Nail Phobia!?

[Jessca]

Help me please.

i have a four and a half month old dobie pup, i started trying to trim his nails from 8 weeks old and every time he made a fuss i thought it was because he'd never had it done before.

but now 2 months later whenever i try and touch his nails he screams and carries on like Im ripping his whole nail off, even when im not trying to trim them. which makes trimming them a fun experience.

last time i tried to cut them he was so scared he tried to bite me. i dont know what to do.

if anyone can help or has experienced this problem before id love some help.

Like, is there any way to desensitize him, could it actually be hurting him, and what can i do to when i need to trim them??

any help/advice would be greatly appreciated

thanks

Jess

[Doggrooma]

Some dogs just dont like having their nails cut. You wont be hurting him, its bad behavior. Its good you started early even though he has been a handful. Try elevating him on a table. They are often much better. Dont fuss over him, straight in pick up his foot and start. When he mucks around dont talk to him, ignore him and persist. Dont let go until he is still and calm. When he is letting you cut the nails without fuss then tell him how good he is and love him. Make sure you dont reward him for scared, bad behavior. You dont need to be rough but a firm confidence will help.

You get dogs in the salon that are screaming before you even cut the nail. He will improve with time.

[puggy_puggy]

Pugs are crazy when it comes to nail cutting.

I only do my twos dew claws and that is a bad enough experience.

[Jessca]

thanks for that, i'll try putting him on a table *fingers crossed*

thanks again.

[BrunoBella]

Mr Bruno started doing this too the last few months. I will try the table as well. I just hang on and cut his nails with him growling and mouthing.

Hope the neighbours aren't watching.

I also had success with tying him to my waist with a lead and picking up and touching his foot all evening. He soon got sick of fighting me. ;)

Agree with doggrooma, persistence and confidence helps.

[Dogsfevr]

Alot can depend on your technique & the type of nail clippers you are using.

Did you get your dog from a breeder ?? I would consider asking them to show you .A good grooming salon should also be able to show the how to do it aswell

[Leema]

This is my all time favourite video - almost. I think the method applied here would work for your dog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgEwiH8CeUE

[bowser]

One of my weims is very precious about anyone touching his feet.

If I try and clip his nails he will fight me every step of the way, and bite the clippers - trying to take them out of my hands. He carries on so much that I've occasionally torn a nail as he pulls his foot away mid clip. I've also tried filing his nails but he didn't like that either.

I have to get someone to help me by sitting on him to keep him relatively still and do it very slowly. When I was working at a vet he was a regular blood donor, but always needed sedation, so I'd just wait until he was sedated and clip them then so that he couldn't fight me

Since he no longer donates blood I haven't actually clipped his nails in a while, because it's not worth the fight.

He's been like this since he was a young pup (we got him at 9 weeks, and he's almost 7) and no amount of treats or bribery have changed his opinion on the matter.

So unfortunately I have no suggestions for you, sorry!

[WreckitWhippet]

If you are cutting them properly, with good nail clippers and you are not taking too much off, then there is no reason that he should carry on like this.

I've had many a dog scream blue murder when it comes to nails. Either put them on a table or cut them while they are in the hydrobath. You are the boss, just get in there and get the job done and ignore the screaming.

You will get there in the end. I had one who would scream the house down, I can now walk up to that dog anywhere and he will stand while i cut his nails.

[Ruffles]

You will get there in the end

Yes you will!! I've NEVER EVER been able to cut Loki's nails.... ever not once has he had a full paw done in two years. But, the other day with some persistance I clipped every single nail without argument. Go us

He had always been fine with people touching his nails but the second you put somethin to them, even if it was a pen he would loop out.

What I did (and I hate it because I dont like food rewards) was put him in his crate (where he feels most safe) and held is foot with the clippers in my other hand some distance away. Gave him a treat when he didnt move. Repeated this a few times till he stopped flinching at the sight of the clippers. Then I put the clippers on his foot, rewarded when he didnt move away or be a fruit cake. Then, put the clippers over a nail (did not cut) then left it for a moment, then rewarded. Repeated each step until I actually clipped a nail. The second I clipped the first nail I jammed a treat in his mouth "good boy", then kept going. By the end of the first foot we could move from the crate into an open area. By the end of the second paw I didnt need to (food)treat on every clip, then probably half way through 3rd paw I just did the rest with no treats and praise.

Sorry for the long procedure but it really helped us, and as I said, we have not once been able to clip his nails. We just assumed we'd have to wait till he had to go under anesthetic (for some reason) to have it done.

But we persevered and WON!!

[becks]

With a puppy just be firm but fair about it and never let them go while they are fighting you.

[HeartandSoul]

You need to get your pup used to having his feet handled. Lots of treats and no nail clippers. Just picking up feet and squeeezing them a little and then separating the toes - all of this over time of course. Once you can handle your pups paws without an issue bring in the clippers and start again. Eventually you will have a dog that doesn't care if their feet are handled.

This isn't about coddling your dog but about building up positive associations

[hortfurball]

I consider clipping Ella's nails to be a major form of exercise.

She lies down and tucks her feet under her and it takes all my strength to pull each foot out and keep it out long enough to clip then file the nails. Takes about ten goes per foot because she always manages to snatch her foot away just as the clippers are poised. After an hour or two, I always end up the victor, with the nails of all four feet clipped and filed, and me sweating from the constant exertion. Thankfully she doesn't scream though.

Bath time is even worse! I kid you not she generally has at least one back foot pushing against the wall above the bath, with one front foot pulling for all it's worth on the edge of the bath and the other usually pulling at my waist or thigh. Bathing her outside is out of the question as I have nowhere to pin her against.

*sigh* Kuges and Ebony are so easy, but I guess you have to have one problem child.

[Poodle wrangler]

An American lady has a website about dog's nails.

She has dobes, including rescues.

http://homepages.udayton.edu/~merensjp/dob...mel/dremel.html

Totally agree with others- your dog is showing you they're the boss.

Pick your battles, but always win .

If you're at the stage where your dog is trying to bite, I'd muzzle them for the short time you're doing their nails.