[xenos56]

Our almost three year old has an issue with clipping and even brushing. Whatever we try, nothing seems to work. As soon as he sees the clipper or hair brush - he bounces around and then races from one room to another. The closer we get, the more he does it. His nails are really long and we worry it will become a problem soon for him.

 

[wyominggrandma]

My suggestion? Put the dog on a leash and keep ahold of him before you even bring out the clippers and brush. You can't make him accept things if he is running fro room to room and you are trying to chase him down. Get control first, then bring in the nail clippers and make him just calm down, however long it takes, until he will be quiet. Then proceed to hold his paw and the clippers. Rub them over his feet and legs, again if he gets wild, make him stay and deal with it. Same as the brush.
Do not chase him or laugh at him running uncontrolled, be in control

 

[jakeandrenee]

Have you consider using a dremel to grind the nails rather than clipping them? Are you using a clicker and treats to train him to be desensitized to it? I think it always helps if they have had TONS of exercise first...

 

[jakeandrenee]

Here is a good link to read.
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/basic-care/137210-dremel-use-nails.html

 

[Blazings]

I agree with what has been said by wyominggrandma
And be sure to be patient. Maybe put the clipper in front of him while not holding it, so that he can sniff it?

 

[DCluver33]

I personally hate clippers, I dremmel my dogs nails. they seem to like that better because it doesn't pinch. I even got my border collie mixs quick last night and didn't hear a peep from her, where as when the vet did it with clippers she screamed like they where murdering her.

if you don't have a dremmel, I'd put your dog on a leash, lay the stuff on the floor, and bring the dog to them. let her smell them and give her a treat.
my dog used to hate getting his nails clipped so I put a leash on him, laid him on his side and just starts do his nails like he gets them done every day. when he pulled his foot away I held gently on to it, told him ah ah and held his foot until he stopped trying to pull his foot away. then once he stopped I put his foot down and moved to the next foot going back later if I wasn't done with the foot. it also helps if you give them a chew, like a bully stick, to work on while your doing the nails to create a good experience.

if you do your dogs nails every other day it'll force the quick to recede enabling you to get the nails shorter. good luck

 

[DCluver33]

I should add that I often treat after every foot. you can do this after every nail as well. and eventually you can fade out the treats because they'll see the clippers as a good thing. I do, however, treat at the end when I'm all done if I haven't given treats while burshing, or doing the nails.

sane thing withthe brush let her smell it, bring her to it, brush her like it's nothing, treat every so often while brushing.

 

[Jax's Mom]

Jax was terrified of having his nails clipped... I cured him of this in one day, just by trying an experiment that popped into my head.
He wouldn't tolerate anyone touching his paws for any reason... he would scream like I was skinning him alive. One night I grabbed his paw and held on without saying a word or making a sound until he stopped struggling. It was quite nerve wracking. It took about 5 minutes until he calmed down and gave in, then I let go and pet and loved and kissed him. I think he learned that holding his paws doesn't lead up to some horrible event. After that, the clippers weren't an issue.

 

[xenos56]

We've tried putting him on the leash after exercising him, tried the clicker (we use the clicker often) and even have a dremel. He is just wild. Can't even take him into the groomers without him dragging us around like a maniac (I should note that he was bred with a wolf - but we found out two years later!). Not sure what to do. They are so long! And even living in the city hasn't helped. He walks on the pavement and you'd think he had nails of steel or something lol.

 

[kiya]

I would put treats in my pocket or something, put the leash on, sit on the floor. Put the brush, nail clipper and dremel on the floor. With your fingers play with each nail, wiggle it around. Reward and praise for good behavior. Eventually touch the dog with the different pieces of equiptment. Turn the dremel on but leave it on the floor. Do stuff like that everyday, short sessions. You don't have to get all the nails in one shot.
Lakota used to freak if I touched her nails with the dremel.
Walking your dog on pavement helps keep nails down.

 

[cassadee7]

Here's what I did.
Wait til they're tired, to start with, and leash.
Say "paw", touch their paw, click and treat. (No clippers in sight)
Do this over and over, just touching, clicking, treating. WHen they let you, then touch for longer. Eventually holding.
Then it was touch a nail, click, treat. Repeatedly.
Then got the clipper out, click, treat.
Touch paw with clipper, click, treat. Repeatedly.
Touch nail with clipper, click treat...
(yes this takes awhile. It is worth it. Do this til he is calm about it)
THEN
Clip a TINY bit off one nail, and be super fast to click and treat a high value treat.
Do this with each nail. TINY bits, you do NOT want to quick him at his point or you're screwed.
Praise, be done, play. Maybe do one foot, or one nail, per day with this method until he is desensitized.

 

[xenos56]

I'm going to totally try that - thank you! I can see it will take a while, but it's really needed right now. But I think before I try it I will teach him to stop slamming his teeth onto my hand when I have a treat lol. Lots of work to be done on this guy, sigh.

 

[DCluver33]

I'm going to totally try that - thank you! I can see it will take a while, but it's really needed right now. But I think before I try it I will teach him to stop slamming his teeth onto my hand when I have a treat lol. Lots of work to be done on this guy, sigh.

put the treat in your hand and give the back of your hand, wait until he's not chomping down on your hand and gives you a softer bite, then treat.

what I did with dodger is I held the treat in my fingers gave him the treat, told him nice and I wouldn't give it to him until he was barley nibbling on my fingers. he's at the point where if I tell him nice before I treat him he won't take my hand off.

 

[jakeandrenee]

Also for the rough mouth I have been occasionally hand feeding Jake his meals a few pieces at a time. It has really semed to help.

 

[Anja1Blue]

My dogs don't like the dremmel, so clipping is the only way to go. Anja doesn't mind having her nails done, but Conor has to be distracted. I use cream cheese (not the stick kind, out of a tub.) He loves it! It does take 2 people though - DH feeds him the cc while I clip - it's gummy, and he has to work to get it off the spoon. He's so busy trying to get it all that he doesn't notice what I'm doing to his feet.
_______________________________________________
Susan

Anja SchH3 GSD
Conor GSD
Blue BH WH T1 GSD - waiting at the Bridge :angel: