How to Groom a Large, Playful Dog

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How to Groom a Large, Playful Dog

Medium

15 - 30 Minutes

1 Week

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Introduction

Grooming a big dog can be hard enough all by itself, but when you have a dog like Tilly that just wants to play instead of stand still to be groomed, it gets that much more challenging. Being the owner of a playful dog like Tilly can be a blast; you can teach her lots of different tricks, take her to the beach, the park, or simply out in your backyard and have fun with her. But, when it comes time to groom her, she needs to be able to stand still for you to get the job done. Thankfully, this is something you can train her to do, provided you are willing to put in the effort.

Dog's Perspective

The only real problem with a playful pup like Tilly is that the last thing she wants to do is settle down long enough for you to groom her. From her point of view, everything is a game. Your job is to come up with ways to take all of this playful energy, get it under control, and then make it work towards the goal.

The Good Soak Method

Effective

0 Votes

Slicker Brush

Shampoo

Pin Brush

Deshedder

Dematter

Towel

Step

Time to work up a sweat

Well, for you anyway. Dogs, as you know, don’t exactly sweat. The best way to do this with a big playful dog is to take her for a nice fun-filled walk. Let Tilly sniff along the way, do her business, and get in a little play time. You want her good and tired but not exhausted.

Step

Run the bath water

Fill a tub with tepid water, something like you might expect to give a baby a bath in. Help Tilly get up and into the tub. Then using a vet-approved shampoo, give her a good scrubbing all over. This will help loosen and remove dirt, parasites and more from her coat. Be sure to rinse her coat thoroughly to remove all traces of the shampoo, as residue left behind can lead to skin irritation.

Step

Set up the grooming room

While Tilly is drying off, set up the room you plan to use for grooming by laying some toys on the floor and placing the brushes out where Tilly can see them. Turn on some nice quiet music and bring her in. Give her plenty of time to get used the tools, let her sniff at them, and when she starts to ignore them you can use them.

Step

First base

Starting with Tilly's head and face, brush her gently at first to remove any tangles if she has long hair. Working with the grain of her hair, go down her neck and chest. Take a break, let her know she is being good and give her a treat.

Step

Second base

Continue working with the natural flow of Tilly's hair and brush her back, sides, and backside. Be very careful here as her "private parts" are very sensitive. Take your time; causing her any pain will make continuing to groom her far more difficult. Good time for another treat break.

Step

Third base

Have Tilly do her "rollover" trick or simply have her lie on her side. This will give access to her belly and legs. Give them a good brushing and you are all done. Home base is when Tilly no longer needs to be coaxed into being groomed.

The Something to Do Method

Effective

0 Votes

Slicker Brush

Pin Brush

Step

Gather your goodies

For this training method, you need a generous supply of treats, some cool new toys, a walking leash, and a place to groom Tilly.

Step

Put the leash to use

Start out by putting the leash to use taking Tilly for a fun-filled, action-packed walk. The more you can pack into this walk the better. The premise is to make Tilly nice and tired, so she is less likely to want to play during grooming time.

Step

Create a cool grooming room

Since you want Tilly to relax, the room you plan to groom her in needs to have a relaxing atmosphere. You can accomplish this with some soft music and a little lavender essential oil in a diffuser. Find the spot where you want Tilly's head to be pointed while you are grooming her and put the new toys out for her to see, along with the tools of the trade.

Step

Bring Tilly in

Bring Tilly into the room, show her the toys and tools you have laid out. Then step back and let her take her own sweet time exploring them. She will let you know when the tools no longer bother her.

Step

The rest is up to you

The rest is all about grooming Tilly much like any other dog. You start at her head and work your way to her tail brushing gently in the direction in which her hair grows naturally, this will help each strand to lay flatter and give her coat a much smoother appearance. Repeat this every week to keep Tilly looking her best.

Caution & Considerations

The best thing you can do with a playful pup is to use their playfulness to make the job easier rather than harder.
When taking your dog out for a pre-grooming walk, make it long enough to tire her out, but not totally exhaust her as this can affect her physical health.
Start working with your pup as young as possible to get her used to being touched. It will help when the time comes to start grooming her.
Never run short of treats
Buy new toys so your dog has something she hasn't seen to focus on.

Conclusion

When you have a playful pooch like Tilly, teaching her there is more to life than non-stop playing can be challenging. The big thing to remember is that the more you work with Tilly, the easier grooming will get for both of you. Stick with it and make it fun!

How to Groom a Large, Playful Dog

Introduction

Dog's Perspective

The Good Soak Method

The Something to Do Method

Caution & Considerations

Conclusion

Success Stories and Grooming Questions

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