How keep a wriggler still?

[Kazzi]

I'm after advice on how to keep my wriggling Coco still whilst I groom her. She eagerly comes up on the counter where we groom as she knows there are treats a plenty to be had so gets a bit excited but its so hard to keep her still so I can do the other elements like cutting nails & trimming hair between pads. I've tried to get my daughter involved but she moves around even more, partly due to daughter's approach. I'm hoping to fully home groom her (not decided on whether that will be stripping or clipping but think most likely clip). She's still only 15wks so do I just need to carry on & be patient or are there any tricks I can employ?

[Oscar 12345]

Hi Karen, to start when he was a very small pup I sacrificed an old wooden brush which Otto loved to chew, it kept him still until I wanted to do the head. I also had a grooming sling for his head which worked but obviously was extra careful never ever to leave the table or turn my back when he was in the sling. What really worked for me is putting the treats somewhere where Otto could always see them but not get to them. It just held his concentration with his eyes glued to the prize. I did use poached salmon or something similar which was his very very favourite treat. Doesn't take long for them to keep still. It's a daily thing going on the grooming table even if it is a 5 minute brush through so Otto got used to it very quickly and can't wait to get up there these days. If I do miss a day he will remind me with a nudge that it is time for grooming.

[Dawnspell]

When Barney was tiny I used to do a lot of grooming while he was asleep on my knee. I could brush him, clean his ears, strip his coat out. I'd even lay him flat on the floor asleep to trim his skirt so I could get it straight and trim his leg hair.

When awake I used to have 2 combs with wooden handles and he would chew on one handle and we'd keeping swopping over. I always stripped and combed him on my knee as I didn't get a grooming table until he was nearly a year old.

Just remember to do everything in baby steps to build trust that nothing scary is going to happen, keep session short and end on a positive E.g. Trimming paw pad hair first time just hold a paw treat before she moves and let go, keep doing that until she realizes having a paw held is ok. Then you move in to holding the paw and just touching with scissors with no intention of cutting anything. And carry on building trust in baby steps, it takes time and patience but well worth it.

[Kazzi]

Hi Julie & Alison
I try to groom her most days so she gets used to it, shes quite happy with the slicker just moves about a lot which makes it a little harder. actually shes also quite happy with me cutting her nails & trimming hairy feet but she just wont stay still for long enough to do more than a tiny snip if even, obviously im trying to be really careful & even if I get a little done I leave it.
think ill try to find something extraordinary for her to chew just for grooming. also doing things whilst shes chilled out on the sofa is a great idea. not sure hubby will be too keen on puppy nail clippings flinging around!!


Alison - how do you clean Barneys ears? The groomers I spoke with will only clip & then scissor trim to thin out inner hair they wont pluck the hair.

[Dawnspell]

I shave inside the ear leather to the skin and use blunt nosed scissors to trim out the long hair in the ear canal. If there's a bit of wax or they just look grubby I use a wet wipe to clean them out. If really grubby I put a few drops of otodex in and clean the next day with wet wipe.

I don't pluck his ear hair. After reading a lot it seemed ear plucking could cause more problems than it was supposed to solve. Barneys never had any ear problems so I stick with what I do.

[Oscar 12345]

I do exactly the same whilst also gently teasing the hair out of the ear canal to the surface so that I can cut it. I know so many people who have plucked ear hair and had ear infections with bacteria getting into the follicles. I have never done that and never had an ear problem. Also I do recommend adding a tiny amount of thornit powder on the end of a very small make up brush and dusting it around the inner ear. Not only smells good but keeps wax down and kills mites. Just need to do it once a month for a very clean ear.

[Oscar 12345]

Sorry I was not clear there. Thornit doesn't keep wax down it ensures any wax clings to the hair rather than the ear so when you are cutting the hair the wax comes out too.

[Kazzi]

thanks for the advice again. OK so I need to get some thornit. Good to know about not plucking I hadn't read about it causing possible issues with ear infections but the methods described above sound much nicer & far easier. I'm all for easier!
I gave Coco a yaks milk chew yesterday when I was trying to get her used to me handling her paws more & it did make it a bit easier, although still tricky with the two front paws being used to hold the chew! We'll get there.