Brushing problem - PLEASE HELP!!!
Hi There,
Our 4 month old corgi, Finn, has been shedding a lot, and we thought instead of splurging on the furminator just yet, we'd try a normal pet hair brush. We bought s a small steel bristle brush, and he completely freaked out, even though were were VERY gentle. Are these brushes harmful to corgi's skin? I've been looking on the site and have not be able to find any info. He's been hiding from us all day and bared his teeth for the first time since we've had him. I'm worried we genuinely hurt him.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Andrea
Our 4 month old corgi, Finn, has been shedding a lot, and we thought instead of splurging on the furminator just yet, we'd try a normal pet hair brush. We bought s a small steel bristle brush, and he completely freaked out, even though were were VERY gentle. Are these brushes harmful to corgi's skin? I've been looking on the site and have not be able to find any info. He's been hiding from us all day and bared his teeth for the first time since we've had him. I'm worried we genuinely hurt him.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Andrea
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Libby on
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I don't think you are hurting him because we use the same kind of brush on our dog. I think he just might not like it, try getting him used to it first.
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Permalink Reply by Andrea Banks on
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We spent about 15 minutes letting him smell it, putting it near him...we even put peanut butter on it! The minute it touched his fur, he howled. What would be a good way to get him used to it? We tried taking him for a walk to tire him out, then a good cuddle on the couch, and both of us beside him, and he did the same thing. I feel awful! :(
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Permalink Reply by christy fry on
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Jordan was terrible to brush when he was a pup same type of behavior and we just ignored it and kept brushing him Greg would just block his head so he couldn't nip me. Fast forward 2 yrs he's the first to line up when he see's the brush come out and sits there quite nicely. I think puppy's can be little drama Queen's/King's at times to see if they can get what they want =) just keep brushing and ignore the behavior the more you react the more he's gonna think he was right in his behavior i.e... Look at Mom and Dad getting upset about the brush and me I should be afraid and growl/nip/whine or whatever
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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Hahahahahahahahahahahaha...
4 months old, and you think he's shedding NOW?!?
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha! Welcome to Pembrokeshire.
Give him the comb and let him play/chew it as a toy... get him used to it. The handle of ours is half gnawed-off. Maybe try "combing"/massaging him just with your fingers first. Try to turn the combing experience into a spa massage. Gwynn slways seems a bit nervous about it, but Al just melts and falls asleep. Combing is a meditation, Zen thing.
We've never had a furminator; I fear it might remove too much undercoat (it's often cold/wet here in Seattle).
As with nail-clipping, always a treat afterwards.
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Permalink Reply by Carla on
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My philosophy follows Christy's, and I think she's right that they can be little drama queens. If you are 100% sure it's not hurting him, then I would just ignore the behaviour and make him sit through at least a little bit of brushing (leash him so he can’t run off, and maybe have two people there, one to hold and praise, the other to do a bit of brushing). I wouldn’t allow running off, biting or anything like that (provided, again, you’re sure it’s not hurting him).
I wouldn't expect a young pup to sit through a ton of brushing, but at least 15-20 seconds of brushing, and then a treat. Casey didn't like to be brushed either, but I just started off slow, doing a bit at a time. I always leashed her so she couldn't run off and make it a game of "catch me if you can." At first, it wasn't really about combing her, just getting her used to the fact that sometimes I would brush her and she had to stand still for it. Now, she just yawns and looks bored, like she can't be bothered with this waste of her time brushing, lol.
When I first started getting Casey used to brushing, I started with a very soft bristle comb - I wanted her to be accustom to the brushing motion and the routine before I actually started brushing. Perhaps try a soft-bristle brush or even just a small comb first, getting him used to the fact that you are going to brush it through him a bit, before moving on to the steel bristle brush.
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Permalink Reply by Ella and Lily on
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Ella is STILL a drama queen when it comes to getting brushed and she is 2 years old. I found the easiest way to get her to sit through it is boiled chicken. It is healthy for them and won't cause them to gain weight. I also used it for training treats. Like John said, if he you think he is shedding now, you ain't seen nothing yet. I use a Furminator on Ella mostly because we are in So Cal and it gets HOT. Think about where you live and what the weather is like before you buy one.
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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Sparty still does that and he is 11! They are very dramatic sometimes. Try treats while brushing briefly at first. It may improve. Izzy is fine when I brush her but Sparty can not stand it so I put a muzzle on him and brush away. He is fine afterwards.
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Permalink Reply by Lynne Cerny on
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We use the
Coastal Pet Products
Safari Self - Cleaning Slicker for Cats
Our dogs love it and the hair is so easy to remove. It is only $5.50!
Neither of our dogs love the Furminator and we get lots of hair off with this.
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Permalink Reply by Cindi on
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Hi Andrea... Like John, you're just getting started on the whole shedding thingy. Corgis shed twice a year: Jan thru Jun and Jul thru Dec! LOL We do have the Furminator and absolutely love it. All the fur-kids tolerate it very well, with the exception of Dundee and he was a scaredy dog rescue who's come a long way but still doesn't tolerate being handled too much. He submits to a muzzle and we can furminate him...
When I teach this in class, I start with basic handling. I want the pups to tolerate me working their ears, mouths, feet and tails. As they become more tolerant, I add in "hand" combing, using my fingers to separate fur. All of these stages are taught with treat rewards, very hi-value ones like hot dog pieces, so they associate the touch with good stuff. Once they tolerate my hand through their fur, I add a bristle brush. I use a flat head soft bristle brush until they get good with it. Same thing with the rewards. After that I add a comb since the metal of the tines have a bit more pressure. And finally I add the Furminator. By the time a few weeks have passed, my dogs and my clients' dogs tolerate grooming rather well.
In my experience, I wouldn't force my dog to sit through something that he was afraid of. It only makes the dog more determined and fearful. By going slowly and increasing the time and tools, you get a much better response. However, if my dog gets aggressive, I don't just stop what I'm doing. I work with the dog quietly and slowly until I can stop while the dog is calm. If you go to either extreme, aggression or stopping completely at the time of the dog aggression, you set the dog up for failure.
If you need help, feel free to contact me.
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Oh my goodness...I can't tell you how helpful you all have been! I've been an avid reader of this site for months and months (even before we got our little Finn), but I never dreamed how quick with a response and helpful you all would be! THANK YOU! I will try all of your suggestions. I know our darling Corgi's are drama queens, and I know his shedding is VERY minimal at this stage. We're really not even worried about it, we just wanted to get him used to it before it got bad. Again, thank you all for your suggestions. The corgi community is phenomenal...I'm so glad I made the choice to get our little guy.
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Permalink Reply by Buddy Bear on
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I would get him comfortable with lying down and being pet like you are brushing him and then introduce a nylon brush. Start him off nice and gentle before moving into the harder bristled brushes. Buddy still isn't fond of being brushed but he allows it for short bursts of time. Jake, our youngest corgi, loves to be brushed. He actually falls asleep. We started brushing Jake early on, but with Buddy we watied longer. Good Luck!
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Permalink Reply by Joanna Kimball on
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Hi, Andrea - if you bought a slicker brush (the type that has several hundred tiny teeth), he may legitimately be feeling it. I don't like to use slickers on corgis at any time except when I am getting one ready for the show ring and I need to puff out the coat. They're actually a rather harsh brush and they can break off coat as well as irritate the skin. They also don't really work to get down and really brush anything, because they're too short.
For most owners, the best brushes to own are a zoom groom (a soft rubber curry) and a pin brush. I personally love the Chris Christensen T-Brush for corgi coats; the pins are rounded at the ends so they're soft on the skin and the spacing is perfect for getting down and untangling without pulling out coat.
To de-shed (and I disagree that corgis should always shed - if you feed them right they'll blow coat twice a year but otherwise should not be shedding regularly), get them in a good warm bath and shampoo, and then curry them with the zoom groom everywhere. Big gobs of hair will come out in the suds. Keep on currying as you rinse (and remember to rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse until you feel stupid about it, and then rinse MORE). Then put him out in the sun and let him get nice and warm and almost dry, and then curry again. You'll be shocked by how much you get out. Keep up with that routine until you're not getting loose hair when you curry.
Then once a week (or more often if his pants are getting tangled) brush him completely through with the t-brush or a similar pin brush.
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