Easy way to clip nails?
 

Does anyone know of an easy way to clip nails?

I have the hardest time cutting the nails of my sqirmy wormy puppy. I'm also afraid to cut them too short, so I only clip the very ends, and am not always successful in cutting all of her nails at one time.

How do I cut them? I sit on the couch and lay her on her back on my lap. I scratch her tummy, she loves that, and kinda play with her while I try to get a clip here and a clip there. If I'm lucky I can get all of her nails...but she usually gets too squirmy and I have to let her go.

Any suggestions would be appreciated! :p

I only cut the very ends, too, because I am afraid of going too far. I cut them right after their baths, this way they are a little softer, as they stand in the water and soak a little. Then, when I put them on my counter to blow dry them, brush, etc., I do the nails. I have been doing this since they were little (they are 6 yrs old now), so they stand pretty still. If you start out early, I think it's better. They learn that this is the way it's gonna' be. Also, if you cut a little each week or two, then I think the chances of cutting into their quick is pretty slim, from what I've learned. Good luck! :thumbup:

I let the vet do it twice a year :) That must be the easiest way :)

i have found it a lot easier to just file my dogs nails down. we have one of those electric or motorized nail filing kits, the manicuring kind, and we just use one of those tools to quickly and easily file down the nails of our two pups. we have never been able to cut their nails easily so we have been doing this since about a month after we brought them home (at 8 weeks). its a lot easier and they are much less frightened, plus its a pretty quick way of taking care of those nails without worrying about cutting the cuticle

I get help. I so worried about making him bleed. so i take him over to my mom's and I hold him and she clips his nails. This way he doesn't squirm or get too upset. If you can't find a buddy I would stand him on a counter and put your arm around him and then pick up one paw and do his nails. He can't squirm a lot with only 3 legs. Just try to go quick and hopefully he'll get used to it.

Thanks for the great ideas! :D I will try them out and see which one works best for my pup. She is very squirmy @ 8 months old...I guess I should have started this sooner (i didn't get her until she was 4 months old). My groomer said that it took two people to hold her down to do her nails. I'm trying to make it a better experience for her because she scares VERY easily and I don't want to traumatize her. :eek: She is a very delicate, yet stubborn baby. Thanks again for you help. Hope it works! :aimeeyork

I started doing it while he's getting a bath. The nails get soft and he doesn't move as much.

What I do is clip them them right after the bath. I wrap him up in a towel and have my boyfriend hold him while I clip.

wrap them up like you would a baby and only stick out one paw at a time

Wow twice a year. Your making me think Thor has over active nails!! It is scary cutting them yourself. I am so scared to cute them. Doing it after a bath is a good idea!

This is what I do too :thumbup: :thumbup: I use human Toenail clippers(the big size) and I also use rough emery boards...

With Emery Boards be careful ...when they are puppies the nails are very thin ....and you can file alot off with 2 strokes ...as they get older the nail is harder to file but when my girls act like turds over the clippers - a nail file always does the trick

GREAT ideas! "Wrap them up like a baby" hmmmm....I like that idea and I think they will too! I will try that the next time I give them a bath. I'm so glad I joined this site - it's SO imformative! THANKS! :D

No, but we have concrete sidewalks here - and that keeps them down. Grass doesn't do that...
We walk our dogs 4 times a day so they are in good shape and their nails are kept down - and they love it, sooo many smells to examine! :)

I confuse, I take the easy way out and pay someone else to do it. :embarasse

I was to scared to do it myself :eek:

so i took Scamp to the Vet never again....it took 3 people to hold him down,& they muzzeled him.....he was sick throwing up for 2 weeks :mad:

Scamp was very Traumatised :mad:

Hes only a little Yorkie for goodness sake :confused:

I took him back to the Vets office as he had Diharrea caused by being tramatised.....& even he said that should not have happened :(

Twice a year is definitly not often enough unless the dog is naturally wearing the nails down anyway like on concrete. Monthly is good. You can even do it weekly if you want and just take the tiniest bit off each time.

Just some helpful hints if your dog is difficult. Don't put it off too long with a new puppy. Get them used to having their nails clipped on a regular basis or it will always be a difficult chore for both of you. I don't like holding the dog in my lap because she can just squirm away too easily and every time she gets away it just makes her squirm more next time because she has learned that she can eventually get away if she tries hard enough. With my girl I have her standing on a counter and put a harness on her and anchor it to a cabinet above her. Gently lift a back foot behind her so you are looking at the pad. A second person to hold her body upright is helpful because she may try to flip over and you would end up having to let go of the foot. You don't want to let go of her foot because again you have taught her that she will win if she fights enough. Hold the foot firmly and take just the tiniest tip off each nail. Praise her when you finish the foot and give her a treat if you want. It doesn't matter if you get every nail done the first time. As a matter of fact it is ok if you don't actually clip any nails the first time. As long as you manage to hold onto the foot and go thru the motions long enough for the dog to give up so you are releasing the foot on your terms and not her terms then you are making progress. Sometimes I just tap the clipper against each nail so the dog thinks I clipped something. As long as you don't let your dog win the battle you will eventually get the upper hand. Oh and one other thing I have learned - kisses and cuddles and sweet talk do not work during nail clipping. Your baby knows she has you wrapped around her little paw and will be much more wiggly if you are sweet talking her. It's hard to be firm and not give in with these little guys but it's in their best interest to train them to accept nail clipping on a regular basis.

My advise is -

1) Start doing it when they are just a little puppy.
2) Hold the puppy firmly - and do it quickly (don't make a big deal of it
and take a long time to do it).
3) Take only the very tip off. (You may need to do it more often - but it's
far less traumatic for the puppy - you're less likely to take too much
off, and it's less likely to hurt.)
4) If you're having a difficult time - do only one paw at a time.
Take a break - do another paw later. Before long you'll be doing them
all at one time.

It's really just experience that makes you good and fast at this. So - get going!

I started with my puppy when I first got him, and he hated it - and I was just learning. Now we're both used to it. I get a firm hold on him, do it quickly, and we're done. He still doesn't like it - but he has no choice. It's just something we do every couple of weeks. However, he is quieter now and stays more still - I think he knows that if he cooperates, we'll be done quicker, and he can get back to playing.

Really - a little Yorkie's nails are easy to trim. You ought to try a big dog.
Or -- as I have to do - you ought to try a bird!

Carol Jean

I get it done at Petsmart they don't charge me for it either lol

Carol

I have never had to clip Buckeye's nails. our walks are on the concrete road and they stay short. I have only had to clip ahia's nails a couple of times when we first got her.

I have had multiple episodes of cutting the quick in the yorkies nails. My one yorkie is a "digger" so everytime I cut his nail,s he bleeds. I'm convinced he wears them down himself and they don't really need to be clipped. My other yorkie, her's are much easier to cut and I just take off a little at a time. I also do this right after the bath when they are wrapped in a towel or even when they try to stand in the tub! They're upset about the bath so they don't seem to mind the nails, too. I try to kill two birds with one stone, if you know what I mean.