Out of interest, how many here cut their own dog's nails? I know so many people that take their dogs into the groomers for this task.
I've always done the nails on my dogs on my own.
Printable View
Out of interest, how many here cut their own dog's nails? I know so many people that take their dogs into the groomers for this task.
I've always done the nails on my dogs on my own.
My lab will not let us cut her nails. When we try to do it she will run or fight us as soon as she sees the nail clippers. So we take her to the vet and she will just sit and let them do it. She has been like this since she was a puppy.
I use a dremel tool to grind the nails on my 8 month old St Bernard. He hates it and tries to fight and get away, so I normally will take him out for a good hour or two of running around to wear him out and then while he is snoozing I can get the nails done. Although when I did them a few days ago he woke up right near the end and wouldn't let me finish the last few nails.
I do it myself and I hate it! My beagle "sort of" falls asleep sometimes, but most of the time he is continually pulling his feet away and is very jumpy. It must be very stressful for him.
I have always done my dog's since she was a puppy, a small treat as a puppy when i was finished convinced her it wasn't all that bad!
With 4 Labs in this household , our daughter does them most of the time , my wife also does them periodically and I do sometimes , only one of our dogs is hesitant to have them done , the others just lie back and have them clipped.
Yes, for both dogs.
Although, my wife has been doing it lately; our dogs have black nails and I cut too close TWICE in the same session. I had never had that happen before, and boy did it feel awful.
Both the dog, and myself were clip-shy after that. I have been re-evaluating our clippers, which are still nice and sharp, but obviously don't agree with me.
My parents' dog was not started on the home-trimming as a pup, and now will not allow them to be clipped voluntarily.
I do the cats' nails too, although one is a lot more aloof and squirmy than the other. She also has tiny, sharp, claws that seem to go through any clothing encountered.
I do it myself, but it's a two person job.
I'll cut and my wife will sit there and pet her, long as someone is comforting her, she is fine. When she goes to the vet for her yearly checkup I'll get him to do it as well, as he takes allot more off than I, and long as I'm petting her she just lays there.
I used to with a Dremel tool and sanding disk until one time he swung his fluffy tail around and the spinning disk got caught in it. What a mess! He refuses for us to even go anywhere near his nails now. However, since then he has taken upon himself to keep his nails short by simply biting and trimming them. Problem resolved...lol
I'll admit that this pup I have now has been the most challenging in the nail cutting department but firmness patience and her knowing there's no choice in this, (it's going to be done whether she likes it or not) has come a long way. The reason I started this thread is because I just finished cutting her nails and there's always a little bit of a struggle but not nearly as bad as it has been. She's getting much better with the procedure
I do are beagles with the dremil as well .it is not to bad of a job .she will struggle a little at the start but soon calms down .Dutch
X2 except only 2 dogsQuote:
Originally Posted by jaycee
We Generally do it our self but one of the local pet food stores has charity days and will do clippings for $5 bucks a dog by a groomer, so I will do that when opportunity knocks.
With my first Boxer, my father would hold a margarine dish lid full of peanut butter in front of him, wrap his arms around his torso and I would hold the foot and use the dremil on the nails.
With my 4.5yr old Boxer I have now his nails have only been once or twice at the vets... he gets walked for 3-4 mile everyday, the pavement/cement keeps his nails trimmed.
I use a dremel as well. When using as dremel or any power grinding tool it's a good idea to grind off slowly. This will prevent the nail bed from heating up causing the dog allot of pain and discomfort..
the key to success is NEVER heart the dog during it, if you do - both the owner and they dog will hate it :(
It takes a lot of peanut butter to get over it, that's for sure. I even gave some to the dog:joker:Quote:
Originally Posted by vom Dufenshmirtz
Our Lab is really good about letting me cut her nails. She acts like she enjoys it!
You have to do it yourself. Part of your relationship with him/her. He can't make the decision on who clips his nails. You do it. Be gentle with him and earn his trust. It just creates a closer friendship.
I use the dremel. Neither of my dogs likes it so I put a leash and collar on and attach the other end to the kitchen cupboard handle. Once they realize there's no getting away, they let me do it.
For those having a hard time I would recommend doing just one or two each day and giving treats for tolerating it.
Give them a pig ear and go easy pet them and go slow don't cut too much off. It helps when you run them a lot in bush or walk them on asphalt roads or concrete side walks if you live in city.
Yes X3. Only dog who gives me a hard time is ................the JRT. Surprise! :)
tip for those starting out with a pup : Only do one foot a day.
I have big dogs...so I straddle them, reach down and do a paw at a time. Once your over top of them, it's a 'pack leader' dominance thing and they don't fight it. Some time have to back them into a corner to keep them still, but it works.
I do it myself. Give her a down, roll her over, clip clip clip done.
Like Sharon suggests I started one foot at a time. Also, be patient and get the dog used to having its feet handled from puppyhood.
My wife does the same thing with me welsh.lolQuote:
Originally Posted by welsh
I have a pug, and they grow nails at a very rapid rate, there's no way I'd be taking her to the groomers every 3-4 weeks.
I actually have a proper set of nail trimmers ( looks like a little guillotine) and I bought one of those "As seen on TV" Pedi-Paws. with the grinder.
Both work very well, and neither her, nor the new lab have any issues.
I like these, and they're the sharpest I've had. I read someone recommending these because theyre sharp and cheap. I think I got them for around 10 bucks all in on Amazon.
I've tried the dremel but it's too noisy (freaks out dog) and it takes too long, although it does leave nice smooth edges.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...L._SL1500_.jpg
I use to use that type of nail trimmer but now prefer the dremel after a friend of mine who is a groomer showed me how. Every four weeks I grind off a little bit and all my dogs are so use to it they just sit or lay down until i am done. They know that a treat is given to them afterwards.
I cut both my Boston terriers nails, same style clippers as last5oh posted above. I turn them upside down on their backs on my lap and they settle down quickly haha.
I've always cut our Lab's nails. Do it weekly if I can remember. Start them at 8 weeks old. Doesn't take long before the Pig-Dog figures out that they get a biscuit after. I do the ears (light rub out with ear cleaner and cotton pad) and teeth (dental scaler if needed for tartar on back molars, but usually just baby toothbrush or cotton swab) at the same time, kinda like spa time. Look for ticks, and hawthorns in the pads (we have a lot on our property). Now, when they see you going for the clippers, the tail wags and they roll over on their back. Good bonding time too. Fuss over them, rub their gut and give them a massage. I have a Dremel, but never tried using it. I can see that it could be good for doing the sides of the nail after the straight cut. Sometimes you'll get a side splinter starting if they're long. What do you guys use? The round sanding drum on the rubber collet? What speed setting?
Dave
I've always cut all my dogs nails myself. Start doing it when they're a pup to get used to it even if you aren't actually trimming them. I've never had a problem.
I'm the resident nail trimmer in the house. This past summer, my training partner had a litter of lab pups. When the litter was young, they also got their toe nails trimmed, as well as 'light baths' (a bit of water from the hose and the bathing/suds-ing up motion) so they could get used to it all from a young age. He kept a pup from the litter, and while she wiggles a lot when I want to cut her nails, she doesn't fret or get upset. She's seven months old, just the puppy wiggles of excitement.
For the adult dogs, I use trimmers that look the same as what last 5-oh posted. I dislike the guillotine style as they're not comfortable for me to use. My vet showed me a good technique to keep the old girl's nails from turning into talons, and I've incorporated it into my way of doing things. A handy tip that made me less stressed out was learning that regular white all-purpose flour can be used to stop the bleeding if you accidentally go too far. Knowing there was an easy solution that didn't involve buying a specific product made me relax about the process, so it became less stressful for everyone involved.
The more the dog runs, the less need to trim...
So, typically I have only two nails to trim, which makes life relatively easy.
I used to use a cutter like shown earlier. Advantage is that there's no noise, but you can cut too deep. Right now I'm using a cheap battery powerd grinder from the pet shop. The thing is noisy (which my dog doesn't mind anymore), and very low powered. The latter is a real advantage - no concern about overheating or ripping the nail off (pushing hard on the nail will make it stop due to lack of power). considering the little bit I use it, the extra second spent is well invested, because the dog never gets hurt and there is absolutely no fuss about trimming her nails
I've never cut a dog's nails. Regular walks keep their nails filed short.
correct, but what about the dew claw?Quote:
Originally Posted by thunderbelly
Must have been lucky don't ever remember having issues with them. I wonder if the dogs bite them off? I know not all the dogs I've owned have had them removed.
the would break off eventually, but that is pretty painful for the dog. so you might see them licking their claw after it happend rathen than they biting off the nail intentionally
I have to cut the little dog's nails almost weekly, they grow crazy fast. I haven't cut the cocker's since he was a puppy - maybe his constant movement keeps them down lol. They just never seem to grow. The dachshund's nails click on the floor even right after I clip them.
I've never had a dog that didn't need it's nails cut (dew claws included, although some dogs have all of them removed) but some dogs needed cutting less often due to their own activity level or just the way they wore them down on their own. I also believe a dog doesn't get enough exercise by just walking them on a leash.
Some dogs are going to need their nails clipped periodically regardless of regular walks.
for pups and difficult dogs : What I learned is that you don't need to get as close as you can to the quick and you don't need to do 4 feet at a time.
I'm not sure if this is true or not, but it seems to me that the dogs who have a relatively 'flat foot' without a lot of arch in their toes, develop a thicker "Bear Claw" type of nail which needs frequent trimming and which makes a lot of clicking noise on floors. Those nails never seem to wear down on their own The dogs with a well sprung 'cat foot' need less trimming of their nails, and the nails remain smaller in diameter as well as length. Maybe I'm not on the right track here, but right now I seem to have two of each. The Bear Claw type need their nails trimmed every 10 days to 2 weeks (1 Britt and 1 Lab) and the cat foot type could get away with once a month (1 Britt and a GSP). The level of exercise is about the same for all of them, and so is the diet. Ideas?
My lab has a very nice tight paw with a very good arch. I could cut her nails every three to four days no matter how much exercise she gets. My Springer gets tons of exercise and she trims her own nails by chewing them off.lol I have only needed to trim them a few times in the last year and a half.
I like the side cutters as well. I start cutting nails very young to get them used to trimming. When I have a litter I start at 2 weeks with human nail trimmers and they are done at least once per week until they go home. I also cut as for athletic dogs, that is I leave a little more point on them for extra traction. I don't know if it helps but I like the idea.deb
IMO a dremmel tool is the easiest and most forgiving way to go
Goosechsr
Cutting a dog that has all solid black nails is tricky because it's difficult to see the quick. What I do is look at the nails from underneath and I can see the quick rings and I cut just to the outside of the closest ring.
Yellow dog, I wish I had four who would trim their own nails by chewing them off! I guess my theory wasn't a very good one. I have bought a cordless Dremel and am clicker training all four dogs to think it is a good noise. Maybe it will be more pleasant than the nail clippers. Never a dull moment.