Do you have a dog who is TOTALLY stressed about the nail clipping process? Are YOU stressed about clipping your dog's nails? Instructor Robbie will work through the different steps that you can use to get your dog more comfortable with nail clipping.
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Dog Nail Trimming Doesn't Have To Be Stressful
00:33 Dog Nail Trimming Is An Important Part Of Health Care
01:50 Make Things Easier With The Right "Tools"
02:28 The BIG Picture Approach To Cutting Dog Nails
04:38 The Nail Trimming Step That EVERYONE Forgets!
07:06 The Nail Trimming Step That We Haven't Mentioned
07:21 Choosing A Position For Cutting Your Dog's Nails
08:02 What If Your Dog Won't Take Food During Nail Clipping
08:32 Now We're Ready For The BIG Step
09:04 Adding The Sound Of Nail Clippers When Cutting Dog Nails
10:37 Adding The Nail Clippers To Your Dog Training
12:38 Cutting Dog Nails Might Not Be A Linear Process
13:56 The BIG Mistake People Make When Clipping Dog Nails
14:38 How To Cut Dog Nails
Thanks for watching,
Happy Training! ~Ken
#dognailtrimming #clippingdognails
This is extremely helpful! We get so impatient to get the job done, we forget to take the dog’s state of mind into consideration. I need to back up a step and work on it more often~ thank you so much for this!
so true…my girl was absolutely not comfortable initially with few repetition and despite me being the annoying guy she allowed me to cut them. I think I now understand the flow even better….as they say…is not training the dog but the owner 🙂
Yes. I try to always think about what my dog may be going through. In my case, she’s a rescue and i know she spent some time on the street, and it was rough. So even though she seems to not have any issues, I have a lot of patience with her. I spent two or three months getting her comfortable with a Dremel.
not so sure we are impatient. If they are stressed we don’t want to prolong it and make it worse – and harder for next time. Seeing this video shows it is about trying to gradually show them it is mostly a pleasurable time with good things in it.
I like the idea that we can accidentally reward them for pulling away, and the idea of not doing everything in one session, however that means going thru the build-up EACH time so owners need 4x (or 20x) the patience suggested here 🙂 I have HUGE respect for dog owners who can calmly and gladly give their dogs the copious amounts of time they need for this and all the other things. A person with a happy dog who lets them do anything tends to be a beautiful soul.
@leelo how much does a good Dremel cost & do they come with attachments needed or do you have to buy them separately?
Ive seen a few reproduction Dremels (probably made in CCP) in cheap shops but the metal broke the first 5 minutes & wondered what is a reasonable brand or price.
You need to stop it and let the dog do their own foot grooming and claw shortening. Like nature equipped them all to do.
I have a very anxious high strung chow husky mix, she absolutely hates to have her feet touched. I tried everything clippers, scratchpads and numerous grinders. I even tried putting sandpaper on the door hoping she would wear her nails down on that 🤦. I found a small nail grinder by Casfuy, very quiet with minimal vibration, discovered my dog enjoys the vibrations if I rub her with it like a back massage 😆 I massage her belly with it and then just quickly tap her nails when the opportunity presents itself, it’s taking a bit to wear them down but much less stressful
A chow husky mix?! Wow I cannot even imagine the personality that dog must have! I have a beagle Jack Russell terrier mix and it took me my roommate and my boyfriend to hold her still enough to only end up get two nails clipped. She was really starting to freak out so I didn’t want to go any further but there was two that just really needed to be cut. I don’t know if these techniques are going to work with her but I’m definitely going to try it. But just in case it fails, can you leave the brand or possibly a link to the electric file that you’ve been using? The technique you have come up with is actually genius to be quite honest lol
Extra quiet grinder was also the only way I could get my dog’s nails done. My dog was fine with nail trims as a puppy until a groomer made almost all her nails bleed cutting them to the quicks. After that she became very anxious and refused to let anyone clip her nails. ONE bad experience and my dog has been anxious for 10 years.
Of course she does, it’s unnecesary and painful. Leave her to do her own claw grooming.
@Meskarune Ours had his quick cut as a puppy. He’s a 90 lb supermutt with black lab, great dane, boxer, st bernard, poodle, and boxer in him. Now he gets violent if he sees a nail clipper, including if he sees me cutting MY nails.
@David Franz Its understandable too. Imagine having your nails cut so short the tips of your fingers bleed T_T
Interested in even more Care Tips for your dog? Here are 5 Puppy Care Tips you didn’t even know you wanted: https://youtu.be/qhKJPktZmgg
Thanks for watching!
Repent to Jesus Christ
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV
Such an amazing training for dog to reach their good behavior in trimming their nails 😀😀😀
Please, do the “horse-shoeing method” of lifting the foot and trimming the nails while leaning over the dog’s body. It’s physically more comfortable for the dog; you have more control of the dog; easier to see the impending nail quick after each tiny snip-snip of every nail; and, makes it almost impossible to be bitten.
.smart.
This is VERY helpful! Started training this morning. Got to clip one nail. Just tried again and got to clip 4!!!! Super calm 5 month old puppy! AMAZING 😍
High value treats are key here for sure! Can’t thank you enough. Good job McCann Dog Training!
Wait till you do it a 2nd time…I had it easy first time ,harder 2nd time..now impossible!
@Oo just curious what treats did you use?
Peanut butter on a wooden tongue depressor works like magic.
@Pril Knight my pup doesn’t like peanut butter.😔
@C. Ann i teach my dogs to trim it themseleves if it gets too long and uncomfortable they sratch it on a cement floors…
My silly labs used to flip on their backs and dangle their toes at me. They were easy to trim. This was all their idea, not mine. They even taught another dog to flip on his back for nail trimming.
Wow. My lab acts like I’m killing him!
One of my labs does this too hahaha.
My female Beagle does that too.
Labs are great! I wish they had less hair but hey, no one is perfect.
@Happy Cook oh my gosh the hair is the bane of my life 😂 can’t have dark clothes as my yellow labs hair shows and can’t have light clothes due to black lab hairs 😂 lint rollers are my bestie
There are not enough Instructor Robbie’s in the world. Excellent job – especially the reminder to go slow and focus on the dog’s feelings. The job isn’t going anywhere. Thank you.
The only thing I disagree with on this video is that larger dogs should be taught to lie down for nail trims. There’s less wrestling, they’re taught to relax into the process and you can easily see the quicks so there’s much less chance of cutting them. Other than that her technique is spot-on!
After getting the dog to accept the sound of the clippers alone you can also hold their paw and use the clippers to cut a length of regular spaghetti. For larger dogs use elbow macaroni. The sound is very close to what they will experience and is highly effective at desensitization.
I like your idea with spaghetti. I will try it out👍
All dogs (not just large dogs) should be taught to lie down on both sides and willingly be taught to lay on their backs. This makes it easier not only for nail trims, but for the veterinarian if the time comes that they need x-rays done or for other procedures during an exam.
@Kim Krivach those kind of videos would be excellent tutorials
Not necessarily I find what position each dog likes and keep to that. My Lab sits for front paws stands for back paws. My Miniature Manchester Terrier I hold her in my arms. I mainly use dremel but have used scissor type nail clipper. However some owners have not conditioned their dogs from puppy hood or the dog has had a bad or repeatedly bad experiences and will go balistic.
Awesome advice! Thank you!! Will try immediately
I have learned with time on my own big dogs, that a dremel tool is magic! The sensation of cutters and the pinch pressure on the nail that makes them jump..jerk and pull away…doesnt happen with the dremel. They are laid down for rear nails and sit up for fronts…and watch. Running the tool at first a couple times to get them used to the variation in sounds and a quik treat seemed to work well on the Malinois. There is no pain….no awkward positioning of the foot/nail and no splinters….I get good flat nail bottoms to the ground….no sharp points and cleanly shaped nails. Then I pour me a bourbon to celebrate….😊
We have that same tool and I asked our dog’s vet what he thinks about that tool and he said he would only trust a professional to use that tool because it can get very hot and injure the dog. So we let either our vet’s assistant or our dog’s groomer do his nails
They are much easier to eat if you use a clipper
Yes to the bourbon!
I like the grinder tools too, used regularly and intelligently (check for heat!) they work very well. You can avoid the pinch effect with nail clippers by cutting with the blades against the sides of the nail, rather than top and bottom…I was taught this many years ago but hardly anyone seems to be aware, and it makes a huge difference. I’ve retrained many difficult cases by doing them this way so they gradually realise it doesn’t pinch any more.
@Stanley Wheeler You just have to do a little at a time and make sure it’s not getting hot. Obviously don’t press hard and keep it there for a long period! You don’t need to be a professional, just use common sense. But then you wouldn’t be paying the vets assistant to do it 😄 Grinding allows you to get a better shape and keep the quick back.
Good advice. My dog isn’t interested in food as rewards. He is, however, interested in whether I’m going to be a safe bet; in other words, whether he trusts me not to hurt him. I talk him through it, halting when he’s anxious and waiting until he’s calm. I’m constantly talking softly and encouraging him to trust me. I use a grinder because he’s more comfortable with it than clipping. After the first few times, he’d hide under the blanket when I told him that we were doing nails (preparing his mind to accept). Now he wags his tail and doesn’t hide.
It sounds like an Italian greyhound!
@Ann Oxley Chihuahua
As a veterinarian I only have 15 minutes for an exam, vaccinations, sometimes a blood draw, a mail trim, and a discussion with the owner. This training is virtually impossible in that setting and we resort to tranquilizers which works maybe 50% of the time. I wish owners could be this patient at home and do it at home, because situations at vet like
this just make it more traumatizing every time.
Same reason we take them to the vet. Don’t have time for every single aspect of training right away or have not been able to figure out how to train out of anxiety despite several methods
If everyone who bred a litter handled the pups, clipped the claws and taught the new owners how, and the owner continued with handling, grooming, nail clipping, tooth cleaning etc. dogs and vets lives would be a lot less stressful. It is basic to owning a dog, if you can’t or won’t care for or train then don’t get one. Not enough time is no excuse.
@Solitude in a perfect world, everyone would get personalized care and be selected perfectly for every individual need. As it stands, people have 5+ kids they ignore with tablets and puppy mills exist, so clearly we’re not in a perfect world. I guess we’ll just ignore everything and leave it all for the perfect next person until then. 😂
Anyway, I adopted my puppy at 8 weeks, whether anyone thinks that’s a good age or not it wasn’t my choice, he’d have been adopted by someone else. Still training every aspect of him, from food guarding to potty training, we can only get a few lessons in before one or both of us needs a nap. Can’t add more hours to the day. Not an excuse just a fact.
I’ve already tried several times with handling lessons and it’s one he is not getting down at all. He absolutely hates his feet touched no matter what I do, it feels like I’m torturing him. No high value treats, praise, pets, toys… Nothing seems to help. I managed to clip his nails once and after that he thinks I’m trying to torture him, he screams, wiggles and fights, bites, and cries at me then goes away to mope with a distrusting glare and acts like I just hurt him all day.
No video tips have been helpful in my situation and as anyone with a real life can obviously understand, you can’t just stop working, doing chores and living to wrestle your puppy with more than 5 mins of torture touch training (every few hours? Day? How often?) unless you want to fall behind on bills (and make them hate you)😂
“Be perfect no excuses” man shut the front door, you go take care of everything perfectly for the rest of us with lives.
@Divine Light No one has to have a dog. I’ve spent over 50 years taking in hundreds of discarded dogs, doing remedial training to sort out issues unprepared owners have created or irresponsible breeders selling to unsuitable homes. I’m done with excuses. Tired, retired and thank god because I don’t have to listen to all this any more.
Nice breakdown of steps! My dog hears me clipping MY nails and runs! I got her at 6 months and something bad had happened. She was terrified of everything!! I was told by 2 professionals, that she should be put down. I understood her. She needed very slow, non traumatic introductions with rewards!! Now she’s happy and loves people!! Thank you for reminding me of how slow to go with many rewarding steps!! Excellent!!
Hello how are you doing?
Glad you had a good outcome. Our Malamute puppy seems to be hated by our vet’s staff. He’s never actually seen the vet just a couple of women employees who also hated our late Malamute named Dakota. They’ve decided Montana has mental issues and needs drugs for everything. He was ignored and then delivered to us at 7 weeks and the breeder was wanting all of the pups sold earlier. Granted, he is huge and is terrified by many things. We are working with him and he is getting better. I just can’t believe the attitude toward some dogs.
You are such a great person. Thank you for being kind and going the extra mile. We all need ❤
Fantastic that u didn’t listen to the so called ‘pros’. Trauma shouldn’t equal an animal just being destroyed, that mentality urks me. Yes, a loving person WHO has the time and patience to bring a fur baby around is required but I guess those are getting few n far between…Thank You ..for being you
Pros huh??
I have found that flipping the dog’s foot backwards, similar to shoeing a horse, instead of picking it up in front of the dog seems to be less stressful and less painful for old arthritic dogs. I have Dobermans and can stand next to them or over them, facing their rear, and pick up their feet backwards to trim their nails. This allows me to easily see the end of the nail while trimming a little at a time. When you see the color of the center of their nail start to change to a darker spot, stop cutting because you are getting close to the nerve ending & the quick.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who treats their dogs like horses in this regard 😅
But truthfully, Dobermans are horses lol
That’s what I do, too! Works better, than lying down
Yes always handle the dog’s paws in the natural direction
I do the same thing. So much easier
I think Lucy just got more volume in treats than my little dog eats in two meals.
When doing training it helps to apportion their meals and then use their meals as treats? Might that help?
Thanks for this thorough example of positive training, lots of patience, and seeing the good in small victories. It makes me feel so much better that it’s not a perfect situation every time, but it will pay off in the future.
Thanks SO much for sharing this – it’s really important that owners know how to deal with their pups nails!
Repent to Jesus Christ
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV
h
12 years later, Lucy is almost there. She’s gained 82 lbs. but she’s almost comfortable enough to move on the other paw. 🤣. Just kidding. Great video and instruction.
🤣
😂😂😂😂
LOL 😂😂😂
This made me laugh 🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂😂
Had a German Shepherd who would let me clip one nail at a time if he could chase his frisbee. Clip one, throw one, retrieve frisbee, then repeat 20 times. I think it helped him through the anxiety.
20? Or do you mean 18? 5 on the fronts, 4 on the hinds….. or did he still have his dew claws?
That’s sweet!
Anxiety, doesn’t that tell you something?
None of my German Shepherds or Belgian Shepherds have ever had their claws cut. They all do it themselves with their teeth. As wolves and other canines do in the wild. See a dog claw on the floor, it’s hollow, and mostly eaten to recycle nutrients.
@Peter Simmons i get you want to be the smart one but not every dog is the same. some dogs will bite them some dogs dont need it because they trim them as they walk and play. some dogs have back dew claws that need to be clipped no matter how much they run and play. also when you find a claw like that it just means they broke it while playing and it can hurt them just like a human and if not treated it can get inflamed and infected. so yea your wolf bs is not logical.
Before you start clipping, be sure to have a very small container (about a teaspoonful) of flour right by your side, and about a teaspoonful of water too. If you happen to cut into the quick of the nail, dip your finger just a bit into the water and then into the flour. This will make a paste on the tip of your finger. Take your flour coated finger and press against the bleeding area as quickly as possible. HOLD it on the area for at least a minute. If it still didn’t quite stop all of the bleeding, simply repeat. I have tried steptic sticks in the past, but they did nothing to stop the bleeding. I heard that cornstarch also works in lieu of flour.
Corn starch is great. I’ve used it for years.
Alum stops any bleeding fast
My husband uses corn starch
I just keep flour no water…pet stores have products too
I got the septic powder after flour and cornstarch didn’t stop the bleeding for over an hour. Never made that mistake again.
Great way to demonstrate approximating behaviors! People tend to think that their dogs should learn all the components of a behavior at once. Since we can’t reason with our dogs, it is very important that we start teaching a behavior at step 1, and break everything down slowly working through all the parts of the desired behavior and only then put it all together. Along the way, observing how the dog is feeling about what’s happening, and tailor our training so that the dogs learn to feel comfortable and trust that they won’t be harmed. At the same time you did a great job of bringing the dog through the parts that were causing stress without letting the dog fail. Five stars!!!
Doing this with my dog. Got her to the point that she let me put the clippers on her foot for .5 seconds! That is a huge improvement and I stopped there, will keep moving forward over the next few weeks!