how to trim a Shih Tzu's face without agression

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Bella1950
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2014 10:21 pm

how to trim a Shih Tzu's face without agression

Post by Bella1950 »

would like to learn how to train a shih Tzu to allow me to trim her face around her eyes without her snapping at me.
Maxy24
Posts: 296
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 3:08 pm
Location: MA, USA

Re: how to trim a Shih Tzu's face without agression

Post by Maxy24 »

First you'll want to teach her to accept face handling without the clippers. Put her up on the grooming table and gently put your hands where you normally would to groom her face. Be gentler than normal, just place your hands there, don't grab hold. Then give a treat, then repeat. Keep the sessions short, don't try to get to clipping yet. If she is comfortable with the gentle face touching (she's not pulling away and is anticipating the treat with excitement) you can start holding on a bit, give a treat, and let go. Repeat. If she's fighting hard let go. If she just pulls a tiny bit (like she is trying to turn her head or something) you can hold on and then give a treat for being still (you can even hold the treat up to grab her attention and make her go still) but if she's fighting let go or else you'll make it a bad experience. Slowly increase the length of time you're holding on to her face/head until she's holding still for the length of time it would take to clip her face.


Next step is clippers. The clippers themselves may make her nervous. If that's the case you'll want to start by showing the clippers then giving a treat over and over until she welcomes their appearance. Then do it while also holding onto her face. Hold her face, with one hand, pick up the clipper with the other, say good girl!, then put the clippers down and give a treat. Over time bring the clippers closer to face. Then start holding them there longer. Try to vary what you do. Sometimes hold, them there for a while, other times make it quick. That way she won't know if she'll get a super fast treat or if she'll have to wait a while. If she thinks she has to wait a long time every time she might get antsy/frustrated.

Next step is opening and closing the clippers near her face so she gets used to the noise as well. Same deal as above, pretend you're clipping, then give a treat.

If she's comfy with ALL of that you can clip a little. DON'T try to do her whole face. Do a tiny bit then go back to some of the above pretending exercises, clip a little more (giving treats for everything), then end the session. Do some more the next session and the next until you've done the whole face. Yes she'll be uneven for a couple of days but eventually you'll be able to do the whole thing at once.
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