My dog doesn't like the furminator

easyeason3

As the title of the thread suggests, my dog doesn't like the furminator. He acts like he does when I try to wash him...scoots around with his tail between his legs & tries to get away.

I brush him very gently, so gently that if someone was doing the same to me I'd gladly sit there basking in the relaxation of it all.

I have tried praising him, giving him treats, brushing him down in different places etc but nothing works. I also have a soft brush that I run over his hair with but it's the same reaction. I've tried using it when he is wrecked from a long walk & even though he's tired he will still react the same way.

I've had him since he was 6 weeks old so I know he hasn't been previously abused with a brush or anything. The first day I intorduced him to it I let him sniff it to see what it was, gave him a brush or two & let him sniff it again.

Is there anything I can do to make him enjoy it?

He's a lab x so has short hair. He is completely flea & tick free as I dose & check him regularly. And I am always mindful not to brush him too hard in case I hurt him.

Please help!

antocann

my girl is the exact same , wont let a brush near her , only time i can brush her is when she is asleep beside me

goat2

easyeason3 wrote: »

As the title of the thread suggests, my dog doesn't like the furminator. He acts like he does when I try to wash him...scoots around with his tail between his legs & tries to get away.

I brush him very gently, so gently that if someone was doing the same to me I'd gladly sit there basking in the relaxation of it all.

I have tried praising him, giving him treats, brushing him down in different places etc but nothing works. I also have a soft brush that I run over his hair with but it's the same reaction. I've tried using it when he is wrecked from a long walk & even though he's tired he will still react the same way.

I've had him since he was 6 weeks old so I know he hasn't been previously abused with a brush or anything. The first day I intorduced him to it I let him sniff it to see what it was, gave him a brush or two & let him sniff it again.

Is there anything I can do to make him enjoy it?

He's a lab x so has short hair. He is completely flea & tick free as I dose & check him regularly. And I am always mindful not to brush him too hard in case I hurt him.

Please help!

mine also hate and he is jrt, now if he sees it he gets cross and run,

easyeason3

Thank god it's not just me!

I was thinking of leaving him in to the vets to be groomed but I have a funny feeling he wouldn't talk to me for a few hours after it

Even washing him is an ordeal. I usually have to get a friend over to help me because he will perform backflips to get out of the bath.

antocann

easyeason3 wrote: »

Thank god it's not just me!

I was thinking of leaving him in to the vets to be groomed but I have a funny feeling he wouldn't talk to me for a few hours after it

Even washing him is an ordeal. I usually have to get a friend over to help me because he will perform backflips to get out of the bath.

that all sounds too famileor :rolleyes:
just have to keep trying , mine lets me bath her noproblem but just the brushing and drying her is the problem

easyeason3

antocann wrote: »

that all sounds too famileor :rolleyes:
just have to keep trying , mine lets me bath her noproblem but just the brushing and drying her is the problem

Well I have a friend that leaves her dog in to get groomed & he has to be sedated each time because he goes insane. My guy isn't too far behind but just tries to escape rather than snarl.

Zapperzy

Don't have a furminator but I do use other types of brushes. In the beginning my terrier was afraid of brushes especially the slicker brush, absolutely hated it. I started off with a plain human hairbrush with firm well spaced out bristles rubbing him, used absolutely packet loads of pedigree schmackos, (don't like pedigree but these are handy for breaking off little pieces), slowly cut down on the treats and now once I produce any sort of brush he does a sort of dance with his tail between his legs but his butt is wagging half arsed attempt at hiding from me, he tolerates brushing but as soon as I stand up and walk towards the doggy press he goes into full excitement mode because he knows he always gets a treat after grooming.

I guess patience is your key here. How is he with rubbing your hands down him, you could start with that and progress to a human hairbrush like I used or even just a plain cloth to get him used to being brushed with something. Bucket loads of treats. Also make sure your not digging in too hard with the brush. I got my groomer to show me the proper way to use a slicker brush and turns out I was digging it in too hard and possibly hurting him.

Blueprint

I've found that putting treats into hard to reach jacket pockets will gain a lot of co-operation in the brushing department.

Just found this excellent video on conditioning your dog to tolerate nail clipping which would work for brushing too: http://drsophiayin.com/resources/video_full/training_a_dog_to_enjoy_toenail_trims

easyeason3

Zapperzy wrote: »

Don't have a furminator but I do use other types of brushes. In the beginning my terrier was afraid of brushes especially the slicker brush, absolutely hated it. I started off with a plain human hairbrush with firm well spaced out bristles rubbing him, used absolutely packet loads of pedigree schmackos, (don't like pedigree but these are handy for breaking off little pieces), slowly cut down on the treats and now once I produce any sort of brush he does a sort of dance with his tail between his legs but his butt is wagging half arsed attempt at hiding from me, he tolerates brushing but as soon as I stand up and walk towards the doggy press he goes into full excitement mode because he knows he always gets a treat after grooming.

I guess patience is your key here. How is he with rubbing your hands down him, you could start with that and progress to a human hairbrush like I used or even just a plain cloth to get him used to being brushed with something. Bucket loads of treats. Also make sure your not digging in too hard with the brush. I got my groomer to show me the proper way to use a slicker brush and turns out I was digging it in too hard and possibly hurting him.

He loves, absolutely loves, getting rubbed down. I have tried wiping him down with those micofibre cloths & he doesn't mind them but he will try to chew them at times.
As regards treats he gets plenty. I have tried sausages, chicken, cheese, beef, ham etc to praise him as these are his favourites & I really want him to associate brushing with his favourite things.
I would be very surprised if I was digging in too hard to be honest. As it is I'm skimming the surface but I think I might leave him into the groomers & see how they do it.

golden8

I use the furminator on my lab but not on the bony parts ie legs. It is a blade don't forget and always check the skin every so often so that it does not turn red.

rabbit.84

I have one for my cat. They are brilliant. I do have to trick him with nice treats or I will get bit and scratched anytime I try and brush him.

gregers85

golden8 wrote: »

I use the furminator on my lab but not on the bony parts ie legs. It is a blade don't forget and always check the skin every so often so that it does not turn red.

Very good advice my sister in law used it on there english setter and the dog was bleeding all down her sides! very lightly but caution needed with it!! Otherwise its excellent one of the best combs ive come across!!

pokertalk

best thing to do is get a slicker brush at a pet shop [around 12 euro] and start at the back of the neck no more than 5 strokes in the same spot .only do a small bit each day and if the dog is getting stressed out stop grooming and start again later .as for the bath bring the dog into the bathroom with shower head running dont[ fill the bath with water] when you put the dog in start running the water in the middle of the back and speaking calm to him . dont run it over his face as i find this will totally stress out a nervous dog .a little bit every day as to getting it done as quick as possible is the best option so your dog will eventually come to enjoy the grooming process:D.grooming has to be done on their terms

hpsheba

Im a groomer and I hate furminators :rolleyes: I used to sell them but quickly found out that some of the pet ownners went a wee bit wild with them, and the reason being they work well.;)
The furminator is a blade and can hurt your dog. If you are going to use one, please firstly run in up the inside of your own arm to see what pressure makes YOU uncomfortable. When you get started on your dog, please go easy, do not keep going over the one area. Dogs can get brush burn ( quite sore ) very easily from any brush or similar tool and I know that once the hair starts coming off your dog its easy to get carried away.

If your dog does not like being brushed , try and make it fun and happy . Get them when they are relaxed and feed them treats or whatever you have while having the brush near them. Run the back ( not bristle ) part of the brush over them while giving them the treats and then stop. Repeat until the fur baby is happier with being brushed.

Grooming can be a great way for dogs and owners to bond, so if you can make it happy experience.

An alternative to the furminator that I have found works as well if not better is a coat king, you can get them from most pet wholesalers like Christies and Mullinahone for a far cheaper price than a furminator and I have found most dogs like them better. Again, I think they ( furminators ) are brilliant for shifting dead hai r and undercoat but go easy with them .

imokyrok

My guess is that the furminator was painful initially for the dog and while you are now being as gentle as possible he still associates it with pain. With humans we have differences in reaction to stimuli. What is experienced as just pressure by one person can cause extreme pain in another. It's possibly the same with dogs. Might be best to just use a mitt for a few months and then move to a normal brush being very gentle.

My own rottie cross loves the furminator thankfully but will not allow me to bath him and he's too large to force into a bath or shower. Do people think just tying him up and rinsing him with a cloth and warm water would be sufficient? He's not a smelly grubby fella and paddles in the sea most days anyway.