All dog brushes are not created equally
Understanding how to groom your smooth-haired dog
I felt her tooth on my right nostril, and I was shocked. Then, I was pissed off. Outside of my Hound mix Junee’s puppy teething days, I cannot remember her ever putting her teeth on me. Although Junee always has the (annoying) need to wrestle her towel after a rainy day walk, it isn’t aggressive. It’s like watching a WWE match.
But this nick on my nose was intentional. She wanted me to stop brushing her, and I did not understand why this was a big deal. I swatted her butt and crated her. (Yes, I realize positive reinforcement dog owners would have an issue with this.) I continued on with my Sweeper Sunday, dusting, vacuuming, shampooing and sweeping my condo unit from top to bottom.
But even after I was done cleaning, I was still pissed. I have met pet owners who whine and complain about their dogs always biting them. I specifically remember one client near tears about how much it hurts when her Chihuahua chases her and bites her ankles. She had no clear plan to stop the dog’s antics, and I was confused about why she was OK with her dog abusing her every time she stood up. As the former owner of a German Shepherd and a Labrador Retriever mix, I definitely wouldn’t even humor the idea of either of those big dogs being mouthy.
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I glared at Junee from her crate and remembered my grandfather's advice: Never argue when you are mad. Wait until you are calm enough to effectively make your point. Go for a walk. And so I did. I grabbed my keys and a backpack to walk to the grocery store. I couldn’t believe Junee had the audacity to whine when she realized she wasn’t come along. Girl, get real. You just tried to bite my nose!
Recommended Read: “Clipping pet nails: Every dog is not the same ~ When you may want to leave the grooming to professionals”
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For two years, I’d never seen her do this. But I’d noticed that she was particularly grumpy when I brushed her on Sweeper Sundays with a new brush (a deshedding slicker brush) I bought. But I kept picturing her reaction to the brush versus the “rainy day” towel. One seemed like she was challenging The Undertaker or Stone Cold Steve Austin; the other was as irritated as when my mother’s dog tried to jump on her and bit her side. (Side note: My mother’s dog does not do that anymore 99% of the time and immediately self-corrects when she hears my firm “no.”)
Right at that moment, I had a light bulb moment. Maybe the brush I was using was actually hurting her like my mother’s dog trying to bite her. It hadn’t occurred to me that I was inflicting pain, but this was the first time I was brushing a smooth-haired dog versus a furrier dog. THIS WAS MY FAULT!