You need to keep your dog’s hair maintained, but your dog won’t stop biting the brush! What is going on when they do this? Why does your dog bite his brush? It seems like it should be nice for them, so why do dogs not like being brushed? And what does it mean if this just started happening all of a sudden?

Today, we’re going to answer all of the questions you have about this frustrating behavior from your dog, and most importantly we’ll tell you how to stop it. Soon, you’ll be able to brush your dog without worrying about what they’ll do or how they’ll react. Won’t that be nice? So without further ado, let’s get to our article “How to Stop Dog Biting Brush.”

Why Does My Dog Bite His Brush?

Your dog bites his brush because it makes them anxious because they don’t like being brushed. Your dog is scared of the brush because the process worries them or hurts them. Be very cautious and gentle while brushing, and consider trying a different brush to see if it’s something about the bristles on the brush you’ve been using.

Speak to your dog calmly in a soothing manner both before you start brushing and during the process. When they’re doing well, staying relaxed, and not biting the brush, give them pets and small treats both before you begin and while you’re brushing your dog. This will help them make positive connections with the whole routine.

It’s still worrisome, however, that your dog would respond to anxiety by brushing, particularly in a situation that you’re controlling. This shows your dog has a lack of trust in you, and your ability to handle things. You should work on this issue right away by using behavioral training, which we’ll go over more in the last section of this article.

Left unchecked, your dog’s anxiety issues will not simply go away — they’ll grow and escalate. Before long, your dog will develop other stress-related biting and aggression problems such as snapping at other dogs, biting people who come visit, or seemingly random things like getting so nervous they’re biting the seat belt during car rides.

Why Do Dogs Not Like Being Brushed?

Dogs do not like being brushed because it’s a strange, new sensation and could be painful. It may also remind them of a bad experience at the groomers. Just the simple reminder of being separated from you and spending time with a stranger, even if things were uneventful, can be enough to stress out many dogs who have anxiety troubles.

You also need to be careful that you’re not brushing too hard or using a brush with bristles that are too firm. Many dogs also have sensitive skin that can be easily hurt while brushing.

Finally, there’s the simple possibility that your dog has lots of energy and doesn’t enjoy being restrained and having to sit still. Dogs are cursorial mammals, meaning that they are specifically adapted to run, so it’s only natural that many wouldn’t enjoy not being able to sprint around and have fun.

Why is My Dog Biting the Brush All of a Sudden?

If your dog is biting the brush all of a sudden, examine them closely to ensure that they don’t have any small wounds or bug bites that you might be touching and hurting. You should also check your brush and its bristles to make sure that there’s been no damage there either.

If both of those things check out fine, then consider what things might have happened lately. Did your dog have a bad experience recently? If they’re particularly anxious, even seemingly completely unrelated things like being brushed might be worse for them.

How to Stop Your Dog Biting the Brush

To stop your dog biting the brush, spend a few minutes with them before cuddling, petting, and speaking to them in a calm, soothing tone. Give them a few small treats. Plan on keeping the brushing session short until they prove they can handle more. Begin brushing gently while continuing to speak softly to them while petting and giving treats.

It may help to have someone assist you with this, if possible. Don’t yell or get upset if your dog doesn’t take to things right away. Be patient and try again later. Getting angry at your dog will just make their issue with being brushed even worse. With time, patience, consistency, and slowly building up, you should soon be able to groom your dog without them biting the brush.

You should still work on their issues with anxiety, however, which is almost certainly what was causing all of this in the first place. A failure to do so will only lead to the problem growing and escalating and showing up at other times in much worse, more aggressive ways.

And to properly do that, we need to quickly go over what makes dogs function. You’ve probably heard before that dogs are pack animals, and that in every pack there is a pack leader. When your dog experiences anxiety during times like being brushed, they are clearly telling you that they don’t trust you in this role.

If they did, they would trust that you know what’s best for them, even if it’s something that’s unknown to them, and certainly wouldn’t respond to negative feelings by lashing out and biting.

But once you’ve shown your dog that you are not just their pack leader, but a capable one who knows what’s best for them, your dog will stop biting the brush. They’ll stop having anxiety issues and lashing out. They’ll stop other related behavioral problems you’re likely having (or will be soon). And they’ll obey your commands at all times, and do so happily!

You’ll be better off, and obviously, your dog will be too, because you’ll have freed them from all of that stress and anxiety that they’re currently lugging around on their little shoulders 24/7.

That sounds pretty darn great, doesn’t it?

“Yeah, of course, but how do I do any of this?”

You should watch an excellent free video series by a renowned trainer named Dan which is on this exact subject: how to be your dog’s pack leader. In it, he explains everything you need to know in ways that are very easy to understand and teach to your own dog, and he gets right to the point so that you’ll start seeing these important changes in your dog in no time.

Start watching Dan’s free training series now by clicking here. And don’t stress or get worried, because no, you’re not going to have to yell or be mean. Dan never uses those types of methods. Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but also because loving teaching techniques are the fastest way to achieve permanent changes in your dog’s behavior.

I’m sure you’re looking forward to peaceful, calm grooming sessions with your dog, so I’ll let you get started now. Good luck with everything, and thank you for reading “How to Stop Dog Biting Brush.”