Cutting the nails of a dog

**Droppedonmyhead** · 09-30-2007, 08:09 PM

I have always taken my German Shepherd to the vet to get her nails cut, but they are charging $10. So I decided that it was probably something I could do myself and I could save the money and do it on my own schedule.

Well. . . .Miranda is the biggest baby I've ever seen. I did manage to clip about 6 nails in the back, but the front nails are the worst and she won't let me touch them. She pulls her leg away and uses her head and upper body to push me away from her. Then she starts rolling around on me.

I guess she had had enough. After about 30 minutes of us struggling back and forth, she ran under the daybed and hid from me!!

I'm about ready to pull out the big guns and get those nails clipped. I'm going to dangle cheese in front of her. She can never take her eyes off of cheese. It just might become my newest "secret weapon".

**Opal** · 09-30-2007, 08:19 PM

I clip Isis's nails, myself, it is scary for me, she is a pup. Anyway, she is a handful, I don't think the cheeze thing will work with her, she likes to snatch and run with treats. It is good to know I have saved 20 bucks on the proceedure, though. So, I am with you, it is nearly an impossible job.

**anna021** · 09-30-2007, 08:23 PM

I have 2 Bichon Frise's and I have the same problem, and after struggling with them, and making them upset and myself, I've decided its just easier to take them to the vet, its 12.00 a pup, but for some strange reason they stay quite still for them to do the cutting. Another factor is if you cut too short, they bleed terribly, at the vets, out of ten nails they always have at least one bleeder, they just cover it with that stop bleed powder, and its done. Worth not having the stress, and keeps my BP down as well.

**Droppedonmyhead** · 09-30-2007, 08:29 PM

Anna. . .exactly! She has always sat like a little lady at the vet's. I just tried the cheese thing. Didn't work. She didn't fall for it at all. She kept panting and panting for it. Amazingly, she did actually look away from the cheese to see what I was doing with the clippers. . .even though I had the cheese dangling out of my mouth so she'd look at my face. Oh. . .the things we do!!!

**Brat** · 10-01-2007, 10:41 AM

play with her feet inbetween nail cuttings ..let her get use to you holding her feet and rubbing them...it may make her more at easy when you cut them the next time

**Missy** · 10-01-2007, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by Brat

play with her feet inbetween nail cuttings ..let her get use to you holding her feet and rubbing them...it may make her more at easy when you cut them the next time

Doing that, and using peanut butter instead of cheese works for me (my dogs LOVE PB)

**Neeley** · 10-01-2007, 11:05 AM

DH always does Frannie's nails. He holds her and I rub her belly while he clips. She hates it so bad she runs and hides whenever anyone opens the desk drawer that holds her doggie clippers. Once we finish, she won't stop barking until the clippers are put back into their case and into the drawer.

We don't clip Hunter's nails. He plays outside so much he wears them down walking on the cement on the back porch, around the pool and the two decks.