Trimming Dog's Nails - Tricks?

[Lane]

This last weekend I was talking to my wife's uncle who is a big dog guy. I saw a dremel tool on his dog training bench and he said he uses it for the nails on his dogs. I have always hated using the nail snips for trimming; and now that it is winter and the dogs arent running on pavement much there is a lot of clicking as they run around the house.

Do you guys use any special tools for trimming the nails? simple clippers, sanders?

[nofishfisherman]

A dremmel is the only way to go. You can get the nail shapped nicely and its quick and doesn't leave any cracked nail.

I do take my dog in on occasion to have his nail trimmed and they also use a dremmel type tool.

[leechlake]

I got a dremel and it didn't work for me. My dog's were used to the clipper and while it isn't ideal that's what I use.

The one thing I do like is that the one I use has basically a "stopper" that limits the amount of nail you can trim. I haven't cut into the qwik with that trimmer yet. Nothing keeps dogs from wanting their nails trimmed than hitting that nerve, and the blood is a hassle.

[bottomdweller]

I use the dremmel on one dog and the clippers on another,

Both work fine

[MuleShack]

We've got a lab and 2 GSP's.

The lab could care less what is used or how it is used to trim her nails.

The short hairs are a little different.

The male was always super protective from day one and we tried to wrestle him to hold him down to get them clipped...then tried to do it when sleeping.

Finally the wife tried to clip them like a horse while he was standing. Just lift the paw up and pull it back so he cant see it. It was amazing, like a different dog, he just stood there and we were done in minutes.

Now if he heard that a Dremmel tool coming, there would be no way in heck he would sit still for that

[Dozer]

I used to have a heck of a time clipping my Labs nails. Vet told me to just hold her and let her calm down, take it slow but not to let her have her way and stop trimming. Gotta show them its going to happen weather the like it or not! Now she loves it! Doesnt fight it at all. I tried the dremmel looking thing but I dont like it. Seems like its more uncomfortable than clippers.

[mpester]

"...then tried to do it when sleeping."

That is one heavy sleeping dog! If I breath too loudly, Porter wakes up to see what is going on.

I have no tricks to offer. Most of the dogs I have had have been OK and some have been bad - very bad. I have the wife hold a treat in front of Porter and I do each nail a little and then start back on the first one. The Dremel heats the nails. Do the nails weekly and the dog will get more used to having it done.

[fivebucks]

I use a clippers and got the dog used to me playing with his paws as a puppy. I always give him a treat after clipping so he loves it. He goes right to where the dog biscuits are as soon as the clipping is done.

[MuleShack]

"...then tried to do it when sleeping."

That is one heavy sleeping dog! If I breath too loudly, Porter wakes up to see what is going on.

yea, it was a slow process...only got one claw clipped and then he was gone

Usually had to run him hard during the day so he zonked hard.

[JimBuck]

My hound has always been pretty sensitive about his nails. We introduced the dremmel a few months back slowly doing a nail here and there and now he's completely fine with it. Having him stand made a big difference for us too. If you do dremmel, just make sure you don't spend much time on 1 nail as they become hot very fast. I do a light 2 second grind and move on to the next nail. I've clipped a quick once and never want to go through that again.

[Scott K]

I have a hard time as well, I will usually try to just take them for a run down the back streets every couple nights to wear them down. But as I am getting older, and lazier, I am finding their claws grow more.

If my dogs see I have the clippers in my hand, they run, and wont let me catch them, to clip their nails. I have 2 dogs to fight with, and both resist in their own unique way. The male is fast, and smart, he sees the clippers, and immediately goes into, defenseive, there is no way you will catch me mode. If I get within 3 feet of him, he will juke me out better then Adrian Peterson will juke a DB. Then if I fool him and not let him see the clippers, as soon as I grab his paw, he gets ready to bolt. He is strong, and crafty.

The female, isnt as strong, but she has her own little way of resisting. I will grab her, roll her over, and grab her paw, then when I start to try to clip her nails, she will just start peeing all over. So I guess what I am saying is, it isnt a fun job to try to clip their nails.

Bath time, they dont resist, but clean up afterwards from wet, black hair stuck to everything except the dogs, to water all over from them playing while they are in the water. Also not a fun job. But, got to love em!

[drewbop]

my chocolate lab didn't mind it until i clipped a quick once. then he began to fight me each time i tried to clip his nails. what i do now is get him to lie down and fill his kong with peanut butter. he'll sit and lick that and will allow me to do whatever i need to do as he is distracted...

[James_R]

I love the dremmel. It doesn't crack my hound's nails or freak him out like the clippers seems to. Their are some knock-off brands out there that are really weak with shoddy attachments but the dremmel brand we use now is really slick. I suppose a lot of it depends on what your dog will tolerate.

[cavalierowner]

We have a couple dogs who are not crazy about having their nails trimmed. We have our best luck wearing them out playing so they're good and tired, then trimming. They still fight a little bit, just not as much or as hard.

We tried the dremmel for a while, now we use it just to smooth the nail just a bit after clipping. Like one of the posters said, don't use it for very long as it will heat up the nail fast. Also, if there is long hair on the feet like my breed has, they get VERY disappointed if the dremmel catches a hair!! We will usually wet the foot so the hair can be held out of the way; we have also heard some people push the nail through a nylon.

[BLACKJACK]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one that has problems with this!!!

I've started training my pups by massaging their paws periodically so they're used to me handling their paws.

I also wait for summertime and do it outside because I invariably get a bleeder or two, rather get the blood in the grass than in my shop. Still not fun. Don't know about that dremel idea, I can't imagine their response when I come at them with the humming whirring dremel.

Not a fun project.

[Lane]

Well, I gave the dremel a try. The new 9 month old yellow lab puppy was it hog heaven when I started rubbing her belly. I started up the tool and my wife and I would have had better luck trying to put a diaper on an elephant than keep that pup pinned.

I got half way through the first toe nail when everything went black. Next thing I know the dog is no-where to be found, my wife has tears in her eyes she is laughing so hard, and I have a bloody nose.

Dog 1 - Me 0

On to plan B.

[MuleShack]

Funny stuff.

Give the horse shoe method a try with the clipper.