# Nail clipping nervousness!



## Leslie735 (Dec 11, 2014)

Roxy is 5.5 months old and I've trimmed her nails a few times but I can never do more than a couple at a time without her squirming and whining and she cries everytimes I trim them so I'm scared I'm hurting her. Even after I trim them they still look long to me and sharp. I bought one of those dog nail file things but it doesn't work that well, they are still jagged feeling. What am I doing wrong?


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

I don't use clippers because my dog has black nails and honestly I was like you every single time I cut Meeko's nails. I was always terrified of cutting the quick!

That's why I invested in a dremel. Best $30 I've spent. We started off really slow, and I showered him with treats every time I used it on him. Now I can do all four paws with minimal squirming. No blood drawn, and no accidental hurting!


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

We get nervous then the dog gets nervous, it is all a mess. The dremel really helped me as well. If the dog is squirming and just then you squeeze the clipper you might clip more than you meant to and get the quick which bleeds a lot. If you just take off the triangle at the tip of the nail to 'square' up the whole nail you won't quick the dog and that tip has the harder part of the nail so what is left just might wear down a little. Then go over it with your file. I just use a diamond file and it gets the dremeled nail as shiny as the rest of the nail. 

Try having an accomplice feeding her a constant streams of tiny treats or licks of peanut butter while you work with the feet.

Check the photos on this page. http://www.lakesidevets.com/site/view/173225_TrimNails.pml Ginger's nails looked nearly as sharp as the cat claws when she came home to us. I had no idea dog nails could get so sharp!


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## Kayla_Nicole (Dec 19, 2012)

Yep, both of our dogs have black nails too and we also invested in a dremel. I will never use regular clippers again.


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## JeJo (Jul 29, 2013)

I am also in favor of using a Dremel (or other brand rotary tool, having since changed to a Black and Decker corded) and only wish I would have tried this method with the previous dogs in my life. Once I stumbled upon doberdawn.com (link on left hand side of her home page) and her well illustrated dremeling instructions, which include an all important section on gradually introducing your dog to the dremel, there was no going back.

Also, Leslie, if you haven't yet, do consider working on getting your little gal use to just having her feet touched and played with during plain ol' hang-out times that do not involve grooming.


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## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

taquitos said:


> I don't use clippers because my dog has black nails and honestly I was like you every single time I cut Meeko's nails. I was always terrified of cutting the quick!
> 
> That's why I invested in a dremel. Best $30 I've spent. We started off really slow, and I showered him with treats every time I used it on him. Now I can do all four paws with minimal squirming. No blood drawn, and no accidental hurting!


This ^^^ Marley has always hated having her nails done. I tried and tried to get her used to having them clipped, but it was always a struggle. She was scared and jumpy. I was nervous and stressed out. It was horrible.

Then we got a Dremel. Best thing ever! Marley is still getting used to it, so she still gets treats during the process, but she likes it way better. We can actually do a whole paw a night now (with the clippers...we were lucky to finish one nail a night).


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## Leslie735 (Dec 11, 2014)

Thanks everyone! Defiantly checking into a Dremel!


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## chimunga (Aug 29, 2014)

Leslie735 said:


> Thanks everyone! Defiantly checking into a Dremel!


Get an inexpensive one that's not pet specific. I got a pedipaws and the motor crapped out in a month. You can get a nice dremmel for around 30 bucks. I got my black and Decker one from target.


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## DGerry (Sep 12, 2014)

Just to chime in because Chester has dark nails and I'm always nervous about getting the "quick"; For the people who use the dremel, do you have issues with it...skipping when you first touch it to the nails? Do you use a high or low speed? What grit sandpaper rolls work best? I'm hoping the "skipping" problem is just a technique issue I need to sort out, I know part of it is that Chester is very fidgety. I don't know if high or low speed is better because I read you shouldn't dwell too long on one nail so it doesn't overheat, and I'm not sure if a rougher or finer sandpaper would be better re: heat, skipping, and getting it done fast(because Chester doesn't like to relax if you have your hands on his paws lol)


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## chimunga (Aug 29, 2014)

DGerry said:


> Just to chime in because Chester has dark nails and I'm always nervous about getting the "quick"; For the people who use the dremel, do you have issues with it...skipping when you first touch it to the nails? Do you use a high or low speed? What grit sandpaper rolls work best? I'm hoping the "skipping" problem is just a technique issue I need to sort out, I know part of it is that Chester is very fidgety. I don't know if high or low speed is better because I read you shouldn't dwell too long on one nail so it doesn't overheat, and I'm not sure if a rougher or finer sandpaper would be better re: heat, skipping, and getting it done fast(because Chester doesn't like to relax if you have your hands on his paws lol)


You want to use a med-high speed with a fine grain. You also need to be aware of what way your dremel is turning. If it's skipping like that, it means you need to flip the direction of the dremel. I'm constantly moving the dremel around when I'm doing Watson's nails to prevent it from skipping.


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## JeJo (Jul 29, 2013)

DGerry said:


> Just to chime in because Chester has dark nails and I'm always nervous about getting the "quick"; For the people who use the dremel, do you have issues with it...skipping when you first touch it to the nails? Do you use a high or low speed? What grit sandpaper rolls work best? I'm hoping the "skipping" problem is just a technique issue I need to sort out, I know part of it is that Chester is very fidgety. I don't know if high or low speed is better because I read you shouldn't dwell too long on one nail so it doesn't overheat, and I'm not sure if a rougher or finer sandpaper would be better re: heat, skipping, and getting it done fast(because Chester doesn't like to relax if you have your hands on his paws lol)


I never have problems with the sanding band stuttering on the nail at all. I am right handed and usually hold the tool to the right of Kayla's paws but may angle it differently as needed. 

As far as speed, there are so many different powered dremels on the market with a variety of speeds, depending. I used the high setting when I used the two-speed 4.8 volt cordless Dremel, so, 13,000rpm with that one. I am currently using a corded Black and Decker RTX "3-speed" (really more multi-speed) at a setting just between low and medium to achieve similar results (may try faster setting as I am still getting the feel of this brand and power).

I use 1/2" _fine_ sanding bands, so 120 grit. I have coarser 60 grit bands but that just looks too coarse to me (haven't tried them). If you are already running about 13,000 rpm or better and using a fine grit band, make sure that your drum sanding mandrel (the bit you slip your sanding band onto) is seated well into the tool's collet and not wobbling at all. If you are all set in those three aspects, just try repositioning your approach so you can prevent the dreaded stutter that I have to imagine sends shivers up the pup's nail/paws. 

Regarding relaxing, if Chester loves belly rubs as much as my dog, a soothing session before getting started on the grinding is a nice touch (we work on the floor, with her laying on her back).

Edited to add::: Also remember to hold the toe of the nail on which you are working, not only does it help separate it from the next toe, but helps ensure that loose 'toe wobble' isn't causing the stutter while grinding. Oh, and, of course, if the dog has long hair, make sure to hold it back and away from the nail so that it doesn't get caught up in the spinning mandrel.


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

DGerry said:


> Just to chime in because Chester has dark nails and I'm always nervous about getting the "quick"; For the people who use the dremel, do you have issues with it...skipping when you first touch it to the nails? Do you use a high or low speed? What grit sandpaper rolls work best? I'm hoping the "skipping" problem is just a technique issue I need to sort out, I know part of it is that Chester is very fidgety. I don't know if high or low speed is better because I read you shouldn't dwell too long on one nail so it doesn't overheat, and I'm not sure if a rougher or finer sandpaper would be better re: heat, skipping, and getting it done fast(because Chester doesn't like to relax if you have your hands on his paws lol)


I've had mine skip but only because I was using the dremel in the wrong direction. The sand paper should to moving upwards, not downwards. If the sandpaper moves downwards then yes, it will skip. I am just using whatever came with my dremel, which doesn't look to be the finest grain. I put his nails up to the dremel for maybe 3-5 seconds at a time, and take my time with it. I use low speed because my dog is tiny so his nails are smaller.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

I have always used low speed and a coarse sanding band and sand down from top of nail as that is the part I want to take off. I do need to hold the nail firmly so it doesn't skip and I try to count to 3 so I don't stay in one spot too long. Maybe if I didn't hold the nail then fine/high/up is the right way?

Tried fine bands and higher speed, too much friction/heat build up and I couldn't touch the nail for as long a time.


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## DGerry (Sep 12, 2014)

Ahh yeah, direction of rotation makes sense...need to make sure the drum is rotating away from the edge/tip of the nail and not towards it, that's probably why it "jumps" sometimes when I first touch the nail. I'll have to try flipping it around next time I'm doing it if it jumps/skips again.

As for relaxing him with a belly rub...eh, I mean he loves belly rubs but it just makes him excited, he starts pawing at you and trying to eat his own legs etc. He's a bit of a nutcase. I think my best bet might be to plan nail trimmings on a day when we're just getting back from the dog park or something, maybe if he's extra tired he'll just let me do it. Right now it's definitely a two-person job, someone has to basically just "hug" him to restrain him because otherwise there's no way I can hold his foot in place to either trim or sand down his nails. He still fidgets around enough that last night I basically just trimmed off a bit with the clippers and then smoothed them out/ground them down a bit more as best I can. I'm really hoping that the more we do it and the older he gets, the more calm he'll be while we try to do it. Ideally, I'd like to be able to do it by myself...we'll see lol


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## JeJo (Jul 29, 2013)

Kathyy said:


> I have always used low speed and a coarse sanding band and sand down from top of nail as that is the part I want to take off. I do need to hold the nail firmly so it doesn't skip and I try to count to 3 so I don't stay in one spot too long. Maybe if I didn't hold the nail then fine/high/up is the right way?
> 
> Tried fine bands and higher speed, too much friction/heat build up and I couldn't touch the nail for as long a time.


Kathyy, after reading your post, I thought I would try a coarser sanding band for Kayla's nails. I have to say that using this 60-grit band (as opposed to my usual finer 120-grit) proved to be more efficient, getting the job done more quickly. I will go another session next week and if I get similar results (which I no doubt will), I will be a convert to the coarser sanding band! Thank you for your gritty share and the proper spelling of _coarse_ [as opposed to course] ; )

FWIW: I did not notice a difference in the heat build up as I never apply long enough to be concerned, and experienced only the slightest rougher touch on the nail, not enough to bother Kayla.


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