How Slim, My Pit Mix, Finally Accepted Having His Fur Brushed
Initially, our pit bull mix Slim wasn’t too fond of having his fur brushed.
We adopted him from a no-kill shelter when he was about a year old. While he was there, he was treated for mange along with a double ear infection. This led Slim to be not very excitable towards being brushed.
It may be more interesting to say that he now loves getting brushed. Or, even better, that he once hated it. That through hard work, a lot of patience, and lots of positive reinforcement, Slim learned to love getting brushed.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. He was used to being poked and medicated, which made him indifferent to being brushed.
He doesn’t get excited the moment he sees the grooming brush in my hand. He doesn’t get scared, either. He is simply indifferent.
Since he is a short-haired, pitbull mix breed, brushing is not difficult.
I’ll admit I don’t brush him as often as I should. He sheds a lot more than expected for a short-haired dog. His little black hairs hide unscrupulously all over the house. I have even found them embedded in my skin! It does help get some of the dead, flakey skin off of his body, so I am sure to scrub him every time he has a bath.
Although he’s not especially fond of being brushed, he does enjoy the attention.
When I am going to brush him, I will take him outside with the brush. He likes to sit in the sun during the morning when the air is still cool. He’ll have a smile on his face, as only a pitbull can, and is happy to receive pets and praise.
But he is not as sold on the brushing experience. So I will give him treats to keep him interested and occupied.
It doesn’t take long to brush him. The only areas where there are some resistance and a lot of shedding are where is the fur is thicker and longer. These areas are the back end of his hindquarters and right above his shoulder blades.
At first, Slim didn’t understand brushing. It was a strange thing scratching his back and running through his fur. However, he became used to being brushed quickly. On top of being neutral, he is also very adaptable.
To be honest, Slim is the kind of dog that is fine with anything - so long as it allows him to spend time with you.
He likes getting his teeth brushed. Not because he has been trained to, but because he is an extremely easy-going dog. He just wants to spend his time with you.
Slim is excited whether it is cuddling on the couch watching Netflix or going for a walk. He is even thrilled going for a drive. He just wants to hang out with his favorite people.