# Tips for Face Cleaning



## Ashley21 (May 2, 2012)

I can't get Yoshi to stay still enough to let me clean/brush his face hair. He has eye goopies in his hair at the corner of his eyes and they are starting to smell. If I hold him he'll let me touch his face hair close to his eyes with my fingers but won't let the face comb near his face. Any tips to get him to stay still enough for me to comb out eye goop from his face hair? (he is 19 weeks old)


----------



## spookiesmom (Mar 28, 2010)

Gently hold his nose with one hand, the comb in the other. Lots of kisses & treats.


----------



## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

I cup the hair under Laurel's chin, she won't pull away or she pulls the hair. She used to be a beast about it, but now she's a good girl!


----------



## jessbuggy (Jun 18, 2012)

Have you tried somewhere slightly high up, like on top of your bathroom counter?

I do that, and then I cup my hand under his chin with my thumb over the bridge of his nose, holding him against my chest. Then with my other hand I take my damp hot towel or cotton swab to clean him. 

I think over time it'll be easier. Make sure you warm up to the full procedure over a few days, but don't let him win! Give him a treat after he's done.


----------



## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

My dogs are spoiled rotten, but I do force them when they can't simply be cajoled. I do demand that they be quiet and subject to what mommy does for their own good. You never know when you may need to something they don't like to save their life. This is the one case in which I do insist on co-operation and, yes, submission.They know when mommy isn't playing and they had better shut up and be good. Sometimes, I kind of growl to get the point across. I have never scared them or hurt them in anyway, but they know when to be still.

With a puppy I would hold him in my lap on his back, get my face really close to his face, whisper softly, but not let him wiggle away. Once it is done, I would talk in a happy voice and give a treat.


----------



## Ashley21 (May 2, 2012)

Thanks everyone. I tried holding the hair under his chin and he resisted most of the time but I was able to clean his face. Hopefully this will get better with repitition. Does anyone have any pointers for keeping him still enough to put up his topknot?


----------



## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

Ashley21 said:


> Thanks everyone. I tried holding the hair under his chin and he resisted most of the time but I was able to clean his face. Hopefully this will get better with repitition. Does anyone have any pointers for keeping him still enough to put up his topknot?


With Cici, I had a really hard time with brushing her and cleaning her eye gunk, she has some really sharp baby teeth! What worked for me is cheese and persistence! I got a little foldable table from a yardsale, the kind that are high for people to eat sitting on the sofa or bed. I covered the top with her blankie so she doesn't slip, and I find having her somewhere atleast three feet from the floor helps. I calm her down, pet her, give her a little cheddar cheese, and hold her head with both hands in a cup (one on each side) and have her look at me in the eyes, I tell her to stay repeatedly, and the first second, I give her cheese, then after 2 seconds of her staying, and so on. So I basically had to teach her what "stay" means first. Then I got a wipe and grabed her head firmly, told her to stay, and rubed the wipe on her face for just a second, gave her cheese, then rubbed for two seconds (cleaning), and so on. Repeating stay and keeping eye contact (I put my face really close to hers, looking at her in the eyes and speaking in a calm relaxed whisper voice. After three days of trying this method it finally worked today! she let me comb out the gunk under her eyes! 

Different things work for different people, this is just something that worked for me , she'll do anything for cheese! I just give her ity bity pieces though, so during her whole grooming she just gets half a slice or less.

For when I need to put a bow or do a top knot on her, I do the same process, or have her lie down on her side so I can keep her head down with my wrist and put the bow with my hands.

Goodluck!


----------



## tobysmom (Jan 1, 2011)

I have resorted to holding mr doggy up under the running shower at the end of my shower. otherwise i just hold the muzzle, he responds better to that than holding the hair under the chin for me.


----------



## jessbuggy (Jun 18, 2012)

Whenever Alpha absolutely refuses something related to his grooming, I put him in a dog-lifting harness and hang him up somewhere or get my brother to hold him up. If all other methods fail, TRUST ME, this will work. And don't worry, it's not uncomfortable; it's similar to the gear humans wear when they do stuff like bungee jump. Get the kind that has fabric wrapping all the way around the body, and not the ones that just have straps. 

What humans wear to bungee jump at Canada's Wonderland:

http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/qD7P5SS3zyg/2.jpg

A device similar to the one my dog wears (except his is rainbow-coloured!):

http://www.rocknrescue.com/acatalog/WDOGli.jpg


----------

