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Most dogs and cats enjoy human contact, but many animals have areas of their body that are sensitive to touch. Animals instinctively guard some body areas because these are more vulnerable. They often protect the abdomen, or belly, and the throat area. The sensitive areas vary with individual animals; for example, some animals resent having their tail touched.
Certain body areas may also become sensitive because of previous injury. If an animal is sensitive to touch because of past injury or illness, ask your veterinarian how to avoid causing your pet discomfort. It is probably worthwhile to discuss the possiblity of an underlying medical problem with your veterinarian whenever your pet seems uncomfortable when touched.
If your pet naturally resents having certain body areas touched, you may decide to simply avoid touching those areas. If these areas must be manipulated for routine grooming, work slowly to gradually increase your pet's tolerance by offering a reward at each training session.
Some dominant dogs resent even gentle caresses over the top of the head, neck and back. Their reaction may be worse if your hand holds a brush or comb. If your dog resists being touched over the length of its back, consider how other elements in its general behavior fit the profile of a dominantly aggressive dog. If your dog does not avert its eyes from yours during direct eye contact, stubbornly resists assuming a down position, persistently jumps on everyone even in apparently friendly greetings, it is most likely displaying signs of dominance.
To improve your pet's tolerance of being petted or groomed, withhold all petting or grooming for several weeks. When you resume grooming and petting, identify the circumstances most often related to your pet's intolerance. How long does it take for your pet to reach the limit of its tolerance and react negatively to grooming or petting? Once you know at what point your pet bcomes predictably irritable, stop well short of the limit. If you discover that your pet resents these activities at certain times of day, you may wish to reschedule them. If your cat is most playful and agitated in the evening, as many are, it might be best to brush it in the afternoon, just before its nap.
Practice with minimal grooming and petting for a very brief time. Over a period of days and weeks, increase the duration of the interaction. Stop well before your pet shows any sign of intolerance or irritability. Keep a record of the length of each session to give you a clear idea of your progress. Lack of further improvement may suggest that more training may not be productive. Reward your pet's tolerance of your handling with a small food treat.
Scheduling the interaction before meals can form a positive connection between petting or brushing and eating. In some cases, grooming can be made into a game. Your cat may enjoy gnawing on the comb for a few seconds in between brush strokes. You may altenate a stroke of the brush with a caress of your hand.
While you may not believe you are exerting excessive pressure while brushing your pet, your pet may not agree. Some of the brushes recommended for your pet's coat type may cause discomfort. While a particular comb may be effective in removing knots from your cat's long coat, it may also scratch the skin and pull the hair. Make sure that the comb or brush used to groom your pet is comfortable for the animal. Though a certain type of brush or comb is recommended for specific coat types, it is of no use if your pet won't allow you to use it.
Find a grooming device that is both effective and accepted by your pet. Be careful not to exert undue pressure while grooming your pet, particularly in naturally sensitive areas.
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