[Sam & Isis]

After a few arguments with the groomer, I decided to grow her coat out.

Then it got unbearable and Isis wasn't happy with it. So I took the plunge and had a go myself.

She looks like she's been attacked by Edward Scissor-Hands on speed LOL, it's very scruffy but I personally think it adds to the charm of a scruffy puppy.

But I want to get her face right.

Her moustache keeps 'exploding' forwards if she's been asleep or playing.

There is a LOT of hair around her nose and under her eyes, her moustache doesn't lie completely flat.

Am I supposed to trim just under the eyes? How much do I trim?

Anyone have any instructional pictures?

Many thanks

ETA - I read somewhere that feeding your dog a raw carrot every day helps prevent eye gunk - thoughts?

This post has been edited by Sam & Isis: 17 January 2010 - 09:15 PM

[lyndsey]

hya if this work this is a video of a woman grooming a shihtzu and cutting her face

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=o29b7TlrF68


as for the eye gunk i copied and pasted this for you,, so your theories on carrots are correct,,


There are some theories that addding leafy green vegetables, parsley and/or carrots can help to keep a dog's eyes healthy. In addtion, some studties have shown promsing results by adding the supplements of Vitamin A, C and D to the dog's diet.

This post has been edited by lyndsey: 19 January 2010 - 01:06 PM

[Sam & Isis]

That's a great vid, not too sure about the shaved neck though.

I'm nervous about using clippers that close to her eyes but I have successfully used scissors, I just don't know how much to cut - ya know?

[traste]

I cant get near Alfie with scissors, he's just not happy with me doing it, but Tyson did let me trim his stop yesterday. I wasn't pleased with him always looking messy after playing, all shorter bits from topknot, and his moustache were all straggly over his nose/mouth. So I cut them off He still has his topknot though.

Just keep practising. Gets easier the more you do it.

[Winks]

I have taken to trimming my shih tzu's face inbetween groomings. Also because she never does a thourough enough job, so i got sick of it after several different groomers. Here are my tips.

1. Patience, it will take a while for your dog to get used to being touched in the eyes and face, so just start with little sessions and don't try to force him/her to sit through it if he/she starts skwirming. Use treats and lots of praise to help.

2. Start with a finger or toenail clippers near the eyes and nose stop area. This is useful for starting, because there is no danger of poking the eye in case she/he jerks the head away. Also, you can do small sections at a time. I used this over the nose stop to get the little whispy hairs. The i used it to slowly clip away the inner eye hairs.

3. When you feel comfortble, you can use a scissors, never never put the pointy part towards the eye, instead cut horitozontally so the pointy part of the scissors is towards the ears. (Think of how a woman curls her hair, the iron rolls down towards the scalp, and to prevent from burning the scalp you can put a comb against the scalp to block the iron from going any further, If you want an extra layer of protection, use a small comb beneath the scissors to prevent from accidentaly cutting the skin.)

I hope this helps,

Natalie

[Nicky]

For the face, I always use small scissors with round tips.