Cutting Nails
I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions to help me get Laika to allow me to cut her nails. For Orion I tell him to sit and I'll take each paw and cut the nails and he'll just sit there, then he gets a treat afterwards. For the first month I had him I had to like sit on top of him to do it but I guess now he knows its really not that bad. Laika, on the other hand, turns into a monster when I try to cut her nails. The first few weeks I had her the nail trimming wasn't bad (I was trying to do it often so she'd realize its not a big deal) but lately she's gotten terrible. Her nails seem to not wear down on their own as much as Orion's and they get sharp. When I try to trim her nails she does everything in her power to get away from me, she claw and bite (hard). She is a rescue pup and even though I got her as early as 9 weeks when she was little she would duck her head when you lifted a hand so I wondered if someone hit her :( and maybe that's why she's a freak about nail trimming. Also, she doesn't like to be held in general.
Anyone else have a difficult dog when it comes to nail trimming? How did you deal with it? Am I just going to have to take her somewhere to get them cut? I spend my summers at a vet clinic and before that I worked at a dog day care so I've trimmed so many dogs nails and never had this much trouble with any of them.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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Sparty is impossible! He always has been difficult to handle if he doesn't want to be but when he was about 1 1/2 he tore a nail in a register while racing around. The nail bed was damaged and he has had to have that nail removed about once a year ever since and he is 12 now. Consequently, I take him to the vet and they have a harness they use so he can not squirm much and also can not bite them. It makes my life easier and I figure he is already afraid of them so why have him fear me too. There are lots of recommended ways to make it easier but I have been unsuccessful with them so I will let some one else share them...Izzy is a little squirmy and it is easier if my husband holds her and Misty just lays there and lets me do it!
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Permalink Reply by Carol Rea on
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I cut one of Odie's to close, and I swear that he told Lucky not to let me near him! So...the first vet we had when we rescued Lucky decided I just needed a lesson in how to do nails! What an adventure - one can of easy cheese later, Lucky decides she is his best friend, and not one nail done!!! Lucky just hates to have his feet touched, by anyone. Sonny doesn't mind it at all, rolls over on his back and lays there like a fat lump. I have someone else do Lucky's.
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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on
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I would recommend lots and lots of treats while you play with her feet. Don't trim her nails or anything just get her used to you touching her feet. After that, only do one nail a day or one in the morning one at night, still continuing with the treats. Don't make a big deal about it and make it A REALLY positive experience for her. Also just bring the clippers over to her and play with her feet and the clippers near her with lots of yummy treats. She'll learn that getting her nails trimmed isn't a traumatic thing and it is actually a positive fun thing. My chihuahua hated her nails trimmed and I did it like this, just one or two at a time and a billion treats and kisses and toys and now she lets me just flop her on her back and do all her nails without a peep.
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Permalink Reply by Judi, Dawn, Soffie & Griffyn on
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Check out Beth's recent blog about getting Jack to let her dremmel his nails. She gives a very detailed accounting on how she was able to get him to accept the process. Good Luck!! http://www.mycorgi.com/profiles/blogs/jack-let-me-dremmel-his-back
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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I was just going to post the link. Thank you for doing it for me. :-)
We are still working on the front nails, and I am finding that bending the paw up and back, as someone suggested, instead of holding it out forward seems to help. At this point I will give lavish praise if he even lets me briefly touch the Dremmel to a front nail, and then I do a back one or two so we can end on a good note. The poor little guy is trying very hard; I think the front nails are more sensitive and it might feel ticklish to him.
Patience is the key. In a battle of wills, I find that the animal can generally beat the human. :-)
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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth, Hermione and Luna on
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Well, for a looooong time I used the often recommended "let them stick their nose in a jar of peanut butter." This worked like a charm for months. They get so involved that they don't even notice what you're doing to their paws.
Then today. (BAD MOMMY!) Luna jerked and I cut her nail too short! ARG! now I'm worried that she'll never let me near them again.
I do recommend the peanut butter though.
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Permalink Reply by Monica, Orion, and Laika on
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Thanks for all the advice, everyone! I'll keep working on it, maybe try not to do more than a couple nails a day and be sure to involve treats more than I do and see if that starts to help
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Permalink Reply by Maddy & Keke on
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She allows me to grind not clip. And she will be like licking the grinder throughout the whole process.
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Permalink Reply by Jen on
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Ginger isn't a big fan of having her nails trimmed. She barks at the clippers. I've found that when she's engrossed in a toy and laying in her back chewing on it that she'll let me clip her nails. She has to be really relaxed on her own in order for her to let me do it. Sometimes it takes 45 minutes, but it gets done. I've also started doing her back feet while she's sleeping.
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Permalink Reply by Pat Piotrowski on
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Katie was the same way about her nails, she wouldnt let me do them, not even if I took her to the shop to have them done. she would bite growl, you name it.
I finally tried Pedipaws, and after the 1st time, she loves it! but after awhile I found that pedipaws was too slow moving, and i thought it was expensive to keep replacing heads, almost every time. so I upgraded to the dremmel. its wonderful! a little louder than pedipaws, but katie got used to it after once or twice. had the dremmel for a couple of months now, she still looks up every now an then but still lays still. I can finish in about 5 mins I love it!
But one thing, very important how you introduce this machine. read the directions carefully and do this slowly. yours will get the hang of it very soon if you introduce this the tight way!
I've recently adopted another adult male corgi, Ringo, but I cant get him to sit still yet long enough for the dremmel. he lets me clip tho i can do a quick clip on him.
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Permalink Reply by Kristine & Einstein on
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The only thing I can think of is start over...if that makes any sense. Touch the corgi's paws as much as possible to get him used to you touching them. Eventually he will get used to it. I have also heard that if you use an electric toothbrush to touch the corgi's paws, it will get him used to using a grinder if you just want to smooth the nails down. Hope this helps.
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Permalink Reply by Zach and Lisa on
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Do the whole positive experience and all with rewarding and praise but you could also try using a dremel. Some dogs just don't like the sudden pinching or snap feeling by their toes. To get them used to the sound turn it on daily for a small time and break out those treats. After a while of not caring about the sound then you could move in and hold the dogs paw close to the dremel. Do that daily until no bad reactions. After you get to that point you should be able to grind. Most dogs do better with grinding than clipping. Just make sure you have constant pressure and use a rocking motion. Don't let the tool bounce on the nail, it scares them and chips your sander. Use a high grit sand paper on your bit, it will feel most comfortable. Dremel to purchase: http://www.dremel.com/en-us/Tools/Pages/ToolDetail.aspx?pid=7300
Use low speed setting.
For those of you trying to shorten the quick the dremel is the only way to do this without quicking your dog. Please only attempt when you have septic powder on hand (just in case), and have complete confidence and control in what you are doing. Once you see the pink (white nails) or dark squishy black (black nails), you can then very carefully grind the nail away from the quick just around the very tip. The quick part you expose will then move back in the nail slowly. You should do this about every two weeks to shorten the quick until you reach the desired length. This should not be painful for your dog or make them bleed if done properly. Then keep up with the nails about every four weeks.
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