Bad dog for nail trimming

[spook]

Also do one nail each night. I have a cat that had never had anyone handle her feet, the reward system works wonders but 1 toenail a night will begin to allow you to do 2 nails at night and so on. Also instead of buying a muzzle (I do not dissagree with having one and being used to it) but you can make one from fabric/cotton belt.
Good luck!

 

[Xtina]

Thanks guys! I know I made it sound like I don't want a muzzle, but I do. I just don't want her to have a double bad association with me working on her. But we muzzle her when she goes to the vet.

As to the wolf stuff, Marla gets along great with other dogs, so if that's a defining characteristic, it's probably not it...unless that dog has a lot more wolf in her than Marla. But she doesn't really bark the way my other dog does. She yaps only if she's in the crate and hears me come in the door. Once she's out of the crate, it's all "woowoowooo" and kind of a low growly but excited sound. She pretty much sings when she's really excited. Her range is kind of funny. She sounds a lot like a wookie but with more range. It's almost like she's trying to form words.

 

[Xtina]

Today I was home sick and when I dragged myself out of bed to let the dogs potty, I had a moment's panic. The gate separating the chickens from the dog area was wide open and my dog that inspired this post came face to face with my Orpington for the first time ever! I was so scared I was going to end up with a dead chicken, but the girl who will show me her teeth at nail trimming time was the sweetest, most docile thing ever to the chickens. I could tell the chicken was about to poop herself out of fear, but there was no problem at all!

Later on, I put my boots on and took her back outside, holding her by the collar. The chickens all ran up to us, and Marla just ignored them, maybe gave them a sniff or two, but mainly went back to sniffing the ground as fast as she could. She was way more interested in the chicken poop on the ground than in the chickens!

Fierce killer that one...

 

[Iceblink]

Letting a dog run on tennis courts wears down nails really well.

The other posts had some good suggestions about starting slow, I just have a couple things to add....
Here is what I do to train for trimming

1) Show your dog a treat and then hold it in your closed fist on the floor.

2) Wait...... your dog will probably sniff the treat, and eventually they will paw at your hand. The minute they do, open your hand and give them the treat and praise them lots.

3) Repeat a couple times, and over a few days. If you use a clicker it will usually go faster, but you don't have to.

4)Once she has the idea, and is offering her paw when you put your hand down, start turning your hand over and when she puts her paw in it, give her a treat from your other hand. Eventually you will have a pretty reliable 'shake' when you hold out your hand.

5) Get out your nail clippers and lay them to one side. Hold out your hand and once she gives you her paw, touch her foot a little bit and give her a treat. Let her sniff the clippers and give her a treat. When she offers her paw, touch the clippers to it and give her a treat.

6) After she has decided all the above is ok, try clipping a BACK FOOT nail and praise her like she just discovered the cure for cancer. Most dogs don't seem to be as sensitive to having their back feet touched.

Continue on in this vein maybe only doing one nail a day and always letting HER offer you her paw. If she feels like she has some control over the whole thing, she will be less frightened.

If she has a reliable 'leave it' you can put a pile of treats near you where she can see and dole them out. She will be motivated to let you do more if she can see the reward.

My dog also had paw issues when I adopted her. I used REALLY smelly yummy treats, and if she didn't offer her paw sometimes, I just told her to leave the treats and walked away. Eventually she would decide she wanted the treats more than she minded the nail trim, and would offer her paw.

I never give 'all done' treats. When I am done, I leave. All the good stuff happens while her paws are in my hands.
I keep the nail clippers in the kitchen and whenever I have a little piece of something yummy I clip a nail here and there.

I have found when starting out that it was easier for me to see where the quick was if I had my dog lay on the couch and I sat on the floor so I could see under her nail and be able to bring it close to my face w/o stretching her legs into uncomfortable positions.

Oh, and make sure you have really sharp clippers. I take mine to a knife sharpener who does them for like $3. If the clippers are dull they will crush the nail, not cut it.

Good Luck!

 

[Xtina]

I've made progress with the dog, so I thought I'd update this old thread. I was at my wit's end with Marla and her nails were getting so long. I know some of you recommended that I trim her nails while feeding her, but I didn't think it would work. Well, I finally broke down and tried it, and it's like magic! Complete success! She barely even notices what I'm up to. I do a few every day and they're getting back down to a decent length. Hooray!

 

[Alleychick]

We use a dremmel at home but when my Ham needs a good toe nail trim we take him to the vet. At which time he has to be put under sedation!!! Good Luck!!!

 

[NancyDz]

Quote:
Aggressiveness is definitely not a defining characteristic to wolf hybrids. i have 3 friends who own them and have had 5 different ones between them and none of them were aggressive, if anything they were skittish. the wooowooowooo stuff you described sounds a lot like a husky, they do that and they do lots of 'talking" I bet you have a husky mix.

glad to hear the trimming is going well now... I've worked with mine awhile on it too... still have a problem with the lab mix as his nails are pure black... and I cant see the quick so
it's more difficult.


Nancy

 

[Southern Gardener]

Quote:
That's great news! I tell Mollie, my cocker mix "Let's clip your toes!" and she runs and jumps on my bed and rolls on her back. After I finish clipping she dives off the bed and runs in the kitchen and sits by the treat jar.

For my lab, I have to sit on the floor and she climbs in my lap and I clip a couple at a time since she's still not so sure about the whole thing. I also started handling their paws when they were puppies to get them used to me touching them.

 

[bigkford]

Ya all need a dog like mine. She is a Mountain Feist and she chews her own nail nightly while laying on the couch watching tv. In all my years as a dog owner Ive never had one do this. I have never had to trim her nails and never has a rough edge. Now I need her to teach my other 5. HA HA

 

[gaited horse]

I don't want to hijack but I have a dog with back dewclaws and one is about to turn in is there a way to stop it be for it is to late