Hates having face cleaned!! Ideas?....Anyone?

sisters3

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Oct 29, 2015
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My Girl Joey
Hello all, Joey is 8 months old and lets me clean everywhere, ears, bottom, paws, but will NOT sit still to have her face cleaned and medicine applied to tear stains.

She snaps at the towel and gets all crazy. Not sure why she does this. Either she thinks we're playing OR just hates towels. She'll chase the paper towel if I use to wipe the floor.

Any ideas? It's just such a battle but needs to be done. Does anyone else go through this??

Thanks, Sue
 
Hello all, Joey is 8 months old and lets me clean everywhere, ears, bottom, paws, but will NOT sit still to have her face cleaned and medicine applied to tear stains.

She snaps at the towel and gets all crazy. Not sure why she does this. Either she thinks we're playing OR just hates towels. She'll chase the paper towel if I use to wipe the floor.

Any ideas? It's just such a battle but needs to be done. Does anyone else go through this??

Thanks, Sue

Treat in one hand, wipe in other.... show and let her smell treat. Wipe face, then reward. She'll eventually catch on that if she allows you to clean her face, she'll get a reward :)

Try baby wipes, maybe the towel or paper towel is rough?
 
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I've been putting treat on floor, giving stay command (which she is great at) but only holds the stay until she sees me coming at her face then bolts.....Thank you!!!!! It's that forest for the trees thing...."Hold the treat in one hand, wipe with the other" so simple.

I should clarify I have treated pads for tear stains and Burts Bees wipes for face. I used paper towel to dry her back off this morning...raining, she STILLS goes after it LOL

Thank you very much!! This will be my lesson for the week.
 
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I've been putting treat on floor, giving stay command (which she is great at) but only holds the stay until she sees me coming at her face then bolts.....Thank you!!!!! It's that forest for the trees thing...."Hold the treat in one hand, wipe with the other" so simple.

I should clarify I have treated pads for tear stains and Burts Bees wipes for face. I used paper towel to dry her back off this morning...raining, she STILLS goes after it LOL

Thank you very much!! This will be my lesson for the week.

Are you sure that nothing is getting into or burning her eyes? I hope she's more cooperative :) Tyson's the same way about his ears... he'll run for the hills! LOL haha. Stinkers.
 
I don't think anything is getting in her eyes. Now granted she has wiggled around in the past and maaaaaybe.....but I'm really careful now and to just dry I pat tear stains with, get this, white cotton gloves that I bought :)

I'm starting all over this week, paying more attention to being gentle and taking my time with it, maybe she's feeling my angst too, I get anxious when it's face cleaning time because of the battle......

Well I'm glad to hear that at least its not only Joey....She funny, she really enjoys her ears getting cleaned....
 
I will use sensitive skin baby wipes for the face, and if the folds are bad the douxo pads. I also have some white soft washcloths that I use if I need to really clean out their faces or noses… I use the treats just like Jessica stated.
 
I will use sensitive skin baby wipes for the face, and if the folds are bad the douxo pads. I also have some white soft washcloths that I use if I need to really clean out their faces or noses… I use the treats just like Jessica stated.

Good to know! Thank you Tracey! I'll be attempting the new routine this evening. Fingers crossed :)
 
Guess Ellie is not the only one!! - we have been having quite the time trying to clean the tear crusties by her eyes, we have been doing to the treat thing, she is starting to get it!!

Good Luck!! :D
 
Guess Ellie is not the only one!! - we have been having quite the time trying to clean the tear crusties by her eyes, we have been doing to the treat thing, she is starting to get it!!

Good Luck!! :D

Oh great Melissa, thank you!! It excites me to hear of success with these things.
 
I think that I will use a VERY HIGH VALUE treat.....CHEESE. Joey does not get any people food and I want to use something other than her tiny training treats, something special. She only get a tiny piece of cheese per month when I give her heartworm pill. So......hopefully it works with this PRICELESS treat :)

Edited to say.....WAIT...I stopped greek yogurt because of Joey's stools, lactose intolerant I assume. Maybe not a good idea to use with this lesson. She gets, as I said, one tiny piece per month with her pill. Maybe I'll try frozen green beans, haven't tried those yet.
 
Bravo!!!!! It worked! Albeit I just took 2 gentle swipes she remained still and didn't snap at the wipe!!!!! I'm sure with repetition this will become a tolerated, if not enjoyable routine!

Thank you!
 
Bravo!!!!! It worked! Albeit I just took 2 gentle swipes she remained still and didn't snap at the wipe!!!!! I'm sure with repetition this will become a tolerated, if not enjoyable routine!

Thank you!

Yeay! [emoji322][emoji322] she'll eventually get used to it and it will just become habit :)


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Bravo!!!!! It worked! Albeit I just took 2 gentle swipes she remained still and didn't snap at the wipe!!!!! I'm sure with repetition this will become a tolerated, if not enjoyable routine!

Thank you!

[emoji106][emoji106][emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]
 
Bravo!!!!! It worked! Albeit I just took 2 gentle swipes she remained still and didn't snap at the wipe!!!!! I'm sure with repetition this will become a tolerated, if not enjoyable routine!

Thank you!

I was having the same issue with my 6.5 month old puppy!
Hates to have his face cleaned!
But the treat in one hand and wipe in the other is finally working after lots of patience.

=)

Good luck!
 
Hi there! BIG is adorable!!! Good luck to you, this process is working really well after just a week or so. Stick with it.....it totally changed her attitude on face cleaning!
 
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