My dog won’t let me cut his nails? That is appropriate, as you are not alone. Numerous dog owners have expressed fear over clipping their dogs’ nails, and their dogs despise nail-cutting sessions. Some dog owners also abandon the job altogether.
However, although long nails are not harmful to humans, they are detrimental to pets. Long-term, overgrown nails can trigger joint trauma and discomfort in your dog. When his nails have been overgrown, it’s much more difficult to touch them, let alone remove them.
Thus, there must be a way to acclimate our dogs to nail trimming early on, when their nails are already at a manageable length.
Why Are Dogs So Opposed To Having Their Nails Clipped?
Before diving into the hows, we’d like to quickly discuss the whys. It is important to understand that the dog is afraid of nail clipping. If you understand the reasons, you will quickly eliminate them.
The act of touching and clipping one’s nails is strange and unsettling. To be frank, even we would be terrified if anyone unexpectedly grabbed our hand and threatened to cut our nails. Dogs are the same. Without mentally preparing the dog in advance, he may get stressed and nervous.
When dogs are uncertain about what will happen to them next, they prefer to flee the scene. This could explain why the dog seems to skip nail-cutting sessions or gets defensive when you attempt it.
At first glance, nail clippers do not seem to be a pleasant item. Dogs are unaware of the use of a nail clipper. And the metal implement is not often seen as a toy by them. As a result, using a nail clipper directly on their nails may be dangerous for them, which could be another reason they hate nail clipping.
How To Introduce The Clipper To Yout Dog
Give The Dog A Gradual Introduction
Ensure that the dog is always used to being handled and kept in your hands before exposing him or her to the nail clipper. Since certain dogs are not yet used to this, it is important to teach them. To begin, you may attempt to touch the arm.
Ensure that the dog is calm and happy at all times. Treats are critical for boosting her morale and relieving her anxiety. If your dog remains calm after the shoulder touch, begin working down the legs and eventually to the paws. Take time with each move to observe her attitude and behaviour and ensure she is always relaxed.
You can now attempt to keep her paws on your lap. You’ll need to keep her paws on them for a while during each nail-cutting session to acclimate her to this. After you’ve established that keeping paws is appropriate, consider rubbing her nails. The final move is to press her nails to apply weight to them.
This is to simulate the pressure applied during trims, so that when you really trim your dog, he is already used to the pressure.
Introduce The Dog To The Clipper
Again, your dog might not be used to the clipper at this stage. It is important to first show the clipper to her before beginning to cut her nails with it. Present the clipper to her a couple of times, and then reward her with treats.
This creates a favourable association between the dog and the clipper. When you’ve established that your dog is comfortable having the clipper around, consider bringing the clipper up to the paws before touching the nails. If your dog is calm and at ease with the clipper approaching the nails, you may proceed to the next level.
Let Us Bring It Together
So you’ve tried keeping your hands clean and even exposed the dog to the clipper. Here, let’s pull it all together. Keep your dog’s paw still and place the nail clipper near the nails as though you were clipping them; just do not clip the nail yet.
Keep an eye on the dog’s behaviour to determine if she is nervous. If she is not, you should try gradually cutting her nail. And there you have it. Proceed cautiously and just remove a small amount at a time. You’d want to avoid cutting through the easy, as well as causing discomfort to your puppy.
Additionally, do not neglect to praise and reward your dog during the session.
If Your Dog Is Too Lively…
Certain dogs simply have too much stamina and are unable to remain still throughout a nail clipping session. Under any scenario, one suggestion is to allow the dog to run around beforehand to burn off some steam.
Swimming is the most appropriate exercise since it not only relaxes and drains the dog’s muscles but also softens the nails, making them easy to cut afterward. Additionally, you should combine nail clipping and swimming. Following playtime, you should bathe your puppy.
Bathing may be relaxing for pets, and the water also helps smooth the nails, making nail trimming after bathing completely reasonable and manageable.
Bottom Line
In brief, it is not unusual for dogs to have an aversion to nail clipping. There are some possible explanations for this, which have been discussed previously; you should search to see whether all of them apply to you. One point to keep in mind is that persistence is all that is needed to bring about change.
We completely appreciate how frustrating it would be to teach your dog to like what he dislikes, but you cannot avoid nail cutting entirely. It will become a frustrating loop later on: when your dog’s nails get longer, they inflict discomfort and injury, making nail cutting much less desirable.
As a result, we are doing everything possible to avoid this. We hope you find these suggestions useful and that this article has addressed your question.