She was full grown when I got her. She act's like I am killing her every time I try to trim them. I never had this problem with my great dane. It just breaks my heart to do it.
2006-06-11 09:55:35 · 19 answers · asked by suequek 5 in Pets ➔ Dogs
my dog is the same way, and ive had him since he was 3 months old. first off, it depends on the breed of the dog, some breeds are just more likely to freak out over their nails. mine is a dachsund/poodle and dachsunds are known for not accepting a nail clip. secondly, since she is full grown it is VERY likely that she wont grow out of it. but you can sure try! just play with her feet everyday. i dont me grab them roughly or anything, just rub them. start with her legs and work your way down, but dont go too quickly. if shes okay with you touching her legs, then slowly work your way to her feet. but ALWAYS end on a good note; if she doesnt like her paws messed with one day, then move back up to her legs and then end the "play" session for that day with a treat (but not too many! you dont want her to gain weight as well!). another option is a muzzle but remember that she will most definitely not like it at first. and she will most likely still squirm like crazy for you. and REMEMBER! you should NEVER leave a muzzle on for too long! the rule of thumb with muzzles is this: 15 minutes on/20 minutes off, and never more than 45 minutes total on. depending on your dogs breed, you may not be able to use a muzzle (ie. pug or shitzu). your last and final option is to take her to a vet, but i strongly advise against this because they will most likely sedate her to clip her nails. and considering they will have to be clipped every month, that will not be a good experience for her or your wallet!
also, if you do it yourself, dont let go when she pulls. she will learn that you wont let go no matter what and (hopefully) will also learn that she should just sit still and let it happen. dont say that 'its okay', because her behavior is not okay and she needs to know this. it may seem harsh to you but she will be better if youre strong for her.
oh, and i noticed that someone wrote "take her to a vet, they probably wont charge you". well thats wrong. all vets will charge you and it WONT be cheap, especially if they sedate her. normal nail trims (w/o sedation) can range from $15 to $30 PER VISIT whereas special nail trims (with sedation) will cost you MUCH more. just be aware!
i hope this helps, good luck!
2006-06-11 10:16:04 · answer #1 · answered by sunstoneangel2003 1 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Some dogs don't like their feet messed with, period. Then, you should take her to the vet tech. to have it done. Otherwise, go to your local Petco or Petsmart and get Small dog nail clippers. Be sure to read the package because you can't cut into the quick where there is blood, that causes pain, too. If it does bleed use the doggie or human styptic pencil to stop the bleeding. But if you do it right, in the right spot, it should not bleed. I'm glad that you care about your dog enough to ask this question. Some people would just force the dog's nail cutting and that is awful. Hope it all works out. PS Are the nails that long? I mean do they really need clipping? Ask around. good luck!
2006-06-11 10:09:31 · answer #2 · answered by jad.sfba 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our dog really disliked her nails being trimmed, and it's because the people who trimmed them before we adopted her cut the quicks. It takes time for a dog to trust you, so you're just going to have to be patient and try to make it a pleasant experience.
Don't pet her and tell her she's a good girl, because this leads her to believe her bad behavior is desirable. Just be firm and speak to her in a pleasant tone. Your best bet is to have a second person hold her for you, because a lot of dogs find muzzles to be upsetting. Use a muzzle only if you can't control her without one.
I found that setting a special treat on the floor in front of my dog helps her understand it'll be ok. She behaves for the nail trim, and she knows when she's done that she's going to get the treat as a reward. It helps keep her attention so she isn't focusing on the fact that I'm handling her feet.
Another thing you can do is play with her feet a lot when you're just petting her. Get her used to having her feet handled, and if you can, teach her to shake hands. That way she associates good things with you touching her feet, instead of just nail trims.
Good luck!
2006-06-11 10:15:55 · answer #3 · answered by Dex Midnite 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no easy way. This dog will act that way every time you try and trim her nails. If you can't do it, take her to a vet. They don't use anything special, other than a muzzle maybe, they just do it and talk to her while they trim her nails. She'll still sound like she's dying, but at least you don't have to hear it.
2006-06-11 10:03:29 · answer #4 · answered by shedavco 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a yorkshire terrier and she doesnt like it neither. The best thing to do is take it to the vet, however gas and money is limited, so i personally trim my dogs nails. I wait until she is really tired and i just pet her and snip a very very little tip off of them. Another good way is to simply let your dog run on any type of cement, it trims them down good.
2006-06-11 11:15:12 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your dog has learned that if she screams that you will stop cutting her nails. It doesn't hurt her but she has learned through experiance that she can get what she wants if she fusses. Take it slowly. IF your dog fusses or screams do not let her go until she has calmed down. SHe will learn that she wont be let go until her is calm. Once she has calmed down praise her and give a treat. While she is screaming talk calmly, say her name and tell her "good girl" She will come to understand that it is not a bad thing and that she can't get away with screaming.
I have re-trained several dogs to accept getting their nails trimmed in my shop, so it will work but it takes time and patience.
2006-06-11 15:57:58 · answer #6 · answered by Pawsitive K9 Consulting 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You could try to distract her (your dog) by talking to her. Let someone cut her nails then such as a friend. Or perhaps a family member. If that doesn't work, take your dane to the vet.
2006-06-11 13:06:44 · answer #7 · answered by Nobody 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like she's had some bad experiences in the past and she'll probably never like to have it done. But if you can't take her to the vet, please buy a soft muzzle. (I was a veterinary technician for several years and believe me, we had to put a soft muzzle on several dogs. We couldn't afford to get bitten several times a day.) It won't hurt her and you'll be more at ease and less likely to make a mistake. You can't do a good, quick job if you think you're going to get bitten. Just continue to talk to her in a calm and reassuring voice while you clip and maybe she'll learn to accept it even if she doesn't really like it. Good luck.
2006-06-11 10:06:48 · answer #8 · answered by NannyMcPhee 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a pit bull that is the same way I have to take her to the vet get her sedated and then he cuts them. Its not very expensive so its worth it cause I hate to see her when her toe nails get long I know it makes her feet hurt.
2006-06-11 10:01:03 · answer #9 · answered by lostinlove 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a lot of dogs are weird about their feet. get her used to you touching her feet like when you're playing with her or relaxing with her so she is at least used to you touching them. so when it does come time to clip her nails (whether it is you or a proffesional) it will be a bit easier. you're best bet is taking her to the vet to get them clipped then make sure she gets lots of exercise on pavement which will wear her nails down as well.
2006-06-11 14:14:43 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋