Need some help.

Heather Reed

Heather Reed

Member
I have a four month old cocker, and everytime I brush her(I've been doing this since the day I got her to get her used to it) she flips out when I brush her legs! She goes insane and tries to attack my hand/the comb or brush! I don't know what to do to make her stop and relax. I've tried talking sweet, treating, I just don't know! Any suggestions?
 
Whatever u do, don't stop when she does this behavior. That will teach her that when she bites, attacks that the brushing will stop. Always end way with you brushing and getting your way. Do not let her get away with it.
 
Does she have snarls or matts in her coat? Sometimes if these get pulled during brushing, it hurts and they become reluctant to have you brush them. Also, what kind of a brush are you using?

When our girls were puppies, I would lay them on my lap while watching TV and play with their feet, legs and ears. Will she let you do that or does that cause her concern also?
 
Hersh'sMom - I try not to stop, but she will literally attack me and bite me so hard that I have to. I have tried holding her a certain way with her head away, had someone else hold her, she goes insane

DJ's three - No, she doesn't have matts on her legs... I use different kinds, I try to either use a comb or just a regular dog brush. Won't even try the slicker. She'll let me cut her nails, no problem there, she doesn't mind. But as soon as I brush her, she just flips out.
 
Do you brush her on your lap or a table? A table with a noose would be best so she knows that's the special grooming place.
 
I had this problem when we adopted Cordelia, and it's taken all of the 18months we've had her to get past this, and it's only the legs. My advice is to brush softly, don't try to get it all at once, but keep at it, with small treats if nescessary.
 
I brush her on the bed, or the floor. I attempted again this evening and she did ok if I held a treat and let her chew it, but doesn't work so well with one free hand to brush, lol.
 
I have a young boy,I have played and rubbed his feet,ears and body since the day he come home. Rub her legs a lot and run your fingers through her hair. I also have brushed him a lot in my lap (sorry but I hate to drag out the grooming table daily...lol) he has no problem at all with brushing and looks forward to it now. If very timid about brushing you can start out with letting them smell it and rubbing it on them,the side with no bristles,praise and treat,then later brush using just a few stokes, with a soft brush,quit and treat before they even know what happen and build up each day. When he went on the grooming table the first couple of times for clipping,my husband held a spoon with a little peanut butter on it,he went through clipping pretty easy. Even though he was not crazy about the clippers he learn to associate great things come with them. He has gotten so much better after 4 or 5 grooming's no peanut butter is needed now. It is like Robin said,never ever quit while they are acting up or they think this behavior will get you to stop brushing or clipping every time they act naughty...always end up on a calm good note and praise.
 
peanut butter does work wonders. You can even smear a little in a clean empty jar, at the bottom, then your baby will work on gettin it out. But rubbing and handling with treats is a must. The idea is to get her used to grooming, that she will come to understand that you won't hurt her.
 
LOL...I have this vision of Maggie with her head stuck in the peanut butter jar :D

But it does help to have a distraction. If you get a arm with a neck noose, just put a little peanut butter on the "arm" this will help to keep his attention. Just never, ever walk away from a table with a dog attached to an arm, if they jump off of it the results could be fatal.

Good luck.
 
Heather....I now use my boys reg. food for treats like sitting,down,grooming or walking good on leash. Anything that is more of a problem,new to them or a harder task for them I use very good treats and a different one just for each task. Peanut butter was only used for grooming,clipping and nails till he got use to me doing these things. Small tiny bits of beef or lunch meat when we first started leash work. Small tiny pieces of cheese for sitting and staying good. As they get better and it starts coming easier for them I replace with reg. food for the treat and use the good treats for something new we are learning. .The more you can rub her,handle her,brush and groom the better, and will make life a lot easier for you,her vet and her groomer.

You should take her to a puppy class, they are sooooo much fun and both you and your little girl will learn so much and it tightens your bond with each other. I think they are worth there weight in gold :)
 
If she's biting you hard, I'd think about using a muzzle on her - or a scarf that can be tied like a muzzle. AND giving super yummy treats that you can slip into her mouth or something for her to lick. I've had decent luck with Frosty paws if the dog is too out of control to just give treats to. Do just a little bit at a time rather than trying to get the whole dog done. Another thing that I've done is to use all the treats etc but also do the objectionable thing just before dinner time. So it can become associated with LOTS of food. But then, you have to be able to commit to doing it before every meal or at least 1 meal a day if you feed more than 1x a day.

Rescue Remedy can also help calm nerves. Or, you could talk to your vet about whether giving benedryl a few times till she figures out that she's not going to get hurt would be appropriate.

also, try different places, positions. On a table, on the floor standing, laying down etc.
 
Thank you guys for the tips. I will definetely put them to use. She does bite me really hard, she growls and just goes crazy. It is scary :( She is fine with me cutting her nails, but if I run that comb or brush down her arm(even if it's barely touching) she goes crazy. I've tried a muzzle but it was too little, I'll have to get another. Been using treats, it works for the most part. She still hates it :\
 
I would get her evaluated by a pro if I were in your shoes. A muzzle IMHO will just freak her out even more. I know they are sometimes needed. But, I would use every other option before a muzzle.
 
I agree with Polly, get her evaluated. Treats do work very well, I like Kathy use different treats. I have regular witch could be bits of their food or high value depending on what the task is. Puppy class is great for socialization and also for answering any questions you might have. Was Olivia groomed ever when she was very young? My Amelia is great with grooming, but then again the breeder had started grooming at 4-5 weeks of age. Those puppies were always brushed and worked with. I can remember going over there to help bathe when those babies were about 9 weeks. I bathed Amelia and put her on the table for drying we used 2 dryers, I dried one side the breeder dried the other, she just stood there. The more you work with them the better they are. One thing is not to let her bite/ chew your hands when she is playing. My trainer would say if the puppy tries to chew on your hand say ouch very loudly, that distracts them, grab a toy and put it in their mouth. When handling to do any brushing etc, talk in a very calm voice, have a toy with you, she liked the rope toys, give that to the puppy to distract. Yes food does help as well. Make everything a positive thing. Short frequent sessions with lots of praise. Good luck with everything.
 
Yes! Excactly what Nichole is saying. She needs to see this as a positive and loving experience. A muzzle won't give her that experience. But get her in to be evaluated and get yourself some training to help you interact with her.
 
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