# tick removal help- rotti mix is growling



## titiaamor (Nov 17, 2011)

We have 2 puppies- about 12 and 14 weeks- the Pitt mix lets me pull every tick off her, but my Rotti mix is growling and at times 'grabbing' at me (not touching) with his mouth. I'm able to get all the ticks off the Pit mix before they bite in, but I'm worried about my Rotti mix- I can see some in his ear, and one between his toes, but he won't let me get them off him. 

(We live in a high tick area so use Frontline and have treated every outdoor area we can. We are going bathe him in flea/tick shampoo, but I'd rather just get them off like I do with the Pit.)

How can I get him to let me remove the ticks and generally have access to his ears and toes?


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## Bordermom (Apr 28, 2010)

One thing I'd work with both dogs starting now is handling. Take them one at a time, starting with getting them to sit, and massage/pet them for a short time, then release with a clear command - I use "OOOOKAAAY" in a happy voice so they learn that I say when we're done with it - use a leash if you have to so they can't just get up and leave before that.

Start with doing gentle massage and watch their reaction. Is there an area that they don't like you touching (change in face, turning, trying to get away)? If so, keep it in mind. Work more on the areas they do like, and every now and then just go over the area they don't like in a very matter of fact way - so if feet aren't cool yet, go over them and back without doing much and go back to the areas they do like. Work up to being able to handle and move your dog's legs and tail, neck and so on without a struggle, add in grooming if needed too, and slowly build up the time and type of handling you do. 

You should be able to touch every part of your dog's body, look in ears, clip nails, open their mouth (for that use GOOD treats, open their mouth and put the treat in like you would a pill, then close their mouth, do that enough that pills aren't a big deal) and remove ticks without a fuss. If you find there's an area or spot your dog hates to be touched, talk to your vet if it doesn't change at all. If a new area comes up then you know to talk to the vet!

This type of training comes in very handy, if your dogs ever need treatment it's less stress on them and less expensive if the vet can just do what they need to do. I've put a stitch into a cut, pulled quills out of a muzzle, pulled baby teeth and the vet used a probe to treat an infected leg, all without a fuss. If the dogs go for grooming or whatever without me, they're fine too.

For now, I'd do the flea bath routine, just to prevent a lot of stress, or get a flea comb to remove them quickly. Eucalyptus oil with water in a spray bottle will help if you spray them before they go into the bad areas, or at least I've read that. We don't have a big problem here with fleas or ticks!


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## titiaamor (Nov 17, 2011)

Thanks, Border mom! This sounds like great advice, and while I do handle them a lot, not to this level. I also LOVE the treat with the mouth so pills are no big deal.


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## YoMoe (Oct 7, 2011)

Best pet accessory I ever got was a tick key. It just scoops the ticks off, so easy. It had cut down on the time it takes holding the dog down. I have someone else hold the dog still while giving her treats and I get the ticks. Playing with their ears and feet on a consistent basis helps too. Good luck, I feel your pain. My puppy gets tons of ticks.


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## titiaamor (Nov 17, 2011)

YoMoe said:


> Best pet accessory I ever got was a tick key. It just scoops the ticks off, so easy. It had cut down on the time it takes holding the dog down. I have someone else hold the dog still while giving her treats and I get the ticks. Playing with their ears and feet on a consistent basis helps too. Good luck, I feel your pain. My puppy gets tons of ticks.


That tick key looks WONDERFUL! I'm really going to have to work on this toes/ears sensitivity. I already started by just touching each foot while giving treats. The weird thing is, I had trained him already to expect good thing with ears/feet, but I guess I didn't do it often enough. Ugh.


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## titiaamor (Nov 17, 2011)

Bordermom said:


> One thing I'd work with both dogs starting now is handling. Take them one at a time, starting with getting them to sit, and massage/pet them for a short time, then release with a clear command - I use "OOOOKAAAY" in a happy voice so they learn that I say when we're done with it - use a leash if you have to so they can't just get up and leave before that.
> 
> Start with doing gentle massage and watch their reaction. Is there an area that they don't like you touching (change in face, turning, trying to get away)? If so, keep it in mind. Work more on the areas they do like, and every now and then just go over the area they don't like in a very matter of fact way - so if feet aren't cool yet, go over them and back without doing much and go back to the areas they do like. Work up to being able to handle and move your dog's legs and tail, neck and so on without a struggle, add in grooming if needed too, and slowly build up the time and type of handling you do.
> 
> ...


Bordermom- So are you giving a treat when getting to the areas where there are face changes or pulling away? For example, Bob pulls his paws away from me after about 5 seconds. So I know feet are not cool, but how do I reverse that? I'm continuing to massage and handle, concentrating areas that are easier. He also does not like to have his harness fastened- but we can put it on just fine. (this one is really annoying.)


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

I second that. My old dog hated taking pills and when he got very sick around age 6 and needed to take 5 different pills, some of them 3x a day, it was an absolute nightmare! Don't just assume you can hide the pills in pieces of hot dogs, either. He got wise to that, ate the hot dog and spat the pills back out! I learned my lesson and am now training my new new dog to take pills and to allow me to touch him anywhere.


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