combing

[fosterdogs]

one of my dogs does not like to be combed, is it better to comb her and then give her a big treat when it is over or lure her with treats for the whole combing

[JudyN]

If you comb her and she objects, then you treat at the end, she may think she's being rewarded for the bad behaviour. As far as possible, depending on her coat, I'd start off just treating her for being relaxed while having the comb next to her, then run the comb over a less sensitive area and treat, and very gradually build up - so you only expose her to as much as she can cope with without objecting, and then treat straight away. If she really needs a regular thorough combing, I'd treat throughout.

Also, you need to make sure that the comb isn't hurting her at all - one pull on a tangle and you could be back to square one. Maybe a brush would be more comfortable for her?

Good luck

[ClareMarsh]

Brian, I'm not expert but how often you brush/comb your dog is a bit of a "it depends"

Long haired dogs tend to need more regular brushing than short haired or they can get very tangled. Both need more frequent brushing when their coats are shedding (unless your dog doesn't shed and need clipping) to get rid of dead hair and to prevent hair ending up all over the house

Also if you have a puppy then it can be a good idea to do a small amount of brushing each day to get them used to it (using the methods suggested earlier in this thread).

If you let us know what dog you have someone with more experience than me may be able to give you better advice but hopefully this helps you a little.