How can I convince my dog that getting her nails clipped is not the end of the world?

Question

I have a 2yr old Lab/Greyhound mix who hates having her toenails clipped. Anybody have any tips on how to get her to hold still?

Answer 1

I would try a dremmel it is a tiny hand sander that you can use to slowly file there nails back. You can purchase them from most hardware stores. I think It's better than risking cutting there nails back too far and making them bleed. My dogs have been a lot better since I have used one of these :-)

Answer 2

What I was told to do works better if you do it when the dog is a pup as it works faster then, but you can still do it.

Spend some time on the floor with your dog petting and telling it what a good dog it is. Have the clipper nearby out of sight. As you pet and caress, put the clipper out in sight on the floor but do nothing with it. As you caress the dogs legs, run your hands all the way down to the paw and caress and massage the paw, running your hands over the top and the bottom. Caress the pads. Gently run your fingers between the digits. All the while, talk lovingly to the dog. Get the dog used to you handling it's paws and digits and running your fingers between it's digits.

Next day, do the same and put the clipper next to the dog after you've started the petting session.

You might want to place the clipper on one forepaw while you caress the other paw. All the while, the dog is getting used to your handling it's paws and yet you're not doing anything the dog considers threatening.

Finally, take the clipper and rub it on the dog as you pet.

You may have to go slowly and do each step several times before moving on to the next step, but it should work even on an adult dog given patience and time.

Then, your next step is to clip just one nail. If you don't get resistance you can continue, but if the dog gets skittish, just continue petting and leave off from the cutting. If the dog tries to stand up, gently hold the dog in reclining position and return to the petting and caressing. If this happens, you may need to back up several steps and slowly move forward again.

Make sure you know how to avoid cutting the quick. My male Pyr is skittish now because I did cut the quick once and it hurt him and he bled a good bit.

Dogs who dig a lot don't need much nail trimming, so my dogs who run on rocky surfaces and dig don't need much trimming.

Finally, if all else fails, you can get some Ace Promazine and give the dog one 10mg tablet to take the edge off and calm the dog before clipping.

If the dog lets you clip but is skittish, give a treat to reward for cooperation!

One final alternative is to go to a groomer or your vet and see if the they can do it. Dogs, like children, often behave better for outsiders than they do for mommy and daddy.

Answer 3

With a dog that large I would suggest taking it to a groomer every 10-14 days to have it done. After about 2-4 months the dog will come to find this as a routine and not fight. At this point you will be able to do it at home with minimal problems. I would ask the groomer to show you the proper way to trim nails so that you do not injure the dog while doing it at home. Good luck!

(Absolutely easiest way to clip dog nails is start as a puppy, a few weeks old!)

Answer 4

Good Luck!!!
I have a 3 month old Lab puppy and she hates to have her nails done.
I take her to the Vet to have them done. I am so scared I would cut the nails to short if I did them !!!!!!
She cries so bad when I take her. The office help have to hold her so tight.
I have to take my dog today in fact to get her nails trimmed.
I am going to try and take one of her toys and see if that helps. She really doesn't mind the car ride nor the Vet staff. She loves being around other dogs but as soon as we are taken back into a room she will start with the crying.
Might have some treats near by?
I don't know if you are trying to do it or you are going to the Vet.
Seems like if you hold a dog tight that only makes them become upset more.
I have even tried to trim my dogs nails when they were alseep that worked sometimes.
Good Luck

Answer 5

dogs toenails are NOT like peoples nails or hair....they are much more deeply attached in their toes and can be sensitive when cutting near the vien that goes thru them.
also, their feet are extremely sensitive.

even a well trained dog will occasionally flinch.

Just DONT make a big deal out of it and dont make it an unpleasant experience or it will just make things worse.

every time she tries to move, say NO, and immediately bring her leg/foot back to where you want it. do not tolerate the squirming, and do not let her get out of it.

just train her to sit while you cut them, like you train dogs to do anything else.

if you have ever cut the vein (which you should never allow to happen), then it was a painful experience and thats why she hates it even more than usual.
.

Answer 6

Have you ever taken a 2 year old child to get their hair cut for the first time? Did you have to convince the child that having his/her hair cut wasn't the end of the world. If so you probably gave up because 2 year olds don't listen to logic; instead you probably promised the child a treat, like an ice cream.

Dogs don't listen to logic; give the dog a treat after each mail is cut.

Answer 7

Sit her next to the table, and set 20 peices of cheese out where she can see them, but don't let her have them. Take a paw, and gently clip one nail, and give her a treat. Do this for every nail. Praise her lavishly when she starts to cooperate, and gradually reduce the treats to one per foot, and then finally a big treat and a pat at the end of the procedure :)

Answer 8

hmmm, it'll be hard but my advice would be to continue with the struggle for the time being but after each paw reward her with loving pats and a yummy treat she loves. this will encourage her to think of it as a good thing rather than a frightening experience and prevent her from freaking out. i have a large dog also so i feel your pain :) good luck

Answer 9

It's a dog and your suppose to take care of it! For goodness sakes just take it to the vet or groomer and have it's nails cut, you don't need to convince it just do it, If your going to have a pet you need to be responsible for it's care and feeding and that includes making good choices for it's health!!! Which by the way triming its nails is...

Answer 10

my dachshund REFUSES to let us clip his nails. he bucks out of our grasp like crazy and hes only about 10 pounds!

my advice would be take the pup to the vet and let them do it! if she is larger they have harnesses to put them in and itll be a lot easier, here it only costs $6 to get them clipped

also if they have black nails as opposed to white, i would take them to the vet anyways because it always scares me that im going to cut them too short

good luck!