nail clipping???

we have the proper nail clippers and we have the puppy with long nails, however, we can't get the two to coincide, AT ALL. Tucker is freaking out about it. What we've done up to now:

we touch his paws and nails all the time to show him it's ok, and get him used to the touch. he's fine with that.

we leave the nail clippers out on the coffee table so he gets used to seeing them. he's fine with that.

we pick up the clippers (don't do any clipping) but squeeze them now & then to get him used to them. (he's really not ok with this - the spring in the clippers makes a little noise and he gets very nervous, so we reassure him, and don't force anything.)

we attempt to go near him with the clippers - he heads for the hills. it's IMPOSSIBLE to hold him down to do it, and I don't want to traumatize him. what do i do??? his nails NEED to be trimmed. we managed to get 2 nails done while he was sleeping - then he woke up.

*I am looking for any advice, sugestions, etc.. however, being friday, I may be away from my computer for the weekend, so will check back on monday, please don't think i'm ignoring any advice.

Maybe a different kind of clipper?
I don't know if they make them for dogs or if you can use them on dogsor not, but the set we have for our cats is just like a pair of scissors ... not spring-loaded. :pawprint:

It sounds like you are trying to desentize him about having his paws and nails touched - which is GREAT!

I think, like you mentioned, he needs to now be desensitized to the sound the clippers make - before you try to clip his nails. Do this at random throughout the day, maybe before you give his breakfest/dinner, squeeze the clippers and praise and let him eat.

It can take months for some dogs to get over their fear and sometimes some don't. I know 2 dogs that have to be put under anesthetic to have their nails trimmed. I don't think that it should ever come to this but for those who own a timid rescue dog, it might be the only solution to avoid further trauma.

I usually clip my dog's nails when he is sleepy, after a long walk or first thing in the morning, so he doesn't mind as much.

With my old dog, 3 people of us had to hold her down because she was so nervous.

Anyway, I think you are doing the right thing so far but I wouldn't try to clip his nails now - UNLESS you want it to be a real struggle everytime they need doing in the future. Seeing as this is a puppy, I would be quite hopeful that with time, patience and calm reassurance + rewards he can learn that clipping nails is okay!

Some people told me that teaching Dodger to stand and stay would help - but it didn't! It was useless because he would inevitably break the stand-stay which basically meant I was setting him up to disobey! But maybe your puppy is more obedient then mine (he seems to think it's okay to disobey if he is under great stress) !?! :)

I use both dog and cat clippers on my dog, he doesn't care which one I use though! I use whichever one I find first.... :p

I eventually had to hold my girl down and clip her nails. I gave her a piece of doggie cookie after each one. After a few sessions like this it got better. I wasn't happy about it, but I went through the slow process of trying to get her to adjust and it didn' work well either.

She got used to it... till I accidentally hit the quick last month... then it was all over again with a squiming puppy and lots of treats. :(

I have to hold Boo down with my legs... He's getting better, but I think part of his abuse was bad nail cutting. Jemma just sits there... She's so easy. :)

I put my dogs on thier backs, on my lap (they are little) and my hubby shoves cookies in thier mouth while I clip! I also use a dremmel which lately I find better as I can get the nails shorter and they dont' seem AS upset by it....

My favorite is Chopper screams like I am killing him yet he doesn't move a muscle!!! LOL

I have a really hard time with Spencer as well. So far, I have been taking him to the groomer to get it done because I had coupons but they have run out now. I can't even get near spencer with the clippers. Even if he is sleeping, he will wake up as soon as I am near him. I am also nervous to do it too because he has some black nails and I don't want to make them bleed.

Also, there is no need to clip all of the nails in one session (once you are able to get near him with the clippers). Create a little chart with all the nails on it, and do one a day or every other day etc, marking on the chart which one you've done. The next month (or two or three depending on how fast they are growing out) try doing two at a time. When you do get close to him with the clippers you may find that if can get his nails softened up (wet wash cloth wrapped around them or after a walk in the rain) the cutting will go much smoother.

Another option is to file / grind them down with a rotary tool as MIA mentioned. Apparently, some dogs actually like the feel of the grinding.

If you do choose to grind them, be careful if you use a dremmel as it does heat the nail if you hotld it there too long. I bought a little cordless dremmel and it works like a charm, the dogs are actually better for it. I use a sanding tool and do each nail a little over and over until I get close, you can actually see the quick coming and find that it's more precise than clipping.

If you clip the nails same idea, take a little at a time so you don't get the quick..... be sure to always have some quick stop on hand in case you do get it!! Corn starch works too but not as well.

It's not easy and I have lots of friends that just won't do it! LOL They pay the groomers.

It sounds like you are trying to desentize him about having his paws and nails touched - which is GREAT!.........But maybe your puppy is more obedient then mine (he seems to think it's okay to disobey if he is under great stress) !?! :)

LOL - obedient? ROFLMAO.... ummm no. my little wild man has "selective memory" when it comes to remembering any training, such as sit.

yes desensitizing, this is what our Puppy Playschool teacher suggested. I simply can't hold on to him - and now that his nails are so long - it's quite painfull to try to hold on to him. and the screams.... omg... it's like the end of the world.

Maybe a different kind of clipper?
as for different clippers, I like these because it's the least chance of error on my part. (the hole you put the tip of nail in, and squeeze, and shazamm, a little clipper trims) I'd probably be just as traumatized as him if I injured him.

I'm afraid if I hold him down, he'll be fearfull of me, or of anything else we try to do, grooming-wise...

I'll work on desensitizing him to the noise they make.

Thanks all for posting how you go about.

I am also nervous to do it too because he has some black nails and I don't want to make them bleed.

Rule of thumb is to remove no more than an 1/8th of an inch at any time. There are scissor type clippers that have a guard on them so you can avoid clipping too far, thus avoiding the quick. I use the guillotine type on my three (all have black nails) and find that if I just nip a small section off at a time and work my way up to an 1/8th I can generally avoid the quick. My biggest worry is that they will jump / move just as I apply pressure, which could result is screaming dog and a huge mess. I try to close the blade slowly until it just touches where I want to cut, then quickly cut thru.

Also, there is no need to clip all of the nails in one session (once you are able to get near him with the clippers). Create a little chart with all the nails on it, and do one a day or every other day etc, marking on the chart which one you've done. The next month (or two or three depending on how fast they are growing out) try doing two at a time. When you do get close to him with the clippers you may find that if can get his nails softened up (wet wash cloth wrapped around them or after a walk in the rain) the cutting will go much smoother.

der, a chart would be helpfull, can't believe I didn't think of that! we don't try to do them all at once, we were only trying for a couple while he's sleeping (and i mean he needs to be OUT COLD, after a HUGE play session) but now that he's wised up to the noise the spring makes, he can hear it a mile away, sleeping or not.

wetting the nails... didn't know that! thanks for the tip!

Here is the best solution ever! I am planning to train my girl for this. Even though she is cool as a cucumber when I cut her nails, I'd love for her to do it herself.

This is from Shirleychong.com (the well-mannered dog)

The easiest way to do a dog's nails in my opinion is to have the dog do their own nails.

It's easy! Find a board about 8-12 inches wide and 24-36 inches long. Take a look at the dog's conformation--the wider the dog, the wider the nail file needs to be. This should be comfortable for the dog to use, not difficult. Go to the hardware store and get some of the stick on tape that is used on wooden steps to make them slip-proof. It's rough, like extremely coarse sandpaper and the adhesive lasts through anything.

Cover the board with the slip-proof tape. You could also use sandpaper. The most important thing is to make sure the edges of the sandpaper are firmly glued down because otherwise the dog will peel it up. I don't know what sort of adhesive comes on the slip-proof tape but once it's stuck down on the board, it's not going to budge for anything less than extreme measures. The guy at the hardware store said if you want to remove it, you have to heat it up and use a scraper to peel it up. The stuff is meant to resist foot traffic and lasts forever. If it wore out, I think I'd just scrap the whole thing and make a new one.

You now have a giant nail file for dogs!

Teach the dog to paw the board with their front feet. If you can get a paw touch and then deliberately delay the click, you're almost certain to get a raking motion. Once the dog starts pawing on the board, most of them get very enthusiastic about it. A sizable minority alternate feet as if they were digging but it's not difficult to stop the dog that uses only one foot and get them to switch feet.

Some dogs prefer the board propped at an angle, other dogs prefer the board flat on the floor. You can put a foot on one end of the board to keep it from slipping around if it is flat on the floor. I know one person who built a little frame to support the board at a forty five degree angle but most people don't do anything that fancy. If your dog prefers the board at an angle, the easiest way is to prop it against your own knees.

So far, it's been a cinch for everyone who has tried it to get the dog to paw the board with their front feet. Every dog so far has pawed with their toes arched and foot in a sort of cup shape so that they are only touching the board with their nails.

Capturing the hind leg kick that many dogs perform after pooping and then transferring it to the board is reportedly not difficult either.

The only caution I have is to put the board away where the dog can't reach it when not in use. Everyone I've told this about who left the board out came home to find that the dog had quicked their own nails and then padded about the house, getting blood everywhere.

Oddly enough, dogs do not seem to mind quicking their own nails on the board. My theory is that the sensation builds up slowly and so is not surprising or overwhelming the way it is when the nail clippers do it. When operating the board, keep a sharp eye out and stop proceedings when the dog is getting close to quicking the nails.

Especially if the dog started out with really long nails the first few times they use the board they are likely to file the nails unevenly and at funny angles. Just keep letting the dog use the board and when the nails are short they will even out.

I got the idea years ago from a Chow breeder whose dogs strongly objected to having their nails done (a breed trait according to this breeder). She put in a concrete run down one side of her yard with the concrete brushed at right angles to the length of the pen. Each of her dogs spent half a day in there each week while the other dogs played in the yard. The penned dog would race up and down in frustration and do their own nails. I thought "there's gotta be a cheaper way to do this." Poking around the hardware store gave me the rest of the project.

I've been teaching people how to do this for over ten years and so far it's been very easy to train, even with handlers who had terrible timing.

Dogs seem to enjoy it a whole lot more than they enjoy nail trimming. As I get older, my eyesight is not improving so I'm looking for ways to make every day tasks easier.

Plus, someone on the Belg-L list related how she couldn't figure out why she got a sort of crud every other week until she realized that when she dremeled nails she was effectively aerosolizing the nail and anything the dog had on their nails. She has immune system problems but anyone can have a temporary suppression of the immune system due to stress, fatigue, illness, etc. While there is a small amount of dust flying around when the dog operates the nail file, it's nothing like what happens with a dremel.

db7... thank you! my bf is an experienced woodworker, so if desensitizing isn't showing any promise, I think I may have him whip up a giant emery board.... comical, yet practical... thanks again!

It takes us three people to get Odin's nails cut. Two to hold him, and one to cut them. He also has to have a muzzle as he tries to bite...it's so sad watching him. I really have to work on desensitizing him as well.

We haven't tried to cut Hazel's nails yet - but she is going to need it soon. We play with her feet all the time so hopefully it won't be a big deal. She also walks on concrete everyday, so I think that helps a little. We never had a problem doing Lacey's nails, she would just lay there. I hope Hazel is the same way, but if not, I really like the giant emery board idea! My mom always had to take her Rotti to the vet to have her nails done. She would totally freak out and had to be tranquilized for it.

i did it. I clipped TWO nails! I continued with the desensitizing - constantly held the clippers in my hand and squeezed them often. Squeezed them and then played, squeezed them and fed, etc... eventually tucker came TO them, smelled them, and was fine. I held him, and had the clippers in other hand, let him smell them, firmly took his paw, said to him "I AM going to clip these and you WILL let me" in a very "matter of fact" way, and he complied. No screaming, no pulling, no crying, no flailing.

I only did two, then we had treats and played. no more for that day. The following day, my bf got two more done.

thanks for the other suggestions!

EXCELLENT!!
Congratulations! :thumbs up

Good for you! Hazel still hasn't had hers done but I'm hoping that hubby won't have any problems! :D