Dremel Advice

[~Anne~]

My pugs were groomed every fortnight up until earlier this year when various health issues, and the death of Monte, meant we stopped. Since February we've not had them professionally groomed and therefore not had their nails trimmed.

Boofy's nails are very fast growing. His nails have been trimmed twice on vet visits for other things but they are at a length now that is not good.

In an effort to fix this situation I've purchased a dremel. He has always hated having his nails done but I am persisting in doing a nail or two at a time trying to get him to accept what I am doing. It's hard going. My problem is that it is sooooooo slow to grind down. I've been told to only touch it to the nail for 3-5 second at a time. At this rate I will never get them filed down enough to make a difference!

Which is the most efficient attachment to use to grind them back in the shortest time?

There is no way I will cut his nails as I cannot keep him still and I am worried I'd cut his foot off. They also bleed, sometimes a lot, every time they're done even when the groomer was doing them regularly!

Suggestions? Advice?

I haven't even started on Olivia as she is the wriggliest dog ever!! You cannot hold her even to cuddle her without her writhing and twisting and getting terribly wriggly and excited. Thankfully her nails are not as critical as Boof's.

Edited August 4, 2013 by ~Anne~

[kelpiecuddles]

If they are very long now maybe get the vet to do them once and them use the dremel regularly to maintain them after that

[~Anne~]

If they are very long now maybe get the vet to do them once and them use the dremel regularly to maintain them after that

Yes, that's my final choice, time being the problem. Olivia is off to the vet next week as she has developed what I hope are lipomas, so I can take Boof then but if there is an alternative then it will be easier.

[RubyBlue]

Hmm I use the sandpaper attachment on my labs and press fairly firmly. It usually only takes a second or two to have them at a good length. Both are black dogs with thick nails so I'm just guessing at what is a good length but so far (touch wood) its been working.

[Salukifan]

Yep, the medium sanding belts are what I use.

When they say only to do it 3-5 seconds at a time, that doesn't mean you have to stop for that session. You just lift the dremel off for a second on so and then go again. This stops the dog's nail from getting hot. I just switch to the next nail and then go back again.

[~Anne~]

Do you know which number the medium is?

Ill keep going but it really is a slow process. I think I'm going to have to get the vet to trim the first.

Thanks everyone.

[Maddy]

How is he actually positioned when you're working on his nails?

I found very early on that cutting the nails of a standing or sitting dog usually ended in either blood or someone running off to hide. I put dogs up on the grooming table and then, using a towel, get them laying on their sides with their feet dangling over the edge (which makes it all easier anyway).

I get in a lot of greys who'd never stand or sit still for the nail grinding but are fine on their sides. I've noticed it can also help to put a facewasher over their eyes.

[Dobecrazy]

I found this tutorial by a Dobermann lady to be hugely informative http://doberdawn.com/

[~Anne~]

I've tried several positions over the last 3 days:

- his front paws while he sits in front of me;

- his back paws while he lays in front of me;

- his front paws while my husband holds him in a cuddle on his back;

- his front paws while he is cuddled in my arms on his back; and

- his front paws while he is lying on his side with me lying on top of him

It's not so much his resistance, it's the length of time it takes. It is really slow grinding overly long nails down. I was hoping there was a quick tool to use that would help.

[~Anne~]

I found this tutorial by a Dobermann lady to be hugely informative http://doberdawn.com/

Thanks. I've watched several Dobe videos and they all show a Dobe with short nails who just lays the while they're being done.

[Salukifan]

1375606409[/url]' post='6269641']

Do you know which number the medium is?

Ill keep going but it really is a slow process. I think I'm going to have to get the vet to trim the first.

Thanks everyone.

120 grit.

[Andisa]

Any pug breeders near you Anne? If so see if they can help you. I stopped using the sand paper rolls years ago, kept running out of them and one day I grabbed one of the stones and have been using it since. Pugs nails are right up there with the toughest dogs nails - add that to squirmy little buggers and it's not much fun. If you can't cut some of the nails back then allow longer but they really should not take that much extra time. I could spend a good 10mins doing nails without cutting them first. You will get better the more you do it, you will soon work out how much pressure and time you can spend on each nail, 3 - 5 seconds won't be near enough on a Pugs nails. I would be happy to do them for you if you were near by. A few weeks ago I was stunned by the groomers on one of the groomers groups I am in who own pugs admitted to taking their Pugs to the vet to have their nails cut. Each time Lizzy and Maverick come back for visits I do their nails too, their groomers just will not take their nails right back and it shits me big time. Maverick is now good for me again but Lizzy is hard work, she used to be great. Stick with it - you will get there.

[Cala]

Will be so much easier for you once the vet has cut them, will be easier afterwards with the Dremel to keep them really neat and short.

Edited August 4, 2013 by Cala

[~Anne~]

Thanks everyone. His nails are really tough Andisa and I was wondering if some dogs have harder nails than others.

I have Olivia visiting the vet this weekend so ill drag Boof along too and have them both trimmed. Ill then use a stone and be very careful with watching for heat build up. Unfortunately I can only do them on weekends which isn't helping my plan either.

[minimax]

When my breeder does my guys, she sits on the floor almost in a lotus pose - leg around the lower half of the pug so they are held tightly and then having two free hands to hold the top half of them and dremel. Because they don't sit still, they wiggle and thrash about and you need to be an octopus to hold them!

When I hold them like this I don't have a free hand to do nails, so it ends up with me holding them, legs wrapped around lower half, arms around top half and another person doing their nails :laugh:

[MonElite]

Thanks. I've watched several Dobe videos and they all show a Dobe with short nails who just lays the while they're being done.

I can take a "3rd world war with a dobermann having its nails clipped" video for you if you wish :laugh:

But that is not much of a help is it?

I clip the nails. I have a dremel but like you found it to long to shorten the nails.

Edited August 6, 2013 by MonElite

[~Anne~]

When my breeder does my guys, she sits on the floor almost in a lotus pose - leg around the lower half of the pug so they are held tightly and then having two free hands to hold the top half of them and dremel. Because they don't sit still, they wiggle and thrash about and you need to be an octopus to hold them!

When I hold them like this I don't have a free hand to do nails, so it ends up with me holding them, legs wrapped around lower half, arms around top half and another person doing their nails :laugh:

Perhaps we should have a weekend of 'hold the pug down while we dremel'. I can't even imagine holding Oliva. She is such a wriggle ass even when you just say hello. You can't pick her as she wriggles so much she is likely to fall out of your arms. She definitely isn't a cuddly pug... She's a I've got ants in my pants pug.

[~Anne~]

Thanks. I've watched several Dobe videos and they all show a Dobe with short nails who just lays the while they're being done.

I can take a "3rd world war with a dobermann having its nails clipped" video for you if you wish :laugh:

I d like to see that Mon! :laugh:

[trinabean]

Bruno always wriggled and squirmed when having his nails clipped. I only ever clipped a quick once, but thereafter it became nigh on impossible to clip his nails. Once he was a large-ish puppy it was a nightmare trying to do his nails. He was so physically strong that it was a 2 person job. Even then, with black nails and a last-minute flinch he was at risk of having his quicks/paws cut. He spent most of the time trying to bite the clippers, and I could barely see what I was trying to do. There are things I'd do differently with a puppy next time.

Probably in the same way that I should have gotten him used to clippers, we have gotten him used to the dremel. Because he was so terrified of the clippers, we took it slowly. I got him used to the sound of the dremel before ever touching his nails. He is a very curious (aka downright bloody nosey) dog, so my husband would use the dremel for other things and let Bruno watch him work. The first few times we used the dremel on Bruno's nails we really only touched a few nails. Progressively we increased the time and we did his nails every week, only taking a little off.

I usually take Bruno for a walk before doing his nails. He has a nice empty stomach.

We place him on a workbench as we don't have/ need a proper grooming table. I tether him for extra stability, and to keep his head away from the dremel. I then shovel high-value food into his mouth while my husband dremels the nails. We do the nails regularly, probably about every 2 weeks, so he is well-used to it now. We run around and play a game afterwards with a favourite squeeky toy (boxers and their squeeky toys, ultimate reward). :laugh:

He no longer stresses out at having his nails done. And I don't have to get a vet to sedate him to clip them, win-win. Not sure if we are doing things the 'right' way, but it's working for us. Just thought I'd share in case it helped. I'm thinking food might be a good distraction for a pug. :)

[Tassie]

You guys guilted me into doing my feral agility BC's nails last night. :D She's one of those contortionist wrigglers - but whe wasn't really too bad last night. I actually used the clippers first to take a little bit off, and then the Dremel - on a fairly low speed, to get a bit more off. I find that I can get it done a bit more quickly if I sort of hit the nail a bit, rather than just holding the ssnding wheel against the nail - seems to bite in a bit more.

The other snag - with both clippers and Dremel, in a coated breed, is that you need to trim the hair on the feet first, and maybe pin feathers back - otherwise the hair can get caught in the Dremel and slow the whole process down.

Fortunately my boy has been better trained, so he's quite good about feet - not happy, but quite good :laugh: . He really can't understand why my girl is making such a fuss. :D