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PeggyTheParti’s thread where she shares her struggles and successes with learning to groom Peggy at home has inspired me to talk about my biggest grooming struggle.
This is long, as many of my posts tend to be.
Nail clipping became one of my biggest home grooming struggles, despite my consistent effort. My struggle came with nail clipping as Lacey got older.
I used millers forge clippers, they cut very well. I started the training from the moment she came home, just holding toes and squeezing her nails between my nails while treatng, then taping nails with clippers, then squeezing without clipping. I worked my way to clipping all her nails. It didn’t take very long to progress if I remember correctly.
I’d hold her on her back in my lap and clip all her nails about every 3 weeks, and smooth the ends with a glass nail file. She did well with tolerating it for a treat after each toe. I always projected calm and confidence when I did it. I never quicked her. I did this frequency for quite a long time. But clipping every 3 weeks wasn’t keeping the nails short enough.
I started clipping every 2 weeks, and that’s when I first quicked her and would hit one quick about every other time. I was being very careful of the length and angle I cut, understanding how the quick grows within the black nails, and worked in good light. I had quick stop with benzocaine at the ready. I would apologize and give extra treats. She started to become less tolerant of nail clipping. Every 2 weeks still wasn’t maintaining an acceptable nail length, they would get overgrown because I couldn’t ever take much off.
I decided I would clip once a week to keep the nails maintained. I would take off the smallest amount off I could possibly do. Three weeks in a row I quicked her about 2 times each session. I couldn’t take any less off than I was. I tried a small size clipper but it made no difference.
I never quicked her badly, but blood would ooze from the end of nail and it was painful. I went back to every 2 week frequency. I would hit one quick about every other session.
By a year old, Lacey had become completely intolerant of nail clipping as you can imagine. She would slowly bite down on my hand VERY hard and continue to be clamped down on my hand while I tried to clip, baring her teeth. To the point where I’d be bruised if I allowed her to be clamped down for 60 seconds. This biting and teeth baring is not something she does any other time and she was sending me a clear message. But she’d always tolerate me using the glass nail file afterward.
I started to feel extreme guilt and dislike of nail clipping because I was sick of hurting her and her hurting me. I further decreased the frequency of nail clipping and would flare up carpal tunnel syndrome in my wrist with the filing by hand to try and make up for it.
3 months ago (Lacey was around 1 year 3 months old at the time) I remembered that my boyfriend had a cordless dremel that he’s never used. Why hadn’t I thought of this sooner? She tolerates nail filing and is used to the sound and vibration of Andis clippers on sensitive areas. I did some research on the proper technique, speed and bits to use. There was a super helpful article about this.
milesandemma.com
I watched lots of videos.
Then began the training process. I used a very special treat that’s just for dremel sessions, cheese cut up in tiny chunks. I worked in short sessions with her in my lap nearly every day. I’d turn it on and tap it to a nail, turn it off, feed a cheese, then calmly stroke her chest and belly and tell her what a good girl she was. Then I’d do the next nail if she stayed calm and allowed it. I’d end the session while she was still tolerating it and wanting more cheese. The same as desensitizing to nail clippers when she was a baby.
she took to it much quicker than I expected, no pun intended. I was able to take off an appreciable length from all the nails in one session by the time I got to the 8th session or so. Now I’m doing every 1 to 2 weeks and feel like this is good for maintaining her length, especially as I continue to learn.
I like how I can be extremely precise and work the tops and sides of the nail around the quick once I’ve taken length off the end. I couldn’t do that with clippers on her small nails.
Im very careful not to heat up the nail and switch between them on each paw. my wrist is saved!
I really hope she continues to tolerate it. I’ll keep up with the cheese for a long time and will always treat it in some way. As of now when I pull out the dremel, she doesn’t run away. Unlike when I pull out the brush and comb, which she still gets treats for tolerating.
This is long, as many of my posts tend to be.
Nail clipping became one of my biggest home grooming struggles, despite my consistent effort. My struggle came with nail clipping as Lacey got older.
I used millers forge clippers, they cut very well. I started the training from the moment she came home, just holding toes and squeezing her nails between my nails while treatng, then taping nails with clippers, then squeezing without clipping. I worked my way to clipping all her nails. It didn’t take very long to progress if I remember correctly.
I’d hold her on her back in my lap and clip all her nails about every 3 weeks, and smooth the ends with a glass nail file. She did well with tolerating it for a treat after each toe. I always projected calm and confidence when I did it. I never quicked her. I did this frequency for quite a long time. But clipping every 3 weeks wasn’t keeping the nails short enough.
I started clipping every 2 weeks, and that’s when I first quicked her and would hit one quick about every other time. I was being very careful of the length and angle I cut, understanding how the quick grows within the black nails, and worked in good light. I had quick stop with benzocaine at the ready. I would apologize and give extra treats. She started to become less tolerant of nail clipping. Every 2 weeks still wasn’t maintaining an acceptable nail length, they would get overgrown because I couldn’t ever take much off.
I decided I would clip once a week to keep the nails maintained. I would take off the smallest amount off I could possibly do. Three weeks in a row I quicked her about 2 times each session. I couldn’t take any less off than I was. I tried a small size clipper but it made no difference.
I never quicked her badly, but blood would ooze from the end of nail and it was painful. I went back to every 2 week frequency. I would hit one quick about every other session.
By a year old, Lacey had become completely intolerant of nail clipping as you can imagine. She would slowly bite down on my hand VERY hard and continue to be clamped down on my hand while I tried to clip, baring her teeth. To the point where I’d be bruised if I allowed her to be clamped down for 60 seconds. This biting and teeth baring is not something she does any other time and she was sending me a clear message. But she’d always tolerate me using the glass nail file afterward.
I started to feel extreme guilt and dislike of nail clipping because I was sick of hurting her and her hurting me. I further decreased the frequency of nail clipping and would flare up carpal tunnel syndrome in my wrist with the filing by hand to try and make up for it.
3 months ago (Lacey was around 1 year 3 months old at the time) I remembered that my boyfriend had a cordless dremel that he’s never used. Why hadn’t I thought of this sooner? She tolerates nail filing and is used to the sound and vibration of Andis clippers on sensitive areas. I did some research on the proper technique, speed and bits to use. There was a super helpful article about this.
How to Dremel Dog Nails – Miles & Emma
milesandemma.com
I watched lots of videos.
Then began the training process. I used a very special treat that’s just for dremel sessions, cheese cut up in tiny chunks. I worked in short sessions with her in my lap nearly every day. I’d turn it on and tap it to a nail, turn it off, feed a cheese, then calmly stroke her chest and belly and tell her what a good girl she was. Then I’d do the next nail if she stayed calm and allowed it. I’d end the session while she was still tolerating it and wanting more cheese. The same as desensitizing to nail clippers when she was a baby.
she took to it much quicker than I expected, no pun intended. I was able to take off an appreciable length from all the nails in one session by the time I got to the 8th session or so. Now I’m doing every 1 to 2 weeks and feel like this is good for maintaining her length, especially as I continue to learn.
I like how I can be extremely precise and work the tops and sides of the nail around the quick once I’ve taken length off the end. I couldn’t do that with clippers on her small nails.
Im very careful not to heat up the nail and switch between them on each paw. my wrist is saved!
I really hope she continues to tolerate it. I’ll keep up with the cheese for a long time and will always treat it in some way. As of now when I pull out the dremel, she doesn’t run away. Unlike when I pull out the brush and comb, which she still gets treats for tolerating.
