Vet appointment

[buddylover]

Thanks you two!  Buddy used to have a beautiful shiney coat that felt like silk.  Now it's dull and spotted and he sheds a ton and it feels rough.  I'm hoping the fatty acids help with that.  I don't know if the ZD makes it dull or not.
I like the term hail damage - that's cute.
I hope this isn't an ongoing problem but if it is I guess next time I'll know how to deal with it.

[Lord Goliath]

I'm hoping the fatty acids help with that.  I don't know if the ZD makes it dull or not.

The fatty acids will help.  So does brush him regularly but that's hard to keep up with...not sure about the ZD though 

[buddylover]

Yeah that's another issue we have - brushing   I wouldn't mind doing it everyday but he attacks the brush and won't let me do it.  You know I hear myself say that a lot "he wont let me do it".  We desperately need to get back into obedience training.  This is ridiculous !

[doloskeeter]

Have you tried the Kong brush?

[buddylover]

I tried the Zoom Groom - is that that same type of thing?  The Zoom Groom is a rubber brush with really flexable little rubber fingers.

[Lord Goliath]

Goliath used to hate the brush.  This is what we did and it may help.  

We trained Goliath to go into the "down" position and wait for his release command (pair it with your clicker to make it easier for Bud to know what is going on) at which point he can get up to go get his treat -- we used to leave it on the floor in front of him so he'd have something to focus on.

We use this for a lot of things but it works for brushing too.  He has to lay there and let me brush him.  When I am done I give the release and he gets a treat.  We don't always lay it in front now - he just knows that after the brushing comes the release and then the treat which I can get from pocket or wherever.  It's like the bridging I talked about in another thread.  Lots of times you can train by building behaviors on to other behaviors.  

When in the down position make sure the treat is easy for you to grab quickly, because if he starts to get up you say "No" and take the treat away.  Put him back in the down and put the treat out.  He'll quickly learn that if he gets up before you want him to - no treat.

[buddylover]

That's a great suggestion James!!  Buddy knows down (well only if there is a treat present).  I'll start working on it now so that by this time next year we will get it - LOL
Goliath is a bullie einstein.

[brumzoo]

Z/D doesn't seem  to make Lumpy's coat dull. Maybe the fatty acids will help.
Goliath is an Einstein!