How and when to clip nails?

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bluejedi79
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How and when to clip nails?

Post by bluejedi79 »

How often do I clip my dogs nails?

I ordered the Safari Professional Nail Trimmer http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002R ... 00_s00_i00 for small/medium dogs from amazon.com today. It's supposed to arrive on Friday.

I've never cut her nails before. I do have someone to help me. Since I don't know how she'll react, what's the best way to do it? Do they need cut? How often do I trim her nails?

Here's how long they are currently: Image All her nails on all four paws are about the same length.

Thanks!
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bluejedi79
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Re: How and when to clip nails?

Post by bluejedi79 »

oops, photo didn't make it. Here's her nails as they are right now: http://imgur.com/gallery/MaNeV/new
A dog is the only Earthly creature that has the soul of a philosopher, the wisdom of the Deli Llama, the heart of an Angel and the grace of a Saint.
Ari_RR
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Re: How and when to clip nails?

Post by Ari_RR »

Her nails seem way, way too long to me...
We trim Ari's nails at least every other week.
We use dremmel for him, although we use nail clippers (similar to what you ordered) for the cat.
ClareMarsh
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Re: How and when to clip nails?

Post by ClareMarsh »

Given the other issues you are working on and that she doesn't know you very well yet and has nails that suggest they haven't been cut for a while I would assume she won't like it.

Here's a good video on how to desensitise her. http://drsophiayin.com/resources/video_ ... nail_trims
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bluejedi79
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Re: How and when to clip nails?

Post by bluejedi79 »

She goes in to the vet to be fixed on the 7th (Monday) should I just have the vet do it while she's there the first time so I know how short they are supposed to be and such, and then next time around she'll be more used to me so I can try cutting em myself?
A dog is the only Earthly creature that has the soul of a philosopher, the wisdom of the Deli Llama, the heart of an Angel and the grace of a Saint.
Erica
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Re: How and when to clip nails?

Post by Erica »

If the vets can do them while she's asleep, that would probably be best - that wont increase any fears or reservations she has about her feet being held or touched. If that is your plan, then starting desensitization right away should give you a good amount of time to get her happy (or not unhappy) about having her feet handled before you have to cut them.
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Suzette
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Re: How and when to clip nails?

Post by Suzette »

That's a great video that Clare referenced in her post. I would just caution though that while they say at the end of the video that they had desensitized their dog in four minutes, your experience could be quite different. You might even have to break the sessions up into several short ones to accomplish your goals. The important thing is to go at your dogs pace and don't rush it. :D :D

Also, if you do them and not the vet, just take the tips off at first. You don't want to hit the quick. Just nip off the tips every week until you get the nails down where you want them. Then every other week will probably be enough to keep them trim and neat. :D
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JudyN
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Re: How and when to clip nails?

Post by JudyN »

And it's far better to just do one claw and her be relaxed about it than two claws with her getting stressed when you do the second. So if you do one and it goes OK, stop there, tell her what a clever dog she is, and put the clippers away till later - maybe the next day.
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labradorfriend
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Re: How and when to clip nails?

Post by labradorfriend »

I trim my dogs nail on my own. She's scared whenever the clipper touch her nails, so it takes a lot of time and energy from me to make her still.
But after I finish trimming, it's worth it :-) . I do it, i think twice a month.
Barb's Dog Logic
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Re: How and when to clip nails?

Post by Barb's Dog Logic »

hello! I love to help dog owners with nail trimming, using a Dremel. Safe and after you watch my free How To videos, you can start today with your dog. I have three videos posted, on my website.
www.doglogicwithbarbara.com

in them, I show a dog with black nails, a dog with white nails, and last one is a short video less than 2 minutes, with my 14 year old Cairn Terrier, Oliver Twist of Fate.

Enjoy!

~~ Barb the Dog Trainer
LeonilCraig
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Re: How and when to clip nails?

Post by LeonilCraig »

If you can hear your dog's nails "click" on the kitchen floor when walking, they need to be trimmed.
geenamiller89
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Re: How and when to clip nails?

Post by geenamiller89 »

LeonilCraig wrote:If you can hear your dog's nails "click" on the kitchen floor when walking, they need to be trimmed.
hahahahaha! the clicking sound is so true! (I don't clip their nails weekly because the four of them hates nail clipping). :)
"Understanding your dog and knowing how to control him, develop his potentials, and resolve behavior problems, emotional conflicts and frustrations are no less essential than love and respect."-Michael W. Fox|http://dogtrainingbasics.biz/
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