# I got a slicker brush but...



## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

Well yesterday I got Snoopy a slicker brush to help with the shedding but it seems to hurt him or something as he whimpers alittle bit when I go over certain areas where he has been scratching and he moves around alot. If I try to restrain him by simply putting my hand under him he trys to move around more and he starts growling and turning around and attacking the brush. Here is a vid of what he does when I don't restrain him,
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c360/Durbkat/Snoopy Pictures/?action=view&current=Movie.flv

What do you think I should do? I have been trying to give him pup peroni but he is not interested in it when I try to distract him. He will look back at it and take a nibble but if I brush him he goes back to attacking the brush.


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## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

If you've been using a pin brush in the past, a slicker needs a little less pressure when brushing. Try not to "brush" the skin. I would also try to keep the sessions short at first, lots of treats, and lengthen the sessions as things progress.


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

Oh, I guess I have been pressing down to hard. But should I still give him a treat when he is jumping around and attacking the brush or what?


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## TeddieXRuxpin (Sep 11, 2007)

No. to answer your above question. 

Is he scratching to the point he's raw? That would be a huge reason why he's doing that, it could hurt.

Rewarding him when he does that only prolongs the behavior. I would start by having him sit on the floor and maybe have a leash on him so he can't run away. When he sits still then you should reward him for god behavior.


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

So I should reward him for just sitting next to me and then run the brush down his back once and reward and then up the amount of brushes, is that what your saying? 

He did better shortly after my last post when I did it less forcefull as he paid attention to me when I called his name and when he looked back at me I gave him a treat.


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## TeddieXRuxpin (Sep 11, 2007)

Durbkat said:


> So I should reward him for just sitting next to me and then run the brush down his back once and reward and then up the amount of brushes, is that what your saying?
> 
> He did better shortly after my last post when I did it less forcefull as he paid attention to me when I called his name and when he looked back at me I gave him a treat.


More so when he's being good. He'll see when he's good he get a reward, when he's acting up he gets nothing. When he does that you can also try stopping and getting up. 

Teddie does that sometimes, but he wants to play. I usually brush him after a walk or after play time when he's worn out. That way he doesn't want to play fight with me.


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## Dieselsmama (Apr 1, 2007)

Durb, put him up on a table or other taller surface, not in your lap and start with just a gentle massage. brush him all over with the back of the brush, then gently brush him with the slicker side. Do each step until he's standing quietly for it before moving on to the next step. It helps if you have his collar and lead on him and tie his lead to something that enables you to pull him backwards so he can't turn his head after the brush while you work on his rear end.


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

Thanks for the tip! I'll try that tomorrow.


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## flipgirl (Oct 5, 2007)

With a slicker, you have to hold the brush a little differetnly than you would a regular pin brush. It's kind of difficult to explain but I'll try. It's like the way some pro ping pong players hold the ping pong racquet, with your thumb on the side where the pins are and your other fingers on the other side and the handle is sticking up between your fingers and your thumb. Almost like holding chopsticks. So if you've got that, then hold the brush head against Snoopy's skin against the growth then pull it through toward you and then out. This is so the pins get to the bottom of the hair and then out to get the mats. But don't press too hard. There are some slickers that have the rubber backing which I find is gentler on my shih-tzu x bichon. 

Do this for a short time even if it's only 2 strokes on the parts that he isn't bothered by it and if he's quiet and not biting, treat him. Rest for a bit and then continue. Unfortunately, this will make your grooming sessions longer but eventually, he'll learn that if he tolerates it, he'll get a treat!!! During our rest periods, my dog and I snuggle. However, I find that she tries to snuggle thinking she'll get out of brushing!


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

Brushing him with the back of the brush worked! He let me do that as many times as I wanted and everytime he let me do it I gave him a treat. I even got in a few real strokes while he kept his attention on me and kept accepting the treats. Then he started getting antsy so I put him down and gave him a belly rub. I hope it keeps going well like this.


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## Max'sHuman (Oct 6, 2007)

I just went through the exact same issue with Max yesterday. He was scared of the brush and nipped at my hand because I think it hurt him. I exchanged it for a shedding blade which has done wonders. It gets out the undercoat and is much more comfortable for him. He almost seems to enjoy it. I'd recommend trying a cat sized one for your pup. Good luck!


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## Dieselsmama (Apr 1, 2007)

Max and Snoopy have very different coats, a shedding blade won't be of any use to him I'm afraid. Snoopy's coat is very thick and soft so it matts and needs to be brushed from the skin out. Max has a typical terrier coat which is much harsher and less liable to matt. Your goal with max is to remove dead coat which a shedding blade is great for.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

Slicker brushes vary in quality and design, and can be hurtful if not used correctly. Have your groomer show you how to use it, and bring the slicker you bought with you to the next grooming appointment. It may, or may not be the best for your dog's coat. Your groomer can recommend what products are most suitable for your dog.


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## Dieselsmama (Apr 1, 2007)

Judging from what I saw in the video, it looks like the right slicker for Snoopy


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## poppiesandboppies (Dec 16, 2007)

My Chihuahua x Bichon's fur is more like a Bichon's than a Chihuahua's but not curly and she hated the slicker brush too, like it seemed to have been pulling her fur even though she didn't have any knots of any kind, maybe it was just beginning to matt? I thought it might've been because that kind of fur needed a different brush or even a comb as she doesn't have an undercoat but I just looked it up and slicker brushes are fine for Bichons so I'm going to try all the methods here, it's probably just that she's not used to being groomed with anything except her mum's soft tongue yet.


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## Annamarie (Oct 14, 2007)

have you ever tried a boar bristle brush? for day to day brushing they do the trick and sensitive dogs seem to accept them better than the pin brushes. they're also great for grabbing all that fur that's fallen out but stuck in the coat. for mats you could try a brush for humans with rounded tips on the ends so they don't poke him.


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## BoB/335 (Feb 10, 2007)

I was wondering what kind of brush you were using before the slicker brush. It sounded like you are brushing out a matted dog. Is that true?

I use a pin brush and then go through with a comb on my Shih-tzu. Daily brushing will keep any mats from happening in the first place and the dog will get use to the brush. My dog sits there waiting to get brushed and lifts his head with a look of ectasy when I do his chest. With no mats it is a breeze to brush and comb andtakes all of 4 minutes for both.


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

I was using a comb and a pin brush but as his hair got really long and he chewed on his legs, he had fleas, his hair got matted really fast even though I was brushing him twice daily and longer than usual.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

> for mats you could try a brush for humans with rounded tips on the ends so they don't poke him.


Please, do not use those type of pin brushes with the rounded tips - they damage the hair, and then you'll get even more matting. It's the worst thing you could use on your dog.


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## BoB/335 (Feb 10, 2007)

OK so you were brushing him twice daily and he was still getting matted becasue he was chewing his legs because of fleas. You are attempting to fix this situation by using a slicker brush and are questioning why he is nipping at you. Gee, I don't know exactly what to say.


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

Don't you dare insult me about how I take care of my dog, he had gotten fleas a couple of days before it was time to reapply his flea meds. After he got the meds they went away.


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## BoB/335 (Feb 10, 2007)

Sorry if you were insulted. I just don't understand and really don't know what to say.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

Durbkat, many people don't understand that all it takes is 24 hours (or less) of scratching and/or chewing for dogs with hair like Shih Tzus and Poodles, to end up with horrible matting. Part of it is from the saliva. I had a nightmare going after bringing a foster home, whom I had checked over real well, and was told had been treated with Advantage after the bath. Hah! Fleas! I discovered it's easier to get the matting out by just throwing them in the bath, and buttering them up with shampoo and then conditioner, let them sit a bit, and use the HV dryer to blow the mats out.


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## BoB/335 (Feb 10, 2007)

> Well yesterday I got Snoopy a slicker brush to help with the shedding but it seems to hurt him or something as he whimpers alittle bit when I go over certain areas where he has been scratching and he moves around alot.


In your initial post you mentioned "certain areas where he has been scratching". Now you say he has mats from chewing at fleas. Of course he is going to be very sensitive and not enjoy being brushed. You need to make sure that there are no longer any fleas and make sure you have rid them from your house and yard. Get a good medicated bath and clear up those problems before digging in with a brush. Don't you think? I'm certainly no expert here but that seems like what I would do.


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