Trimming nails

[2rocky]

Our Lab is really anxious when we trim his nails. Would a professional groomer be able to make him more tolerant?

I'm not saran wrapping my head and smearing PB on it like on the internet...Sorry...

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Maybe just try to de-sensitize him to it.

Example:

Take out the trimmers, walk over to him with them give him a reward and walk away.
repeat for a week or so...

Then maybe do one nail, then treat and walk away.

Work up to a full paw.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Most people have no business trimming their dogs toenails.

I am always careful and give a treat before and after. Never had an issue and I only cut 1 nail short out of all of the nails I have trimmed on my hunting dogs.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Some dogs are easier than others. Same thing with horses. Horse shoeing is dangerous work so fussing around is not tolerated ... not by me anyway. My horse wants to get jumpy, it can expect to get hollered at and slapped/poked with the file. When it stands well, it gets an apple slice or cube and pat on the neck. For an uninitiated animal I start gradually. Lets me hold a foot for a bit and it gets a treat. Move along to holding it longer, then working on hoof. Of course different animals require different treatment. The important thing, whether dogs or horses, is to establish who's the alpha. I've had dogs that were difficult to trim and I was the only one who could do it. They still hated it, even with reward afterward. But they knew who was boss. I once removed a snoot full of porky quills from my Lab with my teeth. She stood for it ... because she didn't have an option ... and neither did I. We were a day and a half from Jefferson City into the Elkhorn Mountains.

 

[Bambistew]

Got to start them when they are puppies and mess with them regularly. The grinders are much less painful/scary than the clippers.

Totally disagree with Mallardsx2, as a dog owner you should learn to do this, its not rocket science, if you're worried about it talk to your vet and ask them how. I see many people neglect their dogs toenails and it Fs up their feet/ankles and is painful for them. Actually one of my biggest pet peeves. They need to be trimmed so they don't click when they walk across the floor. Its not hard, but you have to be diligent and keep up with it every other week or so. I have 4 dogs, 3 are easy, one is a PITA and aggressive, but she also has arthritis and won't let you touch her feet. A muzzle, one holding her down and lots of treats helps, she'd rip the average dog groomers arm off...

 

[Trial153]

I cant remember when I had less then 10 hounds in the kennel. I cut a lot of nails over the years. Like it was mentioned above....starting as puppy's smooths it out a lot. Also when they are small cut them right ro quick several time. Keeps the quick small compact as the grow and will be easier as adults.
I like to cut dogs nails on the tailgate when its load up time after a hard run. They are settled in stay still

 

[OntarioHunter]

I cant remember when I had less then 10 hounds in the kennel. I cut a lot of nails over the years. Like it was mentioned above....starting as puppy's smooths it out a lot. Also when they are small cut them right ro quick several time. Keeps the quick small compact as the grow and will be easier as adults.
I like to cut dogs nails on the tailgate when its load up time after a hard run. They are settled in stay still

Great tip, thanks. My little Fr Britt is a pain to clip (just fidgety and a crybaby). I'll remember to cut toenails after a day in the field. They're often too pooped to move.

 

[406dn]

I have yet to own a dog that enjoyed getting their nails cut, but everyone of them put up with it.

Every dog needs to accept that I can examine and handle any part of them, period. As mentioned above, horses also must accept being handled on all parts of their body.

I find having horses is a good teacher for training dogs. The knowledge that a horse can kill you, makes you more thoughtful about how to assert your leadership, and lead you must. Every time a horse gives you a hoof, you know what a horse could do with it.

I have never given treats for trimming nails, they seem to accept that having the last nail trimmed is a pretty good treat.

 

[Jorgy]

2 stories, right before I moved from Colorado, I saw a facebook ad for a girl starting out a mobile dog nail trim for $7. I have 2 dogs that whine and cry like we are breaking their feet. So this young lady comes over, sits with them for 5 or so minutes and clips both of thier nails, they barely fussed. I have her come the next month, and my biggest fit thrower fell asleep while she cut his nails. Easily the best money I have ever spent on my dog.
Now what we have found works is that either myslef, or my wife hold the dog back against our belly (vertical) and the other clips thier nails. This has stopped all fussing and crying

 

[TayBou]

I have a lab, and I've found using a dremel to make a huge difference in my experience trimming nails. I've gotten into the quick once with the dremel, but because it's taking off so little at a time, it's not nearly what clippers will do if you're not super careful. Using the dremel also leaves a smoother finish, so I've not had any nails break or splinter, a problem i've seen if clippers aren't super sharp.

I did a lot of handling/holding/restraint practice when she was young, so she settles down quickly, and knows if she's calm it'll go quicker. Once she sees the dremel come out, and I sit on the floor in the spot she knows we trim nails, she'll come right over, and sit to have her nails trimmed. Similar to the above, I made sure this wasn't optional, and we finished when I was done from the start

 

[OntarioHunter]

I have a lab, and I've found using a dremel to make a huge difference in my experience trimming nails. I've gotten into the quick once with the dremel, but because it's taking off so little at a time, it's not nearly what clippers will do if you're not super careful. Using the dremel also leaves a smoother finish, so I've not had any nails break or splinter, a problem i've seen if clippers aren't super sharp.

I did a lot of handling/holding/restraint practice when she was young, so she settles down quickly, and knows if she's calm it'll go quicker. Once she sees the dremel come out, and I sit on the floor in the spot she knows we trim nails, she'll come right over, and sit to have her nails trimmed. Similar to the above, I made sure this wasn't optional, and we finished when I was done from the start

I tried using a Dremel tool with my Lab Pearl (2005-2015). She very much disliked the noise and vibration. Made it worse, particularly the longer time involved. I was the only one who could trim her nails and it was never easy.

Every dog is different. It can take some time and thinking outside the box to find what method works best.

 

[Wildabeest]

I’ve found it helpful to get them used to you messing with their feet when they are only weeks old. In general dogs don’t like to have their feet held, but they seem more OK with it as pups. Spend a few months just handling their feet in a pleasant way, and they are less likely to freak out when it’s time for a trim. Not guaranteed, but it seems to help.

 

[MJE2083]

I think going to a groomer can help, I've all but given up on trying to do it myself. For some reason my dog was fine with it when she was a young pup, but somewhere around 10 months old she became very aggressive with me out of the blue. I did cut one too short once, that might have had something to do with it.
I never thought I would be the guy paying a professional to trim my dogs nails, but 5 years in and here I am! Trying to do it myself is an event filled with tension and anxiety(for both her and me), so much easier to take her to someone else. They have the set up, experience, and the equipment to finish the job quickly and easily. I think that helps tremendously.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

I trim all my labs every Monday.
Even with trimming, every once in a while a split nail can occur...

 

[tim629]

spoon with peanut butter can give them something else to focus on. every dog is a bit different even if it's just one foot/night to start lay them on their back between your legs, or them on their side watching tv. as with anything with a dog, don't be in a hurry

 

[Scott85]

I know this an older thread but we have pet dremel; it’s cordless and made for doing nails. We also play with their feet while watching tv.

 

[Jack Ryan]

I second the dremel.

I've trimmed nails on ever dog I've had since about 1978. Just started using a regular dremel about 5-10 years ago. Then I got a cordless battery dremel. Much better than anything else I've ever used.

The dog I have now was a retiree bird dog I got when he was already 10 and had never had his nails trimmed. He live in a kennel before with paver stones in it and kept them wore down. Now he is in the fields and yard all the time and getting old he don't wear them done as much so I trim.

He was NOT in to any handsy kind of handling. That buzzy spinning thing was NOT anything he wanted to do with. Not until it meant he was getting about a half inch of hot dog ever time I turned it on. Only took about one hot dog for him to figure out what that meant. Just the next day after that and the demel running meant that thing gave him a back rub and pretty soon he was running over when I turned it on.

He has NEVER wanted to lay down for anything like a lot of lap dogs do. Never wanted turned over at all but if you make them sit, then stand over them and lift just one paw off the floor it is pretty easy to trim one nail at a time on one paw and still keep good control over them.

One nail a day until I got a paw done. Then one paw a day to get the next three and I only really little more than touched the end of each nail. Then two paws a day and finally all four paws in one day. All this only took about a week and he was used to all this and I started actually trimming at that point.

Now I can tell him sit and step over with a leg on each side and trim every toe on all for feet in probably 2 minutes or less just about every time but I trim LESS nail, and more often rather than let them get long. If they do get long then I'll trim about every 2 - 3 days until they get back to normal.