Cutting my dogs nails... help... suggestions?

[Windrider]

QuailHollowP&P :

I whack my dog's nails back to the base of the nail and pack with kwik-stop. You can also let them run on dirt or mud for 20 minutes or so. It packs just the same. After that, I put them in the crate for the night. They are fine by the next day and don't need touched again for 3 or 4 months. Your local vet office would do the same thing, only, they use Silver Nitrate Pencils instead of kwik-stop.

You'll never hear clicking or see ruined floors. I was taught to do this by a Doberman P. breeder. It takes a confident helper and control of your dog.

OUCH!!

Yeah, these are just dogs and cutting nails like this won't cause them to bleed to death, but really... they do feel pain. And I would think that a dog whose nails are cut like this would learn very quickly to be very uncooperative when the nail clippers come out. To me this is a trust issue, I want my dog to trust me.

I am not a breeder or anything, but I do have multiple dogs with multiple performance titles. We agility folks like to have really short nails on our dogs so they don't jamb on the contacts or cause foot problems when landing after jumps. Those in my agility club use either clippers or Dremels, it doesn't matter (I use a Dremel), but our method is the same to get the nails really short.

If you cut or Dremel a nail to just before the quick, the quick will recede for four days then start to grow out again. So if you cut or sand the nail every four days until they are the desired length, you can get the nail really short without resorting to painfully lopping off nails and having to stop the blood. After the nails are the desired length, trim lightly once a week to keep them that length.

I often ask my dog to do things she considers scary (such as get on the dog walk), so my dog HAS to trust that I am not going to ask her to do anything painful or that she can't handle. You can't MAKE a dog do agility (or herding or tracking), they have to want to. Using this method of trimming the nails, I have a dog that flops on her back and puts her feet in the air for her "manicure" when she sees the Dremel.

Oh, and dog cookies go a long way towards rewarding good nail trimming behavior.

Edited for spelling....​

 

[mekasmom]

QuailHollowP&P :

I whack my dog's nails back to the base of the nail and pack with kwik-stop. You can also let them run on dirt or mud for 20 minutes or so. It packs just the same. After that, I put them in the crate for the night. They are fine by the next day and don't need touched again for 3 or 4 months. Your local vet office would do the same thing, only, they use Silver Nitrate Pencils instead of kwik-stop.

You'll never hear clicking or see ruined floors. I was taught to do this by a Doberman P. breeder. It takes a confident helper and control of your dog.

Are you serious or just being satirical? At first I thought you were joking, but then wondered if you really meant it?​

 

[BarbK]

OP Do I understand you correctly that this behavior didn't start till you dog went blind? If that is the case try playing with his/her feet whenever you get a chance. Pick them up and hold in triming position. When dog relaxes release, treat and repeat. Use plenty of treats during this process. When you can pick up foot without issues touch clipers to the nail but dont clip. Slowly progress towards actually cliping. There perspective changes when they go blind and things they used to be used to become scary monsters. In case of a nick I like silver nitrate if you can get ahold of some. Beware it stains your skin though.

Op pease don't try what quail hollow mentioned. You will only have bad results. I think anyone who does that needs to trim all their toenails and fingernails back as close to the cuticle as they can that way they know what it feels like. The ONLY time I would think about triming a dog/cats nails beyond the quick is when they are under anesthesia!!!!

 

[LyonFuzz]

My dogs got the "pedi-paws dremel for Christmas and we love it! They are adult rescue dobermans and they did not put up a fuss at all when usually it turns into a wrestling match with regular clippers. I got it for $7 clearance at Marshalls, but they usually sell for $19 at pet supply stores. It runs quietly and worked quickly. I let the dogs sniff it and check it out while it was on before I actually did the nails and it worked wonderfully. I am shocked to see some of the suggestions listed above....it's obvious that you love your little dog enough not to try some of them. Good luck!

 

[Dar]

Quote:
yes you are understanding correctly... she (and I

) were fine until about a year ago when she lost her sight.. she gets all excited when she hears me cut the cats nails because she likes to eat them..

i can hold her or DH can hold her she is all fine and relaxed. I can touch the trimmers to her nail no problem but as soon as the actual cut is made she squirms like mad... there is no reaction during the actual cut.. I know sometimes the pressure of the cutters as they cut the nail can cause some anxiety but she is fine.. its just after the cut...

 

[BarbK]

Try the Dremel then. It may be the pressure from cutting. She doesn't know what it is and is trying to wiggle to get away. Get her used to it by running it next to her and giving her treats while it is on. Then progress to the toes.

 

[Dar]

Quote:
yeah she loves her treats... we use Rollover dog food as a treat... she loves it and have been using it since she was a baby

 

[sundance]

If you press under the foot the nails will spread out and be much easier to trim.I use regular toe nail clippers on chato, then use the pedi paw to smooth them down or use a emery board. works good for me the hair is long around his nails and by pressing under them I can see the nails eaier than looking from the top and trying to pull them apart. marrie

 

[TipsyDog]

QuailHollowP&P :

I whack my dog's nails back to the base of the nail and pack with kwik-stop. You can also let them run on dirt or mud for 20 minutes or so. It packs just the same. After that, I put them in the crate for the night. They are fine by the next day and don't need touched again for 3 or 4 months. Your local vet office would do the same thing, only, they use Silver Nitrate Pencils instead of kwik-stop.

You'll never hear clicking or see ruined floors. I was taught to do this by a Doberman P. breeder. It takes a confident helper and control of your dog.

NO. My vet would not "do the same thing" and if he did I'd never go back. I saw some standard poodles at dog shows with nails that were trimmed like that. It was not a practice that was looked kindly upon. I don't think that's an appropriate way of clipping nails - I personally consider your method abuse.

ETA: For Clarity​

 

[vicki2x2]

My vet doesn't do that either. How do I know for sure? Well, first, I do my own dogs nails, but I trust my vet would never be so cruel. Also, my daughter works there, they (and she) trims nails all the time and never do that. If a dogs nails are really bad and the dog is really bad about getting their nails cut, to the point of aggression, and they need to be put under, then and only then will they cut them really short, so they don't have to do it too often. Then the dog don't feel the initial pain, but will probably still be tender for a few days.

I also showed dogs for years and I did meet one groomer/breeder/handler that used that method, but most were horrified by it.