Difficult dog - problems with grooming

Question
Hi,

We have a 6 year old springer spaniel, and recently we tried to groom him, and he turned into Kujo!  He is usually a very sweet & happy dog, but as soon as you try to get near him with the clippers, he gets very vicious and tries to bite you.  We tried putting a muzzle on him, but he got it off.  We tried to take him to the groomer, and she could only get his back half.  We also tried to give him ear drops, and he freaked out with that too.  Every year up till now, he let me clip him, no problem really.  So why the change?  I'm really not sure.  I'm wondering if you have any suggestions about what we can do because he's starting to get very hairy & has lots of mats, and we need to get them off ASAP!  Any advice would be much appreciated!
Thanks so much,
Laura

Answer
There are alot of factors to consider now that your dog has turned aggressive with grooming.
Is he neutered? If not, there could be a dominance issue that has risen due to hormone levels that make him think he is the macho man and does not have the patience to be groomed.
Has he had vet visits?  Maybe the shots were painful, or the sensation of those vaccines did not subside and he is fearful. Are there new children in the house or neighborhood that could be teasing him?
Try to think of REASONS and then you can have a better idea of what to do.
Muzzles are stupid, they do not keep a dog from thrashing and I am sure that you agree with me on that!  I am sorry that someone misled you into thinking a muzzle would help. They just do not.
Check your clippers and make sure they are sharp and are not getting hot.  Pet the dog profusely during grooming and tell him it is OK, but DO tell him NO when he bites or thrashes. Since he has been groomed his whole life, he does know better. Do not under any circumstances hit the dog or cause him any discomfort, it will only make matters worse.
Begin grooming by putting your dog on the table and brush him. I understand he is matted and you can't REALLY brush him, but pretend to brush him and give him treats, then let him down.
Later in the day do it again and this time allow the clippers to run and pass the body of the clippers over his back, neck and legs in a gentle manner, as if you were frisking him with a metal detector. Give him treats and put him down.  Do not do this long enough in any one area to make him aggressive or upset, but do not quit if he starts acting up.
Continue this method doing clipping as you can.  Keep him calm, a calm dog is much easier to deal with than a furious dog.  Once he gets furious, you are not going to accomplish much.
If the dog will not respond to this manner, get a large bath towel and roll in up and put it around his neck like a large collar. Have a helper hold the front of the dog and the towel while you clip. This will protect everyones hands and protect the dogs mouth should he manage to bite at the clipper.
The holder must be confident and the clipper person must be fast.

If all else fails, you should have your pet groomed at a vet that has grooming. They can sedate the dog.
I urge you to first try to find the cause, pain, hormones, trauma of some type, since the dog was always good before.

Good luck,
Lori