Despite Jack’s girly appearance, he’s very much a puppy and loves nothing more than to run, splash, roll and wriggle around in the scrubland near our place. If he were a child he’d be the kind with a pocketful of frogs — like the story my grandparents tell about letting my young uncle sleep with them one night and waking up in the dark to suspicious croaking and hopping noises coming from under the covers.

I stay on top of the dirt, burrs and grime that Jack collects on his coat with a nightly brushing. After a few weeks of this little ritual, I noticed that Jack was wriggling a lot and “mouthing” the brush. Puppy School said this was his way of trying to tell me it was hurting him, poor little pet, and that I should pick up and brush the individual layers of fur.

Sadly, this turned a five minute task into a fifteen minute ordeal, and it didn’t seem to make Jack any happier. I was probably doing it wrong – but there you are. It didn’t work for me.

“Dog Problems” by Carol Lea Benjamin to the rescue once again. She suggested switching to a soft brush. I didn’t want to relinquish my beloved slicker without a fight, so I tried switching to fairy-soft, gentle strokes instead. At first, to get Jack over the association with his hurty slicker brush, I paired brushing with dinnertime (food makes anything good in Jack’s book). Now he sits quietly and even sighs contentedly when I brush him.

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