# Does anyone else have extreme difficulty doing their dog's nails?



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

Marley has always hated having her nails done. When she was younger, I used to to take her to a groomer to have them done. I don't know if she had a bad experience or if it's just her, but she HATES it.

So after years of having her scream and cry at the groomer's, having to be muzzled with multiple people restraining her, I decided that I was going to do her nails. I thought it would be less traumatic for her.

So I bought a pair of clippers. And we started CC'g with food. Turns out *I* was too scared to use the clippers (all of her nails are black) because I didn't want to quick her, so we moved on to CC'g with a Dremel.

That was a little over a year ago, and I am still having difficulties. Has it improved? Yes. But it's still sooooo frustrating for everyone. I actually dread doing her nails now 

We still have to use food...lots of food. Without it, you're not getting near the nail. She is food motivated to the extreme. There is no such thing as a low-value treat for Marley. All food is crazy exciting. She gets so over threshold when we do nails. There is whining, cooing, and constant movement to try and "earn" the food. 

SO is the provider of the food during nail time. I swear we have tried everything to get her to be semi-still...rapid feeding, bully sticks where she can constantly chew, slow and controlled IYC style (which she is very good at outside of nail time). Nothing is working! Add to that the fact that if you touch her nail with the dremel, she will immediately pull it away. She is constantly squirming and wriggling everywhere.

Now, I would love to take this way slower than we have been, but the nails need to be done. And her nails grow very fast (they need to be done once a week). 

I just don't know what to do. I have become so frustrated trying to get her nails to a better length. I am contemplating just bringing her to the vet to get them done, but the thought of her being so afraid makes be so upset.


My plan is to take her to the vet a few times (whatever it takes to get her nails to a good length and have the quick recede a bit) and then try and maintain the length by doing a nail or two every day. Whether that will actually work, I don't know, but I nearly lost my...you know...this morning trying to get her nails done.

Does anyone else have a dog who is super difficult when it comes to nails? I feel like a crappy dog guardian just thinking about it. Thank goodness that Nova's nails are easier to do, or I would be in an asylum by now.

/rant.


----------



## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

I hate doing nails. HATE IT. I pay the vet to do it because I HATE IT SO MUCH. Nothing else bothers me. Cleaning up vomit/diarrhea? Cost of doing business. Dog hair everywhere? I buy stock in lint rollers and buy cheap rugs and couches. No big. Nails, though, ugh.


----------



## jade5280 (Feb 20, 2013)

Yep. Ryker is terrible. The vet can't do it, the groomer can't do it, I can't do it. His nails are perpetually long. I have made very slight progress with pretending to clip a nail and then giving him a treat, repeat, repeat, repeat, then clip a nail and give him a pile of treats. Repeat. Unfortunately I don't get much off at all this way because I have to do it quickly before he feels the pressure of the clippers or he will pull away. It can take me 30+ minutes just to clip a sliver off of one nail. He absolutely will not tolerate any kind of restraint during clipping or he will go cujo.

I did have the vet give him the injectable sedative, but he even fought through that and 2 people still had to hold him down while he was muzzled.


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

Amaryllis said:


> I hate doing nails. HATE IT. I pay the vet to do it because I HATE IT SO MUCH. Nothing else bothers me. Cleaning up vomit/diarrhea? Cost of doing business. Dog hair everywhere? I buy stock in lint rollers and buy cheap rugs and couches. No big. Nails, though, ugh.


Agreed. Nails truly are the worst. They make anal gland expressions look like a fabulous time.



jade5280 said:


> Yep. Ryker is terrible. The vet can't do it, the groomer can't do it, I can't do it. His nails are perpetually long. I have made very slight progress with pretending to clip a nail and then giving him a treat, repeat, repeat, repeat, then clip a nail and give him a pile of treats. Repeat. Unfortunately I don't get much off at all this way because I have to do it quickly before he feels the pressure of the clippers or he will pull away. It can take me 30+ minutes just to clip a sliver off of one nail. He absolutely will not tolerate any kind of restraint during clipping or he will go cujo.
> 
> I did have the vet give him the injectable sedative, but he even fought through that and 2 people still had to hold him down while he was muzzled.


I totally feel your pain. I was thinking about maybe having the vet try a sedative with Marley. I have a feeling she would still fight the process, much like Ryker.

Marley's nails have been perpetually long for a long time too because we are just moving so slow through this process. I just can't get enough off to actually get the quick to recede.

This morning, we spent about 45 mins on her nails...we almost got two paws done (which is way better than it used to be...edit: and the word "done" is used rather loosely), and then I gave up  I was beyond frustrated.


----------



## sydneynicole (Apr 2, 2015)

I don't have to do my groups nails often because they walk on pavement/sidewalk a lot, even though I try to get them to run on the grass. Dazey is totally fine with it, Maya loves it (she loves any form of grooming). Grace has a really really strong stay, so even though she hates it if I tell her to stay I can get her nails done in about 5 minutes. But it does terrify me because her nails are black. I've yet to quick her, but I honestly think I've just been lucky because I can't see them at all.

Tucker is pretty bad. My sister has to lay on him, literally, while I put weight on him as well and half the time we only get one paw done before he shakes us off. And we are both in shape and athletic and 5'6.

Nails are a struggle, and they scare me honestly. Luckily the pavement does most of the work for me. Maybe you could try one of those calming chews, or thunder shirt or something of the like? With such a strong aversion to nail clipping who knows if it would work, but that would probably be my next step before having the vet sedate her.

As a side note, Grace goes around and eats all the little pieces of nail after we are done, so at least I don't have to clean up. She loves horse hoof trimmings as well.


----------



## kdawnk (Mar 26, 2014)

I'm awful at cutting nails. 
Her back feet? Easy peasy there's a white one in the middle of all the black and I just gauge clipping size via the quick for both the back feet.
Front feed. All black. She can sense my nervousness of cutting her quick. I've done it like three times now (never bad) but it freaks me out more than her. She whines slightly and then looks for the treat that I'll inevitably be giving her, I stop the bleeding and she's slightly more antsy but fairly well behaved.

I'm scared to dremel because it gets pretty hot and it makes a lot of noise and she's pretty fearful of everything. 

She does really good all in all though. It's mainly me. So I take her to the groomers and get it done every other week or at least once a month if I've been attempting on my own for $10 bucks. They say she's a dream which makes me feel bad for not being able to do it as regularly as I should myself.


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

sydneynicole said:


> I don't have to do my groups nails often because they walk on pavement/sidewalk a lot, even though I try to get them to run on the grass. Dazey is totally fine with it, Maya loves it (she loves any form of grooming). Grace has a really really strong stay, so even though she hates it if I tell her to stay I can get her nails done in about 5 minutes. But it does terrify me because her nails are black. I've yet to quick her, but I honestly think I've just been lucky because I can't see them at all.
> 
> Tucker is pretty bad. My sister has to lay on him, literally, while I put weight on him as well and half the time we only get one paw done before he shakes us off. And we are both in shape and athletic and 5'6.
> 
> ...


The pavement doesn't seem to do a darn thing for my girls. I really wish it did. That would be super helpful. (We even play tug on the sidewalk outside when it's nice out).

And unfortunately, the Thundershirt hasn't really helped for this issue. The vet can get her nails done, which is good, it's just so stressful for her that I have wondered whether or not a sedative would help. I don't think I'll go that route unless I really have to.

What do you guys think of this? (At 1:40 in the video.)

https://youtu.be/6JTKrJ2sVGo


----------



## jade5280 (Feb 20, 2013)

I taught Ryker to scratch on sandpaper, but he doesn't do it hard/long enough to make a difference. His nails seem to be made of titanium.


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

I think I'm going to give it a try before resorting back to vet trims. I don't really know if it will work for Marley, since walking or tugging on the sidewalk doesn't do much, but it's worth a shot, I guess. Maybe it can allow us to go back to the basics with CC'g all while keeping her nails short-ish at the same time (this seems to good to be true).

When you say nails made of titanium, I picture a a Wolverine (x-men) Ryker cross, haha.


----------



## North&South (May 20, 2015)

My pup requires a constant flow of treats to even get near him with a brush, same with even drying his feet after a walk. I had his nails done during his last vet visit. The muzzle was already on anyway and he had a dark curled up dew claw which I had them trim. They offered to do all the nails, I said sure, by all means. I think I'll just get his nails done at a groomer's. I can't see us getting it done at home with all parties coming away uninjured. I think animals just don't like having their feet touched.


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

Marley is actually great at having her paws played with. She doesn't bat and eyelash at that. It's when grooming tools get near her feet that she panics. Go figure!


----------



## MrsBoats (May 20, 2010)

My best friend is a vet and her pit mix really hates her nails being done. Her dog will fight and kick (she doesn't bite though) when they try to cut her nails. Over the past 5 years, she has tried almost everything including counter conditioning and the sandpaper thing to help keep her dog's nails under control. She finally resorted to having to knock her dog out at her practice so she can trim her pittie mix's nails. Even heavily sedated, her dog will flinch when the nails are cut. So...she honestly thinks her dog's nails/toes/feet are heavy with nerve endings and the trimming is truly physically uncomfortable for her. 

Lars will tolerate his nails cut...but he doesn't like it. There is always food rewards involved with Lars and nail trimming even as he closes in on 8 years old. I started him out on a dremel and he really didn't like that. It was the vibration and the heat the dremel generated trying to grind down his nails. His nails are thick and strong....like titanium. I think the thicker the nail, the more uncomfortable it is with both dremel and clippers. 

Ocean's nails are much smaller and softer than Lars' are. As hands off as O can be with physical interaction...trimming his nails has always been a total non issue.


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

That's really interesting about the pit mix. I never thought about how maybe some dogs might have more nerve endings in their nails/paws. That could definitely explain why some dogs are so upset by having their nails done.


----------



## jade5280 (Feb 20, 2013)

Our vet said the same thing about the nerves. That some dogs could just be more sensitive and that it is physically uncomfortable for them.


----------



## So Cavalier (Jul 23, 2010)

My little ruby cavalier is a nightmare to trim nails. Nothing I tried worked to ease her. Yesterday, I HAD to trim her nails because I had put it off and they needed it badly. I trimmed them right after bathing her when they were still very moist and kind of soft. She was much more tolerant.


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

That's a good idea. I have never thought about doing that. Come to think of it, my nails are always softer after a bath/shower. Good thinking, So Cavalier!


----------



## mudypony (Jul 31, 2014)

I HATE HATE HATE trimming nails! Duke is horrible about it too.... his nails are always on the long side.

He cries [pathetically] like a baby and pulls and kicks his legs the entire time, regardless of whether I'm using the dremel or clippers. He also tries to rest his head on top of my hand, so I can't see what I'm doing. Any form of restraint makes him completely flip out. Nail clippers make me sooo nervous that I'm going to cut his quick, so I normally use the dremel, but he only kinda tolerates the lowest setting which seems to do absolutely nothing on his super strong nails.

I also think that's interesting about the pit mix. It would make sense for some dogs to be so sensitive that nail trimming is actually painful. I mean, with horses, some will get a bit tender after a trim, so why couldn't the same occur for dogs? My last horse would become very sore if he wasn't trimmed correctly. If the dog is actually feeling pain from a nail trim, then I don't think any amount of counter conditioning would have much of an effect. Just like Marley, Duke is fine with me touching him all over his paws and in-between his toes, but as soon as he sees the dremel/clippers it's all over, no matter how much counter conditioning I've done.

Currently, my routine (which normally takes place once a week, if I'm feeling up to it :redface is to tire Duke out to the point of exhaustion and feed him his dinner while I try to dremel as many of the longest nails as possible before we both lose it. I can get through 4 nails at the most... and even those aren't really "done." I like the idea of soaking his feet beforehand to soften up his nails, might try that next time. I also might start clipping one nail a day and then giving him dinner. Maybe he might start associating nail trims with dinner time.

I've also never taken him to the vet/groomer to get his nails done, as I'm somewhat terrified to take Duke somewhere where we would encounter multiple other dogs in close quarters. I feel like that's a disaster waiting to happen and would cause his reactivity to regress dramatically. If I wasn't dealing with reactivity, I would probably just give up and take him to the groomer :redface:.


----------



## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

I used to need a confederate to sit on Sassy to get her nails clipped but food and the dremel worked wonders. My dogs start flinching if the dremel gets hot or close to the quick and if I respect that they trust me. I'm am very lucky to have had dogs that gave me time to learn that because it took me years to figure that out.

You could try doing one nail before walks or dinner happens. Maybe that would be a close and strong enough motivation to work on it. The all or nothing part of this job is a huge problem, try to let it go and do the nails that are causing feet to spread or scratch you or whatever first. And it is a never ending job. If you do one a day then by the time day 16 or 18 rolls around the first nail is going to be needing attention just as badly as it did last time you trimmed it. Maybe by that time you could do 2 nails a day. 

You could try grooming on a table. I used to dremel Max and Sassy while they stood like a horse getting shod. A bit easier if they were on a table.

You could get a heavy duty diamond grit file and do the nails manually. I couldn't find a coarse one when I was looking though a set is easily found on Amazon these days. The first one I saw with a search of diamond grit file at was a set of 6 from 40 to some super fine grit and there was actually a question posted about using it on dog nails! The one I found years ago made the nail look very nice but it sure didn't get nail off fast enough for my liking. 

I've used the dremel on my nails and it is pretty uncomfortable. Heats up in a flash and the vibration isn't pleasant.

Ginger is a dream to trim nails. All but one are clear so I can see the quick, she allows me to hold her upside down so her fabulously floofy tail is down and out of the way and she even relaxes into it so I have to remember to stop and treat her for being such a good client. I'd like to think I have gotten better at dog stuff but I think it is more likely she is usually a super fabulous dog. We tell her that many times a day too!


----------



## Hector4 (Sep 16, 2013)

I trim dog nails locally and I always use clippers unless they tell me that the dog is better with a dremel which have been 1 dog so far. People call me because they either don't know how or they're dogs are out of control. After clipping a number of dog nails, I noticed some things. 

Some things that do make a difference (note that the owners are not interested in the conditioning process and only care about getting the nails cut):

-how the dog is held and positioned - some dogs are more relaxed on their side while others are on their backs. There is one dog that will accept front feet nail trim on her back while the back feet are impossible, but will accept it when the back leg lifted while she is standing. 
-some dogs are more accepting if you don't bend their paws and others are fine. I had a very wiggly puppy dachshund client yesterday. The owner told me she would do them while he was passed out, but he doesn't pass out anymore so she can't do them. While he was super wiggly, I found that bending his paws backward made him fight and struggle and made it impossible so I just lifted the paw in a natural position and he was much more accepting and with the use of food - we got them trimmed without any struggle.
-some dogs will fight until you put them on a grooming table and secure their collar
-some dogs are more sensitive when you get to the soft tissue
-some dogs are super defensive and try to bite even before you get close, but having a calm energy and really good food helps a whole lot. I found that meat patties are excellent.
-take breaks and just give them some freebie affection/food
-change the way you offer the food - bowl smeared with peanut butter or frozen wet food, squeeze tube, lickety stick, cheesestick, be very generous

Your dog might be bothered by all the noise and vibration of the dremel. You should either start over with clippers or a nail file or build yourself a sanding board. The thing with clippers are that you need to find a sharp one that doesn't just pinch the nail off, but slices through them. I really like red handled millers forge, but there are a couple of things that needs modifying. The guard should be taken out and replaced with a nut and bolt otherwise you will find that the blades themselves don't stay in position and that creates jagged cuts on the nail instead of a clean one. Also the handles will slide off overtime so just place a drop of superglue to secure it on the metal handles. The thing with the board is that you still need to work on the back feet which usually is less of problem with most dogs. The nails are usually shorter and less sensitive. I like to have the dog standing and use my leg and prop their back end up on my thigh and lift their leg going with their range of motion and bend the paw and cut. You use your forearm to prop up the back end on small dogs. 

While you are in the process of getting your dog to accept nail trims, start with cutting the tips off. You can slowly cut more once you familiarize yourself with the anatomy of the nail and yes nails have nerve endings just like our nails. You can't just cut or rip off a nail into the nail bed without bleeding and feeling pain for a week. There are different layers of the nail and you can find them on the internet or I can provide them. I have many pictures. The dead nail is hard part - the outer shell and doesn't contain any nerves. It then transition into a white, flaky layer and then the soft tissue which contains nerve endings. Some layers are thicker in some dogs than others. You just have to be familiar with your dog.


Before I started offering my services, I worked on my old female for 2 years before I figured out how to trim her talons without a fight. She was a nasty one. She'd bite, growl, run away, pull away, hide. I had to restrain her and muzzle her. I also had to do this by myself. She's not perfect and I have to pay generously with food, but at least it's a voluntary thing now.


----------



## MrsBoats (May 20, 2010)

So Cavalier said:


> My little ruby cavalier is a nightmare to trim nails. Nothing I tried worked to ease her. Yesterday, I HAD to trim her nails because I had put it off and they needed it badly. I trimmed them right after bathing her when they were still very moist and kind of soft. She was much more tolerant.


I've been known to cut Lars' nails after he's been hanging out in his kiddie pool. He isn't anywhere near as bothered by nail trimming when his titanium nails are softer.


----------



## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

I have never had a problem trimming the nails on any of my dogs till I got Kris. She is two and a half years old and it is still a problem clipping her nails even though I have been working on it since she was a puppy. I thought I had it licked when I just stood her and picked up her feet like you do a horse and clipped her nails. Now she has started to flop down on the ground and won't get up and I definitely cannot do them while she is lying down. I did buy a dremel but so far have not had any better luck trying to use it. I am going to go out and buy a new set of nail clippers today as I am wondering if mine are getting a little dull and maybe pinching her nails more and see if that helps. She has black nails and they grow really fast. She has never been quicked or hurt in any way having them cut.


----------



## SamiSaysRawr (May 26, 2012)

I do Rosie's while I'm feeding her so she is distracted with eating. Since she's terrified of nail clippers I use a grinder. (my fault, I cut the quick :/, then brought her to the vet _who did the same thing_. Apparently she has really long quicks. )

Bran lies upside down on my knee to get them done without a care in the world. I use nail clippers for him because he doesn't really like the noise and feel of the grinder.


----------



## kadylady (Sep 23, 2010)

Zoey is my pain for nails. She hates having her feet handled. Ever since I got her at 5 months old, and even more now since she fractured her toe, she is worse about having her feet handled. Her nails are very thick and hard and even when I just barely clip the tips she still flinches each and every time. I usually clip the tips then dremel, but its a very unpleasant process for us both.

The other 2 are both really good, for both dremel and clippers. Luke loves nail clipping time, he's a total breeze. Skye is getting better and better and each time. I do the same with them, clip and then dremel.


----------



## jade5280 (Feb 20, 2013)

Ryker doesn't mind having his feet handled because I worked a ton on counter conditioning him to it to get him to accept nail clipping easier, but as soon as I start to clip it's all over. Gypsy doesn't care at all what I do her. She's SO easy in the aspect.


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

jade5280 said:


> Ryker doesn't mind having his feet handled because I worked a ton on counter conditioning him to it to get him to accept nail clipping easier, but as soon as I start to clip it's all over. Gypsy doesn't care at all what I do her. She's SO easy in the aspect.


Yep, about twice a year I have to trim Marley's paw fur. Even me just touching the tips of the fur with these teeny tiny scissors bothers her. She will always pull away. I always do it when she is really tired, but even then it takes a very long time with multiple calming breaks to tidy up her paws. And she has never had a bad experience with those. She just really dislikes instruments near her paws. 

She actually prefers the dremel to the clippers, though. Possibly because my stress is way lower when using the dremel. With the clippers, it would take over 30mins to get one nail "done".

When I dremel, I spend very little time on a nail to avoid overheating (she squirms so much that overheating is really a non-issue anyways). I also check frequently to see where I am in relation to the quick.

I try and stay as calm as possible, but she gets AMPED up as soon as she sees food. It's like a blessing and a curse. I need her to be distracted by food to get near the nail, but she just loves all food so much that she gets too excited and is super bouncy. Different feeding techniques and different foods don't change the end result....which is "give me food!!!". 

I don't know if it is excitement to get the food paired with the fear of having her nails done, but she loses all impulse control. And that only happens at nail time. Otherwise, I can throw food around and have her wait and leave it. Maybe SO and I have inadvertently trained her to be a maniac by offering her food no matter what her behavior was like at the beginning of the CCg process. We just needed those nails done. I think that has backfired on us in a bad way.

She will not lay on her back. That is very uncomfortable for her. SO usually waits fer her to offer a down or a sit and I hold her paw and go in for the nail. Then, like clockwork, she squirms. 

We are going to make the scratching pad tonight and start giving that a shot. I really hope it helps, even just a little bit.


----------



## Hector4 (Sep 16, 2013)

There's a group on facebook: nail maintenance for dogs.


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

Thanks! I'll definitely check it out.


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs (Jun 3, 2007)

I occasionally have to clip dog nails at work, and it is definitely not fun with black nails. I have no issues clipping my own dogs nails because I know them and I know how short they can go. Kairi has always been a breeze and never gave me any crap about it.

Ember on the other hand will pull away and fight me a bit, despite getting a mouth full of cookies from the very start. She does much better after I traumatize her with a bath and put her on a grooming table. She must be too worried about being on the table. Has anyone considered trying those hanging sling/vest things so that the dog can't really move? I wonder if they work.


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

I'm not sure I know what you're referring to, FTLOD. Pictures?


----------



## ForTheLoveOfDogs (Jun 3, 2007)

pawsaddict said:


> I'm not sure I know what you're referring to, FTLOD. Pictures?


I've seen a different one before, but something along the lines of this kind of thing: http://www.amazon.com/Vest-Support-System-Large-Sling/dp/B009AZDCTW


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I've seen a different one before, but something along the lines of this kind of thing: http://www.amazon.com/Vest-Support-System-Large-Sling/dp/B009AZDCTW


That's interesting. I've never seen that. No idea if Marley would love it or hate it, but I'll definitely keep it in mind.


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

So far so good with the scratch board. Marley doesn't mind scratching it at all and she gets really into it with both paws, which is awesome. Nova is just starting to get it, but doesn't seem to mind it either. Hopefully we will get some good results and be able to dremel less


----------



## jade5280 (Feb 20, 2013)

ForTheLoveOfDogs said:


> I've seen a different one before, but something along the lines of this kind of thing: http://www.amazon.com/Vest-Support-System-Large-Sling/dp/B009AZDCTW


I've thought about doing this, but I'm afraid it would just make nail clipping even more averse for him than it already is.

I haven't tried clipping after bath time yet, because he fights and screams during the bath by the end I'm exhausted. I will have to try and do it next time though to see if it makes a difference. 



pawsaddict said:


> So far so good with the scratch board. Marley doesn't mind scratching it at all and she gets really into it with both paws, which is awesome. Nova is just starting to get it, but doesn't seem to mind it either. Hopefully we will get some good results and be able to dremel less


 That's great!


----------



## samshine (Mar 11, 2011)

One tip to remember when using the dremel. Always keep one finger firmly on the base of the nail. Keeping pressure there will dampen the vibration. At work (groomer) I have a great dremel with infinitely variable speeds. It helps to start out with the low speed for puppies and fearful dogs. This one goes very very low so it is hardly making any noise at all.


----------



## Shep (May 16, 2013)

I have noticed that it's easier to trim my dogs' nails if I don't lift their feet up. I put them on a grooming table, hold the foot firmly, and try to slip the nail clipper under the nail and nip off the end without actually picking the foot up. This is not always easy, but it causes less struggle and whimpering and jerking the feet away than if I pick their feet up. At least this is true of two of my dogs; the third gets hysterical no matter what I do, so he goes to the groomer.


----------



## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Hank is horrible. He used to bite me doing his nails. He's mostly stopped but still squirms and pulls and it's a pain. He also has thick black nails with long quicks which are easy to accidentally cut. So I've quicked him quite a few times. Doesn't make things better for us. I'm pretty resigned to his nails just being a hair longer than my preference. But I don't like it when you can see that long nails are obviously affecting the way the dog is standing. Thinking of buying a dremel to try to whittle them back.


----------



## mcdavis (May 1, 2012)

We asked the breeder to show us how to do Henry's nails and she quicked one of them and he cried so when we tried he was really frightened at the sight of the clippers despite trying to get him used to having his paws handled etc. We then tried the Dremel - OH held him whilst wearing elbow length gauntlets and I tried to trim them, oh and they're black so I only wanted to do a small amount at a time.
He now has them done at the groomers or the vets - it's just easier to pay someone who knows what they are doing.


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

Oh my word. Did the scratch board again with Marley this morning and she whittled most of her nails on her left paw down a lot - almost to the quick. This thing is amazing for her.

Nova still doesn't completely get it. She kind of just paws any spot on the board and isn't quite dragging her nails down yet. Good thing her nails aren't a problem.

Edit: also tried to dremel two of Marley's nails last night. It wasn't a complete success, but we did get them trimmed up a bit and the stress factor was much lower knowing that I only needed to do two AND that we have the scratch board to help.


----------



## jade5280 (Feb 20, 2013)

Wow that's awesome!


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

jade5280 said:


> Wow that's awesome!


Yeah, she really likes the board (thank goodness). I really hope this is the solution I've been looking for...I'm scared to celebrate too soon, though.


----------



## Hector4 (Sep 16, 2013)

pawsaddict said:


> Oh my word. Did the scratch board again with Marley this morning and she whittled most of her nails on her left paw down a lot - almost to the quick. This thing is amazing for her.
> 
> Nova still doesn't completely get it. She kind of just paws any spot on the board and isn't quite dragging her nails down yet. Good thing her nails aren't a problem.
> 
> Edit: also tried to dremel two of Marley's nails last night. It wasn't a complete success, but we did get them trimmed up a bit and the stress factor was much lower knowing that I only needed to do two AND that we have the scratch board to help.


Be sure to pay attention to the outer two nails on each paw. Those usually are hard to reach on a scratch board. You can always make a board that's v shaped or curled so the outer nails get hit. Maybe Marley will not mind nail filing? I use sallys beauty secret nail file. They are good for finishing. http://www.sallybeauty.com/black-nail-files/BTYSEC51,default,pd.html#start=6

and this is very good news!


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

Hector4 said:


> Be sure to pay attention to the outer two nails on each paw. Those usually are hard to reach on a scratch board. You can always make a board that's v shaped or curled so the outer nails get hit. Maybe Marley will not mind nail filing? I use sallys beauty secret nail file. They are good for finishing. http://www.sallybeauty.com/black-nail-files/BTYSEC51,default,pd.html#start=6
> 
> and this is very good news!


Maybe. It's definitely worth a try. I'll test it out tonight with one of my nail files.

And that's a really good idea about a curled scratch board as well. When SO is in the mood for building something again, I'll definitely throw that out there.


----------



## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Apparently Dremels are the devil according to Hank. Papillons didn't mind it. Sigh.


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

Laurelin said:


> Apparently Dremels are the devil according to Hank. Papillons didn't mind it. Sigh.


You should totally try a scratch board. I looked at Marley's nails this morning and they are the shortest they have been in over a year! They are actually off the floor now! And that's just from a few minutes every other day of stress-free scratching. I am so in love with that scratch board.


----------



## TravelingKoolie (Jan 4, 2011)

The emery board can be a life saver. I also noticed that when I started that with Traveler who hated his nails being done, after awhile he let me scratch his nails for him on the board. That way I was really able to get them short. Then, after awhile I was able to transfer that to the dremel, probably because he was used to the feel of grinding from the board.

I also made a new one in the last few months out of PVC pipe cut in half so it's curved. That really helps get the side nails nicely.


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

Love the PVC idea! That is genius. I'm definitely stealing that idea from you, TravelingKoolie.


----------



## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Good link on how to teach a dog to use it? 

Hank flipped about the dremel. He's getting moderately better about the clippers but I can't clip them very short because the nails are black and I kept quicking him.


----------



## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Curious - how do you use the scratch board for the back nails? Can you train a dog to do it? Or do you just do it by hand?

I tried the dremel for the 3rd time this weekend and it went really really well. Watson was much less freaked out, and my technique was much better so I wasn't bouncing off of his nails. He's also mostly stopped trying to touch it with his nose when I'm doing his front paws, which was just about giving me a heart attack. He was never super terrible for the clippers, but still pretty annoying and he would squeal and flip out if I got anywhere close to the quick so they were always longer than I wanted. Love the dremel so far! I think it helps that he's already used to clippers being used around his face, so next to that the dremel wasn't so bad.


----------



## Galathiel (Apr 11, 2012)

I found that I wasn't firm enough with the dremel so wasn't really taking much off for the effort with my German Shepherd. His nails are thick and black. What works best for me is to have my husband dremel while I treat. He has the better 'touch'. I started using the dremel when he was 4 or 5 months old because he was screaming and fighting (and still turning his head to take treats) when I used the clippers. The best thing I've found when starting out was to do his nails ...every ... single.. week. That way we just had to tip them and it was over very quickly.

I have my dog lie down on his side and I tear bits off a treat and hand them to him. However, if necessary I can dremel him by myself as he will pretty much do whatever I want. My husband .. not so much.


----------



## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

The problem I was having is that I was trying to dremel side to side on his nail. So if his foot was parallel to the floor, the dremel was up and down, and it was bouncing off his nail which I'm sure was uncomfortable.

It worked much better to have the dremel also parallel to the floor and go from top to bottom on his nail.


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

Here is how I taught Marley to scratch the board. She picked it up very quickly:

I took a tupperware lid and put a piece of food under it and placed that on the sandpaper part of the board. She scratched the lid. Click and treat. Repeat. Next session, I was able to fade the lid out. Once she got the idea, I started to be more selective about what I clicked. I want her to use her nails, not her paw pads. And I want her to apply some pressure when she scratches. So I only click the really good scratches now.

I guess some people train for the back nails by following their dogs around while they do their business. They will click and treat when the dog scratches the grass with their back paws. Then they put it on cue and eventually transfer that to the board. I'm not that ambitious right now. Plus both girls' back nails seem to wear down a little faster than the front nails naturally.


----------



## BostonBullMama (Apr 20, 2013)

I literally just created a thread on Toby's nail-troubles: http://www.dogforums.com/dog-grooming-forum/393154-paws-up.html#post4362810

**READING THIS ONE NOW** 

Our issue is that Toby is only JUST learning that the world isn't ending when he gets his nails cut, but I cannot, for the life of me, get his front nails to shorten any more than they already are. They've been that length (roughly) for 3 years. His quick doesn't retract, so much as it just gets fatter at the base and then sort of sits there, not retracting.


----------

