[Opium88]

I take him on walks with my other two and also my friend Keith comes with his Yorkie-poo. We go to dog parks about twice a week on average and he does great with most other dogs. I've done this continually since he was 5 months old. He's 2.5 now. I did have him in training when he was about a year old, ...he listens really well and knows his commands and he's a really good dog. I've only found one groomer who will actually work with him all the way through to the end, with or without him being sedated. Every other groomer refuses. And sherry ( the one groomer I work with now) also comes to my home to groom him, and I help her the best I can. We both end up scratched up and it's a nightmare. But I don't trust anyone else with him . At home he will let me wash him now. That took some work, but he no longer fights me. I have to use a washcloth on his face or he fights me. He's scared of water on his face. He let's me brush him everywhere but his face. Then he bites at the brush. I work on it all the time with him. As violent as he gets, he actually has gotten a lot better from when I first got him. When I bought him (secondhand) the previous owners had taken him to get a puppy cut right before I picked him up (without asking me if I wanted that) and the groomer EMBEDDED a little bow tie on him and I don't know what they did to him, but he has never ever forgotten it, because he has hated grooming ( and now vet visits as well) ever since. If he's sleepy I can sneak scissors and trim his face a little bit, but after a few quick snips he will start snapping at the scissors. He will barely tolerate clippers, but the sound of scissors sets him off. Then once it's all done he pranced around like he's a stud and it was his idea. He'll even give sherry kisses like he forgives her. We've made a lot of progress with him, but not nearly enough to make it easier on him. I sit by him and pet him with scissors in sessions , hoping hell get used to it and calm down about it. But the minute he feels his hair actually move from it, he loses it. You can go through and read the posts I've posted about this from before. Most of my posts are about toby. Believe me, I try my damnedest to find what works with him, and to work through his fears. I socialize him. I do this with all my dogs. He's the only one with these issues.