# am i doing something wrong or is he just being sucky?



## threenorns (May 17, 2010)

i could use the experience of those who are accustomed to dealing with long-haired single coated dogs.

dandy's a lovely dog - i mean really lovely: ppl will just come on up and just give him milk bones and similar ... um... "treats" when we're out and about. he's border collie and some kind of retriever, although both parents are, to all appearances and to anybody's knowledge, purebred BC. i like to say that gramma's mail musta been delivered by a flat-coated retriever because dandy looks just like a classic flat-coated retriever except for his "tuxedo" markings (white chest and tail tip, trout-speckled white belly and paws). he's got the silkiness of a border collie, with long feathers and a "bottle-brush" tail. in spite of all the long fur and his *very* active lifestyle, he doesn't have one single matt *anywhere* on him - he's got "teflon" fur, lol. doesn't matter how grungey he gets himself, by the next morning he's all glossy and shiney again.

i groom him every morning and evening- basically any time i'm sitting watching TV. every morning it's all episodes of Dog Whisperer i've PVR'd from TVtropolis or NatGeo overnight and in the evening, it's DW plus other shows PVR'd during the day. he lies in front of me and i just go over him - now, one hour's work will produce *maybe* 1/4" of buildup on the comb.

i first started with a slicker brush - he hated it. HATE-ED it. he attacked and destroyed 3 of them; the last one, he actually had to get pretty clever or else very athletic to get it off the top of the fridge and that's when i started thinking there might be a problem.

i inquired about one of those furminator things but the saleslady said he wasn't a good candidate and suggested instead a metal comb. dandy likes this a lot more - the pins are rounded at the ends while the slicker was very sharp.

every time i pass the grooming implement over him, his skin shivers and he twitches. frequently, he'll turn his head and put his mouth on the comb or my hand (NOT a bite by any stretch of the imagination). the further toward his tail i go, the more agitated he gets until he tries to get up and leave when i try to do his tail. i have to pin him until he calms down again, then i praise him, give him a bit of a body massage, then resume until he gets upset again (rinse, repeat).

is his skin overly sensitive or am i doing something wrong? i can't use the comb any more gently because i'd just be waving it in the air over him.

this is dandy with one of his "babies" (the other is completely hidden under him):


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

It sounds like your boy is highly ticklish and sensitive. Using some good coat/skin building suppliments coupled with less harsh grooming tools like a pin brush to help desensitize him to the feeling of the pins, or a wide toothed comb who's pins spin while maintaining a minimal grooming regimin. 

Pin Brush (make sure you get one with the little caps on the ends like this one)










Spinning tooth comb (Untangler comb)









"Combs Untangler Super-Groom Pet Grooming Comb Untangler Super-Groom pet grooming combs feature stainless steel rotating teeth that glide effortlessly through tangles and remove loose hair. Blister-packed for pegboard display. Pet gooming comb with handle measures 7" with 3/4" steel teeth. " This is actually the same comb that I use on my english shepherd and it works great at getting up the under coat. TO look at it one wouldn't think it would but it really does. 

Keep sessions short and do multipule burshings a week then gradually incrase the grooming time as he becomes more confortable with it. Couple patients with a lot of treats and positive reinforcement insted of fighting him to get it done (which will only cause anxiety and make it a bad experience for everyone).


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## threenorns (May 17, 2010)

that's the comb i have already only mine has a grey ergo handle - the teeth are at 90degr to the handle so i don't have to keep rotating my wrist to keep it aligned properly. the teeth go through his coat at roughly a 45degr angle.

ticklish, hunh? would that be related to his "digital" nature - literally, he'll be sleeping dead to the world and a gnat's-breath later he's pogo-sticking off the ceiling. he's so fast and agile that the only dog i've ever met that can keep up with him is a jack russell with back legs so muscled he looks like a little piggie when he walks away (that dog was *wicked* - from a sit, he jumped up and took a treat from my finger while my hand was held straight up overhead! dandy can do that too, but being a bigger dog, it's not as impressive, lol).

... maybe his neural system is hyper-twitchy?


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

The 45 degree angle thing makes the sensation entirely different. The best way to groom him I feel is have him sitting with his back to you and long strokes with the direction of the coat. Luna was ticklish as well but just patients and something to suck on (usually my thumb) helped her along nicely. Now she lays for brushing and loves it when I grab her comb. Let him gnaw on a peanut buttter filled bone whle you do this and I bet he calms down. 

IMO BC's are always hyper-aware of everything. All their senses kick simultaneously. It's very easy to send them into sensory overload. And retrievers are notorious for their skin/coat issues so I'm not too surprised at his reactions. Maybe try lightly misting the area with mink or emu oil before grooming him to help the comb glide better as well as condition his skin/coat.


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## threenorns (May 17, 2010)

oh - sorry - i didn't mean 45degr to the direction of hair growth - i meant the angle at which the pins meet the skin. i found it was the best way to avoid snagging on various creases and folded under his coat.

i like the idea of the conditioning oil - he's already so glossy, he's gonna end up looking like burt reynold's toupée, lol


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

threenorns said:


> oh - sorry - i didn't mean 45degr to the direction of hair growth - i meant the angle at which the pins meet the skin. i found it was the best way to avoid snagging on various creases and folded under his coat.
> 
> i like the idea of the conditioning oil - he's already so glossy, he's gonna end up looking like burt reynold's toupée, lol


LOL at the burt reynolds toupee, and I adore the picture of him with his kittens. So, so cute 
I agree with using a light spritz of a coat dressing before combing him out. My youngest dog thought chasing and play biting the brush (and my hand) was great fun, but I just shoo'ed his nose away and kept going. I use treats A LOT when training, but oddly enough I've never used treats to get my dogs accustomed to being handled/groomed. (I groom for a living, so my guess is I'm so used to just doing it, and they pick up on that and just let me do my job, lol). 
What has worked in the past for me as well (especially with Tag, the squirmy Monster Dog) was _stopping the session of grooming as soon as he settled down _and let me do it. He learned really quick that I can get him combed out very quickly if he holds still, and it takes twice as long if he acts like a goon


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

> Pin Brush (make sure you get one with the little caps on the ends like this one)


Actually, that's what you want to avoid, because it catches, and damages coat. Get a pin brush WITHOUT the caps instead. You may want to select another type of brush better suited to your dog's coat - ask your groomer for advice.

Some slickers are really sharp, so you need to be careful when using it, and may not even need one, depending on your dog's coat.


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