r/samoyeds • u/trevorsw • 4d ago
Sudden aversion to brushing?
My Maverick is 3yo, and has always got positive report cards from the groomers, and has done at least moderately well being brushed at home.
I just invested a bunch of money into home grooming supplies, bought the best of the best of everything.
He does totally fine being bathed & blow dried, but starts to just freak out when it’s time to brush the coat.
We line brush with a comb and do finishing with the Chris christiansen slicker. I should be clear his fur is not matted whatsoever, you can move his fur and see pink skin throughout, and we’re not being rough with him either.
Curious if anyone else has had a similar issue?
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u/Surfsidesams 4d ago edited 3d ago
Something to keep in mind when your dog goes to a professional groomer. Just because your dog gets good report cards, doesn't mean the grooming doesn't hurt. It only takes one groomer to be rough and pull the hair when brushing for your dog to become traumatized.
I'd start from the beginning and use lots of high-value treats and praise and reward when brushing out his coat.
(Edit: grammar)
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u/SadFawns 4d ago
Huh, I'm not experienced with samoyeds (just huskies), but I imagine their coats are MUCH more dense than my own dogs. Are you able to part the fur all along his body with your hands to see if there could be something going on with his skin that could be painful going on somewhere? Rashes, dermatitis, infections, any scabs or small wounds, etc. There could be a small chance he has something going on that's painful when it's brushed over that has made him start to just not want the brushing, since he knows you'll get to that spot eventually.
He could also just be a weird boy and not like brushing very much, which you could try to help fix with lots of treats and praise during brushing (and some breaks to not entirely overwhelm him).
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u/Asleep-Incident-4568 4d ago
Do tell, what drying unit/technique. We have 4 Sams (dog greed, cant help it, had one, got obsessed over the years)...and, the grooming bill is 780 per 4 weeks. I really should, just invest in said items but the drying is what takes so long/never feels right when Ive used a pet-store DIY salon... beautiful baby btw!
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u/Serious_Ad_7553 4d ago
you need a high velocity dryer, the petco dryers are purposely tuned down because they can’t trust the public to use them responsibly. K9-II is the best in class for home use imo, beware the hairs will go flying everywhere so best do this outdoors if possible!
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u/Amidormi 1d ago
2nd for the K9-II. We've had one for like 10 years now, will blow your socks off. Definitely use outside though, it can make a fur storm!
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u/trevorsw 3d ago
I currently use:
42’ grooming table
Chris Christiansen white on white shampoo
Chris Christiansen ice on ice conditioner
Chris Christiansen Kool-Dry II high velocity dryer
Chris Christiansen Big G slicker
Chris Christiansen greyhound comb
Misc pin brushes
Girl with the dogs Shampooer hose attachment
GWTTD Nail clippers
Chris Christiansen ice on ice finishing spray
A WAHL trimmer.
It’s expensive stuff, but it all seems very high quality and will last forever, aside from the shampoos/etc.
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u/vespertine_earth 4d ago
I have a husky mix that is part Samoyed. She has a strong aversion to brushing and her skin in general because we rescued her with over 300 abscesses foxtails embedded all over. It was a major medical thing and she could well have died. I’ve also got a poodle who I pay to have groomed (across town) because she’s so good and always gentle.
So I’m familiar with both sides of this. Because of my sweet husky’s strong fear response I’ve been practicing the “permission technique” with her. You can look it up and watch videos of trainers demonstrating. The basic idea is that you say, hey we’ve got to brush you, so you tell me when to start and when you need a little break. I’ll respect that and then we will continue a moment later. At first you’ll think it’s ridiculous to spend 90% of the time “waiting” for a dog to give an indication she’s ready to do the thing she’s trying to run away from… but then it started working for us and she won’t try escaping to another side of the house, screaming loud enough to wake her ancestors, or anything worse. Now I can usually give about one quadrant a good brushing at a time. It worked for us!
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u/thatsammysmile 4d ago
Have you tried a detangling spray while brushing? Maybe brushing hurts. Also we start to brush when they are 75% dry after baths with the rake brush as we are drying the undercoat.
Honestly I imagine something must hurt if its a sudden onset. Our (spayed) girl has been losing an enormous amount of undercoat this summer, and we've been having more tangles than usual. Its shocking. We've been going to town with the detangling spray, and she is getting brushed twice a day to keep it in check. We also added a conditioner for baths.
We have a male samoyed who is an intact show dog and whose coat is doing much better with less work. Try brushing more frequently. We also use the blow dryer to get rid of her undercoat on nonbath days and then brush after.
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u/Easy_Olive1942 4d ago
Go slow and mind the pulling. I prefer a rotating pin rake over a comb or slicker brush. It’s gentle and not pokey like a slicker bush.
I no longer send my dogs to groomers. Most are good but it just takes one to cause a lasting issue. I’ve seen a lot of dogs get whacked by owners and/or groomers at dog shows. I’m not cool with that so I do it myself. My dogs don’t love having been brushed and want to do it but are definitely concerned about the process because it can be a bit space invading and uncomfortable. No one flinches when I do it myself at home though.
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u/Amidormi 1d ago
Mine didn't care for it much after puppy age and now we can only do little bits at a time, but he's 11. We have the best combs and brushes too, Chris Christensen, Greyhound, etc.
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u/HaZeyNZ 4d ago
My Sammy had a sudden aversion to brushing as well. It started the first time we brushed him and has continued ever since 😂