My Dogs HATES getting her nails cut

[zoey4434]

I have a general question. regarding my 2 year old, frisky  min pin.  I try to groom her myself & she's great w/ getting her baths and tolerates getting her face and around her eyes cleaned. However, clipping her nails is a whole other animal so to speak!  She absolutely hates it and she gets so terrified.  I honestly never see  her this terrified-she's the 12Ib dog that serious believes she's a 100Ib dog!  Is there some other method I can use or maybe something I should be using to calm her down?  My mother mentioned I should be worried about her having a heart attack because she gets so worked up!?
Any feedback or help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

i have a fur-baby not a DOG shes treated like one of the family and i worry about her stress when she gets her nails done. they have feelings to and we need try and make them feel safe.   lot of us love our fur-babies like a child and its ok GOD made them for us to love, protect and make sure they feel safe. so sorry  vivi_81 you feel different and i hope your fur-babies enjoy the kind of life you give them.  ps i give my sweet baby girl a bath once a week being she sleeps with us and she loves it and her skin is great.

[seeana]

Maybelle is a B I T C H  a female dog that is not swearing.

[seeana]

My Clumbers are ticklish on their feet Golden Boy loves his feet being played with ! then again he loves everything.
The Clumbers shout and swear at me when I try to clip their fur around the paws,Oscar is getting better if I bribe him ......But Maybelle grumpy old ***** wont give an inch.
So after a lot of screaming and crying (from me) somehow it gets done, boy does she sulk after.   I spoil my dogs a bit ........but don't criticize me or I will bite you.!!!

[zoey4434]

Thanks everyone for the useful feedback!! It all helps!  My other dog, Sadie, hardly needs her nails cut.  For some reason Zoey’s nails grow so fast and I noticed that they do really bother her because she’ll try biting them off herself!  I will definitely try some of these methods and see how she reacts.  She is never violent towards me, just terrified and cries quite a bit.  I just feel badly.      

To vivi_81, I don’t pamper my dogs – I treat them like dogs!  I only bath them when absolutely necessary.  I also jog w/ both of my dogs for 3-4 miles a day six days a week in the morning-either in the woods on a trail or along the streets around my neighborhood.  So I can’t understand your comment on ‘Dogs that get regular exercise on walks and in the park don’t need their nails clipped’.  I’ve had dogs my entire life and they DO need their nails clipped from time to time.  If you don’t clip them back sometimes they can cause unnecessary pain for your pet & my vet warned me of the nail growing into a curl underneath their foot in some cases.      

Thanks again everyone for your responses!

[Heathmcmi]

Hello!

We were just at the vet today when our pittie mix went for the tech's face for trying to clip his nails. Thank god he didn't get  her! Just ask that the dog be muzzled, and they told me a little benedryl doesn't hurt either if I want to do it at home.

Good Luck!!

[deadgamegrrl]

Hi,
Sometimes dogs that won't tolerate nails being clipped will deal with a dremel grinder really well.  (get a quiet, cordless one and don't grind too much at once because it will heat up.)  A lot of groomers use a dremel.
On the other hand, my dog Squash has to be sedated with Ace & Benedryl, go to the vet, and wear a muzzle to get his nails cut.  He is a complete freak.
Good luck!

[Jaybay]

Most dogs simply don't like having their feet messed with.  This is why they need to be worked with when they are puppies.  Just hold the paw for a few seconds until the dog resists.  Then hold it a couple more seconds so the dog knows it was YOUR decision to release it.  Do this exercise a couple times a day - more if possible.  Some dogs come around faster than others.

Meanwhile, have your vet or groomer deal with the nail maintenance.  My dalmatian was the same way about his feet and threw an absolute FIT the first time our vet tried to clip his nails.  He was 2 or 3 years old when we adopted him.  Doc had to be muzzled and still kept up the fight - including bowel and bladder evacuation - for nearly 20 minutes.  The vet was great.  We just waited out the temper tantrum and Doc did finally give it up.  Each time since then has been a big improvement, and he has no problem with my handling his feet now.  It just takes time and lots of patience.

[vivi_81]

a dog is not a doll! don't bath her more that once a month with clean water and maybe light dog shampoo. Brushing her every day is sufficient. Dogs that get regular exercise on walks and and in the park don't need their nails clipped. Please let the dog be a dog!