Nail clipping.

[Jjohnd]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

Before Christmas we visited a dog groomer who included nail clipping. The dog was putty in her hands. I did my homework and bought the correct clippers for our Lab. When I clip her nails she puts up a struggle.
I admit that feel apprehensive about clipping her nails. Do you think that my uneasiness is transmitted to her? Any suggestions would be most appreciated please.

 

[JoanneF]

There is a fabulous Facebook page - Nail Maintenance for Dogs.

But I have to confess, after 10 years of working on desensitising, I still have a dog with disgustingly long nails. In your situation, I'd be delighted to pay someone. Unfortunately T is not putty in anyone's hands ...

 

[JudyN]

I'm in the same position as @JoanneF - and no way would Jasper let a groomer near him either.

I second her recommendation for the Facebook group though, it's very thorough and helpful. If all else fails, try a scratchpad - there's a vid of me and Jasper in the early stages of training it here:

Luckily his back claws don't seem to get as long!

 

[JoanneF]

And, you can glue sandpaper into gutter pipe to get the edges too.

 

[JudyN]

Yup, that's my current version. Though I'm not sure it works that well on hare-pawed dogs. Looking at vid of Jasper, I might try to get him to do it lying down again and make a claw of his paw as he was doing there.

 

[lurcherman]

Right please don’t kick me hard up the behind, I’ve clipped all my own dogs without a problem, it’s down again to who’s the boss and a easy steady dog in the main, I’ve been asked to do other people’s dogs as I’ve said it’s easy, it’s different doing other people’s dogs lol, the main thing I can tell you is dont take your time, get paw get ur point of clip and get it done , if you as a person are unsure then please don’t try it, black nails ain’t great, get a light and find the blood line , I done a few greyhounds which was easy and a brown lab who was a stable lass so no problem, it changes of course on the dog.

 

[lurcherman]

Oh I did a few gsd and there dews and foot claws can be hard , right clippers of course is a must

 

[Rinkydinkydo]

Just like @lurcherman I've always done my own dogs nails if they've needed doing. Like he says it's just something I just get on with and the dogs just stand there.

 

[Hemlock]

I do my own dogs too, but only a few nails at a time and each nail clip gets a small reward. Thus I keep stress under threshold and can do what I want with my dogs in any situation. Forcing a fearful dog into a stress situation gains nothing but does lose trust. I always clip their nails when they are lying down too. It's easier on my back and their legs. I never let vet staff near my dogs' nails (or teeth) as they don't seem to care if they hurt the dogs or make them bleed. Once the trust is lost, it doesn't come back.
Some dogs love fuss and nail-clipping includes fuss - my friend's Staffords love it.

 

[JudyN]

Good clippers do make a world of difference - these clippers get the most recommendations on the Facebook group: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Miller-For...lippers&qid=1596446244&sr=8-1&tag=googhydr-21

A very very condensed summary of the advice in that group: you can start off just working on paw handling, then holding the clippers near the foot and so on, giving a treat each time (this isn't a 'reward' - you want the clippers to be a predictor of treats). Some people clip a piece of raw spaghetti next to the dog's paw to get her used to the sound. Then when you do clip the claws themselves, just take tiny slivers at first, even if she could really do with lots more off. It'll mean that the chances of hurting her are pretty much zero.

This gradual approach also means that you can be calmer and more confident, which will help her be calm.

 

[Biker John]

One lady at racing cuts quite a few dogs nails, she does it at the track before racing but after the traps are out. Every dog is more interested in the course than what's happening to their feet. I do Folly's nails myself with a Dremal, ok she does not enjoy it but she does get up on my lap when I get it out. And of course she wants and gets a treat after.

 

[Finsky]

I've always done my dog's nails too ....but these current little monkey's are a challenge. I'm sure with time we get there, I've already won them over with brushing their coats...that action they now see as great pleasure and getting the tweezers on them for plugging ticks off is just about tolerated too...
I'm working on to get the younger one to accept little bit of scissor trimming as she can get bit too hairy at the wrong places. But so far the nail battle is not been the most important thin on the list as they are rather active and have managed to wear their nails without them growing too long. We'll get there...I'm sure... lot of things are solved when given enough time for their brains to work things out or with maturity.

 

[Finsky]

I'm in the same position as @JoanneF - and no way would Jasper let a groomer near him either.

I second her recommendation for the Facebook group though, it's very thorough and helpful. If all else fails, try a scratchpad - there's a vid of me and Jasper in the early stages of training it here:

Luckily his back claws don't seem to get as long!

That board idea is brilliant! And nice to put a face for your name too... And now I'm thinking how I could adapt this board idea with my two diggers. If they would put same effort on the sand paper that they do when they dig, they would not have much nails left at all! I can imagine see through plastic board with sand paper on...hole in the ground with bucket sunk in....placing some sort of tempting thingy into the bucket for them to try to get to and they would soon scratch through the paper and board to it....'a mouse in a bucket' would work really well

 

[Jjohnd]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Plenty of 'paws' for thought (sorry)!