My lovely Bichon is becoming aggressive whenever we touch his head for grooming or to clean his eyes.
Translated from French
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It sounds like the way he's being handled isn't quite gentle enough for him...
For his eyes, I dampen a cotton wool pad and add a tiny drop of an intimate wash (like Femfresh or something similar); it’s the thing that stings the least if there’s any contact. I just gently pinch and smooth the fur where the tears and gunk collect. Every now and then I use some saline solution in the eye; when you do it gently, they usually take it quite well.
For the area that gets red, after cleaning him you can dip your little finger in some oil (cooking oil or almond oil, for example) and coat the fur under the eye (be careful not to get any oil in the eye itself!): the dirty tears will then just run off without soaking into the fur.
My old Coton was just the same. He’d get a few smacks because there was no way I was letting him bite me. It was impossible to groom him without giving him some herbal calming supplements. It really settles them down.
Hi there,
A dog that becomes aggressive when their head is touched might simply be expressing pain or discomfort. In Bichons, eye, dental, ear, or even joint issues can make being handled very unpleasant. I’d recommend having your dog checked over by your vet to rule out a medical cause before concluding it's a behavioural issue. In the meantime, try to avoid forcing any contact and stick to gentle handling paired with positive rewards.
Best regards,
Romane
