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  1. #1
    House Broken Lobo's Avatar
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    Trimming Nails / Dewclaws

    I have had five Labs including my new guy Romeo. Even though I have had this many Labs and many other dogs I have not been the best at trimming their nails. I have relied on the fact that they spent a good deal of time playing where their nails would wear naturally and when they got to be too long I used the old style cheapo cutters.

    Romeo is the first dog I have owned that has his dewclaws intact. We did not order him that way (lol) but it is the way that our breeder breeds her dogs. All of my other dogs just came that way and I never asked or thought different about it. Romeo is the first show quality dog I have owned.

    Those little suckers are sharp! So now I am more aware of that I need to trim his and my Mastiffs nails and need a better method. I have the old style cutters but those are not going to be used as they are crude and tend to draw blood as I cut to close. We also have PediPaws battery operated grinder thingy and a Dremel.

    Tried the PediPaws thing and Romeo will have nothing to do with it. He is not reacting well so I am guessing he'll hate the Dremel too.

    What's the best way to ease them into these things? Romeo is 13 weeks old.

  2. #2
    Senior Dog windycanyon's Avatar
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    Dremel. I still remove dews but have dremeled for years, as I did rescue fostering too, and the dogs w/ dews.... ewww.... sharp.

  3. #3
    Senior Dog Shelley's Avatar
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    I dremel all of my dogs nails, and desensitize my litters to the dremel as babies. Dremels are great for getting nails short, because you can grind right to the soft part of the nail, right before you hit the quick, and it bleeds. The nail changes color and texture so you know when to stop grinding. I keep my show dogs nails very very short, it is hard to get them short again, if they are allowed to grow out too long. The dewclaw is an important nail to keep short, because if it gets too long it starts to curl, and heads back towards the leg, and is extremely uncomfortable for the dog.

    When you dremel, you have to take control, and be firm but fair, be confident, and just do it, give them no choice to be fussy about it. Verbal reward for being good is important, and the timing of the reward matters, and I give a Jackpot reward (Turkey neck, Beef trachea, flip chip, etc...) when we are done. I use 60 grit bands, and dremel at least a few days before a show.

    Are you showing your dog? If you are, Romeo needs to learn to have his feet handled, (and ears, mouth and teeth, testicles, etc...) and to stand for exam. I put my dogs and puppies up on the grooming table once a week whether they need their nails dremeled or not, just to check them over, all over. Check for lumps and bumps, extra grooming if they are dropping coat, hand stacking practice, and generally just handling them, and giving them treats and love, so they learn to anticipate the attention. Now is the perfect time to make it a weekly, or more often while you are getting his nails short, to get him accustomed to being handled. Trim all of his nails not just the dews, so he gets used to it, and he knows how to stand still when he is older and doesn't wear his nails down as much naturally.

    Good luck, you can do this, but you need to start now. :-)

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  5. #4
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    What Shelley said!

    If you want to dremmel (and believe me, you do!) start yesterday on your puppy. It's so much easier when they are started young.

    I am lucky in that my trainer's facility also has a daycare and grooming. She doesn't do all of that, but she knows how to use a dremmel and is a trainer, which is really helpful. She charges $10 to dremmel your dog's nails and that includes a lesson. Do you think you have something similar nearby?

  6. #5
    House Broken Lobo's Avatar
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    When I stated that Romeo is a show quality dog I should have included that our breeder shows her dogs and that is what she breeds for. I believe she turned Romeo down because he is going to be too big and possibly some other flaw that I would never notice. I paid three times as much for him than the most expensive Lab I had ever bought so I expect him to be near the top.

    When I was trying to hold him to use the PediPaws he starting jerking, flailing and yelping even though I was barely and briefly touching his nails with it. After I got the two dewclaws touched down to not sharp(!) which was a brief second on each he had had enough.

    Romeo has been touched and handled just like all of my other dogs have been which is to be over loved. I make sure that they are very used to human hands all over them to include in their food bowls to deter ANY food aggression. I guess I will need to spend a lot more time around him with these tools to get him used to them.

  7. #6
    Senior Dog WhoopsaDaisy's Avatar
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    I got a dremel also but so far have been too chicken to use it. I would love a lesson where someone showed me how to use it in person. So far I've just been having the doggy daycare place do it every month and a half or so. I've not noticed the dew claws being sharper- I will have to look.
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  8. #7
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    This is a good video on dremmeling dog nails. Mine don't love it but they know they don't have a choice. They still resist at first and then they fall asleep.

  9. #8
    Best Friend Retriever Sue's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lobo View Post

    When I was trying to hold him to use the PediPaws he starting jerking, flailing and yelping even though I was barely and briefly touching his nails with it. After I got the two dewclaws touched down to not sharp(!) which was a brief second on each he had had enough.

    Romeo has been touched and handled just like all of my other dogs have been which is to be over loved. I make sure that they are very used to human hands all over them to include in their food bowls to deter ANY food aggression. I guess I will need to spend a lot more time around him with these tools to get him used to them.
    First thing I want to mention, is that you are far far more likely to CAUSE food aggression by sticking your hands in his bowl. Please stop doing that right now. Once the food is given, you do not touch it. To prevent any resource guarding, a far better way is to walk near him when he's eating and toss a yummy, high value treat into his bowl. Don't touch it, just toss it in. That way, he'll associate your (or anyone's, if you have others in your family to do it too) with good things coming his way. Not every time, of course, but often enough so he'll get the idea that good things come from you.

    About the PediPaws. Slow and steady, baby steps, is the best way to go about this. Start with just sitting with him, holding his paws as if you would be trimming, then treat for good behavior. Once he's comfortable with his paws being handled (and separate the toes, run your finger all over, move the paws around), bring out the trimmer. Don't pick it up, just have it nearby you and him. Same thing, treat everytime he looks at it, especially while you are still handling the paws. Once again, when he's comfortable pick it up in your hands and gently touch his nails on one paw with it. Treat when he's good. Oh and don't turn it on, by the way. You just want him to be used to it being near his paws, and touching his nails. Once he's comfortable with it, you can turn it on, and briefly (and I mean briefly) touch the nail with it. Continue with the treats for doing well. Eventually, you'll be able to do the nails. And just so you know, you can't leave it on the nails very long, mere seconds, as it gets way too hot if you do.

    I also want to make sure you know this takes place over several days, not all at once. Several short sessions a day, and pretty soon, you'll be doing his nails like a pro.

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  11. #9
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    Already got lots of good advise. Just wanted to say, keep working with Romeo. He'll get the idea that that tool isn't going to hurt his nails. Plans to introduce dremel to my new pup right away. Just like his brush. Good time to bond as well.

    KAZ

  12. #10
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    Have been using the Dremel for years. Mardi is a little pistol and it takes the two of us to do her. Once laying down, which is more comfortable for her, DH starts the belly rubs and talking to her and she relaxes. She's decided that by paw #4 she's had enough. So, we have been doing two at a time. It does mean doing it more often, but works for her and us.

    Archie does not tolerate us messing with his paws. It's sometimes a chore just to wipe them. He regularly gets a visit to Petsmart for a clip and they have been introducing him to the Dremel and he's doing pretty good with it.

    Clipping is out of the question for me, I'm way to tentative.

 



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