Grooming Advice 5 Month Old Puppy

[Diana Mccly]

When Layla was just a couple of months old, I bathed her in the kitchen sink. She seemed to dislike it intensely. But the next day, she stood by the sink, looking up at me. She wasn't happy until I put her in the (dry) sink!!

What?! lol share your magic! Actually my training mentor (I am studying to become a professional dog trainer with her) suggested smearing peanut butter on the edge of the sink so he'll be busy licking it off and ignoring me . She also said sinks are a good place to start (if your dog will fit which ours do!) because in her experience they do better with a "shower" then standing in the water. She also said to set a towel in the sink so he has some traction. He'll feel more confident if he's feet aren't sliding. She is brilliant

 

[Piper's mom]

What?! lol share your magic! Actually my training mentor (I am studying to become a professional dog trainer with her) suggested smearing peanut butter on the edge of the sink so he'll be busy licking it off and ignoring me . She also said sinks are a good place to start (if your dog will fit which ours do!) because in her experience they do better with a "shower" then standing in the water. She also said to set a towel in the sink so he has some traction. He'll feel more confident if he's feet aren't sliding. She is brilliant

I bought a lick mat which I place on the side of the tub (with peanut butter on it of course) and it does help to a certain extent. I also put a tub mat down before I get the dog in the tub. Seems to help...I also take it slow and praise them often. My younger boy (going to be 3 in just over 2 months) has been afraid of the grooming table since he was a pup. I go slow, talk to him lots and give lots of treats and I was pleasantly surprised the last time at how well he handled the table! He'd normally lay down if he got too scared but because I would slowly get him to turn as I'd talk to him and then reward for him not getting scared he was so good! Only took almost 3 years but persistence paid off...heck I didn't even need to put the haunch holder on him at all he was such a good boy!

 

[Daisy1015]

This makes me think of a little girl sheltie we ran into a couple weeks ago. Her name was Wilma. She was so sleek looking compared to him! They are 10 days apart. but since she was a lovely golden sable she did totally look like a fox! we tired to get them to sit together, but this was the best we got.

So fun to see another sheltie puppy! I have heard that most AOAC s coat up faster/ tend to be bloomier pups. Even on here I haven’t seen many blue/ black aka AOAC, go sleek that I can think of. In my experience with many sables, our fluffiest, bloomiest pups have ended up with nice but less coat length than our sleekest puppies. That one you saw was especially sleek! My two, from the same line, still had density to it. They seem to be their smoothest at five month bday and start coating up by six months. My girl woke up at five months and was a teenager. My boys gave me until 6 months.

don’t worry that you have to brush daily like I do. Some days it is just a few strokes. Nails we are regressing on. Ugh. Do you have tooth paste for a soft toothbrush? That seems to help with tooth brushing. Is he teething? At five months when losing teeth and sore She stopped letting me check and she never had an issue before. A week later, all was normal. Sonmaybe hope? It sounds like you are doing everything right to me.

 

[Daisy1015]

Here is a comparison to the girl pup you saw. My leggy awkward girl at five month bday and closer to six month bday - now with about 3 inches on belly. Both my dogs are closely related, and both were identical as teens: awkward, lanky, sleek, skinny. Fingers crossed she turns out like he did. I drool for your guys coat and his ears seem to want to tip naturally!

btw this brown girl is supposed to be the aoac I had hopes for! Even went to a breeder who usually has aoac, sure that is what I would end up with! Instead, she happened to breed a half sister (maternal) to the half brother (paternal) with my original breeder who moved out of state. No inbreeding, separate lines, even though it sounds like it. My boy has as much gene pool in common as a parent, just divided differently. Makes me laugh, four generations in my family of brown dogs- 100 years. I swear my next one will be aoac. I would love a tri or biblack or blue once in my lifetime! I hope you post pics often.

 

[Diana Mccly]

Here is a comparison to the girl pup you saw. My leggy awkward girl at five month bday and closer to six month bday - now with about 3 inches on belly. Both my dogs are closely related, and both were identical as teens: awkward, lanky, sleek, skinny. Fingers crossed she turns out like he did. I drool for your guys coat and his ears seem to want to tip naturally!

btw this brown girl is supposed to be the aoac I had hopes for! Even went to a breeder who usually has aoac, sure that is what I would end up with! Instead, she happened to breed a half sister (maternal) to the half brother (paternal) with my original breeder who moved out of state. No inbreeding, separate lines, even though it sounds like it. My boy has as much gene pool in common as a parent, just divided differently. Makes me laugh, four generations in my family of brown dogs- 100 years. I swear my next one will be aoac. I would love a tri or biblack or blue once in my lifetime! I hope you post pics often.

Oh wow thanks for the info! It confused me a bit because I follow a breeder on Instagram and all of their sable puppies are really fluffy (but maybe they are combing them somehow?). I love the sable colors. Your girl is so lovely. We couldn’t pass up a blue Merle when the breeder said he was available even though I really like like sable look. Our friends with a sheltie have a tri-black and she is just the cutest little old lady now. I have to laugh because everyone keeps asking if he is a mini American Shepard, but I suppose with sable you get mini collie asked a lot. Someone in the forum with a bi-black said everyone thinks theirs is a boarder collie.

The bath went so well and then... my son dumped the bitter spray bottle (to try and get puppy to stop grabbing on to my son’s pants) on Kester I combed it and spayed with water, but I kissed him today and then tasted the spray. Poor guy! So I think he may be getting another bath or at least a soak

 

[Daisy1015]

Oh wow thanks for the info! It confused me a bit because I follow a breeder on Instagram and all of their sable puppies are really fluffy (but maybe they are combing them somehow?). I love the sable colors. Your girl is so lovely. We couldn’t pass up a blue Merle when the breeder said he was available even though I really like like sable look. Our friends with a sheltie have a tri-black and she is just the cutest little old lady now. I have to laugh because everyone keeps asking if he is a mini American Shepard, but I suppose with sable you get mini collie asked a lot. Someone in the forum with a bi-black said everyone thinks theirs is a boarder collie.

The bath went so well and then... my son dumped the bitter spray bottle (to try and get puppy to stop grabbing on to my son’s pants) on Kester I combed it and spayed with water, but I kissed him today and then tasted the spray. Poor guy! So I think he may be getting another bath or at least a soak

Oh no. That bitter apple probably lingered on your lips all day too! In sprayed my shoe laces knowing fool well it was going to end up in my mouth at some point- only covid masks will save me if I don’t! You have so much help. He will be really well socialized to baths after this week!

that breeders dogs probably are fluffier than some and add in grooming and white on the nose to enhance and a quick photo before the puppy remembers it is a puppy! Does she live where it is cold? That helps too.

I could just observe from our families dogs, more as a joke (but now I wonder) and what breeders have said about aoac vs sable. I had one that was fluffier, and sleeker just briefly before coating up fast, and my mom had the sister who was sleeker and in the end hers had this long luxurious coat and mine had a nice coat but moderate length. My current five year old was like my mom’s dog. Baby, who knows, she is the test to my theory. I probably jinxed it now!
I “follow” people too for fun!