come!!