# Grooming around the mouth and beard



## Janev1000

Sorry no pics but Biscuit had his first groom today which overall went very well. He looks very much like Nacho after his first groom - so all good in that respect! However, I stressed many times to them that I didn't want them to touch around his eyes and but that I wanted them to tidy up around his mouth and beard. Well, they did the opposite and trimmed the bits I didn't want and have left the beard area a bit untidy. I've managed to trim under his mouth... he was held in a vice grip!... but cannot get him to keep still at all to trim around his jawline - do you use scissors? I think if I try and do this when he's alsleep he will jump awake! How does anyone manage to keep their dogs still to do this? I may take him to a professional just to get this area tidied up as I wasn't charged for the full amount today anyway as I'd told them to leave most of his face.


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## JoJo

Jane .. we need pic please


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## JoJo

Muzzle trim can be done with clippers or scissors ... but hold him tight .. a little and often is a good tip .. but I am no professional groomer .. just trim them the way I like them  Honey knows the drill now but Picnic is a fidget bum lol xxx


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## kendal

its something you need to get them used too. they don't always like it. their is a nack to holding the head. (I'm right handed) using my left had i hold the left side of their face with my thumb over the top of their muzzle, wit my little and ring finger under her muzzle and my middle and index fingers hooked in their collar. 

some dodgy photos with a very sleepy delta trying to demonstrate for you. 



























it allows you to work on one side of the face, then you revers it to to the other side, still with your thumb over the top of the muzzle but you index fingers under and your little and ring fingers hooked in the collar. 


does that make sense.


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## Janev1000

Lovely, helpful responses as usual! - great tips kendal! - promise to try and load a pic tomorrow. He is a real fidget and will wriggle his whole body to get away. Will persevere though!


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## JoJo

Great demo Kendal ...and of course a pretty model, Delta xxx

A firm hold works  Biscuit will get used to it too, and to be honest as an owner I wasnt too confident in the early days, practice makes perfect, now I just get on with it ... lol


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## kendal

you do need to be firm, espetal if you have scissors in your hands, i would much rather have a grip that was a little to tight and a bit uncomfertable for the dog that have the dog flick it head and catch it eye, nose, lip etc with the scissors. 


practice doing it during the day, get him to sit and them grip his muzzle for a couple of seconds then give him the treat. jst make it in to a compleatly normal thing hoy you to to do. then get him used to the comb going to his beard, then the scissors.


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## kendal

JoJo said:


> Great demo Kendal ...and of course a pretty model, Delta xxx
> 
> A firm hold works  Biscuit will get used to it too, and to be honest as an owner I wasnt too confident in the early days, practice makes perfect, now I just get on with it ... lol


lol it was funny getting the photos, Delta kept flopping back down to go to sleep and kept having to lift her into the sit. my girls are just so used to me the go so floppy and let me do just about anything now. hey eyes were only half open. i was holding her up by her head and had my phone against my face to support it so i could press the button lol.


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## MillieDog

Brilliant Kendal, thanks for good tip.


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