Ok, this is what I do, assuming it's a little guy and not a standard!
I hold them riiiight up against my body, under my left armpit sorta, with their wee head right against my chest, almost under my chin, and facing my right shoulder. I'm right handed, so you'd wanna swap if you're left handed!
I hold their head with my left hand (using my elbow to hold their body against mine) and I then work with rubbing and fiddling about their face with my right hand, while cuddling them. I'll get eye goobers out and gently fiddle with the hair, generally just getting them to accept me infront of their face. I'll then get my scissors and just holding them by the shaft, will rub the (closed!) blades over their muzzle and infront of their eyes etc.
The whole time, if they throw a tantrum at me handling around their eyes, I'm holding them right up beside me so they can't do much (and I'll get a firm grip on them so there's little they CAN do too!) They might hate their face being fiddled with, but they are usually pretty quick to just snuggle in too!! Just gotta be really consistant, and talk them throguh it, hold them close and don't stop fiddling about until they do settle. Cuddles are nice, but you are doing a job too, just hold them close for THEIR reassurance, and so that they can't wriggle away!
When they are allowed the scissored rubbing around, just do a gentle snip or two, and give another wee rub, get rid of the hair you just snipped, and do another wee snip or two.
I have so far (touch wood!) never NOT been able to at least trim the hair infront of the eyes on a dog, though some of them certainly are trying! I've found it does work best to hold them right against you if they're really argumentitive, cos if I try and get them standing still on the table while getting in their face, it just gets them more freaked out. And so far all the dogs I've had to do that with, once I've started doing their face like that, I can usually hold them away from me again and do the last few snips like a normal nice dog, without any problem at all.
good luck!
I hold them riiiight up against my body, under my left armpit sorta, with their wee head right against my chest, almost under my chin, and facing my right shoulder. I'm right handed, so you'd wanna swap if you're left handed!
I hold their head with my left hand (using my elbow to hold their body against mine) and I then work with rubbing and fiddling about their face with my right hand, while cuddling them. I'll get eye goobers out and gently fiddle with the hair, generally just getting them to accept me infront of their face. I'll then get my scissors and just holding them by the shaft, will rub the (closed!) blades over their muzzle and infront of their eyes etc.
The whole time, if they throw a tantrum at me handling around their eyes, I'm holding them right up beside me so they can't do much (and I'll get a firm grip on them so there's little they CAN do too!) They might hate their face being fiddled with, but they are usually pretty quick to just snuggle in too!! Just gotta be really consistant, and talk them throguh it, hold them close and don't stop fiddling about until they do settle. Cuddles are nice, but you are doing a job too, just hold them close for THEIR reassurance, and so that they can't wriggle away!
When they are allowed the scissored rubbing around, just do a gentle snip or two, and give another wee rub, get rid of the hair you just snipped, and do another wee snip or two.
I have so far (touch wood!) never NOT been able to at least trim the hair infront of the eyes on a dog, though some of them certainly are trying! I've found it does work best to hold them right against you if they're really argumentitive, cos if I try and get them standing still on the table while getting in their face, it just gets them more freaked out. And so far all the dogs I've had to do that with, once I've started doing their face like that, I can usually hold them away from me again and do the last few snips like a normal nice dog, without any problem at all.
good luck!
