How do you cut your Yorkie's nails?

[dizpatch]

1. How many of you cut your own Yorkie's nails? I do my own plus I do them for other people that have problems at the vet and at the groomers.

2. How do you do it? It all depends on the dog that I am doing. Phoebe would lie in my lap on her back and I would do all 20. My friends doxy sits on my lap while I do the front 10 and she holds her while I do back 10. Samething with the chi.

3. How do you keep your Yorkie still!!?? She would just lie there and hold her paw up. Kinda of a OK, if I am real still can you just get this over with, because then I get my nail polish.

4. What kind of nail clippers/scissors do you use? I use a pair that the handle is black plastic and maybe would be in the same postition as a pair of pliers.Same kind that the vets use. But what ever you do DO NOT use the guitien kind those squeeze the nail rather that cute it through.

5. How often do you cut them? Depends on the fur baby. Phoebe usually every 2 weeks. My goal was weekly but usually ended up 2 weeks.

[Nikki+2]

I have tried and tried to do it myself. After every time ended with me and the dogs all really upset and nervous, I admitted defeat. I take them to the groomer once a month now. It is so worth it to me. I really wish I could do it myself but I know when I've been beaten!

[Etbit]

Right after I give my little baby a bath she loves getting all wrapped up in her towel. Since she fuzzes big time when she sees the nail clippers I keep her all bundled up in the towel, take out one paw at a time and clip the nails this way. She cannot see what I am doing at all b/c she will become very upset. I sing her favorite song as I am doing this and this seems to calm her down.

[Rae Rae]

I tried to cut Rocky's myself once, and he yelped really loud (I didn't even cut him) I think I pinched him though, so now I take him to petsmart. For $12 they do the nails, ears, give him breath spray, a bow, and armani dog cologne

[ldenise]

I usually do it my self. right after a bath while the nails are still pretty soft. I have my husband hold them in the towel (standing), while i cut. and if we are going to be going to vet for any reason, I have them do it for me there. they don't charge anything extra for doing it. i only do it once every 2 or 3 weeks. Buckeye never has to have his trimmed. they are kept pretty short by the pavement. Ahia's are not as short as Buckeye's but hers do need trimmed every once in a while. Tressie and Archie are peepad trained so they don't get as much pavement walks as the other 2.

[BabyFidgette]

I really wish I could do it myself. Baby needs her nails get so BAD!!!!

[sassypup]

we put zoe on her back on my knees so I have easy access. She trembles and very fussy but it gets done. We trim a tiny bit every week after her bath. I've never cut into her quick when I take a bit at a time. We use the larger sized human nail clippers.

[Pattie]

Originally Posted by BabyFidgette

Hi All,

I was wondering how you all deal with the nail cutting situation. I've tried to cut Baby's nails before, but she freaks out. Once the vet cut her quick, and now she yelps with every nail. The reason I want to inquire about this is because I want to cut her nails myself b/c it's too expensive to keep getting them cut. The vet charges like 10 bucks...and her nails grow fast. So...I wanted to know:

1. How many of you cut your own Yorkie's nails?
2. How do you do it?
3. How do you keep your Yorkie still!!??
4. What kind of nail clippers/scissors do you use?
5. How often do you cut them?

Thanks in advance!!!!

I cut theirs in between their groomer. 2 weeks ago I cut one of Sissy's, made it bleed, and could not find the quick stop I had purchased, panicked, felt guilty, watched her bleed for what seemed like forever and thought I'd never do it again BUT I trimmed them again yesterday.

At any rate, before I made it bleed, I cut them only to the curve, with a scissor style cutter intended for a cat, I do two nails at a time, give praise and petting, promise her the cookie when we're done, talking our love talk all the way through, sometimes singing their special song, then do another 2 nails. Once I'm all done I give the promised cookie right away. Chloe used to be a monster about her nails and wiggled terribly, but I read to never back off or they get the message that to wiggle and fight means you will give in and stop. I would sit her on my lap (belly outward) and pin her down with my elbows and whatever other body parts I could use!!! So when she was younger, I did it but cut hardly nothing off and left most of the nail cutting for grooming day. As I got better with the trimming, we moved the groomer's trips further apart. So now the groomer comes every 2 months and does nails and I trim them every 2 weeks in between just the tips to the curve. Sissy is easier - she has never been afraid of getting her nails trimmed, like Chloe was. A piece of cake ( at least until I cut one too short) The last trim was harder because of that but she saw I wasn't going to do it again and relaxed. The next one will be better again.

Before I started doing mine, I asked a ton of Q's to everyone and I was told even if I only did one nail a day, that was fine. It's important if you do that to make a note (mental or otherwise) of where you left off. It's scarey when you can't see that quick. That's how I made Sissy bleed. I got interrupted and went back and cut the last one I cut a second time.... Shamey on me

[Pattie]

Originally Posted by Tiger's Mom

Yes I definitely cut Tiger's nails. I have not taken him to the groomer ever and the vet normally does it for me at N/C as it is part of the normal check-up routine. But now that he is complete with his shots for the time being, then I have been doing it myself.

I got the clipper at walmart . .fairly inexpensive. I always clean my Tigers 4 paws, his behind and his thinking every single time he relieves himself. So he is fairly used to me paw handling him . However, he can sometimes resist and wonders what contraption I am holding . So the best time for me to cut his nails is in the early morning (saturday when we don't have to get up so early yet bright enough) when he is not quite so awake yet. Or better, if you can do it while he is asleep. I always do it every other week and I only nip the edge of the nails, as shown to me by my vet. Also, it is better to clip at an angle making sure that when his paws are firm on the ground it levels (hope I explained that well enough ).

Doing it yourself isn't so hard and it sure saves you a ton of money. Hope this helps.

I have never filed but would like to get a filer . . . .can anyone tell me if I can use human mail filers?

LuvMySissy uses the electric human file on her Sissy. I sometimes use a regular human file on my Sissy's. they sell a doggie one but I don't see the difference, so I use what I have here. My Chloe is afraid of the human electric one but my Sissy is not - her Sissy fights her I believe but her husband I think is who holds her while she files with her elecric one. She has the one with the round tips you can change and she told me she never cuts them-always files them down.

[Pattie]

Originally Posted by StewiesMom

1. How many of you cut your own Yorkie's nails?

I have been doing it since day 1

2. How do you do it?

I stand up and hold him with my left arm and hold the clippers in my right arm. It's totally fool-proof.

3. How do you keep your Yorkie still!!??

Since we are standing up and he doesn't want to fall and hurt himself, he doesn't fidget. I used to try every damn position with him, but one of us would always end up getting hurt. He would fight to the death - clawing me and biting until I would give up. Then, I realized that he needed to be a little bit afraid. Before I figure out that I could stand up and cut them and he would sit still, I would run the vacuum in the other room. He is afraid of the vacuum, so he would sit still. Sounds mean, but it was the ONLY way he would behave.

4. What kind of nail clippers/scissors do you use?

Some cheap ones I got from PETsMart

5. How often do you cut them?

about once every month

ha ha ha ha ha vacuum ha ha ha

[bas1]

Boy - anyone brave enough to try clipping on their on my hat is off to you!
My Bubba is to active for me to try to clip his nails I would end up cutting his leg off in the process! as long as the vet or a groomer can do it that is what I will do or if he ever calms down enough for me to feel comfortable to try then I might would but right now no way ! bas1you go! self nail clippers ! you rule! in my book , besides, mine is too busy these days trying to eat everything he can find in the house and he knows better he is going through a stage I guess - he is very well mannered is other ways though- only he just likes to eat paper and chew up all of his toys ! loves to ride ! will go to sleep as soon as he gets in the car-

[dizpatch]

Originally Posted by Pattie

I cut theirs in between their groomer. 2 weeks ago I cut one of Sissy's, made it bleed, and could not find the quick stop I had purchased, panicked, felt guilty, watched her bleed for what seemed like forever and thought I'd never do it again BUT I trimmed them again yesterday.

You can also use cornstarch or flour it will work if you don't have quick stop on hand. It is a bit messy, but it will work.

[YORKIE7]

I have always done my babies, its one of those things you have to do from when they are little, as soon as i got my pups i would always make a fuss of their feet, you know stroke them and touch the nails.
They soon got use to it, and they are such angels. Gypsy use to be petrified of a comb! but i kept combing her,despite the whining and wriggling and she loved it in the end.