# Alice hates to be groomed.



## Alice Ana (Mar 17, 2010)

I had a feeling this would come up at some point. The breeders didn't introduce her to any type of grooming besides a bath, as far as I know.
Anyways, here's how she is;

She doesn't mind me brushing as long as i'm holding her with one hand.. which could be a problem in the future, but it's on the one I'm concerned about now.

She hates water; bathtime? :blush: not so fun. She runs around the tub and tries to get out. Washing her face is a real chore too... She will try her hardest to get away from me 

She will NOT let me get a topknot in her hair anymore! I had to stop for 1 week to go to ISYM (a music camp) and I didn't put one in.. after that, she just didn't let me put in a band. I will do it when she's sleeping sometimes.. but she just won't let me 

Any advice for that? Thanks everyone :thumbsup:


----------



## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

Maybe it's time for a puppy cut. Short hair is so easy to care for!!


----------



## iheartbisou (Feb 13, 2007)

Agree with the puppy cut! lol! Much easier.

Also, you can use treats so she associates grooming time with a treat. and maybe try to talk reassuringly to her during grooming and bath time, so she knows it's okay. I don't think very many dogs actually like bath time!


----------



## njdrake (Apr 23, 2007)

I agree, you might want to think about a puppy cut. Zoey hates to be groomed so I had her puppy cut. My other two don't mind it at all. I think some just hate it more than others.


----------



## Alice Ana (Mar 17, 2010)

haha  i really love her hair, so i'm trying to keep it medium length. it's so cutee... but i'm not sure how to style it yet. i'd love to have a topknot, but she just goes crazy when i touch the top of her head!


----------



## Luna'sMom (Oct 7, 2007)

I disagree she doesn't need a puppy cut if you don't want her to (and she is matt free) - she is only a baby and most puppies react like this to grooming etc. 

You need to train her to accept it - dogs which have top knots don't generally love it immediately. You need to make brushing her and playing with her hair a positive experience 

I would start small - she is only a tiny baby and doesn't probably need a top knot at the moment and if she is struggling/stressing it might be making her scared of the whole thing. 

Play with her hair, put it in a loose top knot (not every day), touch her all over whilst giving her treats and praising her for good behavior. Remember she is a baby and she will get better with it as she gets older. Also you might consider getting some plain bands not scrunchies/barrettes/bows - these are heavy and harder and she is more likely to complaing about them (rip them out). 

I didn't put top knots into Luna's hair until she was about 16 weeks old - before that I would just brush her and I know her breeder didn't put top knots in her hair before I got her. She now LOVES getting her hair put in a top knot - she licks the bag of bands when I get them out and lays her head down on my lap for me.

It's all about positive associations - make it fun for her and she will learn to love it and grow relaxed about it. 

Luna doesn't love baths either but as she has gotten older she has learned to 'tolerate' them better


----------



## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

Oh she will get better as she gets older...I am so happy to see this post because I've been dying to see new pics of her, come on!:wub:



Alice Ana said:


> haha  i really love her hair, so i'm trying to keep it medium length. it's so cutee... but i'm not sure how to style it yet. i'd love to have a topknot, but she just goes crazy when i touch the top of her head!


----------



## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

Mine hated topknots too.SO I would tell them ,they were bye,bye bows.I'd do their hair everytime we'd go bye bye,and now they jump in line,waiting fo rbows,because they know it means bye bye...
They'll get used to grooming,they might not like it but they'll learn to tollerate it. 
Sasha loves grooming and does pretty good on bath time. The rest hate bath time and tollerate grooming. While I brush them,I give them breaks and treats and talk to them,it helps...


----------



## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

Lots of high-value treats. Jackie puts peanut butter on a paper plate and tapes it to the wall.


----------



## maltemom09 (Jan 27, 2010)

Nikki's Mom said:


> Lots of high-value treats. Jackie puts peanut butter on a paper plate and tapes it to the wall.


 
:HistericalSmileyRICELESS :HistericalSmiley:


----------



## Maltsnme (Feb 7, 2009)

Alice Ana said:


> I had a feeling this would come up at some point. The breeders didn't introduce her to any type of grooming besides a bath, as far as I know.
> Anyways, here's how she is;
> 
> She doesn't mind me brushing as long as i'm holding her with one hand.. which could be a problem in the future, but it's on the one I'm concerned about now.
> ...


Here is the key to your post: "she will NOT LET me". LOL. Just be gentle with her but be firm. I use a topknot pillow, all dogs know, when it comes out, they stick their head in it and it is time to do face/topknot grooming. It is called a "cue". they know it. When dogs are confused, they fight. she is just confused.. be gentle and guide her. Also, wash her in the sink, not the tub. (smaller area) and are you using a table to groom her on? use one, same one, every time. Let her lay in a donut pillow. make a game of it, IN the donut pillow. slowly change over, donut pillow to flat pad. It will take time, but you cannot give in when she is squirming. It makes her think that is the cue she gives you, to make her stop.


----------



## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

maltemom09 said:


> :HistericalSmileyRICELESS :HistericalSmiley:


dolce loves peanut butter , i soo have to try this... what do u guys do when the fluff tries to take his topknot off .. ?by scratching n rubbing his head like a lil maniac.?


----------



## Maltsnme (Feb 7, 2009)

uniquelovdolce said:


> dolce loves peanut butter , i soo have to try this... what do u guys do when the fluff tries to take his topknot off .. ?by scratching n rubbing his head like a lil maniac.?


they learn this because a) you are setting them down to fast afterwards and they learn it and b) they have something to rub ON  Hold them for a bit afterwards and distract them when you do set them down.. ie: have treats and just toss a few here and there to distract or do tricks, whatever you want. but key is, keeping them from doing it in the first place. they won't "outgrow it" or "learn not to" they learn what the CAN do and practice it to make perfect


----------



## almitra (Apr 24, 2009)

I distract (as mentioned above) as soon as I let them down on the floor after grooming. If I notice one of them trying to drag the bow off by rubbing across the rug, then I give them a stern "*eh*", which is my negative word marker. It makes them cease and desist immediately.


----------



## Alice Ana (Mar 17, 2010)

haha thanks everyone! i loved these posts  they were funny and very helpful!
i need to put up more pictures


----------



## poochie2 (Jan 14, 2010)

almitra said:


> I distract (as mentioned above) as soon as I let them down on the floor after grooming. If I notice one of them trying to drag the bow off by rubbing across the rug, then I give them a stern "*eh*", which is my negative word marker. It makes them cease and desist immediately.


That's my word too!!! "eh" LOL:thumbsup:


----------



## Miss_Annie (Mar 3, 2010)

This is very useful info! I'm absorbing it because I know that I'll need it here soon!


----------



## Alice Ana (Mar 17, 2010)

Miss_Annie said:


> This is very useful info! I'm absorbing it because I know that I'll need it here soon!


wooo :w00t::chili::chili::chili::w00t:


----------



## wooflife (Aug 8, 2007)

maltsnme said:


> they learn this because a) you are setting them down to fast afterwards and they learn it and b) they have something to rub ON  Hold them for a bit afterwards and distract them when you do set them down.. ie: have treats and just toss a few here and there to distract or do tricks, whatever you want. but key is, keeping them from doing it in the first place. they won't "outgrow it" or "learn not to" they learn what the CAN do and practice it to make perfect


Ha ha - I did this without knowing it. When I get done with combing and top knot I give her tons of kisses and snuggles and tell her how beautiful she is - she usually winds up in my lap for a few minutes and then doesn't rub her head on the floor.

One of the commands that was easy for Izzy to learn was "kisses" so I wound up telling her to give me kisses whenever we do something she really hated. So now when I am combing her beard she gives me kisses and I tell her what a good girl she is all the while I'm combing. It makes it easier for us. 

Kisses also works when I'm bathing her and when I turn on the hairdryer and she get's scared. Giving kisses gets us through a lot!!


----------



## Juanelle (Jan 1, 2010)

Coconut doesn't like anything to do with the top of his head. I finally gave up, maybe because he is a boy and it is not as much "fun". He tolerates a bath if I put him in the kitchen sink; HATES the bath tub. It is so hot now, so the groomer keeps him cut between long and puppy cut. She says he does great with her (kind of like your children do for others). So, I stick to bathing and brushing and let her deal with cutting.


----------



## Alice Ana (Mar 17, 2010)

the reason i used the tub was because our sink is really small and extremely hard to bathe her in. we don't have a removable handle and my mom won't let me wash her in the kitchen sink (lol), so i used our tub. to give her a good first time, i even let her take a bath with our 2 other dogs, who are extremely calm. she still went crazy...


----------



## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

Hi Shelby...I give Rocky his bath in a guest bathroom with a smaller tub. I have always made it very calming..talking to him softly and going slow. He loves his baths and would stay in them all day as long as the water is warm. Try bathing him alone, with the door closed and just speak very gently to him and tell him it's ok. That may help...I hope.



Alice Ana said:


> the reason i used the tub was because our sink is really small and extremely hard to bathe her in. we don't have a removable handle and my mom won't let me wash her in the kitchen sink (lol), so i used our tub. to give her a good first time, i even let her take a bath with our 2 other dogs, who are extremely calm. she still went crazy...


----------



## Cheri&Vi (Jul 2, 2010)

I have to agree with the treats. Vi was already 3 when I got her, she had never been groomed, only shaved once a year. She STILL doesn't like me grooming her face, but she'll tolerate it after I persist but not force. She eventually because ok with me doing it, even tho she doesn't like it. SOmedays are easier than others, and I never know how that day will be LOL I only do her top knots once a week, but I brush them daily (or I SHOULD say used to... until my son decided to give her a haircut when I wasnt looking... boy did I warm his butt over that one...not because of the hair, but because he could have hurt her) Now we're just working on evening it out. 
Here's what I did, and it should be easier for you if you're consistent with it.
I use my counter in my kitchen when she gets a full groom. I have tons of counter space, so this works for me. PLus I lay down a large towel and then her little grooming mat I crochet for her so she knows this is what will happen (when I brush her daily she's allowed to lay down on her side or however she wants...more casual, you know?).
I save special treats for her (usually bites of chicken) for after she's groomed. At first I would reward her for letting me brush her face, and for letting me brush between her legs and backside, and all the places she fussed over. Then I would reward her for letting me do a couple of those, and then eventually it was for all of it, and now it's just at the end. Gradual worked for me 
Also, she gets a special treat for when I pluck the hair from her ears (and man...when she was gone for those three months, when she came back her ears were FULL of hair!!! Took me an hour just to do both ears!!)
So I hope that might help you a bit! Just be consistent and do it daily!! Or you'll end up with a dog that will fight you every time!!
~~Cheri~~


----------

