# My 15 month pup won't let me brush him!



## KeaColorado

It sounds like maybe he's trying to play with the brush. If that's the case...I will tell you my secret with my 12 month old male. I get him really, REALLY tired before grooming. He has a romp in the field, we go for a walk, do some training to tire out his brain. Then I brush him. I found that having him up on a grooming table helps too. When he's on the floor, he is more squirmy.


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## Carmel

The best solution would be to get a grooming table and clip him on to a grooming arm. You may have to start getting a little more firm with him. Even if you don't have a grooming table, you can tell him to sit and stay (if he knows the "stand" command would be better) and if he goes for the brush, firmly say "NO" and then try again. After each session before releasing if he's good praise him and give him a cookie. That will give him some incentive to do well. I don't keep a table up at my house, so for my dogs usually I'll tie their leash to something so they can't get away until they start being good about it.


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## bananon21

The idea of a grooming table didn't even cross my mind. Thank you! I am definitely going to get one.


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## Susan: w/ Summit we climb

As a quick solution, you could also put some peanut butter on a large spoon and hold it out or spread it on a surface for him to lick while you're brushing him.


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## SwimDog

Or train him to hold still:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xugE8cHgpXg


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## Test-ok

I use the same medoth as Colorado..when she is sleeping, generally after a bath she'll get really tired and I also use a pin brush with little balls on the end.


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## Susan: w/ Summit we climb

I like to use an undercoat rake to get a lot of dead fur out quickly, but young puppies don't have enough coat for it to work, so for them I use a slicker brush or a pin brush.


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## Megora

Don't let him push you around. Tell him to settle or knock it off and brush. Hold the collar with the left hand to keep him still - and brush with the right. Keep it short - 1-5 minutes tops. Generally the more no-nonsense you are with the grooming, the better they behave. Let them wriggle all over - they're going to keep doing that. Brush - Give treats afterward. Instill the idea that if he sits nicely while you brush the chest and stands nicely while you do a once-over everywhere else, he's going to get treats. It will get easier.

This kind of behavior is understandable with a 3 month old puppy, but an adult dog (which 15 months = mostly adult to me) should allow you to groom him without too much fuss. A lot of goldens get junk caught up in their coats and you have to be able to brush that out without too much silliness.... and you shouldn't need a groomer for regular care with this breed. It's a non-fuss breed.

Forgot to say this - my guys get a quicky brush over every night with a wire slicker. They sleep in my bed and I would rather not have excess dog hair and dirt or pine needles in my bed. Which I'd have if the dogs were not brushed out every night. It basically is a straightforward no fuss thing. And I don't even use treats with the dogs (as puppies I do to get them used to being groomed, adults actually like being brushed so they don't need it). I generally go - chest/neck/ears/side/belly/back/feathers/trousers/tail - and done within 1-2 minutes. It does not have to be a huge grooming session.


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## rabernet

Megora said:


> Don't let him push you around. Tell him to settle or knock it off and brush. Hold the collar with the left hand to keep him still - and brush with the right. Keep it short - 1-5 minutes tops. Generally the more no-nonsense you are with the grooming, the better they behave. Let them wriggle all over - they're going to keep doing that. Brush - Give treats afterward. Instill the idea that if he sits nicely while you brush the chest and stands nicely while you do a once-over everywhere else, he's going to get treats. It will get easier.
> 
> This kind of behavior is understandable with a 3 month old puppy, but an adult dog (which 15 months = mostly adult to me) should allow you to groom him without too much fuss. A lot of goldens get junk caught up in their coats and you have to be able to brush that out without too much silliness.... and you shouldn't need a groomer for regular care with this breed. It's a non-fuss breed.
> 
> Forgot to say this - my guys get a quicky brush over every night with a wire slicker. They sleep in my bed and I would rather not have excess dog hair and dirt or pine needles in my bed. Which I'd have if the dogs were not brushed out every night. It basically is a straightforward no fuss thing. And I don't even use treats with the dogs (as puppies I do to get them used to being groomed, adults actually like being brushed so they don't need it). I generally go - chest/neck/ears/side/belly/back/feathers/trousers/tail - and done within 1-2 minutes. It does not have to be a huge grooming session.


So, is it pretty normal for young puppies to not like being brushed? Noah hates it, and I have a small slicker brush right now, and I've rubbed it on the inside of my arm to see if it hurts (it doesn't), but he squirms and tries to get away from me. And he wakes up when he's sleeping when I try to sneak it in. 

With my bridge girl Diamond, in her older years, she developed fatty tumors, and it became very uncomfortable for her to be groomed well. We just mainly kept an eye out for signs of matting and dealt with those and short brushing sessions for when she'd blow her coat. But you had to work on her for a full week or two of very short sessions before you could get it all, just working small areas at a time - that's all she'd tolerate. 

So, was looking forward to having a dog that enjoyed being brushed.


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## Rkaymay

With Zelda, I usually play fetch with her first, then brush. I either hold her collar with one hand, or put a leash on and stand on the leash (so as to have both hands free). She doesn't looove it, but she also doesn't mind it. I do it outside, right before we go in after fetch.


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## OutWest

I haven't read all the responses so perhaps this has been suggested. What I do is make small pile of treats that the dogs can see but not reach easily. I bring out the brush and give a treat. Then brush one small section, give praise and a treat. The do another small section, etc. When puppy gets antsy or bored, it's time to stop. Don't look at it as a job you must complete. It's a game and an experience you are teaching your dog. All of my dogs love to be brushed because they think it's the best thing around. They feel like they're getting petted and they know a treat or two (I cut back on the quantity once they got the idea) will be involved.


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## MommyMe

I went through the same thing with my Finny as a little puppy. I gave him an old brush to hold in his mouth and that really helped. The first couple of sessions, he just held the brush, then we moved onto a soft toy, now he doesn't need anything. I had him professionally groomed a couple of months ago and I dropped him off with an old stuffed toy. The groomer said he just stood there with his toy in his mouth the whole time. Finny has a softer personality so I think this was like a puppy pacifier for him.


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