Comment

Comment by Elys on July 28, 2008 at 8:20pm

Wow! Thank you for all the advice. Maybe I'll pick up a Dremel. I do like the idea, though, of just trimming the nails every so often to get her used to it. And I guess that just stuffing them with treats never hurts the cause, right? ha ha ha.

Comment by Charlie on July 28, 2008 at 8:13pm

For about 2 weekends after I clipped Charlie's nail too close, I used a muzzle to keep him from nipping at my hand and biting the clippers. I would rather have to put a muzzle on him at home, than have a stranger muzzle him in a strange environment. We just went very slowly and stopped after one paw, sometimes after one or two nails, but over the course of the weekend we got all his nails done. Lots of relaxing belly rubs between and clip and treats galore when the muzzle came off. After a couple weeks he finally figured out that a "manicure" is not an option (and not really that bad) and he let me do them without a muzzle. Most weekends he lets me do all his nails quickly. Now and then he still wants to get a bit anxious, so we do a few nails here and there over a couple days when he's relaxed. I think it's easier to take off a tiny bit of nails every weekend, so he stays accustomed to the clipper and his nails don't get overgrown so much that we need to take a lot of thickness off.

Comment by Lexi on July 28, 2008 at 7:30pm

I've read a lot about the Peticure because I was considering one... but when I found out there was a 4-6 business week wait, it wasn't worth it. I ended up ordering a Pet Dremel from Amazon for about $22 (bought a toy for a couple of bucks to qualify for free shipping) and now the whole process is SO MUCH EASIER! It took a couple of hours and a lot of yummy treats for him to get used to it - introducing it VERY slowly because I wanted this to work (first off and away from him, off and close to him, on and away from him, off and close to him... each time he sniffed it/got curious or ignored it he got a treat and praise). He totally doesn't mind it and I don't feel bad now that he doesn't cry and yelp when we groom his nails. At first I was a little nervous at my personal handling skills, but ended up just doing very little at a time for both Kuma and myself to get used to the tool.

Comment by Elys on July 28, 2008 at 6:55pm

I also worried about the muzzle, but, I know that I'M not going to do it and the vet is too far away to necessitate a drive out for just clipping her nails. I wonder if anyone has ever tried that Peticure thing I see on informercials? Cam also has people issues, but I don't think that a muzzle on for 10 minutes will cause that much of a setback? I mean, she was her usual self afterwards--which is usually running away from whatever it was that scared her. I'm trying to "Cesar Milan" her (yes, I made it into a verb) and continue to "go forward", so I try really, really hard not to let my anxiety get in the way. I figured, he's got a point. I mean, with kids, when they have a little fall and they're not really hurt, but you can sense a huge crying fit, don't you say things like, "Oh, you're ok. See? Nothing is hurt." If you give off the sense (calm and assertive), then they will react to that.

Anne, has your dog ever hurt that paw? Maybe she's just overly sensitive??

Comment by Anne on July 28, 2008 at 6:29pm

Glad you brought this up. We have the same problem. I even called the breeder to find out how she did her nails, dremel or clippers. I can't use a dremel because the noise of it scares her so much. I got the clippers and tried at home and she was ok with back legs but the front forget it. She did not snap at me but cried so i thought maybe i was hurting her So I took her to our vet's to do it and she was fine 1st time. Then same girl the next month and she freaked when she tried the front right paw. Snapped at her hand 2 times so a muzzle came out. Which I really did not like since our girl has her people phobia and I worry this could make it worse. So we stopped and I did not do that paw. Now we are coming up to a month later and I am wondering what to do. Any suggestions? or do you folks think a muzzle not that bad to have on her for that short time?

Comment by Elys on July 28, 2008 at 6:13pm

Well, ok. I think I'm just a nervous doggy-mama when it comes to her nails. She was fine once she got the heck outta there. We're still trying to figure her out-we've only had her since March and she came with such baggage. I'm trying not to feel sorry for her and to keep looking forward, but knowing where she came from, it's hard not to. However, the fact of the matter is that her nails must be groomed and I'm just going to have to get over it, right? She really is a terrific dog. Now, if she could just love my BF (who created his own profile on this site) as much as she loves me, all will be right in our world. :)

Comment by Banjo and Starbuck on July 28, 2008 at 6:07pm

Banjo's gotten professional nail trims once a month since she was a baby and she STILL hates it. She'll wiggle and cry intil it's over. She loves having her feet played with until she sees the clippers. She's never been quicked, not once. Every other corgi owner I've met has the same story. I feel your pain ;)

Comment by Elys on July 28, 2008 at 5:59pm

Well, I tried to clip her at home and I freaked out. I was so worried about getting to close to the quick, that I was very tentative about the whole ordeal. I spent, like, $20 on the clippers, too. Strange thing, too, because I was an EMT for nearly 4 years and yet this is the one thing that completely sets my nerves on edge. By the way, Charlie and Kristen, your little ones are very cute.

Comment by Charlie on July 28, 2008 at 5:52pm

They probably quicked one (or more) of her nails the previous visit, and made her a bit "nail shy". I always do Charlie's at home. When he was a pup, I got close to the quick one time on one nail, and he struggled with me for about the next four nail trims. Even today, he doesn't like to see the clippers come out of the grooming box, but he is resigned to me clipping regularly.

Comment by Kristen on July 28, 2008 at 5:52pm

My Basil was the same way. Calm and accomodating the rest of the time, but when his nails were being trimmed he would cry like a baby and try to get away. We went through this even after working with his feet working with his feet.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page