Hi-Fi, a nine year old Pitty/Cattle Dog+, has what is called a smooth coat but he sheds like crazy! All year long, his black hair shows up everywhere. I take along extra lint rollers when staying in hotels to be sure he doesn’t leave too much behind. I even get his hair stuck in the soles of my feet. If you have ever had that happen, you know how much a single tiny strand of dog hair can hurt. Oweeee!
This is how Hi-Fi and I have agreed on a brushing routine. By sitting down, I’m decreasing the pressure of reaching and looming over him. I started by teaching him to target different objects with his hips/flank. His action of touching his flank to an object brought out a tasty food reinforcer. I also auditioned many brushes and combs to see what he found least bothersome. This soft rubber curry brush is the winner, and as a bonus, it’s easy for him to retrieve. I use a fun retrieve to relieve any tension he’s feeling and to reinforce approach to me, even though he is getting brushed.
Here, he easily and readily targets the brush with his flank, which is my cue he is ready for me to start brushing. It’s his start button. If he didn’t offer this behavior when I held the brush out, it tells me he’s not ready. For example, if there were certain other dogs close by, he may have split attention. The environment would be too much. I’d end this attempt, and either move Hi-Fi or put the the other dogs in the house.
At one point during the video, he moved away from the brush. I think it’s because he’s working hard at getting the food out of my other hand. I stop, and he quickly steps back into contact with the brush. His tail is low with a sweepy wag which for him indicates he is comfortable. I did feel his teeth more than usual while he was eating treats. We call this “getting sharky” which is a great tell that your dog is less than perfectly comfortable.
I keep this session short and happy. Would I love to brush him for 20 minutes and get every piece of extra (potential barb to the bottom of my feet) hair off him? Sure. I do this with my Sheltie mix, Skeeeeeter!. He’s not that kind of dog. It would burn him out on brushing. I’ve worked very hard to change his conflicted feelings to happy waggy feelings. Quitting before I accomplish my goal of totally brushing out his undercoat respects his limits. There’s always after dinner or tomorrow. By listening to him now, he’s more than happy to play this game with me next time.