We cut the nails of 3 Labs every second weekend. With the oldest one it has *always* been a pain in the you know where to cut her nails. Now as she is older we have found out she has slightly misformed paws and has arthritis in them. But, because of her, we always cut the dogs' nails with them on their backs, paws up in the air, and while one person is holding them steady, the other person cuts their nails. The younger 2 don't mind this position. I think it establishes your dominance over them too, with them in this submissive position. This may we worth a try if you're having a lot of trouble cutting their nails.