The animal eyes and noses can be a little tricky. The manufacturer has designed the post and washer to fit very securely together. We have tried several different options when working with this product. The best result has come from taking an exacto knife and cutting the notches in the washers a little bit deeper so that they fit on the posts easier. Try cutting every other notch at first and then if the washer is still stubborn, try cutting all of the notches