Everyone was so helpful when I asked about Barney's house training.  That problem is now largely resolved, with only the occasional accident.

Barney is a 5 months old cross Pomeranian/West Yorkie, and hair is now growing over his eyes.  It irritates him and needs trimming.

The problem is that Barney won't keep still, even with someone holding him.  I've tried damping the hair and brushing away from his eyes; my son suggested applying gel to the hair to keep away.  But I don't want him to look like Jedward!  And now he's warning us to back off.

Is there some sort of trimmer you can buy, or is the only answer taking him to be groomed or a visit to the vet? 

I feel this could be an on-going issue and unless we can regularly trim it might prove to be expensive.

At 5 months, he's a fantastic little dog, loves his walks, other dogs and people we meet, and is a great addition to the family.

Can anyone advise whether we can safely trim at home or whether it's essential to be professionally done?

Thanks for any help.

I saw an interesting video recently that showed how clicker training could be used to condition a dog when getting his naila trimmed. Perhaps you could introduce clicker training to your pup (If you don't use it already) and then use the clicker to get the dog used to the scissors near his face. Here is the YouTube link for nail trimming- the same technique would be used but on the specific area you need to groom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuXwKqXTBsE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Josh

Depending on which coat he has(pom or yorkie), he will probably require occassional visits to a groomer throughout his life anyway unless you plan on grooming/trimming yourself.  If you are going to pass the grooming on to a professional, most groomers do a puppy visit.  I don't charge for a puppy visit but this is usually before about 4 months and is just for a fuss, treats and to get used to the smell, sights and sounds.  About 6 months, puppy comes back for a puppy groom which is very slow and is usually just a bath, dry and trimming of feet( or other over-grown areas).  This is also cheaper than a full groom(why I have no idea as it usually take 3 times as long!!) so call about and see who you like.
If you plan to do it yourself, you can buy trimmers/clippers on ebay but buy dog ones as the cheaper/human ones whon't last a second on his coat.

From young pups I get them used to me touching/fiddling with bits of the body that will need specific treatment, this goes on whilst the pup is lying by me asleep or awake.

I make sure the pup has had a play session to tire them out prior to the nail trimming etc going on so they are ready for a nap and more relaxed, then slowly get them used to the equipment involved and rewarding them verbally and with treats when they are doing well and ignore any non co-operation.

It may take you longer as the pup is older when you are starting this procedure, just be patient, much better you can do this at home than keep going to the groomer each time.

Thanks very much for your replies.

The YouTube video is amazing; I've read some of the threads here on clicker training, and wondered whether to try with Barney.  He's feeling a little more independent now and doesn't always respond when I want him to come back and have the lead on.  Even treats don't do it if there are distractions!  Will definitely look at some of the books and possibly try.  Thank you.

Regarding Barney's coat - he's sable coloured, not at all like his mum who is a miniature Yorkie, although his facial features are quite similar.  At 5 months his body hair is quite short and not sure how this will change as he develops.  At present,  he has facial hair sprouting out all over the place, along with a little beard!  He's one on his own!

At present I will look into clicker training and check out the dog trimmers on Ebay.  If this doesn't work will check local (North West) dog groomers and see what their charges are.

Really appreciate your help.

> At present I will look into clicker training

For many people, going to a class with the dog is far more successful..  It is far more difficult to get it right solely from reading a book.

He sounds adorable, wish I was in your area, I love doing crossbreeds because they're so individual in what trim suits them. You should be able to tidy around the eyes, but if he's being naughty, it might be worth seeing if a groomer will just do a quick tidy around the eyes for now, then you can use your clicker training to habituate him to people fiddling with that area of his face for the next time it needs doing. I don't think I'd charge more than £5 for just trimming a bit of sprouting fluff around the eyes. Was chatting to someone at rally today about nail clipping, she had just done her black Lab's for the first time because the vet charged £17 last time they did it, I would only charge £5 for just a nail trim!!!

Sounds very cute.  Get someone to have a lump of cheese or meat in front of his nose and let him slowly chew that whilst you trim the hair.  With one of my mums Pom's she hates having her claws done, my mum has to hold her, my dad has to have the food and I do the claws!

> With one of my mums Pom's she hates having her claws done, my mum has to hold her, my dad has to have the food and I do the claws!

That sounds familiar :-D That's what we have to do to trim the hair on our bernese's feet - only the personnel is different - OH holds dog, daughter feeds treat and I trim the hair. She hates having her feet touched so thank goodness her claws never need done :-D

Thanks everyone for your advice, very much appreciated.

We might try distracting Barney with a lump of cheese which he loves, while trimming round his eyes. 

We were lucky when he had his second jab as the vet trimmed his nails without us needing to ask.  They're not too bad at present as we do lots of pavement pounding and that seems to keep them down a little.

The little culprit's lying flat out following his walk but as soon as I go near he opens his eyes. I had wondered about trying a quick snip while he's having a snooze, but think he would realise what was going on.

Regarding puppy clicker training, is there a list of who does this?  We are in Lancashire and it might be worth looking into training classes.

Thank you

Might be worth trying if he snoozes on your lap some time, keep the nail clippers handy.... That's how I do my baby puppies until they're a little older and learn to stand nicely on the table for me. :-)