How can the owner help the dog get used to grooming?
1. Don’t force grooming
If the dog’s hair gets caught in the brush, the dog will feel pain (=annoying thing). If the owner is using too much force when grooming the dog, it will give the dog the impression that “grooming is a particularly annoying thing”.
2. Let the dog get used to the comb
Before letting the dog get used to the brush, let the dog get used to the comb. For example: the owner holds a comb, let the dog see the comb, and feed the dog food at the same time. Then slowly start feeding the dog food while trying to touch the back of the dog with the weaker comb.
3. Use toys to distract energy
At the beginning, you can play with dogs with toys ( For example, the dog will be more interested in a leaking toy filled with dog food). When the dog is focused on playing with the toy, the owner can start to slowly try to use the side with a needle brush to groom the dog.
If the dog starts to show concern for the comb, the owner can pretend to know nothing and say “I didn’t do anything” to the dog, Also hide the comb from the dog. The secret to getting your dog used to grooming is to “trick the dog,” but don’t make the dog feel cheated.
The purpose of this period is not to groom itself, but to get the dog used to grooming. So brushing even a small part of the dog’s body at a time is a success.
