peticure problems

[blueskeepers]

Rascal will not hold still to cut his nails. He is a wire-haired Dauchshound & one big muscul. what should I do ?

[Catlady711]

Might be better for you, and him, to just make an appointment with your vet, or groomer, for a nail trim. It's likely to be quicker than struggling with him yourself and possibly cutting too short, and less stress on him.

[Freedom]

One of my foster dogs is the same way. Being a bichon, he has a regular groomer, and the groomer will clip his nails for me between wash and trims. But even still, a groomer should be able to do it for $10 or so. Be prepared, if you ar enot a regular customer, they often ask you to bring the current rabies certificate with you.

[Giselle]

Or you could desensitize him.

Tip: Do this when your dog is sleepy.

1- Start stroking dog. Handle dog's paws. If he doesn't pull back, give him some treats. Handle between dog's paws and toes. Treat for good behavior.
2- Tap the clipper against the nail. Treat for good behavior. If dog flinches, pause and start again. ONLY reward for good behavior (i.e. dog remaining calm). Once dog is comfortable with you tapping each nail with clipper, start to clip a tiny tiny bit off. Treat for good behavior.
3- Eventually, clip more. Treat and praise as usual. If you wish, you can give your dog a stuffed Kong to distract him while you clip his nails.

This sounds easy, but for most dogs, this whole process takes about a few weeks. You may also not be able to do all 4 paws during one session. Also, I use a nail grinder, a Dremel, instead of clippers.