My puppy hates showering and bathing and getting blow dried and getting his nails clipped.He goes crazy every time i wash him.He barks and howls and tries really hard to get away unless I'm holding him and he is getting heavy.He barks either way.I talk to him and give him treats and try to calm him.He eats the treats but he is still terrified and i can't even blow dry him properly.After he eventually gets away he is angry but redirects most of his anger.He chews his (plastic?) bone so hard it snaps and chews the towel and peals the wall paper.Runs around the house barks and whines and jumps up at me.He also makes holes in my pants by pulling them.any suggestions?
Hi, how old is your puppy, how often are you showering/bathing your puppy, could you towel dry him instead of using the blow drier? I know many Labrador owners never bathe their dogs, my Lab x Pointer is 6 years old and has never had a bath as it's bad for their coats, stripping out the natural oils that they need to keep their coats in good condition. If Charlie roles in something smelly he gets spot washed with a fox shampoo. Sounds to me like your puppy is a little scared of these procedures and holding him may make his behaviour worse. Clipping nails needs to be taken very slowly until eventually he will offer you his paws for clipping but this takes many, many months. There is a thread on the forum explaining how to get started, I will see if I can find it for you x
We also just rub our dog dry with an old bath towel. He gets a good old tummy rub at the end which he loves. This happens almost every time after a walk as he goes for a swim in the river. Occasionally I hose him down outside, although he lives water and swimming he doesn't like the hose, I use a gentle spray setting on the nozel with low water pressure. Once maybe twice a year I use shampoo, only if he has rolled in something disgusting and is really smelly. Washing him is alway a big game of chase, catch me if you can, but we let it be a game. We haven't had to clip his nails as he runs along a gravel path which naturally wears them down but when we have a cuddle or a tummy rub I gently hold his paws and check them over for any cuts or grazes.
It sounds like way too many things at once. Even for my old boy - who was used to being groomed - I'd never do nails and bath on the same day. And a short-haired dog like a Lab shouldn't need a blow dryer at all, just a bit towel rubbing that they usually love as it feels like being petted all over. I agree with @charlie , he likely doesn't even need a full-on bath at this point and the nail clipping needs a positive and very slow intro. Forum member @snowbunny had a recent blog entry with a video showing how to train a puppy to get used to nail clipping. You can check it out here: https://thislittledoggy.com/2017/03/04/husbandry-nail-trimming/ Slow and steady will win the race - trying to go too fast or introduce too many new (and potentially scary) things at once will be scary for your puppy and make things much harder down the road. Skip the baths in favour of a bit of gentle rub with a damp towel if he gets in something stinky, go back to square one with the nail trimmer training and definitely ditch the hair dryer except for to use on yourself. He'll still get there and you both will be much happier.
Hi my puppy is a husky.I don't use a shampoo (only once a month or so) but i have to wash his paws and belly because he looooves to dig and sit on the whole he makes and gets himself dirty.he is 3 months old
Ah, got it. I've also heard huskies hate water, but I have no idea if that's true. Maybe he's got a bit of cat in him?
Didn't realise you had a Husky! Could you just wash his paws and belly instead of a complete bath/shower to reduce his worry levels? I can't imagine how difficult this could become when he's a very large fully grown Husky that you are trying to bathe and hair dry I would start working on these issues now rather than later while he is still small
He is just a baby! A full bath will be very stressful for him. And I suspect the whole towelling thing will "wind him up" and get him excited. My lab gets blowed dry at hydrotherapy swimming, but it took her months and months of slow careful exposure to the dryer before she tolerated it. To be honest, I think you are overdoing it. A wet wipe down should really be enough right now for him, And I would avoid the dryer to be honest. Take your time and gradually get him accustomed to towelling if I were you. jac
Agree with the above. Forcing him now is asking for trouble later. You risk him becoming more and more scared which will cause him to lose confidence in you, and could, in the worst case, cause him to become aggressive towards you. Slow exposure to these things is the only way. It may take months, but if you take it slowly now, you'll reap the rewards later on. Rushing it now is going to end up with a dog that won't tolerate any sort of handling.
probably OK thank you everyone.I'll see what i can do with that.He is getting heavy already.My arm hurts.
