Dedicated to all dogs who hate being groomed!

As many of you know, we took on Ben nearly 3 years ago now - Ben is son of our old alpha male git - Hal. Ben had inherited all the gittishness from his father unfortunately, but due to some pretty appalling treatment at the hands of earlier owners, he was unpredictable - one might even go so far as to use the "vicious" word. If we did anything to him he didn't like, he could and sometimes did turn - number one of Ben's hates is being groomed.

When we first took him on, he was one big matted tangle - he is a heavy coated utonagan type (I say type because he is not a registered utonagan). A very brave professional groomer removed all the mats, and then it was over to me to keep him looking good, mat-free and comfortable. It has been a long, long struggle, involving the use of a baskerville muzzle to protect one's hands from the worst of his assaults. Gradually, gradually, I have won over his trust, by spending literally hours every night when I get back from work gently gently combing through his tangles when they occur. This weekend was the big test - a tail and frilly drawers shampoo and condition before attempting to comb the same. I decided to go commando, no muzzle, just hubby holding him on his slip lead. He was very grumpy through the shampooing process, despite me using warm water, but I just ignored his growls and grumbles, telling him to "Be nice!" and hoping that he wouldn't turn. He didn't, he was a star. Then once he was dried, last night he had to endure an hour of gentle combing through the tail and the frillies with my special comb. No muzzle - he again was an absolute star. After an hour, he did start to get fed up, and turned on my hands a couple of times and snapped his teeth at me, but no contact. I very firmly pushed him back down into the lying position and told him no, he was not to bite me, and he lay there squeaking and grumbling whilst I made sure that we ended on a good note so that I could praise him. He was such a good dog, I am so pleased with him. He absolutely loathes being groomed, but will tolerate it now because he trusts me. A very big step has been taken here with this poor dog who was abused for the first few years of his life, and then latterly spoiled and allowed to get away with murder! Well done Ben!!

Well done to Ben and you
You have won over his trust with your patience and kindness,making grooming an easier experience for you both.
Things can only keep getting better from here on in....grin:

Good for you xx

Well done for your patience and perseverance .Hopefully he will come to understand he feels better for it and gets a treat or two afterwards

Brilliant! Well done.

Ah what a good boy he has finally turned into. All down to you and your unending patience and firmness.

Would love to see photos before and after

Well done - both to you for your patience and to Ben for having finally learned that he can trust you to make him look beautiful! xx

That's so good, all your patience and perseverance has paid off, can we have a pic of how lovely he looks now

Thanx everyone - I will try and get OH to take some pics. He looks a lot thinner for one! There is still some way to go, but we have plenty of time, the worst of it has been combed out. He actually growled at me this evening, and he actually licked my finger as I wagged it in his face and told him to be nice!! I suspect he is all mouth and no trousers, but I am being very careful - if he actually bit me, all we have achieved would be undone and we would be right back to the beginning again.

Awwww well done Nikki, to have gained such trust as you have, taking it slowly (with a bit of firmness thrown in) really pays off doesn't it. How sweet was that, he licked your finger to let you know he only does it to warn you he doesn't much like all that grooming

Zena gets terribly matty ears, but she knows when I say "wait" I mean she has to be stock still. When I look back to her puppy days, how scared she was of me doing anything in the way of grooming or fiddling with her (such a fidget she was) I thought I would never, ever be able to do anything with her, and yet now, she will lay upside down for me, and wait whilst I snip off any little matty bits between her legs, on her tummy or around her ears. Ears I can usually tease out eventually, but last night, I had to actually cut a big clump out, very close to the skin,which she seemed soooooo pleased about cos after I showed her, she flattened me and smothered me in kisses on the floor Unless she could go collarless, there's not a lot I can do about her crazy ear hair getting matted.

Yes, these are big dogs to mess with, but I'm sure you know your limits with Ben, and would never push beyond them. Bless his heart, great achievement there Nikki.