Thanks for your info. I'll check the video out and also keep trying to desensitize her as well. Haley is such a sweat dog in all but nail cutting. I was trying to use dog nail clippers for her size, but I think I'll try the Drexel. She doesn't even like anyone to touch her paws. I am starting to play with her by touching her paws and making it a game w/ treats you suggested. She is not totally opposed to it so I'll keep trying it.

Lola does not like her bath she won't sit still always tries to climb out as I bathe her in the kitchen sink so I'm all wet when we're finish with scratches all over my arms but she looks and smells grest when we finish

Do you put a towel or something in the sink for Lola to stand on? Sometimes, it helps if you put something that has traction so they don't feel unstable.

Wow! I love how she held the paws! I am so totally going to try that next time :)

We thought we would be super show groomers- I did not understand the depth of need for daily consistent desensitization. I also, in retrospect would have a proper grooming table with a groom loop from the very start. Working with a rescue will be different then desensitizing a puppy though, you will probably need different techniques. As it stands, here we are nearly three years down the road and as I find myself constantly saying- boy we have learned a lot! Lol, slower than I imagined and less grandiose indeed. We mostly groom at home but have been to the groomers 3-4 times and they do a better job than I do. I have clippers, use cat nail trimmers or even human ones, we like the long coat and I will do so good for a while until I don't anymore, sigh. We love dressing up too though and I feel like that influences my preference for a short vs long coat sometimes....the long coat is so beautiful but I realize we are not exactly a show dog like I thought we would be ;) we face wash and when we are good daily face washers out face area is heavenly, well combed, no gunk, beautiful bright eyes and a fresh plum scent- when we don't just put in the opposite descriptive terms, lol. We have to do booty trims, as far as the underbelly I have some serious nipple injury hysteria I am worried about. Lilah is definitely my first and like my oldest daughter, I know I have and will continue to falter in my novice ness but we are bonded and love each other and when she gets a little sister one day she will have paved the way for her sisters life and development like a champ! Like a champ with a few bad haircuts....

I used to have a little Shih Tzu that did much the same when it came to nail clipping. It took 4 of us to hold him and one to do the cutting and I would still get bit from time to time.
He was the family baby and I didn't want to take him to a groomer for fear he would be scared. What a mistake that was! My daughter finally convinced me to take him just to have his nails cut. I was so nervous that I could not make myself go in the room to watch but my daughter did. He stood on the grooming table like a little man and let the lady cut his nails like he was a pro at it. I was so shocked I could not believe it. I was expecting to hear him screaming and fighting the woman. Maybe it was the fact he was in a different environment...I don't know but after that he had his nails done professionally!:)

Awesome. I think I'll try that. Nothing works as of today so I have nothing to lose. Thx. My baby is so precious, with the exception of the nail battle.

My little guy is terrified to have his nails trimmed or touched. Sooooooo, I am just petting his tummy right now with one hand and slowly moving my other down and around his paws, then just rubbing his paws for 5-10 min each giving treats every few minutes and talking calmly. He has gotten vastly better in just a few sessions. He no longer tries to bite or tug his paws away from me.

Next time I actually try to trim his nails I am going to try a nail "grinder" instead of clippers. So, I am letting the grinder run near me during these sessions and occasionally putting the grinder (with no tool in it) to touch his belly so he can feel it vibrate. I will slowly move it to his paws as time goes on. I am going to do this daily, for about 20 or more min a day, for at least two weeks and then see if he will let me do his nails.

My guy is a service dog in training, so I must get him over this fear somehow. I intend for him to take the CGC late October, and letting someone touch his paws is one of the criteria. My guy likely had some trauma leading to his issues since it is clear he was abused before we adopted him.

This has absolutely nothing to do with the post....but I noticed you are in Syracuse! I'm from Montezuma and when people ask me where in NY I'm from I always say "do you know where Syracuse is?" That's where my mom grew up too...and her brothers and one sister still live there! Sorry....it's just not often I see people from Syracuse!

I don't think the grooming is that hard. I keep Pepper in a puppy cut also. I keep it shorter in the summer and let it get a little longer in the winter. I take him to the groomer about every 5-6 weeks and it is around $30-40 in my area. Pepper has a cottony coat so I can't let it get very long or it will mat. But I never wanted the maintenance of the long hair, so no topknot or bows to worry about. I have to admit that I don't brush or comb every day. I usually only brush when he gets a bath - every week to ten days. He gets bathed in the shower with me. I found out it was a lot easier to do it that way. I didn't have to worry about the temperature of the water or me getting wet. I let the groomer trim his nails. I don't do it between grooming. I tried but he is way too wiggly. I have occasionally have had to trim his bum between grooming when things start to get a little sticky. :)

We groom Zeus ourselves. The only thing we don't do is cut his nails. We take him to PetSmart and watch them do it while we are there. Living in Mississippi, we shave him down to a 1/4 inch on the body starting in late April/early May leaving his legs and head longer (I think this is a teddy bear cut). We have just started letting it grow and won't cut him until April/May. We will only trim his legs, head, feet/pads, wing ding, and bum in the winter. The poor baby freezes when it's below 50. I guess he is so used to 95 with a heat index of 110-115 that below 50 is cold. We are first time pet owners; if we can do it, anyone can do it.