How to Keep a Dog Still While Clipping its Nails

Are you a dog owner who would like to clip your dog's nails instead of paying a veterinary technician to perform this simple task? Dogs' feet and nails are very sensitive, and many dogs react to nail clipping as if you were torturing them unmercifully! Yet nail clipping is essential to maintaining your dog's health and ability to walk without limping.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A pair of special nail clippers for dogs. These clippers are found at most high-end pet stores on on the Internet, or at your vet's office
• If your dog is especially rebellious to having his nails clipped, you may need another person to calm, hold and reassure your dog while the clipping is occurring. This is your judgment call.

1. Place your dog upon a surface that corresponds with your height and the dog's height. For example, lift your dog onto a table where you are equal in height, or sit down on the ground with your dog. Being in this "equal" condition will help your dog relax; he will not see you as a threat.

2. Spend at least one minute speaking softly and lovingly to your dog. Let your dog know that you are not going to hurt her, but that you unconditionally love your dog. In following this step, your dog will recall her love for you and trust in you--that you would not hurt the dog. This will help your dog relax while you clip her nails.

3. Hold your dog tightly in your arms, head forward, whispering calming thoughts and emotions such as "that's a good dog." Spend about a minute in this position with your dog to relax and calm her.

4. Move quickly to your dog's fore-paws. Pay attention to whether your dog's dew claws were removed at birth, or are still present. If they are, the dew claws must be clipped to avoid injury to your dog's foot pads.

5. When clipping your dog's back feet, hold her head tucked under your arm and speak softly and gently to your dog. Remember, your dog trusts you; by letting her know what you want, she will be eager to please you unless you handle your dog roughly. You will get the kind of response from your dog that you deserve.

Tips & Warnings

• Nail clippers for dogs are readily available at pet stores and on the Internet. They are not the same as nail clippers for humans; be sure to obtain the right tool for you dog.
• Simply grabbing your dog and forcefully cutting his nails will needlessly traumatize your dog; all future nail clippings will make the dog recall the initial stress of having the nails clipped for the first time.
• Get this procedure done as quickly as possible. Any time more than five minutes from start to finish can traumatize your dog's first nail-clipping. This will lead to behavior management problems for the dog later in life.
• Before you clip your dog's nails, get advice from your veterinarian or a well-researched book on dog care about caring for your dog's feet and claws.