Trimming nails on a dog doesn't have to be torture for the human or dog. This video shows what I do when I'm trimming nails for a new dog (Justice) who belongs to my friend, and an older dog (Rummy) of my own. My hope is that in sharing this video with you, I can help you to make this process easier and more relaxing. It is my way of giving back, and making our world a better place. Why do we care to trim nails short? The length of nails on a dog's feet affects the overall foot structure and directly impacts his standing posture, his gait and his movement. You may have the good intention not to let your dog endure the "torture" of nail trimming, but the opposite is true, it is actually cruel to leave a dog's nails long and undone, as it hurts the dog's foot joints and in turn, impacts the elbow and the rest of the front assembly or rear assembly of the dog. Perhaps I should do another video someday on the "Why". But in this video, I'm focusing on the "How".
The goal is to keep this exercise short. Don't rush, go slow. Be in a good mood and have a positive goal in your mind. The tone of your approach to this exercise will communicate a host of messages to your dog, and it will help determine how the dog reacts to you. Speak in a calm voice, not too high pitched, say calming but encouraging words, but DO NOT CODDLE. The key message is, "Dog, this may seem uncomfortable, but you can trust me, because I am your parent and I do this for you because I love you. We can do this together as a team, you and I". When you convey this message to your dog, through your mind, your words, your handling and your actions, you can succeed.
As you first begin, pick up a foot and let it go shortly after. You are helping to reinforce that when a human holds his foot, only good things happen (treats, praise, affection) and repeat it frequently. It is best to start this exercise when the dog is a wee tiny puppy, and make it a part of his normal daily routine. Exert some pressure on each nail, flick the nails softly, spread the toe pads slightly with fingers, teach the dog to tolerate foot examinations and manipulate them frequently. If you have an older dog you want to do this for, you can start at any age. You can teach an old dog new behaviors. You can do the same exercise of feet manipulation right before meal times as well, so that the reward is breakfast or dinner. If you prefer, you can just do one foot each weekend, so you will be able to keep the exercise short and positive. Have patience and empathy for the dog, if you think this is scary for him, try to be a cheerleader and life coach to boost his confidence and facilitate a transformation.
When I trim client dogs, some of them are adverse and will bite just to make me stop. When this is the case, I muzzle them, so that I remove any possibility of myself getting hurt. When I totally eradicate that fear or any negative feeling from this exercise, I am able to stay calm and focused on the task. NEVER GIVE UP HALFWAY. The exercise must begin and end on your terms. If you stop halfway, you are allowing your dog to TRAIN YOU instead. You are communicating to your dog that if you bite me, or scratch me, or fight me, I will give up and we won't have to do your nails. You are only going to make life harder for yourself and your dog the next time you try. This negative behavior will become reinforced and escalate worse. So if you have to, do one foot per week and make it fun, reward with praise, feed meals immediately after. Do what you have to do to make it positive.
If the nail is extremely long, you may have to clip it first and then dremel. Remember to take a little off at a time, so as to prevent bleeding the quick. And keep quikstop on hand, so that if you do bleed the dog, you can use it to help the blood clot quickly. When you do accidentally bleed a dog, don't coddle the dog, instead say positive things such as "wow, you did great, what a brave boy". A little bit of blood from a nail will not kill or hurt your dog. Think of the longer term damage and pain you may cause by leaving the nails undone.
I hope my little video can help you.
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