Side Sensitivity?
I was grooming Asterisk yesterday and since she was very little, she resists me when I try to groom her right side. It's not any specific portion, like a back leg or stomach... it's her entire right side. She will get up, circle the table and lay on her right side so that I can't access it. Does anyone else experience this problem? I'm looking for any insight on how to groom her right side but not cause any discomfort. On the flip side, if you look at her body, it looks pretty interesting. A doggie version of batman's two face... one side looks really nice, the other... not so nice. Help! |
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| Interesting.
For grooming its Tiggy's legs and feet. Especially her front legs from the elbow down and all her feet  they're really ticklish.
But DH has a habit with both the dogs of not patting them but sort of roughing up their hair. A fast back and forward with the flat of his hand. Tiggy will not let him do it to her right rib cage. She makes a funny noise in her throat, a not quite growl, and lunges at his hand. She's never bitten but its a definite warning. 
I've even had my vet check out Tiggy's spine, ribs, shoulder blade and elbow and he couldnt find anything. No tenderness, no guarding, no decreased movement. 
So I've just banned DH from doing it, in case she really gets sick of him and does bite. He does forget sometimes so I know she still does it. Unfortunately you cant just not groom the right side of Asterix, then you'd really have a two face. Tiggy was a horror for grooming for about 4 months. Lots of treats and perseverence worked in the end but it took time. |
Mim wrote: Interesting.
For grooming its Tiggy's legs and feet. Especially her front legs from the elbow down and all her feet they're really ticklish.Mim, I never would have guessed that Tiggy had any grooming problems with her feet. She always looks so amazingly groomed and fluffy... so how do you address her ticklish feet to get them groomed? |
Patience, perserverance and TREATS. 
She has to be up on a grooming table or she runs away.  When she tries to kick me away with all 4 legs, then I just have to firmly hold her still and I dont groom until she settles. I split her grooming into two sessions. 2 or 3 hours for her body, head and tummy and then usually the next day or sometimes much later the same day for her legs.
I praise her a lot when she lets me groom and when she pulls away I keep a firm hold of her foot but stop grooming and dont let her get her foot away from me. I have also given her the "stare". Tiggy is a big one for using stares to try to dominate so I use her trick back on her. I get fairly in her face and stare at her till she looks away while still holding her foot. Be careful if you try that though, it can set some dogs off badly if they're not stare-ers.
Every time I finish a bit she didnt like she gets one of her favorite treats, I keep them in my pocket while I'm grooming so she knows I have them. They actually little crunchy cat treats and she knows they're the cats. So much more desirable than dog treats. 
She also knows she gets her favorite biscuit when I take her down from the table but only if I get her up. If she gets up by herself - no biscuit. Kind of depressing really she takes it and lies down and spills all crumbs in her freshly groomed legs. SIGH
This was a process that took quite a few weeks to implement. Starting first with short bursts so that I always got her off the table before she tried to get up herself. If I misjudged and she got up then I put her down for 5 mins then up again for 5 mins brushing then I would put her down and a biscuit. At first only 5 mins on each leg at a time then back to her body for a while then 5 more mins on each leg. Annoying, time consuming and frustrating  but worth it in the end.  |
| Thanks, Mim! I think that's a great idea. I'll try to do that tonight with Asterisk. Hopefully I can get her right side to look as good as her left.
Wish me luck! |
For grooming Tiggy's right side haunch is always worse. Not a big matt just lots of the undercoat starting to matt. I have noticed that the right side is her preferred side for sleeping on so I'm attributing it to that.
But now I make a point of starting my grooming on her right side. We're both fresher and more tolerant at the beginning of the session.
Let me know how you go. |
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