# Woof! Don't touch my feet!



## zettarose (Sep 28, 2007)

Every time I have to get Perry's nails trimmed, he has to be put to sleep. Not the sleep you fear, the kind he gets brought out of with more drugs.
I hate doing this, but we have tried muzzles, drugs, sneak attacks, and all fail. Even the drugs with muzzle and sneak attack. Nothing works but the drugged up sleep. 

We have tried the muzzell alone for all that question this, and he just gets so stressed out, he foams at the mouth, vomits in the muzzell, and is in general poor condition trying this.

He gets so stressed out when anyone tries to touch his paws. He is a pound puppy, so I can't even imagine what happened to him in the 8 months we didn't have him. He is over 11 now, and has not gotten over some of his old fears, his feet being a huge one, so I can't imagine what made him this way.

Anyone else have a dog that won't let you touch his feet? I would love to hear how anyone else deals with this issue.


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## the-tenth (Jun 29, 2007)

Daisy (Golden) isn't crazy about it, but nothing like what you're describing. We've handled all of our dogs' feet, ears, teeth very frequently to try to not have that kind of situation. Does he let you touch them when you're chillin in the living room?


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## zettarose (Sep 28, 2007)

Ha! Tenth, I can't even count how many times we have tried the sneak attack when we are chilling in the living room. Sometimes we can get one or two nails, but that's it. He gets privvy to the task very quick, and he is super smart. He cannot be easily tricked.

It just doesn't work with him. He gets all surly and fake bitey, and stressed out. He must have had some kind of serious foot torture before we adopted him, that is all I can think of.


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## chul3l3ies1126 (Aug 13, 2007)

That is how Guera is, but I do not have to put her to sleep to get them trimmed. It will take me and the cutter to calm her and then speed trim. But she hates it when anyone touches them. I do a daily massage for her, to stimulate all her muscles, and I focus on the feet alot... she has gotten better with me touching them, but for someone else to do it... forget it. It is "fake bitey" time as you say. 

Maybe do that? A daily touch massage on his body and when he is calm and relaxed by it... move to touching his paws and in between his toes. Guera has learned that it is a soothing thing, and is much better with the foot touching. Good luck with Perry!
Nessa


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## tsorcus (Aug 24, 2007)

The first few times I cut Jasper's nails he made such a fuss that you'd think I'd tried to cut his toes off. I had to wrestle with him for ages until he's let me even cut one. It didn't help that I'd read someplace that you shouldn't stop until you'd cut at least one, or the dog would just think he could make a fuss and you'd stop - so we both got a bit stressed out in the end! But then he got to the point that he's let me cut them in exchange for a treat per nail, endured it well but wouldn't come near me for the rest of the evening. At this stage I can do them really calmly, a treat per paw and some praise and that's it. Sitting him upright really helped.


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

I don't have a problem with getting Snoopy's nails cut. But I have been massaging his feet since I've had him. So the vet can put him on his back in his lap and cut his nails. But some times he gets a vet tech to hold his back against their chest.


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

YouTube - CIA Case File: 'Tucker' Nail Trim


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## DobManiac (Aug 12, 2007)

Curbside Prophet said:


> YouTube - CIA Case File: 'Tucker' Nail Trim


Great video!:


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

My Sophie is a toe nail trim wimp to the tenth degree...she doesn't try to bite, or even pull away, but she howls, and whines, like I am killing her!!!! I have just gotten to a point of putting a muzzle on her, just so people don't think I am killing her...Lol...she is learning to be quiet now, and I think I will soon be able to trim her nails without her telling the whole world what is going on! Lol! What is funny, is that I can trim her fuzzy feet, shave her pads out, and just in general play with her feet without so much as her batting an eyelash, but take out the nail trimmer, and she is whining before I even pick up a foot...Lol!

Dominoe doesn't care about his nails being trimmed, and neither do my three cats; with my kitties, I plop them in my lap and go to work...they know they get treats when the job is done, so they just sit there and get their nails trimmed.


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## 2dogsinapod (Sep 26, 2007)

I feel your pain about having to cut your dogs nails and having to sedate him. Do you have to put him totally out? We used to do that until the vet tried a different route - we give our dog a sedative 2.5 hours before we bring him to the vet and he is pretty gone by then. We are able to slip a muzzle on him in case he tries to bite them and then they do what they do. It is so much better than the injection and going through all that. The rest of the day he IS tired and droopy, but it is better than the injection - Less expensive, better for the dog, us, and the vet!

My dog Taz is also from the shelter so who knows why he has a foot fettish! If I poke his toe with my finger he starts wimpering or licking my finger like "don't do that mommy!! please don't!!", so I Do wonder sometimes what happened. It's so sad.


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## TeddieXRuxpin (Sep 11, 2007)

Teddie is like this and he will actually bite me if I mess with his feet. He was a stray when I got him and I really don't know what his life was like before I got him. He has been a stray three times and this last time when he was found he was matted all the way down to the skin. He's a Shih Tzu and will turn two years this Halloween. 

I have yet to find something that works and have been open to many ideas. The last time I took him in to get his nails clipped it cost me over $170 because we had to use sedation just so the vets could get close. 

He was also this way with his ears, but I have gotten him over that. 

I have tried benadryl, a medication I got at my vet, sneak attach, treats and nothing helps.


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