# Help with Trimming nails



## pink3121 (Dec 28, 2006)

I can't afford to get her nails trimmed every week so I bought some clippers, Im not scared but she get really mad and wants to bite even when my husband holds her and I cut, i mean viciously mad...how can i manage this myself...HELP


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## fatboysmom (Feb 8, 2007)

Try using a nail file instead of clippers to get her used to having her feet messed with. Depending on her breed you should be able to get by with having her nails trimmed professionally about once a month not every week and if you go to a groomer instead of the vet you should be able to pay about $10. Hope this helps.


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## lovemygreys (Jan 20, 2007)

Get a muzzle so she can't bite you. I prefer basket-style muzzles, rather than anti-bite muzzles that wrap tightly around their mouth. Dogs seem to accept a basket style muzzle more readily and it will still keep them from being able to bite you...they can also still pant and drink through the basket muzzle, so they aren't as restrictive as some bite-muzzles. Here's a greyhound in a basket muzzle...I know they sell all sizes of similar muzzles at petedge.com and other, but I've never seen them at a petstore like Petsmart:


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## crazydog06 (Jan 22, 2007)

Cesar Milan had an epidoe on this. He told the poeple to hold the dog while someone else cuts. But you can't let the dog go if he sturggles cause then the dog wins. Try wearing the dog out before you trim the nails. Also, don't talk to the dog if he is struggling like "it's okay" that is weak energy,and you need strong energy.


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

crazydog06 said:


> Cesar Milan had an epidoe on this. He told the poeple to hold the dog while someone else cuts. But you can't let the dog go if he sturggles cause then the dog wins. Try wearing the dog out before you trim the nails. Also, don't talk to the dog if he is struggling like "it's okay" that is weak energy,and you need strong energy.


That's called flooding...forcing the dog to accept the treatment by not giving him a choice. I personally wouldn't approach it this way...especially if we know nothing about the dog's psychological health. There's a couple of things I would try, one may be more effective than the other. Have you tried smearing peanut butter on a glass door? He may be too busy licking the peanut butter off to care what you're doing with his feet. Another option is to take baby steps. you would start with a simple act of tapping the clippers on one toe and treating for a positive response. You would need to built up to clipping one toe and treating, so on and so forth. This isn't going to happen over night, so be patient. You also need to teach bite inhibition in conjunction with this.


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## Alpha (Aug 24, 2006)

I cut my dogs nails once a week, then file. Some people do it less, but I like to keep my dogs nails short.

So you understand how to trim a dog's nails? Know how to identify where the quick is?

If not, I'd make sure you had someone show you first. If you did happen to clip the quick you might have a heck of a time ever trimming the dogs nails again.

How I do it:

Have PLENTY of yummy treats. Cut up hot dogs, natural balance rolls etc. Wet treats are yummier than dry treats 

1. Place the dog in a down and gently push them onto their side. (Once they get used to the routine they'll go onto their side by their selves)

2. Keep the dog still, by placing a hand on their shoulder. If they do struggle, gently hold them down, and say in a confident, calm voice (no yelling) "Brutus, your fine". If they struggle a LOT, distract them with the treats. Place the treats right by their nose. If they stop struggling and focus on the treats, let him have a few.

Once they stop fussing, if they want to get up, but still in a down, so... get off of their side, that's fine. Give them a handful of treats and praise.

3. If they're just in a down, return them to the position on their side. I place my thigh over the dog just to make sure they won't move. If they have a problem with this position, take your time, have your leg over their side for 30 seconds, than take it off and reward.

4. Do ONE foot at a time. Only clip when they are calm. If they struggle, take a time out, don't let them get out of a down though. Wait until their calm again, sometimes it may take a few seconds. After each foot, take your thigh off, do not let them out of the down, but if they roll back into the upright position that's ok. Reward, in a calm voice tell them how good they're doing. NO babytalk. Plenty of treats.

5. When you've done all four feet. Spend some time rewarding in the down position. Then let them up.

I just wanted to add that the position, of your thigh over the dog, isn't neccessarily to HOLD them down. I keep my thigh there just in case as I'm cutting a squirrel runs by the window, or someone knocks on the door. Just to ensure that if they do move while I'm clipping, for that brief second I can keep them still so I don't clip a nail too short.

It takes some time to get them used to the position, but if you reward plenty, and don't yell or get angry it's a surefire way to clip your dogs nails painlessly.

I'd also advise to do a test run a few times a day for a week or two without the nail clippers to make sure your dog understands that it's a happy experience. The position combined with clipping the nails is a scary experience at first. And the beginning step is NOT the alpha roll. It's to be done gently and rewarded greatly.

My guys roll over onto their sides voluntarily. They understand the routine, and know that at the end of it, plenty of treats are in store.

If your dog has serious issues with the positions, I would allow them up for a break every two or three minutes. Or every two paws. Do something fun, lots of praise in between.

Good luck and hope it all made sense. 

Just had to add, that having two people during this "excercise" is a bit much. There's no need for two people, it just adds to all of the commotion. 

As Curbside said, it does take a lot of time, but the whole purpose of the excercises (when done without the clippers) is so you can trim your dogs nails easily BY YOURSELF.

Also, having two people around seems as though there's a lot of struggling going on. Otherwise you wouldn't need two people! LOL.

One person at a time doing the excercises. It's intended to be a very calm situation. No yelling, no struggling, no serious restraining.


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## Lorina (Jul 1, 2006)

I'm lucky, I guess. In the eight months I've had Beav, I still haven't had to trim his nails. I check them, I have clippers ready, but I guess we put in enough milage on pavement that he wears them down himself.


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## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

All of my dogs have taken different attitudes about nail trimming. I now foster dogs in my home so there is a lot of dominance issues around so I take fewer chances. When I only had one or two of my own dogs I could just roll them over on the floor and trim away without troubles. Since it seems that we always have a newcomer around now my own dogs are more defensive about rolling over calmly even if I take them outside or to another room. I have recently been using a soft nylon fabric muzzle that has been working out well. No biting can happen. And, I get a good wad of peanut butter in the roof of their mouth so they are busy while I am trimming. The peanut butter trick also works good to distract a dog if you can get them to roll over on the floor. Invest in a bottle of the styptic (stops bleeding) powder. Some of them come with a little benzocaine which stops the pain too. The nerve sticks out there along with the quick so if you cut the quick the dog probably yelps because of the nerve ending. It's not a huge, big deal. But if I cut a quick I want to have relief immediately available. And lots of peanut butter and treats!


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## skelaki (Nov 9, 2006)

I think I've been very lucky so far. All of my dogs have been good about having their nails done and my last two Collies would give me the paw I asked for (right or left) to have theirs done.

I'll be getting a TFT sometime this year and I hear they tend to be difficult about having their nails done. This will be a new experience and I'll probably be on here posting about my problems. LOL


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