Teaching Your Puppy to Enjoy Being Groomed
A clean pup is a happy pup (and a happy owner!) But how do you make it so your puppy is happy while they're being cleaned? Here's a few tips to make grooming a positive experience:
- Select a variety of positive reinforcers (rewards) that your puppy enjoys. These can include small food treats, petting, and praise.
- Each time you show the brush to your puppy, immediately present the reward. For example, if your pup enjoys small soft dog treats, present the brush, immediately followed by a yummy treat. Timing is very important because the objective of this training is to “pair” the presence of the brush with the offering of a treat.
- After several repetitions, the presence of the brush will start to “predict” the opportunity for a treat to your dog. This begins to evoke pleasurable feelings in your puppy because he associates his brush with good things!
- To ensure that your puppy enjoys brushing sessions, begin by grooming areas of his body that he finds pleasurable. For example, if your dog loves to have his back petted, start there. After each section, give a treat. Repeat this sequence each time that you brush your puppy.
As your puppy begins to anticipate and enjoy brushing, gradually groom other areas of the body. When you finish brushing, remove the brush and then the treats; attempt to always end the session while your pup is still enjoying being brushed.
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