Everybody is mad at me.

[Sophist]

:rolleyes: I swear, they think that I only clip their nails for my own sick, twisted pleasure.

[sandragonfly]

do you place a bowl of their favorite (safe) food in front of them while clipping?

it works for the dogs/cats I babysit at request. :p

[Karen]

Poor abused doggies! Sigh. I'd tell you to give each a bellyrub from me, but they're probably avoiding evil old you as well!

[borzoimom]

:rolleyes: I swear, they think that I only clip their nails for my own sick, twisted pleasure.
I know the feeling- all of mine are like that- but Hottie is flat out awful. It has for years hurt my feelings- that he becomes the model patient for everyone else to do his nails BUT ME!- ME - the one I believe he loves more than anyone else in the world. I understand that he was injured when I got him and the first two months were bandage changes etc- and that " he associates you at his feet ( especially back legs) with that which came from puppy hood.
However- this is what I have continued to do now for several weeks. I went back to basics- ie - how would trim the toesnails of a squirming puppy.. I was until one is totally asleep. I start triming nails as they are aware I am there- but not awake enough- also happy to stop at just one or two nails- .. Next day one of two more etc. ( Now of course the nails arent that long to make the longer nail to trip in the yard..) Well- success! Hottie is letting me do his nails- and the others are associating getting nails done relaxed.
Now I bought a new clipper that is not as wide on the the blades. I noticed the orange pair has a wide blade in the back that adds pressure to the nail. The new pair is like the guillitine type but now for much bigger dogs, with a very narrow blade towards the part the is not being cut.
Try my suggestion- remembering it takes time- and you stop before they are fully awake- or before they get up or start pulling back. Remember this takes time and not really considered a full nail trim. Its just more so to retrain them. AND IF I CAN RETRAIN HOTTIE- you can do it too!! He was the king in drama queen antics- will scream- even snap at my hand. ( I never pull back so its like along the side of my hand. Now- he just lays there- nice and peaceful.. As I quietly get up and do the mental congo. I have also found giving treats after toenail clipping does not work with "the drama queens".. all that does is more so make them want you to "hurry up".. Its just a casual part of life now.. No reason for them to get up, no treats, just calm- 'go back to sleep Hottie..Femka, Zubin.. Galina.. lol.

[Kfamr]

Yep, and we bathe, brush their teeth, clean their ears, etc. for our own pleasure. :p

[Sophist]

Well, Cadet pouts through bathtime, but Jasper is okay with it, and Keisha LOVES LOVES LOVES to take showers, and none of them are terribly averse to ear cleaning or teeth cleaning, so I get off pretty easy overall.


It is so sad, clipping Keisha's nails is a two person job. One has to to hold her so she can smoosh her face into their chest and be comforted, occasionally popping up for treats, and when she pulls away we both have to pet and soothe her until she is ready to try again. Then she'll slink away and stare at you, cringing for a minute when you first walk up to her for the rest of the evening.

Cadet just sits there and gives you one of those gut-wrenching "Why are you such a mean mommy? Don't you love me anymore?" looks before moping under the couch for a few hours.


With Jasper, I have to do about half a foot before he gets bored and antsy and starts resenting it and struggling, so we let him down to play for about five minutes, and then do another half of a foot, five minutes, half a foot, etc. He also gets uppity if you hold him or pay too much attention to him when he hasn't initiated it, so when you call him up and try to hold him at all, he just thinks you are being presumptious, lol. I tried to play with him later that night, and he just looks at me like "Are you nuts? You tried to make me hold still!?"