Though brushing should be a moment of affection between owners and pets, some dogs seem to have decided otherwise. Yummypets gives you advice to help you brush your dog!

A mandatory experience

Through the eyes of our animals, the brush sometimes looks like an instrument of torture, which tends to discourage them. But brushing is necessary, even essential for long-haired animals, and there is no other choice but to make them understand that these brushing sessions are good for their well-being.

Moreover, they will become a real pleasure for you and your pet when they get used to it! Because you'll have an animal with clean shinny hair and because they will feel much better without knots and dead hair!

Being inevitable, you must get your pet used to it as quickly as possible. The tool you use should be familiar to them, thus while they are still a puppy, present them with the brush to show them that it is "harmless" and safe. The brush should be carefully selected according to the needs of your dog's fur.

Training tips

Some dogs naturally love being brushed but for others, you have to tweak it a bit. One of the solutions is rewarding your dog when they let themselves be brushed with a treat and / or using a clicker. The trick is to go gradually. If your dog is terrified of the brush, you will first need to get them to accept its presence. Reward your dog, then brush them twice very calmly.

Reward them again, and so on. When they are finally used to it, you will only reward them once the brushing finished! Note that you have to be patient and always keep calm.

Young dogs may tend to "attack" the brush and want to play with it. In this case, you need to calm your pet, by making them lie on their side and brushing them very gently. Otherwise, the best thing is to wait until they calm down! Wait until the dog is tired after a long walk or a playing session, and start brushing them when they are about to fall asleep.

Brushing should be fun

This is true for the dog but also for you! In fact, do not try to brush a reluctant dog when you are very tired, or a little on the edge, the dog will feel your impatience and this moment will be unpleasant for both of you. Try to make brushing sessions fun!

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