Puppies afraid of brush

[swampyann]

I thought it was time to get my puppies use to grooming so I bought a very soft bristle brush to use on them. They saw it in my hand and freaked out. Normally anything new they come running and want to investigate. So I put the brush down on the ground and they wouldn't even walk close to it. Then I decided to hold on to Sarah and gently brush her. Well that didn't work. She wouldn't even let me get close to her afterwards.

Now if anyone has any suggestions on how to approach this I would love to hear from you.

Thank you
swampyann

[crazycrayonmom]

I would try leaving the brush laying around for a few days until they either ignore it or try to play with it. Then take one dog in a separate area from the other and give him/her a treat that takes a while to eat, my favorite is a kong-type toy with peanut butter inside. While the dog is distracted with the licking, pull the brush out and try very light strokes. If the dog gets upset stop, hide the brush and redirect them to the toy. Try it a few times and then take a break. It'll probably take a while to get them used to brushing. Good luck.

[swampyann]

crazycrayonmom,

I will do what you suggested and will keep you posted on the results.

Thank you swampyann

[swampyann]

Guess what crazycrayonmom,

I can now brush one of my dogs. Thanks for your suggestion on leaving the brush out for them to play with. Now I have to reinforce the command on drop it . My other dog will take some more time.

swampyann

[crazycrayonmom]

50/50, not bad in the first few days! Glad it helped.