[Bob Pr.]

I bought a Dremel battery powered tool for trimming Puff's toenails BUT she put up so much of a fight, I couldn't handle her by myself.

So we went back to PetsMart again for a nail trim.

I lie down on the floor next to Puff and grasp her as strongly as I can with both arms. (She is VERY strong!) One of the attendants was able to hold out one leg at a time for the other to clip. We did the same thing for a quick light sanding of each toenail after all the clipping.

It only took about 8 minutes.

This time I had treats with me and after each paw, she got one. Hopefully, if we do this often enough, she'll not fight as much and maybe I can manage it myself.

Anyone else have such a struggle with nails? Anyone got a solution other than complete anesthesia?

 

[zoezoe]

Used to. I started doing it a nail at a time and went for a long time in-between without cutting the quick. Now they "reluctantly" let me. Zoe was the WORST. It took a lot of time, Bob, but they will be still for me now, but VERY reluctantly!

 

[mollyrock]

Lucy is okay with the nails....doesn't love it but cookies make it all better.

Labs are a cake walk ...try trimming a warrior princess cairn terrier's nails....we are talking about Cricket!
ha!
I don't even bother. they get trimmed when she is under anesthesia. thank goodness she got a face full of quills from a battle with a porcupine back in December. Her nails were getting looooonnnnggg.

 

[Garth]

Nope. Jo used to go to sleep while I was cutting his claws so does my GSD. My Pug however, he's a nightmare!

 

[Snowflake]

There are no words to describe how much I HATE trimming their nails. I'm sure I hate it and dread it much worse than they do. It is so worth it to me to get the DDC to do it or even the vet.

My take on it is.....there are people out there who make a living trimming nails. If I don't give them business, then they will be out of work and on unemployment. So it's my civic duty to pay to get my dogs' nails trimmed.

Now, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

 

[GreenDragonLady]

My vet charges me $5. It is sooooo worth it for them to do it for me. PJ's not thrilled about it, but she tolerates it.

 

[justine]

Abbey doesn't care at all anymore. When she was a puppy, I played with her paws and nails a LOT, everyday, to get her used to it. Now I tell her to shake, she gives me her paw, I trim them all, give her a treat, repeat for the other one.

 

[einstein's legacy]

Max and Duncan don't mind the nail cutting but Jake...he'll bite your hand off! He gets muzzled when we cut his nails!

 

[Lexis Mom]

Thanks, but I'll pay to have someone else do Lexi's nails or in a pinch my parent's neighbor is a vet tech & she'll do it.

When they go to take Lexi back at the vet's or when I leave her in the grooming salon at Petco, you'd think she was being abused. She carries on & cries, when we go to Petco... I go hide in the back of the store.

 

[3TailsWaggin]

Remington absolutely hates it. I can only do his when he's eating. He's more concerned about eating then me clipping his nails. Thankfully, this works for me, otherwise I don't know how I'd get his nails clipped. I use a clipper that has a nail guard so I can't cut him too far. I do two paws at a time (that's all the time I have because he wolfs down his food). I clip his nails every other week rotating the two paws I do.

Another trick that worked with him is saving peanut butter jars and letting him lick out of them while I trimmed his nails.

And, just wanted to add, I think Remington hates being restrained more than the actual clipping, so I no longer make any attempt to restrain him, I just pick up his paw and clip while he dances around eating. I don't touch him anywhere else on his body or try to hold him down.

Magnum loves the Dremel, she hates clippers.

Ruger lets me do either, he tries to hide his paws by pulling them underneath himself, but he lets me do it cause he's a big ole luv.

 

[AReims]

Oh, with Martta it is a nightmare too. Ever since she was a little pup,she started struggling and screaming like a banshee if i tried cutting her nails. She has let me do it a couple of times (amazingly enough), but most of the time she struggles away so I can't do it, treats or not. Last time we were at the vet's a few months ago, she didn't even notice when they were clipping her nails until the last paw . So many good smells and nice people. Nice subject, as we are going there again in a couple of hours to cut her nails. We shall see how it goes...

 

[Paddysmom]

Paddy was HORRIBLE about nail trimming. He'd behave like a rabid jackyl, complete with bared teeth, deep growling, menacing barks, hackles up. It was always a pretty scary scenario.

Seamus is iffy... sometimes he's fine, other times he's a little skittish but I can get the job done by myself.

Flynn has nubs for nails. I've never had to trim them. Sometimes I run a soft emery board over the tips if they're a little rough but that's it.

 

[PhoebeJeebies]

I will never ever do Phoebe's nails! I always pay to get them done. It's pretty quick and painless for her...she definitely doesn't love it but she tolerates it with lots of treats. Then we get treats from the store afterwards too.

 

[HersheyK's Dad]

BobPR,

I went through the same thing with HK. Pure torture for both of us with me using my total strength and weight advantage.

One of those things that I decided I was going to be the pack leader on, and she was going to submit to me one way or the other.

This probably took three months.

Got her when she was in a relaxed mood. Sat down with dremel in hand,hidden.
Took one paw and played with her toes and nails a little, turning on the Dremel for the noise only.
Did that for a few days, then actually brought Dremel into view and near nails, no touching yet, but I held her actual nail, not paw or toe. (This is important. IMHO)
After a few days of that, I actually touched and did a little grinding of one nail. HOLDING THE NAIL! It kills most of the vibration going into her nervous system.
A few more days and one paw was actually done.
Did this one nail for starters on each paw.
By the end of three months, she accepts the weekly trimming of all four paws. She isn't happy about it. Doesn't come running when she sees the Dremel. But she doesn't fight or pull back. I still make sure that I hold each nail as it is being worked.

 

[kiddsmom]

I do Derby's every about every 2 weeks. I use clippers and he is okay with it. No treats needed. He lies there and lets me do it. Not his most favorite thing, but he never argues with me.

 

[YellowJakesMom]

Jake HATES it. He won't growl or bite, but he shakes his arms, squirms, etc. I get two big friends to hold him on his back and they rub his belly and I trim. This "restraint" works best for some reason for him. The puppy will, I hope, be better about it.

 

[blackjack]

BJ's nails stay very short, thank goodness, because they are black and I wouldn't even try. The beagles are a complete mess. If I even touch the clippers Blaze hides, and Boomer hates to have his feet held, no matter how much I work with him. When we went out of town a few years ago the kennel we used did temperment testing before they would accept the dogs and Boomer literally flung himself screaming into the dirt when the lady held his paw. I also bought a dremel and that freaked out all three so for my peace of mind we go to the groomers to get their nails done. Speaking of clippers, I looked for mine a few weeks ago and they are nowhere to be found. I think Blaze buried them out in the yard.

 

[jzgrlduff]

Tucker HATES it. He hides his feet from me when he sees the clippers. I gave up on him. Frankie tolerates it. I've never had to do Macy, hers stay good for some reason. Oh, they did her when she was spayed, I forgot.

Thankfully, walking them on pavement helps tremendously. Tucker will get his done when he goes to the vet. They put a leash around his neck and put him up on a lift table and he will let them do whatever they want.

 

[Belles mom]

Belle used to hate it. I would have to lay on top of her to clip nails and/or clean her ears. I started to clip one nail when she was asleep, sometimes I got to do two. Eventually she tolerated it.

I now use the Dremel and no one has a problem with it, bu they know a huge Jackpot is coming afterward. (Hoss, Kodi and Red I fiddled with their nails and paws from the day they were born),

 

[AReims]

Ah, oh thank you. I thought that I was the only one struggling to get a Lab's nails trimmed. The Lab's we've had in my family in the past would just lay there and take the treats happily, so I've been thinking there's something wrong with me as Martta won't let me trim them.

But as for our vet visit today, again she didn't really even notice as the vet clipped her nails and I fed her chicken during it .