I would like to get our 14 week old pup accustomed to brushing (in readiness for future shedding!), but I'm not sure what brush would be suitable for her puppy fur? I have a Kong brush but its no good at all! I would be very grateful to hear what other puppy owners would recommend, thank you.
The rubber tooth Zoom n Groom type are great for guard hair. Furminators really take out the undercoat though I wonder if they are uncomfortable for the dog. Unfortunately for us, Cooper does not like any brush. I wish we had worked harder at it when she was small. Tilly and Ginger before her were fine with being brushed, and even if they didn't like it, they accepted it. Cooper not so much.
I got one with a retractable bristles (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DMRF86E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1). Snuffles was scared of brushes at first and would squirm and run away. I desensitized her to this by giving her some high value treats and running the brush with the bristles retracted over her back. It didn't take to long and she stopped being so scared of the brush because it was just a piece of plastic running over her and she got a reward. She's also OK with using it bristles down now without treats, although shes a little too young to properly use it with her. If your just getting one to get her used to it, that may work well for you as well.
With Willow, I tried desensitising, but it didn't work (she was my first puppy and I didn't really know what I was doing). She hated the brush as a puppy, so I gave up. When she started to shed, I brought it out and tentatively tried, and she loved it. Really, loved it. So I didn't bother doing DS with it with my more recent puppy. She has just started shedding, I got it out and brushed her and she was fab. Mine is like a Furminator, but a different brand. They absolutely do not find it uncomfortable because Willow would let me know immediately if she did. Nope, all three dogs are all full of wag when I get it out, jostling to be first. I'd say, don't sweat it if she hates it, just give her some time to grow and try again later. Also, I don't actually brush my dogs very often. It seemed it aggravated Willow's skin, which is prone to dryness. Now, I brush maybe twice a season.
The Zoom Groom is best to start with. Use it every day for a short session. Some pups love being groomed, others not so much. They all get used to it if you do it regularly. https://www.amazon.co.uk/KONG-ZG2-Z...TF8&qid=1497337788&sr=8-2&keywords=Zoom+groom I move on to a tangle teaser at 5 months old - the hair stays in the brush, unlike the Zoom Groom where it flies all over - so you can easily groom indoors with no mess. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tangle-Tee...&qid=1497337653&sr=8-2&keywords=tangle+teaser Mollie isn't keen on being groomed, so I give her a treat every 20 strokes. Bruce used to adore it and the grooming was a reward for him .
I used a soft bristle brush when we got Hattie and she loves being groomed. Charlie is a Labrador x Pointer and very much sees being brushed as a reward as with having his teeth, ears cleaned and his nails clipped. I think he just likes to look good!! I personally wouldn't use a furminator on a Labrador as I thought they were for longer coated dogs. I use one sometimes on Hattie as she has a long coat.
I just have a rubber thingy with soft studs which wraps around my hand and cost tuppence h'apenny online. I did a very occasional brush when she was a puppy but all she wanted to do was chew it! Now, at 8 months, she is very happy to be brushed, seems to enjoy it, but I don't do it that often.
They make different models of Furminators for different coats. They work great on Labs, (except for Cooper) The ones with the push button cleaning are a big improvement over the original.
