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Cutting Nails

3K views 25 replies 19 participants last post by  eddie1976E 
#1 ·
So, my boy is about 17 weeks and I have been handling his paws on a daily basis since we got him at 9 weeks. I have made it a point to cut his nails weekly. I only take 1-2mm off each time to ensure I don't cause pain or bleeding. Lately he has been very vocal and protective of his paws. I still handle them, but he gives me some lip and mouths my hands.

Cutting his nails has always been a 2 person job. One distracts with toys/treats, the other cuts. It seems like he is putting up more of a fight now.

How do I get through this so that I don't have a 90 pound dog that hates getting his nails cut?


Thanks
 
#2 ·
When I start with a puppy, I'll cut say 'one', pop him a treat, cut another, pop him a treat..

Believe me, I've had one that HATED her nails done, I would get her in a down, my husband would literally pin her to the floor ,,she didn't struggle, but she sure didn't like her nails done.

Masi, the fat lard, I stand over her, bend down, lift one paw, flip it so I can see the quik, and clip,,she's not thrilled with it, but doesn't give me any guff about it..

I sometimes do it, when they are laying around, ...
 
#5 · (Edited)
It is so easy to teach dogs to file their own nails that I'm never going to bother with cutting them again.

Front paw filing is like 5 minutes of training time even if the dog has absolutely no prior experience, and less than one minute if the dog already has a front paw target. Back paw filing takes a little longer, but it's still way less hassle than nail clipping ever was.

I am only sad that I didn't discover this years ago. I spent so much money at groomers and let Pongu's nails grow way too long. Now it's all I can do to keep him from quicking himself, he's so excited to file his nails short.
 
#7 ·
I also dremel my girls nails... it's a lot less stressful and doesn't seem to cause any discomfort like clipping does. They let you know when you're getting close to the quick as they pull their paw away (from the quick getting hot). Atm we're still at the stage of having someone distract her with treats but I can get all 5 paws done in 2min without any hassle.
 
#8 ·
My dremel is pretty loud...he is a bit sensitive to the vacuum, so I didn't bother trying it.

I will try the cut, treat, cut, treat...a few people recommended that. I will also desensitize him to the dremel sound. In case we have to go that route.
 
#9 ·
Ah we did that early with Raven, I just turned it on and played with her and trained until it was just background noise, then moved on to touching her with it so the vibrations weren't a surprise and then finally we're at the- someone treat her as I do her nails- part.
 
#11 ·
The value of a quality down/stay...with a rollover...and other side..is well worth the time and effort....vets love it too. It sounds like you are well on your way...taking the time to handle the paws on a daily basis...my bitch as a pup was fairly easy using the approach you cited. I will say, all the tip of nose to tip of paw massages I gave her, sure paid dividends, I do believe.

Keep pressing forward and throw plenty of positive experiences in the mix to significantly outweigh the nail trimming tension...perhaps on both your accounts...dog and human.

SuperG
 
#13 ·
I wear them out and then do it quick with a party afterward. I've never used food because all my GSDs have been such high food drive they just get out of control. Food amps them up and generally treats in my hands = drive and training. There's no way they will hold still when I'm trying to hold them down and have food in my hands (I don't have any help with my dogs). Sometimes I can only do one foot and then I let them go, try again later, but usually after a few trimmings they learn I'm not trying to kill them and just sit still for the 45 seconds it takes to trim all their feet.
 
#14 ·
If you want to try a dremel, here are complete instructions: How to Dremel Dog Nails @ DoberDawn.com

Cassidy hated having her nails trimmed, in fact she hated her paws even being touched, and would immediately yank them away. I was able to get her to lay on her side while I dremeled all four feet with a week of daily sensitization using the DoberDawn instructions. My husband laughed when I brought home my little battery operated Mini Mite dremel - he thought she'd never let me use it on her. I proved him wrong!
 
#16 ·
I do the wear the dog out thing as well. Then am consistent; it has gotten to when I tell him to down after a run in that one spot he automatically rolls over on his side and offers his paw.

It took a good while to get my current dog used to this as a puppy and I will admit to taking him a few times for help until we got down the dremeling but now I will never go back!

Doberdawn is great!

Teach dog to file own nails? Interesting. There are some youtubies but how about the back nails? I use the time to really inspect the paws as well, and lotion the pads etc.
 
#17 ·
What kind of nail clipper are you using? You should have the "pliers" type, rather than the "guillotine" type. It is much easier and faster if you don't have to thread the nail through the hole of the guillotine type, with the pliers type you can simply grab the nail where you want to clip and snip it off.

He's about 4-5 months old, you said? He's probably going through a phase. He's already been desensitized to having his feet handled, so he's not scared or hurt, he's just being a brat. Now is not the time for feeding treats--you may inadvertently be reinforcing bad behavior. You've been nothing but sweet and nice and now he's throwing a tantrum--it's time to get down to business.

When you clip a nail, do it FAST. Don't squeeze the clippers shut, SNAP them shut. Be firm and decisive when you've decided where you want to cut. At this point, don't shave off millimeters at a time. Just one firm decisive snap per nail, then move to the next as quickly as possible. If you do it quickly and without fanfare, it'll be over before he has a chance to act up. If he struggles or fights you, tell him "No", and wait for him to calm down, but don't give up. Give calm praise when he's still, but no treats and no parties until you're done. This is a battle you have to win, every time, or he's going to learn he can get out of having his nails done by acting like a wild beast.

When it's all over, wait until he's calm for a moment, then release him and THEN you party with treats and toys and praise.

I've trained literally thousands of dogs to have their nails trimmed. Some will never *like* it, but they should be able to tolerate it.
 
#19 ·
I do a down stay and one small treat per nail, but it's really nice in the year and a half I've had her I've never had to cut her back nails..I guess it's how she runs..
but! she was always really awesome about having her nails cut. As a baby she'd just fall asleep while I was doing it. At 6 months she went through this phase for a month where she'd try to yank them away. That ended quickly when I grabbed them and cut them anyway and stuffed her mouth full of food after lol.

The back paws that I've never cut
 
#20 ·
Mego,

I have the same situation with my gal's back paw's nails....probably only cut them a few times over her 22 months....and I do believe it is from her gait at certain speeds. Even as a pup, I would on occasion hear her hind's clicking on the street at times.

I am curious...does your GSD have an over-reach...mine does and wonder if that is related to the rear nails scratching the ground at times???

SuperG
 
#26 ·
Thanks folks. I did the cut, treat, cut, treat and it went much better. He didn't even notice. I even drew blood on one of them and he didn't notice. It is alot easier with two people. I would hate to do it by myself.
 
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