# How to help dog become comfortable with nail trimming?



## MonteCristo (Apr 19, 2013)

My labmix Sydney HATES having her nails done. She is thankfully really sweet, so she doesn't scratch or bite or growl, she just makes every conceivable effort not to have it done, to the point I was afraid she'd break her leg just to get it away from me.  I've been having it done at the vet, but even there it takes me completely holding her, plus the vet tech hanging on the whichever foot, while the vet files the nails. She has never been injured (cutting the quick) since I've had her, so I'm not sure why she is so scared. I know it isn't good for her to have long nails, and going to the vet every two week just doesn't happen, so I'm trying to start doing them at home, but I really don't know where to start. I have a dremel, and I got it out the other day to start desensitizing her to it...I sat on the floor and did my own nails, and then just left it sitting on the floor so she could check it out...and she stayed underneath the piano and didn't come out for 2 hours, so I eventually picked it up off the floor and put it away, after which she came right out and sat on the couch with me. Which seem rather extreme behavior on her part. I tried clippers and she has a worse reaction...she even hides when I get the cat clippers out. 

So what is the next step? Do I just leave the clippers out and hope that eventually she comes to term with it, or should I force contact, and then reward? Her nails grow so quickly and she uses them like daggers, so I really want to get this under control.


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## amosmoses89 (Jun 19, 2011)

Does she know "Paw" or "shake"? One of our dogs doesn't like having her nails clipped either, but thankfully she's only 35lbs so a bit easier to hold. Its gotten better with lots of tasty treats and time. I just ask for paw and close my hand around her foot, no dremel in sight, and just hold it for like 2 sec and if she doesn't pull away she gets a piece of cheese or treat or whatnot. Again and again over the course of a few days until she's ok with me holding her hand, it looks very silly lol. Then I dremel one nail then stop and praise like crazy with lots of treats and happy noises. It takes a while but everyones happier in the end. 

Do you have the little extension attachment for the dremel? Its made my life sooo much easier because its so small the girls don't mind it nearly as much, and I can work much faster because its more agile. Here's a link to what I'm talking about. Attachment 
ebay has a cheaper deal but I just wanted to show you what it looked like. I think we paid 20 for ours. 
Good luck, I have a pup named Sydney too, Yay Sydneys!


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## EagleRiverDee (Mar 14, 2011)

My SO feeds my dog treats while I clip her nails. She's very food motivated and the treating has made nail clipping a paws-itive (sorry, couldn't resist) experience.


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

EagleRiverDee said:


> My SO feeds my dog treats while I clip her nails. She's very food motivated and the treating has made nail clipping a paws-itive (sorry, couldn't resist) experience.


Yup my FI constantly jackpots Manna while I'm doing her nails, she wiggles too much otherwise.


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## MonteCristo (Apr 19, 2013)

She doesn't mind me holding on to her paws, I've done that since I first got her, just like I did with my kittens, so she would be okay with it, and it would be easier for trims (haha). But it I pick up clippers or the dremel, off she goes. She has a similar reaction to blow dryers. I have to just let her air dry because she almost broke a wall down the first time I turned on the blow dryer. 

I don't have that attachement, but I will look into it. I think the sound is a lot of what she dislikes (since the only things she is really scared of is the dremel, blow dryer, and leaf blower). Does the attachement part of the dremel make much noise? It looks like you might be able to wrap the motor part up in a towel and deaden the sound and just have the attachment hanging out...which might help. 

Sydney isn't very food motivated, and I don't have anyone to help me. With the cats it was never any trouble because they are pretty chill, plus they are small enough for me to just tuck under my arm if they get squirmy. Sydney only weighs about 40 lbs, and I can hold her if I need to, but it takes both hands!


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Peanut butter? You could smear it on the refrigerator or a piece of taped down plastic and she could lick and lick while you are doing horrible things to her precious nails. Worked for Sassy. She really liked her beautiful amber colored nails and hated me working on them. You could plainly see she was deliberately concentrating on ignoring what I was doing too.

An advanced behavioral technique is to wait for good behavior and reward by allowing dog to do as it wants. Dog wiggles, dog stays restrained but if dog settles then dog is released. You are starting at a good place, she lets you handle her feet. So pick up the dremel and when she settles let go of her foot. You have to go very slowly on this and keep your promise to release her once whatever tiny step you have gotten to has been achieved. No skipping from touching one paw with a turned off dremel to all the feet, do one>two>three>four for instance.

You could try to do this grooming before something wonderful happens too. A walk for instance. I do that, Max gets brushed out, the running dremel touched to all 20 of his nails then off we go.

Restrain her with a leash tied to something extremely sturdy.


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## BostonBullMama (Apr 20, 2013)

First take her out for a walk or something to wear out extra energy. 
Then have her lie down, give reward.
Lay the clippers down in front of her, hold her collar so she doesn't leave and try to have her lay with them, give reward. Praise, more reward, snuggles.. 
Then just take your hands and touch her paws, feel them, look at them, take a few minutes to get her comfortable with you holding onto her paws so she knows you're not going to hurt her, give reward.
Clip 1 nail, give reward.
Clip 2 more nails, give reward.
Finish paw, give reward.
etc...

It can be a bit intimidating for them to have their nails trimmed, especially since their paws aren't something you would normally touch/pet. So it makes some dogs a bit tense or anxious to have their paws fiddled with until it's so normal to them that it doesn't bother them at all.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

If she is so traumatized by the sight of the dremel that she hides for two hours, its going to take alot of desensitizing to get her to realize its not killing her. I just "flood" dogs that are scared of the process, by holding them in place on the grooming table and not letting go of a leg until they stand still. Its over fast when they realize they cannot get away, and nothing bad is happening. Of course thats not something you can do at home. Do you have a garage? Somewhere with a bare stud you can put a big eyescrew into the wall? If you do I can explain how to work with her.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

Maybe bring the paws into the body instead of away from the body... When I start puppies I am sitting on the floor Indian style with their back cradled into me snuggled in my legs and I start with the paws on the bottom and clip with the paws near the body drawn into us.. Great place for pup to get hugged then I just have them change positions so the other paws are on the body (their own body weight keeps the paws from moving around).. When they get older and bigger lol they still love to lay with their back up against me with my legs extended.. Always resting their head still on my leg.. maybe it's a better security position for some dogs or it's all the hugs.. if you can only work on positive position and never clip a nail for that session I would start there and work with it..


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## Kobismom (Dec 17, 2012)

I've cut my cats nails for years, so I'm not scared to trim Kobi's nails. But he doesn't like it either. We've taken to have someone hold treats over his nose and each time I trim a nail, he gets a treat. If he gets too antsy, we leave it be until a little later and try again.

The other day, we bought Kobi an antler for the first time. While he gnawed it, I was able to single-handedly be able to trim all his back nails in a minute flat! He was so distracted by the antler, he didn't realize I was trimming his nails! I think we figured out what works....


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## nookslist (Jun 17, 2013)

Use the nail clippers and specially the guillotine type. These clippers are helpful to trim the long nails, but only use the sharp clippers because dull clippers crush the nails and hurt. You can also use the grinder, but before using it covers the hairs and then slightly poke the nails and also do not let the heat buildup. 
Also it would be better to give the bath first before nail trimming. It helps in softening the nails and makes them easier to clip.


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