Quote:
Originally Posted by deonk1  I am so nervous when it comes to cutting Harley's nails. The little bug squirms a lot too. it take me all of 5 minutes to clip them, but Mr. Squirmy makes it take about 20. I don't mind, I just keep working on him being patient.
But does anyone have any tips? I'm scared I"m not cutting enough off, I'm thinking of sending him into the groomers once to have them do a good job at it, but I'm not sure if he's behaved enough to go to the groomers (you'll have to check out my post on bathing in the training forum).
Thoughts. |
As far as tips about WHERE to cut, see my above post. Black nails are NOT easy!!! (Suggestion: keep some cornstarch nearby while you're trimming in case you clip too far...the nail will bleed, but the cornstarch will pretty much immediately stop it! I ALWAYS have some close by when I trim, just in case. I hate it so much when it happens, I nearly cry!
I know I sound a little bit cavelier about it, but trust me, I fall to pieces whenever I hurt my baby!! But, it can and does happen, so just be prepared in case it does!)
Now, I read your post about bathing him. 1st of all, I think if you want to take him to the groomer, you should definitely try it out. A lot of dogs behave better for a stranger than they will for you. 2nd of all, Bella hates the blow dryer too, but I blow her dry every single time. I do position her across my lap so she can hide her little nose in between my arm and my body, and that helps her a little bit. I guess I'm saying you have to make sure he knows who is boss! Bella used to squirm and writhe because she doesn't like to be brushed, but I would just keep repositioning her and hold her down until she stopped squirming and try again. I think it's a battle of wills! I know the p.c. thing is to tell you "if he hates it, just don't do it!" or something of that nature, but the fact of the matter is, YOU'RE the boss! Plus, you got him to enjoy him, and he should enjoy you. It's a 2 way street. 1st and foremost, the biting HAS to stop! Do you scream like he killed you when he bites at you? That's how I got Bella to stop play biting so hard when she was a puppy. I guess it depends on your relationship, but she stopped and kissed and wanted to make sure I was okay. So, a high pitched squeal/scream might help that....hopefully. Some other things you can try (with brushing): 1) maybe he has tangles and your brushing is really hurting....you should start small, like start brushing at the end of the hair and slowly work your way toward the base. Also, you can use a detangling spray. BUT always start near the tip of the hair and work your way slowly up to the base of the hair. 2) Another thing that REALLY helps is to learn how to "control" without hurting. The groomer showed me long ago that if you hold BOTH chin AND cheek hair on either side of the mouth (it has to be both...only cheek or only chin and it will hurt!), you can direct their little head wherever you need it. I would hold that hair in one hand (whichever side of the mouth) with his head facing away from you, and brush gently with the other. It'll take several times, but eventually he'll learn that the sooner he puts up with it it'll be over and he can go back to playing!! My biggest advice is DON'T give in!! Keep at it until you've accomplished whatever it is you need to do. That's the only way!! (I feel like I'm not describing it well...PM me if you have questions!)