How are your babies about nail trimming?!!!
 

Greetings YorkieTalk Friends!
Just wanted to know how your Babies are about nail clipping time. My little male Capone acts as if it is one more little hindrance without issue..."Here Mommy I'll help you!" :) as he holds his paws out one by one. But...Gypsy...she is like "I don't think so!":eek: :mad: :exclaim: . Sheeeew....her bathing and grooming goes without incidence....but the nails are a workout! Any suggestions?
Here's Gypsy today after some home grooming, nail trimming, and a bit of arguing on both sides...mine and her's. First picture I've ever gotten of her that shows her off fairly well. She looks as if she has forgave me. Poor Baby. (She is nursing a litter and still looking good).
Hugs,

HORRIBLE!! All 5 act like we're killing them...so we let the groomer do the honors. :D

I put my yorkie up on the counter to where he is high and to scared to jump down. It certainly is a chore to do his nails. My husband clips while I'll hold his paw out. Then I always give a treat after each foot. He is getting better, but usually the groomer will do it, but I'm trying to grow his hair out a bit, so I gotta clip his nails myself.
By the way, Gypsy sure is a cutie. :D

Same here!!!! I just got Baby groomed today, and the groomer said she had to get someone to help her hold Baby down b/c she was fighting so bad! :eek:

Clipping
 

First time Lex was fine with it...now I need someone to hold him down. You would think I was trying to lop off his damn body parts.

OMG you would think she was being tortured or something, I took her to the groomers to have them done and she was going to bite that lady LOL I was like, maybe we should just stop and she was like, no, I'm use to this, but she didnt get them trimmed very good, so next time I will drop her off and leave, maybe if I'm not there it will make it easier and she will cooperate for them!

Cindy is awful too! I've tried everything,even somebody else holding her while I do the clipping. We made it all the way to toe number three, and that was it. She will screem like your torturing her even when your just trying to hold her foot still. She HATES to be controlled. So, we are now leaving it up to the groomers. I just don't have the patience lol.

All of mine are like "whatcha doing, oh here mom you missed a nail." No troubles at all, they will even go right to sleep if I take too long, same goes for the electric hair clippers. :D :D You just have to train them when they are young...

We never cliped his nails, they look to be fine.

Is there a special reason to clip them?

Yes, you should always clip them. If you don't there are a number of problems that can go wrong such as... your dog getting his nail caught and snagged on everything, growing to where the point your dog is walking on his nails, growing to the point where the nail will curve back into your dog's pads. Of course all of these are very painful for your dog and it is very likely that this could happen to your dog. The only time you don't have to clip them is if they are on several different rough serfaces to where the nails get worn down, but this is usually only in outside dogs. Since you never cut his nails, the quick has probably grown out which means if you were to have them cut the quick would be cut which would bleed which would cause pain. I am not saying don't cut your dogs nails, just that the first few times it will be a bit painful, after that it won't be so bad because the quick will go back to where you can keep your dogs nails cut short without any worries on cutting the quick. The quick is a like a blood vein that grows through the nail. You can tell if your dog needs his nails cut by looking how much the nail curves. Is the nail from the beginning to the end of the nail mostly straight or is it straight at beginning but curved downwards for the majority of the nail alot? If it is curved down alot your dog needs his nails cut.

Sorry, I did not notice that you asked for any suggestions on clipping your dog's nails. Here is what I do train mine if need be... Since alot of dogs go running once they see the nail clippers I teach mine that getting the nail clippers out is a good thing. I will bring out the nail clippers and show it to them and reward them for just be ok for seeing them, at this point I will not clip their nails. I will do this several times a day for a few days until they automatically recognize the clippers as a good thing. Next I will bring it to their body usually on the paws to where they have direct contact with it and once again reward and do this also several times a day for a few days. Next I will put the nail clippers on the nails, won't cut them just let them get use to the feel of it and do the same thing as I did with the other steps. Finally, I will cut one nail and reward and encourage them for being good. Depending on how well they take it I will clip another right after the other or I may have to take more time until they get use to it and find that it too is a good thing. I know this is a long process but depending on how freaked out the dog is or is not you may be able to skip some steps.

I have always used this method and it has always worked for me. Of course you have to also get your dog use to you playing around with his paws and nails and all you have to do is sit down give him a belly rub, scratch ears, play with paws and nails and then reward him for allowing you to do so. It takes time to accomplish all of this to where your dog will let you trim his nails without putting up a fuss but it will work and it will make things so much easier and makes it worth the time.

I would rather take the time to go through this process rather than holding him down while he is screaming, scared, and hating you or the groomer for doing this to him which he does not why you are doing it in the first place but just resents you for it.:animal-pa :animal-pa

:( I don't think you should have to hurt your baby by cutting the quick to get them short. I was told if they are too long, cut just a little bit every 5-7 days and the quick will start to receed. Then after you finally get them as short as you want them, you can cut them every 2 weeks. That way they will slowly but surely get short without hurting your baby.

Bailey is BAD! And I did all the things so he wouldn't be when he was little, rubbing his feet, holding his feet,, guess what,, didn't work,and I have tried all the tricks, doing it in the tub, wrapping him in a towel, on the counter, on the dryer, on the floor, when he's sleeping... You name it we have tried it..:( Ain't happening! So, I let the groomer do it.. she says he doesn't like it, but he's not that bad, she has worse clients...:eek: I can't imagine worse.

It is a wrestling match 'til the end. :rolleyes: If Ramsey wouldn't fight me so much...it could be done in 5 minutes. I can't even understand why she fights it...I have never cut it too close or hurt her. :confused:

Coco isn't ever thrilled but she usually doesn't put up too much of a fight. I lay her on her back, on my lap and she shakes really badly as I cut her nails on one paw, then I give her a break to run around and I give her treats after every toe for good behavior. It's a good 15 minutes process because I give her 2-3 minute breaks in between each paw...lol..otherwise it would not be pretty :eek:

TOTALLLLLLY off the topic here, but I want to know what kind of program do you use for your pictures, to create the frames, etc. That picture of Gypsy is beautiful. Please let me know, I will go out and purchase it immediately. You got some pretty pics. I went to the dogster page too, and just love the pics you do.

My babies give me no problem, they lay on their backs and let me trim away.

badly. Lil Zoe is getting better though..but will still leave a few scratches on mommy and daddy's arms. It's a two man job, one holds, the other cuts. Treats for each toe. Sometimes it takes a lenght of time to get this accomplished. But she is a little angel when it comes to bathing and blow drying.

Chester on the other hand is the complete opposite, hates baths and fights but with a bit of fidgiting, will let you clip his nails.

its a very easy task if you start with you kid as a baby laying on their back and rubbing their paws, around their eyes, their ears and belly. The more accustom being on their back with puppy massages the more cooperative they'll become. Consistancy is the key!

This is usually the case. However, in some dogs not all if they have never been clipped for years the quick is grown all the way to the tip where there is absoultely no nail, not even a little bit to cut without cutting the quick, I have seen several dogs like this. Usually though you can cut a little bit off the nail and you don't have to worry about the quick. I thank you for bring that up I forget to mention this point, :) I just wanted to let them know that if there is no nail to trim without getting the quick then they have to be prepared for it to be cut and to bleed.

Me too, I love the pictures you have and would like to know what program you use for them.

Here's the link to my photo program
 

Thanks for the compliments...I can play all day with this simple program!!!
http://www.novadevelopment.com/Produ...w/default.aspx
(I bought an older version at Walmart for $19.99)...but this one has a few more capabilities and if you use your imagination you can do so much!!! Also, I enjoyed reading about the hints in this post...I shall try...as I have been for a couple of years...to implement a little more patient introduction of the clippers to my Gypsy. (I attached an ealier work I did when I first got this for a Christmas Card...I've come a long way from it...but it's cute anyway).
Hugs,

As others have already advised, I always play with my puppy's paws when holding him. I shave the hair between the pads with a battery operated clipper which I got at Walmart for $9 (I also use it on his ears, his belly and his bottom). Then I have the puppy sit on my lap, facing out, and using a coarse emery board that I purchase at Sally's Beauty Supply, I file away while watching TV. There is never any danger of cutting the quick; I've tried various nail cutters and an Oster electric drimmel and have found this method to work the best.

Look at the scratch!
 

I don't know what's worse...keeping Baby with long nails that are thick, or cutting them!!! They get soooooooooooooo sharp after they are cut. Look what she did to me! Accidentally, of course!:rolleyes:

Well as to nail clipping- KimMee hates it and Charlee will let me do anything- no problem.

Chelsey HATES it, i used to take her to the vet to have them clipped, she would scream blue friggin murder :eek:

Villette gave me a great tip, which i now follow up, i wrap her up in a towel and cover her eyes, it's a LOT LESS fussing and fighting :thumbup:

That's a good idea. Vee is great! :thumbup: ;)

Here's my nail grooming trick:

I teach ALL of my dogs to play dead, I teach them to keep playing until I either use the clicker or say "okay!". I tell them to play dead, then clips their nails while their still playing, they're so commited they play all the way through, then I give them a treat and a lot of praise when they're done! It works like a dream.

Brutus the german shorthaired we had when I was a kid would sleep right through nail clippings, even if you cut the quick heehee.