Dog afraid of scissors

Question
Hello. I adopted a cockapoo a few months ago and took him to get groomed. I tried to do it myself but he bites at the scissors and clippers. The groomer was unable to cut the hair on his face because of the same reasons. His hair is getting long and needs to be cut on his face. Whenever he sees scissors he tried to bite them. He doesn't mind if you pet his face, brush it, or wash it, but once he sees the scissors he tries to bite them. Any suggestions? He is about 6 years old and they did not know his prior history.
Thanks.

Answer
Hi Jenny,
I'm sorry you are experiencing this problem with your dog when you only seek to help him!

It is not uncommon for dogs to be afraid of scissors and clippers around their face and especially the eyes. His fear could be from a previous slip-up from a groomer, an accident with his prior owner, or simply that he has never been groomed and grooming tools near his face scare him. Conversely, his behavior could also be aggression-based instead of fear-based.

1) Set aside 15 minutes per day for a petting session, which involves the tools you/the groomer will use.

2) Pet him with your hand and then switch to the scissors (with shank closed) and start 'petting' him with the scissors and clippers. When you change something he fears to something pleasurable, such as petting him with the tools, he may start to associate the tools with comfort.

3) After repeating this exercise for a week to ten days, you can turn the clippers on and 'pet' his back with them; working your way up and around his face.

4) It is very important that you thwart any unwanted behavior with verbal corrections. In other words, it is not okay for him to growl or bite. He may fear being groomed or he may just not like the process; whatever the reason, it's imperative that he not be allowed to react aggressively.

5) When a dog does not like to be groomed, they often start with a growl, then it escalates to biting. If he was able to ward-off groomers in the past with this behavior, his 'reward' for being aggressive is/was that whomever grooms him will quit. Be very careful not to give in to his aggressiveness; instead correct the behavior and set aside several minutes a day for practice. When you work with him, remember not to shout at him -- instead use only a firm voice and reward him with praise when you make headway.

6) Lastly, you can try aromatherapy for calming him prior to being groomed:
http://search.onlynaturalpet.com/search.aspx?st=natural-holistic-premium-dog-can...

If all of the above feels overwhelming or you make little advancement, you can ask for a tranquilizer from your veterinarian.

Good-luck Jenny and please send updates!
Becca