dog grooming??
24 Dec 2008
i can not afford to get my dog groomed , so i do it myself and am very experienced. i have brush, nail clippers, everything, my dog though is not good about getting he rnails clipped, when i go and clip them she growls and trys to bite me!! she is a very sweet dog and this only happens when i am clipping he nails, i even out a muzzle on her but she pulls away and growls and i dont want either of us to get hurt. are their any suggestions??? thanks!
5 Responses
2008 Dec 26
Handle her feet when you’re not grooming her. Mess with her pads and her toes and her nails, so that she doesn’t automatically associate “foot handling” with “nail clipping”.
If you have ever quicked her nails (cut them too short so they bleed), she associates pain with having her feet handled.
Another option is instead of using guillotine clippers, try a Dremel grinder to grind the nails down.
More suggestions:
Helpful Hints:
Mind the tolerance of your dog, and take breaks as necessary. If your dog is not used to having his nails trimmed, start slowly, and gradually work up to simply holding his toes firmly for 15-30 seconds. Do not let him mouth or bite at you.
It can take daily handling for a week or more to get some dogs used to this. When your dog tolerates having his feet held, clip just one nail, and if he is good, praise him and give him a tiny treat. Wait, and then at another time, do another nail. Continue until all nails have been trimmed. Slowly, you will be able to cut several nails in one sitting, and finally all the nails in one session.
Trim nails a small amount weekly, even if long walks keep them naturally short. A regular trimming routine helps your dog get used to proper maintenance
Invest in a quality pair of dog nail trimmers in an appropriate size for your dog. They can last a lifetime. You can try 1 800 Pet Meds.com for these dog supplies.
2008 Dec 28
Have you ever tried using a dremel to grind the nails down? Many dogs can’t tolerate it, either, but many will tolerate it before they can the nail cutters. It takes time to get them used to it, but sometimes, if they’ve had a bad experience with the cutters, just changing to something else is enough to soothe them. Best part is, you have to really work hard to nip the quick!
2008 Dec 31
Well, I have an 11lbs dog who’s the sweetest thing in the world until you have to cut his nails. I have my husband hold/comfort him while I trim the nails as quickly as possible, the whole thing is over in a few minutes then he gets a tons of praise and an awesome treat.
2009 Jan 02
Try clipping her nails when she’s really tired from a long walk or play session. Is she used to you playing with her feet? If not, do that when you’re not clipping her nails, just get her used to her feet being handled.
When you’re ready to do her nails, have her lying on her side on the floor. Pick up a foot and holding the clippers very close to her nails, just pretend to clip so she gets used to the sound and realizes she’s not being hurt. Then you progress to clipping just the very tips of her nails. How fast you progress depends on her. If she won’t let you do all 4 feet at once, only do 2, and do the rest the next day.
If you go slow, stay calm but assertive, she’ll accept it eventually. Muzzling her works but only to a point - she’s now also fighting the muzzle which she hates. Having another person help you by holding her works for some dogs, but most are going to be worse if they’re held down.
That’s why I think the easiest on both of you will be to do it very slowly in stages.
2009 Jan 03
you could get seriously hurt, so be very careful.
Put a collar and leash on, take her for a walk outside and put the muzzel on her outside. She won’t be suspecting it then and it should be easier. Have a friend that isn’t frightened help. When the muzzel is on, don’t let her try to scratch it off and if you need to loop the leash like a choker collar do that also and give her a correction each time she growls. Grab the scruff of the neck like a dog bite and firmly say “NO” and wait until she stops and submits.
Tie the leash to something heavy like the sofa leg, have your friend hold her collar, pull the leg behind her like a horse being shod, have your friend hold the dogs elbow or foreleg to keep it from jerking around also. When I am doing a thrasher in my grooming shop, I try not to hit the nail quick, and if I do
I apply quickstop. Don’t talk to the dog while all this is going on because your voice will sound excited and higher and your dog can sense your exasperation. Keep your breathing as regular as you can also, cause she’s picking up on everything in the fight or flight mode. I would try to do one foot
a day and when all 4 are done, just work at picking up the foot until she stops struggling….do this and reward with a small treat after the muzzel is off and in a couple weeks you’ll have her trained. Don’t let her get away with anything though. Be Very firm and end on a positive, non struggling note every time.