Jack let me Dremmel his back nails!
Whoo-hoo, celebration!
I have mentioned that Jack is awful, awful, AWFUL about having his feet handled. I have worked and worked and within the past six months or so have finally gotten to the point that I can play with his feet if he is lying down relaxed. (He's over three, and it does not help that this is the farthest thing from a cuddly dog. I know they say to play with their feet when they are in your lap, but he comes in my lap maybe once a week and there is no way I am going to ruin this infrequent cuddle time by messing with his toes!).
But approaching his nails causes him to wig out. I have mentioned that he seems to be claustrophobic. He is the friendliest thing going, but try to hold him tight, pick him up, etc and he feels trapped and panics.
Well, in agility we have been working a lot with our marker word, "Yes!". The marker word works much like a clicker, though not quite so precise.
I decided to start using the marker word with his nails. I started with a pile of kibble on the coffee table (my good boy won't dream of taking food uninvited, even if it's dog food). I tried variations of having him sit, stand, or lie down. Sitting seemed to work best for him (it took a couple attempts over a few days to sort this out).
I gave him the "Wait" command and touched his toe and said "Yes!" and gave him kibble. I then progressed to holding his toe and "Yes" and piece of kibble. In the first few nights that is all we did.
On the second night, I had him sit and gave him the "Wait" command and touched the turned-off Dremmel to his nail and told him "Yes!" and piece of kibble. We repeated this, over and over, til he stopped flinching away. As we repeated the exercise, I would not give him his "Yes!" and kibble unless he held steady.
Then we put the Dremmel on (he's already used to the sound) and just barely touched one nail and had the biggest praise party after that.
Over a couple nights, I got to the point where I could actually sand a nail a tiny bit before saying "Yes!" And last night, I did all his back nails. He was such a good boy!
However, he still won't let me do the front nails and rears up on his hind legs and jerks his paw away. So we need to go back to the beginning and take it slower. I think the front is worse because it upsets his balance, and because he can see what I'm doing better.
Still, having done the back I am hopeful that I might be able to do the front. Until now his nails always stayed short from walking on pavement and stones a lot, but this year the stones on the trails in the park are getting thin and as a result Jack's nails are getting a bit long.
I could not have done it without the marker word training. Praising him for staying still did not work because he did not stay still long enough for praise, and there was so much going on that he did not understand what he was being praised for anyway. With the marker word, the precision is there to reward him at the exact moment he holds his paw still, or the Dremmel touches his nail.
It also helps that he sees me do Maddie's and knows that Dremmel = treats.
I have mentioned that Jack is awful, awful, AWFUL about having his feet handled. I have worked and worked and within the past six months or so have finally gotten to the point that I can play with his feet if he is lying down relaxed. (He's over three, and it does not help that this is the farthest thing from a cuddly dog. I know they say to play with their feet when they are in your lap, but he comes in my lap maybe once a week and there is no way I am going to ruin this infrequent cuddle time by messing with his toes!).
But approaching his nails causes him to wig out. I have mentioned that he seems to be claustrophobic. He is the friendliest thing going, but try to hold him tight, pick him up, etc and he feels trapped and panics.
Well, in agility we have been working a lot with our marker word, "Yes!". The marker word works much like a clicker, though not quite so precise.
I decided to start using the marker word with his nails. I started with a pile of kibble on the coffee table (my good boy won't dream of taking food uninvited, even if it's dog food). I tried variations of having him sit, stand, or lie down. Sitting seemed to work best for him (it took a couple attempts over a few days to sort this out).
I gave him the "Wait" command and touched his toe and said "Yes!" and gave him kibble. I then progressed to holding his toe and "Yes" and piece of kibble. In the first few nights that is all we did.
On the second night, I had him sit and gave him the "Wait" command and touched the turned-off Dremmel to his nail and told him "Yes!" and piece of kibble. We repeated this, over and over, til he stopped flinching away. As we repeated the exercise, I would not give him his "Yes!" and kibble unless he held steady.
Then we put the Dremmel on (he's already used to the sound) and just barely touched one nail and had the biggest praise party after that.
Over a couple nights, I got to the point where I could actually sand a nail a tiny bit before saying "Yes!" And last night, I did all his back nails. He was such a good boy!
However, he still won't let me do the front nails and rears up on his hind legs and jerks his paw away. So we need to go back to the beginning and take it slower. I think the front is worse because it upsets his balance, and because he can see what I'm doing better.
Still, having done the back I am hopeful that I might be able to do the front. Until now his nails always stayed short from walking on pavement and stones a lot, but this year the stones on the trails in the park are getting thin and as a result Jack's nails are getting a bit long.
I could not have done it without the marker word training. Praising him for staying still did not work because he did not stay still long enough for praise, and there was so much going on that he did not understand what he was being praised for anyway. With the marker word, the precision is there to reward him at the exact moment he holds his paw still, or the Dremmel touches his nail.
It also helps that he sees me do Maddie's and knows that Dremmel = treats.
Comment
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Comment by Mike & Debbie Burk on February 12, 2011 at 4:02pm
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A suggestion from one of our Corgi friends... get in the habit of doing nails weekly, whether you're showing/competing or not. Have been doing this with Hank for a few months... now he just lays in my lap with his eyes closed and waits for a treat when I finish each foot. It also helps move the quick back faster.
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Comment by GALE FARRELL on December 30, 2010 at 5:53pm
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My 1yr old is like yours I can dremmel her her back nails but when I start on the front she turns in to a bitting monster, she watches me do the other corgis feet and I have played with the tool and her feet and it is ok ,when I turn it on she goes crazy trying to bite it and me. She acts the same with hand clippers.I will try your treat method hope it works.Thanks for the help.
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Comment by Beth on October 13, 2010 at 8:11pm
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I do like hearing other people's experiences. Very helpful! Carole, I may try bending Jack's front paws back instead of holding them up in front. Chris, I wish I could get Jack to do what Shadow does! Cheryl, my other Corgi Maddie will lay on her back between my legs for nail trimmings too. She also loves belly rubs. Jack, on the other hand, has never once flipped on his back for me. He will roll on his back in the grass, and if he's laying on his side he'll accept a good chest scratch, but he's just not the belly-rub kind of dog.
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Comment by Chris Payerl on October 13, 2010 at 7:29pm
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Good for you, or more correctly, good for Jack! I am inspired. I bought a Dremmel tool specifically for Sophie's nails but have been afraid to try it. maybe it's time to dig it out and start exposing her to it. My brother-in-law does their dog's nails with one. He says, "Time for nails!" and Shadow runs to the spot where they do it, lies on one side with his paws sticking out and waits for his pedicure. BIL says, "Other side!" and Shadow flips over to repeat the process. He LOVES it!
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Comment by Cheryl Nickel on October 13, 2010 at 5:32pm
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Hey Beth! Great job!
Maggie lies on her back in between my legs with her head up against me while I do her front paws....she loves belly rubs, of course, so that is part of her incentive. When I am finished with her front paws I simply flip her around so that her back legs are up against me & her head is down by my feet.
When we are all through with all four paws she gets her treats!
(My English Setter, Chelsea is so relaxed during this process, she actually falls asleep while I am doing her nails!)
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Comment by Alyssa & Chris W. on October 13, 2010 at 12:33pm
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Congratulations! That's awesome. Way to go Jack and to you. This is good news. Murphy doesn't like his nails clipped either and I have tried a few times, but he almost always bruises and scratches up my legs and/or pees on me so needless to say we have taken him to a pro and he handles it better. Lately though, we haven't needed to take him to get them trimmed because he's so active outside and for walks that he wears down his nails. It's been pretty nice and has saved us money. Come winter though, I'm sure they'll need trimmed again.
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Comment by Rebecca Marie O'Bryan on October 13, 2010 at 11:18am
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Wow beth! I am very happy for u! Sounds like jack is being such a good boy and I know u will get to the point to where he will not mind u cuting his front nails:)
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Comment by Rachael & Waffle on October 13, 2010 at 10:38am
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Hurray for Jack, and for you!!
I LOVE marker training. Everything is just so much nicer with it. :3
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Comment by Bev Levy on October 13, 2010 at 8:32am
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I admire your patience!! Good job Beth and Jack!
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Comment by Carole and Sophie on October 13, 2010 at 8:07am
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You have done an awesome job with Jack to get his back paws done! Well done Beth! It takes such patience and constant practice to help a dog overcome a fear like that. It sounds like Jack has his own strong personality. I personally don't do Sophie's nails. When she was a puppy I did them. My hands shake - they have all of my life, so it isn't easy for me to use the clippers because if I get nervous they shake even more. Sophie started biting at the clippers. I bought a Dremmel like instrument and the sound alone made her totally freak out. Back to clippers and I had my brother start to hold her and I would clip her - but it was upsetting her and I was shaking and then I did the worst thing ever....clipped one too short and she bled a little. I now take her into town to Petco. I notice they bend her paw back so she can't even see what they are doing and they don't show her the clippers. She feels it and hears it but it all happens so fast it is over before she knows it - she gets a bisquit and I pay at the counter.....I can't tell you what a relief that has been for me. So I admire you for all of your patience and creative thinking in getting your boy to let you trim his nails. A friend of mine told me she worked every day throughout one winter to get her dog to clip his nails - now he sees the bag of cat food (that is hit treat for clipping of the nails) and the clippers and gets into position and is ready to go! Dogs are fools for treats aren't they! Good luck with Jack and getting his front paws done....
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