Behavioural Topics - Getting Used to Grooming

Lisa Hird writes the first article (and many for the future as well) for a new series providing guidance on behavioural issues with dogs - especially those encountered with rescues. She is highly qualified and experienced and has successfully worked with us directly.

You can discover more about her work and experience on her website:  

https://www.dogbehaviourclinic.co.uk/

Many dogs come into rescue with matted, tangled coats. We need to break things down into achievable steps, setting dogs up to succeed rather than throwing them in the deep end. 

We started some gentle grooming with this rescue girl. The kennels had created an enrichment room, designed to be similar to a lounge. This gives dogs a fabulous opportunity to explore and build confidence, have fun and relaxation, and gives us an opportunity to see how they would be inside a home.

Sienna's coat was quite matted in places as we had avoided in-depth grooming until she got used to us and being handled. She will allow people to groom her gently but is not keen when there are some tangled areas. For this next step, we use a snuffle mat.

We begin by using the softer side of the brush and then once she is comfortable about what is happening we switch to the wire side.

You can see her lift her head when I reach one of the tangles, but she quickly goes back to the snuffle mat. At the end of the video, she moves away, signalling she has had enough brushing for this session. It is so important to listen to what a dog is telling us.

If you're looking for help and guidance with your dog's behaviour then join our Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/777999529673242