Puppy Pedicure Nightmares

Question: “I am having a difficult time with my terrier in trimming his nails, he has always let the vet do it and I have bought all the proper tools , I am the one that always grooms him. But he is at the point now where the anxiety level is extreme, we have tried wrapping him in a towel, and standing him on a table like the vet does.. And no luck.. Please help!”- Deb C. from Rhode Island

Answer: Hi Deb! First off, we all know how stressful it can be to try to groom your dog at home, especially doing such a delicate procedure as nail trimming. However, there may be a few different approaches to grooming that could work for your dog and make nail trimming a breeze.

Using the PediPaws System from K9HealthSolutions.com could help streamline the process. If your dog is associating nail trimming with pain or discomfort, he’ll not want to have anything to do with it in the future. PediPaws is an extremely innovative approach to nail clipping. It has a rotating emery head that gently and safely files your dog’s nails to a smooth rounded finish, causing no pain and no discomfort. Plus the protective cap catches the filings, so there is no mess to clean up afterwards. Try it. You may find that your terrier much prefers this method to traditional clippings.

Another approach is gradually introducing new behaviors that could change the way your dog thinks about nail clipping. Start out by pretending to cut the nails while your dog is cuddling with you on the couch, or while he’s getting a belly rub. Once he becomes comfortable with this kind of touch and routine, try clipping one nail and see his response. Continue to positively reinforce nail clipping as being not so bad. After awhile, you could have your dog so well readjusted that you can trim at any time without worry. When you are finished with your clippings, pile on the praise and treats, positively reinforcing that it really is not so bad, and in fact worth the effort for him!