Understand Why Eye Trimming Matters
Overgrown hair around the eyes is more than a cosmetic issue. It can obscure vision, poke and scratch the eyeball, wick tears across the face and trap moisture that leads to staining and infection. Breeds like Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, Maltese and many Doodles are especially prone.
This is the single most delicate trim you will do, working millimetres from the eye with sharp tools. If you are at all nervous, there is no shame in leaving it to a groomer or vet nurse. Confidence and steady hands matter more here than anywhere else on the body.
Trimming little and often is far safer than letting hair grow long and tackling a big job under a wriggling dog.
If your dog is fidgety, sensitive around the face or has never had this done, book a professional for the first trim and learn from watching.
Use the Right Tools and Restraint
Tool choice is a safety decision here. Use small grooming scissors with rounded, blunt safety tips, never pointed shears, so a sudden movement cannot drive a sharp point into the eye. Keep them sharp, as blunt scissors drag and startle the dog.
Never use clippers directly around the eye. Restraint matters just as much: have a calm helper support the head and reassure the dog, or work when your dog is sleepy and settled. Choose a moment after exercise when energy is low.
Work in bright, even light so you can see exactly where hair ends and skin begins. This same steady, patient handling is central to trimming a dog's face generally.
Only ever use scissors with rounded safety tips near the eyes. Pointed shears are a serious injury risk if your dog moves suddenly.
Trim Safely a Little at a Time
Steady the head firmly but gently, resting the heel of your scissor hand against the dog’s skull so your hand and the dog move as one unit if it flinches. This single habit prevents most accidents.
Comb the hair forward and down, away from the eye, then trim only the tips that hang into the field of vision. Always cut with the blades held parallel to the face and pointing away from the eye, taking tiny amounts at a time. It is far better to trim twice than to remove too much.
Work slowly and pause whenever the dog fidgets. Snip, check, reposition and snip again rather than making long confident cuts.
Brace your cutting hand against the dog's head. If it moves, your hand moves with it, so the blade stays a safe distance from the eye.
Tidy Up and Care for the Area
Once the hair is clear of the eyes, wipe away any loose clippings with a damp cloth and check that no fine hairs have fallen into the eye. A little clear watering afterwards is normal, but redness or squinting is not.
Keeping this area short also makes tear staining much easier to manage, so pair it with a gentle cleaning routine such as removing tear stains. Trim a small amount every couple of weeks to keep on top of regrowth rather than waiting for the hair to become a problem again.
If the eye looks red, sore or is being rubbed after a trim, a stray hair or nick may be to blame. Rinse gently with saline and call your vet if it persists.
Frequently Asked
Use small grooming scissors with rounded, blunt safety tips so a sudden movement cannot injure the eye. Keep them sharp, hold the blades parallel to the face and pointing away from the eye, and never use pointed shears or clippers this close in.
Have a calm helper steady the head and reassure the dog, and work when your dog is sleepy after exercise. Brace your scissor hand against the dog's skull so, if it flinches, your hand moves with it and the blade stays safely away from the eye.
Trim a small amount every couple of weeks so the hair never grows long enough to poke the eye or block vision. Little-and-often trimming is far safer than occasionally tackling a big overgrowth under a restless dog.
It can be, with blunt-tipped scissors, good restraint and a slow, tiny-cuts technique. But it is the most delicate trim there is, so if your dog is fidgety or you feel nervous, have a groomer or vet nurse do it and learn by watching.