Pedi Paws
 

Honestly, I didn't like it. I know a lot of people do, but I just felt like it was soooo harsh on her little nails!! It seemed like it splintered off little chunks at a time :eek: more than "sanding" them down like it was supposed to. That being said, my dad has one that he uses on his 19 lb dog, and he loves it. I just assumed that Bella's nails were too little! Funnily enough, she tolerated it really well, I just did NOT like the outcome of using it. File 13, and now we're using our old scissor style clippers, which work perfectly! :D

Two toenails on her back legs are so hard to get with the guard (because I'm too scared to remove it), and we tried it again this morning because the family is covered in scratches. I think we are going back to clippers as well, and just leaving a lot of give since her toenails are black. Even when she goes to the groomer for 'puppy cuts' and they cut her nails, it leaves two sharp end points instead of one sharp end point. I wish there was a solution to that as well. I'm thinking I'll have to manually dull the edges with an emery board that I use for my nails while she is taking a nap. Glad to know that I am not alone, and I'm glad I bought it from a store so that I can do a fast and easy return.

I know what you mean about the sharp points. Honestly, I usually do her nails right before a walk (on pavement). The pavement helps file the sharp spots down, so I don't have to, lol! ;) BUT I have used an emery board on her too, I just don't do it every time. I found the emery boards that work best are the thicker ones (not the little thin revlon or whatever ones that come in a package and remind me of sand paper ;) ). Also, I got good advice from a groomer about how to tell where to cut on black nails, so I'll pass it along. (I hadn't been cutting enough off because I was afraid to cut into the quick, BUT on dogs, if you dont cut their nails often enough or back far enough, their quick will actually grow out too, which means their nails will eventually keep getting longer! :eek:) So, she told me to look at the nail in good light and you can see where the nail has grown out....sometimes there's a little line, but sometimes it's more subtle--there will be a portion of the nail that's shiny and a portion that's dull (I want to say the new growth is the dull portion, but I can't remember...just have to look at it, obviously you cut off the end :p). Use that as your guide. I have only cut too far once since I started doing that!! Good luck!!!

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.

Awwww, thank you so much for the compliments! She's my little sweetie, that's for sure! ;) Your Khloe has such a sweet little face!
Bella is my 1st furbaby too....you just pick it up as you go. Thank goodness people have been sweet enough to give me tips...otherwise I'd be lost! :p I don't have children (yet!) so Bella is my baby. Therefore, I worry and spend time asking/researching to do the best I can for her. There are so many wonderful, knowledgeable people her on YT that will help whatever the issue, but feel free to PM me anytime you have a question or want a recommendation. If I can't help you, I may be able to direct you to someone who can!

Oh, P.S. I was also told by a groomer that I ought to be clipping her nails about every 3 wks. I used to write it down in my calendar so I'd remember, but now I just notice that they seem like they're getting a bit long and I know I didn't do it the week before, so I figure it's time and just do it. ;)

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!)

I have the Pedi Paws also. My two tolerate it alright but I am not thrilled about it with their nails so tiny. After I get done I use a file board for acryllic nails to smooth out the sharp edges.

I bought Pedi Paws but never used it. I thought the noise would be to scary, so I never even bothered to try. I have no trouble clipping Bailey's nails, but my new little guy is a different story.

I gave my Pedi Paws away I disliked it that much! It's way to big for my little guys and my GP sits just fine w/clippers so it was a waste of money & space for me.