# OUCH my thumb!!! Serious puppy blues.



## Emilylorna (Aug 14, 2016)

Lenny is gorgeous. He is the sweetest little ball of fluff going but at 18 weeks old we have now noticed signs of adolescence.
Last Thursday Lenny grabbed something out of the bin so I went to get it off him (which is usually easy he just hands it over) and he growled and snarled and refused to give it until he bit my hand! He went down to my thumb bone and I've had to have surgery and antibiotics as I don't have an immune system!
I know this is resource guarding so have since been trading any item for a treat and that works great. He isn't possessive over his food or anything since so I have no idea what got into him!
He's also a nightmare to try and put a collar on or brush always twisting around flopping on his back and now I can't use my thumb on my right hand it's a bit of a nightmare. 
I love him but my thumb blummin hurts! 
I've just put a fence up around my borders because he's trashed them all. I'm hoping this phase doesn't get any worse or last forever! 










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## Annabellam (Nov 3, 2015)

Hi. Lenny is cute, but it seems he's quite a naughty one. I am sorry about what happened. You are going to have to go on with training, there is no other way out. For sure the phase will not last forever but training has to go on. Resource guarding is normal dog behaviour it is his way of guarding what he considers his. He needs a collar. Try to calm him down before brushing. This phase should pass with time but training is key.


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## Lexi&Beemer (May 5, 2013)

My two are not fans of brushing either and not such fans of the collar at first. For us, I needed to help them learn that good things comes from putting on their collars and from getting brushed. I don't leave their collars on when I am home. But they know we are going for a fun trip (dog park, day care, walk) when it goes on. It's also been really helpful to get them to sit and then put them on. I also figured out how unbalanced I was when they were on the ground and I had to put on their collars. Now I ask them to sit on the couch before I put them on. We are all much happier about that. 

As for brushing. Well, they never liked it. I find it easier not to use a brush on their body but a comb and the brush for the tail only. They also get a lot of treats. Comb half the ear and treat. Combe the other half and treat. I make their treats small pieces since I treat so much. I also do parts of their body at a time. So head today. Body tomorrow. Legs one side at a time. It's about the length of time they can tolerate. The trick is finding a method that works for you. Maybe a different brush or comb. Or someone can help you by feeding treats while you groom. They fidget at the groomers but the good ones have no problem with it. 

As for resource guarding, there are lots of people here who are much better equipped to help you. I know Beemer started to do a bit of that when he was around a year over bully sticks. We stopped bully sticks for a while. I had also been sticking my hand in their mouth regularly (daily every hour) swiping things out so they were both used to my hands in their mouths. But I also learned it helped me to fully verbalize my thoughts. So rather than just a no, I would ask him "are you supposed to do that? I'm very disappointed in you. You know we can't be doing that. It's not very nice .... ". It became a long lecture and a tone that wasn't angry, scared, or upset. Btw same tone I'd use when my nieces would fight in the back seat while I drove when they were little. Just like the human kids, my pups would get that look and then getting what I wanted out of their mouth was easier. I also would do the same lecture whenever he made a snarl and be really careful with my tone, making sure it didn't sound confrontational. We also did lots of regular training with leave it and drop it. Especially thru adolescence. Still do and they are almost 4. You'll get there, too. 


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Ouch - a hard lesson 

Resource guarding can be overcome but you need to make sure you listen to what the dog is saying and work withing their comfort levels. So trading, distraction and making sure the dog learns you are not a threat to them having things - when you have got the dog comfortable that you are not going to take things off them all the time you can start to be able to take them.

For things like collars and brushing I also like to work in their comfort levels, so ask for a sit, go to put the collar on and if they move back off and ask for the sit again, it might take ages the first time but as they get used to the routine it all gets easier. Likewise with brushing, one or two strokes happily accepted it better than going on more and the dog objecting and the next day you can do a little more and gradually build up. My dogs have always preferred combing to brushing too and as that gets right down to the skin and makes sure the coat is tangle free I do far more combing than brushing.


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Poor you. Don't be too hard on yourself - you had a really unfortunate experience - but both you and lovely Lenny are still learning.

Keep calm - always have tasty treats to hand and remember there is always tomorrow.
Routine is vital - be consistent and set yourself achievable goals - never feel that you have to brush/comb (I use comb in preference to brush) him all over at one go, but you be the one to decide when you have had enough. I lift mine onto a table and sometimes when they were young I would lift (having always lifted my dogs only after telling them that I was going to - my sagest advice to all owners of dogs would be: never grab your dog) Once on the table I would give a reward and then stroke them gently all over before treating again and lifting them down. Repeat several times and then leave it. Next time lift up treat and gently comb just the top of their head (usually a mat free area) and build up very, very slowly maybe do an ear, or one leg - rewarding every few seconds to begin with - if your dog is kibble fed combine grooming with a meal time. Put some music on and be prepared to spend 5 or 10 minutes gently handling, feeding and a little bit of combing. If Lennys' coat is getting to the stage where it is beginning to matt consider getting him cut shorter to make it easier on you ad him - as he begins to tolerate the grooming experience more you could let it grow more - but with winter here now mud and damp and long coats are hard work.

Re resource guarding I go back to never grab your dog. Say in a jolly happy voice from the other side of the room 'what have you got you silly puppy?' and then rustle tasty treat packet - if he looks interested drop a treat mid way between him and you and look at the treat not him if he comes to get it and drops the item offer him another treat and siddle around so you can put your foot on the item. Never be confrontational or scary because then he is justified in defending what he has.

When mine were pups my house was very, very tidy and bins lived up on the work top. Make it easy for yourself.


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## Emilylorna (Aug 14, 2016)

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and advice. We are both learning and usually it's great fun! I have found over the past two days if I stand Lenny on our table in a chair he doesn't squirm half as much putting the collar on. Lots of treats and reassurance! With the resource guarding we are using distraction and trading and it seems to be working well. Thanks so much everyone for your reassurances. X


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

I, too, use a comb on both mine. We all love our grooming sessions, but I sit them on my lap to do it. I start by bathing their eyes, then I clean their ears, then it's the comb. I start with their ears, top of the head, muzzle and chest, then down the back. Then I say, 'tippy, tippy, and gently tip them backwards until they are lying on their backs. Then I comb each leg, down the flanks and belly ending with the tail, honestly they just lie there totally blessed out. Lastly it's teeth. They love it. We usually do this on our bed, and I think they see it as more of a cuddle time with mum, with a tooth treat at the end. They queue up and wait patiently for their turn.....I have also found bribery works just as well with dogs as with children!


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## Charliefarlie (Nov 28, 2016)

No expert me but have had a Collies or two before our Noodle. 

The brush ? Well I made a game of it. Teased him with it so he got used to it at 8 weeks when we got him. I say teased I should have said play. 

Now every day at six he looks up to see me with the brush and his tail goes into overdrive. I get him on my knee and do what I can get at before rolling on the floor with him to get the undersides. He just loves it and it's fun for me as well. 

Having read of the ear situation with these wee dogs I've gently rubbed his ears since day one. I very gently tickle the insides using a different hand for each ear. I now check them each week sometimes more and wipe really gently with baby wipe if there is any signs of muck or dirt. Again I talk to him and make it seem like fun and it is cos he's so relaxed . 

Just my approach and it seems to be working well so far


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

Charliefarlie said:


> No expert me but have had a Collies or two before our Noodle.
> 
> The brush ? Well I made a game of it. Teased him with it so he got used to it at 8 weeks when we got him. I say teased I should have said play.
> 
> ...


r

Thought you might like my homemade ear solution. Apple cider vinegar filled to three quarter level of a dropper bottle. Top up with water. Add 10 drops of lavender oil. Squirt a dropper full in each ear daily or as preferred. Rub base of ear, clean with cotton wool pad and then dry with another one. Fresh, clean ears with no problems.


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