How to safely groom my fearful dog scared of brushing and strangers?

Question

I have a Maltese cross now just over 6 months old. She was born with water on head, but doing extremely well. We fed her with bottle as other puppies pushed her off the mother. She is vary scared of anythinh strange. We did not think to use a brush on her since small, now we can't brush her at all. She is very scared of strangers. We need to get her brushed and eventually will need to get her cut. I need some advice as to how to get this done without scaring her for life please. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 6 months and 24 days old

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

If she is very scared and really needs to be brushed or trimmed right away I would see about having her sedated by your vet and then groomed by a groomer if possible. This can help prevent any undue stress and get her groomed completely until you can address the fear problem. I would then look into speaking with a trainer or veterinary behaviorist in person that can work with you on both her special needs, and getting over her fear of new situations and things such as brushes, groomers, etc through a combination of medication and positive reinforcement/desensitizing techniques. You can see if there is a behaviorist near you (the lists experts around the world) or ask your vet if they have any recommendations. http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/

How to safely groom my fearful dog scared of brushing and strangers?

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