Cutting Nails

[Acadianarose]

Payton will not let me cut his nails. I have a dremel tool and I have conditioned him over the past couple of months not to be scared of it. But he refuses to cut his nails. When I bring him to the vet to cut his nails, he screams like they are ripping his nails out.

 

He growls any time I try to touch his nails. It's getting ridiculous at this point. Any suggestions?

[krissy]

When Kili decided to be a ridiculous teenager and act like she hadn't been getting her nails cut ever since she was 8 weeks old, I started handling her feet every night before bed. I would brush her teeth and give her her special treat. I would have a few extra of her treat and I would then touch each foot and rub her toes, giving her treats the whole time. When I stopped touching her feet I stopped giving treats. At no point during this evening ritual did I bring out clippers or drummels. I was just touching feet and giving cookies. Every night. She got over her silly teenage issue pretty quickly.

 

With an older dog you might need to work up more slowly. Ideally during this time you never do more than the dog is happy to allow... so no nail trimming until the dog will allow it. And I never plan to do all the nails at one sitting if the dog is not completely comfortable. I'll do a single nail per day at first if necessary.

[Guest jetska]

I did a single nail per day like Krissy after lots of foot handling. Even after playing this little piggie and playing with her nails and toes cutting a nail was a big deal. I also find it helps if the dog is really tired so they don't want to put up much of a fuss. Nowadays I do Barbie's nails after she has been on a good off leash run in the park. She can't protest then.

[Acadianarose]

So should I bring him to the vet and get his nails trimmed in the meantime? He literally screams the whole time so I have been trying to put it off but his nails are long.

 

I did let him lick peanut butter off my finger tonight while I rubbed his paw. After a couple of tries, he let me touch his paw. BTW- I did try putting peanut butter on his muzzle while trimming his nail, but he won't let me.

[Guest jetska]

Could you play with him on a paved surface ? I find that helps wear the nails down. I would be concerned that the vet visits are not helping your attempts at counter-conditioning but it depends on the dog and whether he is generalising the vet experience to all feet touching experiences.

[krissy]

Ideally he shouldn't be subjected to a bad experience. Taking him to get them cut is not a positive experience for him. We do our best at our clinic, sometimes with one person devoted to head petting, cooing, and offering treats. But at the end of the day... we don't have time to spend half an hour on a nail trim. So yes, we will muzzle and (gently but firmly) restrain any dog that doth protest too much. We don't hurt them, but it's not positive overall to the dog. He will view it as a negative experience with his toes and it will set back your training. The more positive experiences he has and the fewer negative, the easier it will be for him. If you can work him up to allowing you to cut even one nail you won't have to worry about overgrown nails, because you'll just do them one at a time and when you finish the last one it will be time to start over!

[greysmom]

Lilly is a big baby about her nails, too. I usually try and catch them when they are laying down and relaxed. The other four barely twitch an eyelash, even Whiskey who has some space issues. But Lilly just won't have it. BUT she will tolerate it much better if she's standing up versus laying down. You also might try standard nail clippers rather than the dremel (the scissor kind and not the anvil kind). I know some dogs don't like either the sound or the vibration of the dremel on their nails, or both.

 

The other comment I would make is that sometimes having another person do them helps. One of my groups leaders has a dog that she can't do herself, but Buster is absolutely fine if I do his nails. This might not work for Payton since he screams at the vet too, though he just might feel anxious at the vet in general.

 

Another suggestion, if you have a big strong person in your life, is to have that person lift Payton up off his feet. This does sometimes work.

 

If you're really desperate and don't feel like you can take the time to desensitize him as Kristie outlined, you may need to have the vet very lightly sedate him. You'll pay for it, but at least they'll be done.

[Walliered]

The girl that does my dogs nails never cuts them to the quick. She has not done that even one time, but at the vet's office I have seem them quick dogs almost every time they cut nails. My girl gets down on her hands and knees and turns the paw over. She only works on a nail from the underside where she can see what she is doing. I still muzzle the dogs, tho.

[Hubcitypam]

With black nails that $12 at the vet is money well spent. I know that with my second dog he was a total dream for the groomer but pitched a fit with me. She said that happens a lot - anyone but the owner. I am not made out of money but avoiding the drama is worth it to me. I have nothing to prove that I can better my dog and allow me to trim or dremel his nails.

[Guest Clawsandpaws]

With whatever technique you try, use a muzzle, yes you can treat through a muzzle (although if you are doing it in small baby steps you MIGHT not need one) you might want to have someone help you.

 

I do nails in one of two ways: 1) dog laying on their side, I like to have one person petting the dog and such while I work, this is probably the best way to do it at home. 2)((This is how I work on kennel dogs)) Like I am working with horse hooves: I have the dog stand up, someone else is holding the dogs head and petting/loving, while I work like a farrier. I lift the dogs foot up and work by looking directly towards the bottom of the pad/nails. I prefer doing it this way so i can see exactly how much nail I can clip/dremel, and I feel like I can work quickly and have more control. I would only do that with dogs that are okay with their nails being done.

 

For difficult dogs in the adoption kennel, we use a type of sling that is suspended a barely above the ground or so, it basically immobilizes the dog, they kind of hang there like "derpaderp" so translating that into a home situation, you could try a calming thing like a thundershirt. It might help, you never know!

 

I met a 12 year old dog who came for a visit to our adoption kennel, he was awful. His nails were super long, but I give great props to his owner that they weren't curling under, that's how bad this dog was when getting his nails trimmed. Even with the muzzle I made 2 extra people help me hold him to keep him from breaking my face.

[gryhnd_adoptee]

My Tessie was a nightmare when we first got her and tried to do nails. I took her to a local groomer who started by putting her into the tub. While I sprayed water on her back feet alternately, the groomer would cut her front toes. Then we would switch and do the same for the back feet. Over time, she became so accustomed to it, that she would hop into the tub on her own for the routine each time we went. She eventually worked up to being trimmed while just standing on the floor while I hugged her during the trim. Took a while, but she is much better now.

 

The reason for the water in the beginning is because the groomer said they are only capable of focusing on one thing at a time. While she was focused on where I was going to spray next with the water, she was not paying attention to the groomer clipping the nails on her other feet. Worked really well.

[sobesmom]

I gave up with Diana. In every other sense - she is THE EASIEST greyhound ever. But nails - no go. She'll never forget that I quicked her horribly several years ago. I've tried every technique. She's been a screaming, flailing disaster ever since.

So - I take her to the vet for clips. She LOVES going to the vet (I know, she's weird). The vet clips her nails - she wags her tail the whole time - and every time he asks "Why do you pay me for this?". BECAUSE I NEED TO. It's worth it. If there was a groomer around here - I'd go to them - and Diana would probably be fabulous. But me - not gonna happen. Never again.

 

Sometimes - you cut your losses - and just pay somebody else to keep your sanity and not make your dog a freak.

[Willowsmum]

I use the pedipaws dremel. I trained him with cheese sticks. It's the only time he gets them. if I even pick up pedipaws to put it away, he assumes the position and waits for cheese. :-) The first few times I had DH pet and soothe dog and give cheese while I worked. When they get too long I pay the vet. *sigh* I don't have the nerve to try to avoid quick in black nails and the dog is a sissy and cries before I ever cut anything, so no clippers for me.

[cleptogrey]

find a local groomer,(someone easy going) take a muzzle and treats along. go every 2 weeks to get the nails back and call it a day. it's difficult to recondition a dog who hates to have their nail cut. it can be done, but you have to be committed to the process. think of the cost as a daily soda or coffee for yourself- well worth the $$.

Edited December 11, 2013 by cleptogrey

[duncan41]

The only way we can cut Fuzz's nails is to have DH sit in one of our dining room chairs with Fuzz's body "straddling" his lap which brings all 4 feet off of the floor. The feeling of insecurity it creates gives me a window of opportunity, but I better be prepared and know exactly what I'm going to do - and do it quickly! At least she doesn't scream when we do it that way, but she will still jerk her feet out of my grasp if I go back to try and take a little more off any given nail. The front feet are the worst. The back feet - not so much because she can't see me as well. We muzzle her and DH feeds treats thru the muzzle the whole time.

 

Her sister was a dream - I could do anything to her and she never, ever protested. My first GH had a full blown panic attack the first time I cut her nails and she was a "bomb proof" 7 year old bounce. It must have been because I did it while she way laying down because from then on, I only trimmed her nails when she was standing up and she never batted an eyelash.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

I do nail trimming at different greyhound events for my group and it is so funny to hear people's comments when I trim then dremmel their hounds nails. In nearly every single case the hound has conditioned the owner to not do the nails. They will say "my hound will scream and try to bite me when I do the nails", yet they are as quiet and happy as when they walked in when I do the nails, of course I ask the owner to leave the area so the hound cant see the owner. If the hound sees their owner, they will act like I am hurting them. Why do I say this, well is a matter of realizing that you are not hurting your dog, and simply do what you need to do. Put a muzzle on them, have a friend hold them and trim their nails. It may take a few times of this routine for the hound to realize that the nails are getting trimmed regardless of what the hound wants. When the hound realizes this, they will stop acting up. Don't worry, you wont break them.

Edited December 11, 2013 by Greyt_dog_lover

[Hubcitypam]

Well, Chad all I have to say is that you are a better man than I in the general sense.

 

Yes, I could quick them, make them scream and put us all through a bunch of trauma which I am not up to. I would be willing to do that for white or horn nails but could you please share your secret for clipping huge thick black nails without quicking them?

I had one foster for a major group here that was so nail adverse a trainer for them had to come over to do his nails. It ended up with a combo of me holding him off his feet with multiple restraints on the fence by the trainer.

Edited December 11, 2013 by Hubcitypam

[Guest jetska]

Barbie's nails are black.... I find if I just cut to where the nail stops 'tapering' to a point that I don't quick them. Perhaps I could cut more off but I don't really want to, I like her nails to be 'square' then she can't scratch me haha

[Acadianarose]

Ugggg as soon as he saw the dremel tool, he started growling at me. I think I taught him how not to get his nails trimmed!

[greysmom]

So leave the cremel out and about. Lay it someplace he sees all the time - a coffee table or side table - not too near his bed, but someplace he will see it/pass it regularly. He'll be freaked at first - just ignore him. Throw him a treat when he's calm, or if he shows appropriate curiosity in it. Once he's used to it in that location, move it around and start over.

[Guest jetska]

switch to clippers for a fresh start ? I like clippers, they are quicker I think. They don't get as nice a 'finish' but dogs don't need manicures hehe

[GreytNut]

I take a turnout muzzle with a poop cup and slather creamy peanut butter inside, then put it on Riley before going to work on his nails. It accomplishes 2 things. 1) He's so busy licking the peanut butter out of the cup that he doesn't care what I do with his nails and 2) If he does get snarly, he can't take a chunk out of me.

[brianamac]

 

 

Another suggestion, if you have a big strong person in your life, is to have that person lift Payton up off his feet. This does sometimes work.

 

 

THIS! When we visited a racing kennel in Dubuque, they showed us their 'hanging scale' for weighing the dogs... a full body sling supports the dog while it's in the air, getting weighed. They mentioned that that is the best way to do nails on a touchy dog. The dog goose-necks and no fussing.

We've tried this with our guys at home, by lifting them up and holding them, and it works. You may only be able to get one paw done at a time, but it's no fussing or squirming, and therefore less possibility of quicking or them thinking you're "the bad guy". Lots of treats afterwards (they probably won't take treats while being suspended in the air)!

We still do take our sensitive nail guy to the groomers to get them done. Well worth the money as he frets less with them than he does with us.

[Guest iconsmum]

This is the deal I make with one of ours who loves drama. I have a white resin-type kitchen chopping board whose surface has a tiny bit of "tooth". I put a tsp of peanut butter on a dinner knife and, pressing hard, I scrape a film of it across the board...with the long edge of the knife. It's surprising how far that much pb goes. Then I muzzle him, ask him up on the sofa, make him lie down, put the board down so that to lick it, he needs to turn his head away from me and I dremel one paw or a couple of nails at a time after casually draping his paw over a sofa cushion so I can get at the under side. If I take a break, I take up the board - no dremel, no pb board. He's not particularly thrilled with the job being done but happily, he is a pig. I make sure not to grab a paw awkwardly or to twist his wrist (altho I'd like to haha). If pb isn't an option, one tsp of cheez wiz would work too. This isn't counter conditioning, it's just sort of inventing an ok-truce.

Since fear is primal you really have to trump it with an excellent well-thought out food-reward setup to get around it...tricky to control the dog's fear when you're scared too (more primal) so it's usually a bit of a mess. Hounds are usually just being idiots but omg, you should see what happens when a trainer (me) works with a german shepherd dog who's learned every display trick in the book to intimidate his owners out of their clippers and pants.

Edited December 12, 2013 by iconsmum

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Hub-

When I actually use the clippers (typically I will use dremmel only, but if I am under time restraints such as a line of hounds waiting I will clip first) I clip a small amount each time. I don't go for a large cut. More smaller cuts and look at the nail to see if the "u" is starting to show. The old adage of measure twice, cut once, well I make 3 small clips instead of one large clip.

 

The other thing is your energy. I am not a fan of Ceasar M, but its very strange that when I am around dogs (any breed really) that are either agitated or upset, my calm demeanor tends to calm them down. That and I am not afraid of being bit (since I have ben bit a few times) so I think that dogs can read that confidence and tend to not try to elevate the situation knowing they cant really change my mind about things. So I do think that part of the issue with a lot of the dogs is 1) the owner being around, and 2) the person clipping the nails attitude.

 

Of course there are those that have already been conditioned to freak out, so those are the, "hold on and make it happen" type of hounds.

Edited December 12, 2013 by Greyt_dog_lover