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Cutting nails

Haydss

Member
Have any of you guys got tips on how to cut your puppies nails. Charlie is six months old and whenever we try to cut his nails he goes crazy and doesn't want it done. He usually is happy with us touching and playing with his feet but the moment he thinks they are going to be cut he gets upset, wriggling, whining and if you persist, gets extremely grumpy.

Any help would be appreciated. PS, he loves having his teeth cleaned, lol. Go figure?
 
A kiwi! Hi, I spent a semester at Lincoln university a few years ago, you have a gorgeous city (and country).

Sleepy puppies struggle less. My method is at the end of the day spend some time calming down, maybe a puppy massage, deep breathes for you (they will pick up on your stress so it's a good idea to focus on you relaxing too). If you have someone to help (one person to hold, and one to clip that's easiest). Go as quickly as possible but don't rush. Then lots of treats and praise afterwards.
 
I do Rose's at night when she's sleeping. If she notices, I rub her tummy and she passes right back out ;) . I use baby nail clippers (though I don't think those are going to last much longer, I'll have to go to regular size ones, and then, the Dremmel I hope). Our boxer hated getting her nails clipped, but when I got a Dremel and had my daughter feed her treats the whole time instead of trying with the clippers and the treats, she settled down quickly (I did let her get used to the sound and smell of the Dremmel several times before I tried it on her feet- you may also want to practice with it a bit so it doesn't get away from you if you decide to give it a go). After a few sessions of that, I would ask her if she wanted to "go" and then tell her we had to do her nails first (I had my shoes on, lol) and she would let me hurry up and trim them so we could "go" (even if it was a trip to the pharmacy drive through). If she had to choose between a car ride and treats for a reward, it was a car ride all the way. I think Rose is going to be good with treats, the little piggy ;) .
 
I do Skippy's right after his monthly bath (after he's been dried, of course). I plop myself down in the bathtub, and put him on my lap with his back kind of against my belly. He hardly moves or struggles as I then do his front paws first followed by his hind paws. It probably helps that I've never cut into the quick, so he probably has nothing to fear in terms of pain. A couple of times I've almost cut too deep but he pulled away just in time.

Also when he was younger (I've been doing this since he was 10 weeks old) and more fidgety, I'd reward him with a treat after every nail, and gradually reduced the rewards each time.
 
I do Riley's when he is sleeping as well. When he starts to get tired I can position him on his back and rub his belly so he will fall asleep with all four paws in the air. This has made it a lot easier to trim them without him wriggling around and me worrying about cutting too close by one of his sudden movements.
 
I give Sophie a piece of chicken jerky while I do it. By the time she's done with it, I'm done clipping her nails. Works wonderful!

Jeni
 
Tip #1: trim the fur on the pads of the feet. I can't even SEE Pupper's nails if I don't trim the fur first! I bought an automated trimmer and she doesn't seem to mind it.

Tip #2: when doggie is in your lap play with the feet. Press the pads, stroke the nails. This gets the dog used tot he idea of you fooling around with the feet and they are less anxious at nail clipping time.

Tip #3: Mine is best in the sink ready for a bath -- she doesn't struggle as much as in the lap. If you can put dog in sink and clip there it may be less trouble.

Tip #4: If #3 doesn't work, then try laying on top of dog (not with your weight on dog, but blocking the body. I read this tip in a book and it is basic "alpha, I'm in charge and you are not" for the dog and they won't struggle.

Good luck!
 
If you decide to go with a dremel, I highly recommend you purchase the Safeguard from Peticure. It is worth every penny!

http://www.peticure-grooming.com/Peticure-Safe-Guard_p_14.html

The first time I tried a dremel, it caught my poor Cavalier's slippers in the head. With the Peticure Safe Guard, I have never caught a single hair. I use the Safeguard with a variable speed dremel. It works great! I did not buy the Peticure grinder, just the guard. I was told that the grinder doesn't have enough power and the battery doesn't last long.
 
I had nothing but trouble with a dremel.

Cavalier's have long hair on the pads of their feet. Even when trimmed, it is easy for hair to get pulled into the dremel and the result is a freaked out and possibly hurt dog.

Plus the very loud noise bothers my dog no end.
 
Thanks, I'll see about getting the guard next time I go to the hardware store. I also have a variable speed Dremel, a smaller, battery operated one. It's really not that loud, and I will take time to acclimate her to it. If it works, it works, if not... It's certainly quieter than the hairdryer and she doesn't mind it anymore (ahhhh warm air!!!- lol ;) ).

Well, I guess I will order it from the website after I make sure it will fit mine ;) .
 
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I had nothing but trouble with a dremel.

Cavalier's have long hair on the pads of their feet. Even when trimmed, it is easy for hair to get pulled into the dremel and the result is a freaked out and possibly hurt dog.

The Peticure Safe Guard keeps the paw fur out of the dremel head. Since I started using the guard, I haven't caught any hair at all. Before using the guard....yep....you are right....that was a nightmare!

J.
 
The Peticure Safe Guard keeps the paw fur out of the dremel head. Since I started using the guard, I haven't caught any hair at all. Before using the guard....yep....you are right....that was a nightmare!

J.

Thanks Jay!! That is great to know. I don't really trim Lucky and Sparky but rather let the groomer handle it, but I'd love to try this and see if we can decrease the frequency of our grooming appointments. :)
 
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