today i hit a complete breakthrough with lucid and the nail clippers.
i know it’s been nearly a year since i’ve really written much… my life has been quite the whirlwind, getting used to austin, and finding a full time job to support my dog training habit 
that being said, i never stop working with the dogs around me, including my own.
last nite, i dreamed about natural balance raw dog food. strangely enough, it made sense, so i bought some today, along with a better pair of large dog nail clippers. not only is clipping a dog’s nails most likely uncomfortable for him or her, but often pet owner use the wrong size. i used a larger one to accommodate her super sensitivity.
before lucid knew what was going on, i made a big show of cutting up 1/2 inch squares of natural balance dog food in the rolls {lamb flavor}. she salivated the entire time, ready for whatever i asked of her. *note – she had not eaten any of this for months, so this was a HUGE, high value treat!
next, i put the pieces into a bowl and told her “Down.” she lay down, and situated her so that her head was in my lap, and my legs {stuck out in front of me} supported the rest of her body. in this position, i had great access to her front paws, and after rubbing her belly and asking to her to please trust me in a calm and soothing voice, i clipped the first nail. she jumped a little, but i firmly held her belly down and stopped the squirming right away. as she relaxed, i gave her 3 pieces of natural balance, one at a time, each less than a second from each other. *remember, when training dogs, the reward must come within 1.3 seconds of the appropriate behavior.
the second nail was easier, and she didn’t squirm as much. in fact, while i held her belly firmly, i said the word, “stay” and gave her FIVE treats {one at a time}! the third nail was even easier, and as i said the word stay, she didn’t even squirm.
not every nail was that easy, but i stayed calm throughout the whole process. for the back nails, i moved her onto her side with her head down.
every dog is different. i’ve worked at several kennels in the past 5 years, and clipped many dogs’ nails, but my own dog has been the MOST difficult one. one year ago, no one in the right mind would have come close, and any normal pet owner would have paid enormous amounts to have this dog put under at the vet for a nail trim. but i’m stubborn, and maybe it’s taken a few months, but she’s just about putty in my hands. in the span of a 15-year life, taking 6 months to change an aggressive behavior to a docile one is time well spent.
Tags: dog training, nail clippers
April 8, 2010 at 6:26 pm |
so bella, is it wrong for me to try to cut kayas nails with human clippers ? about how low do you wanna go ? kaya NEEEDS a trim thats for sure, as she runs more on grass than on concrete
xoxo
April 8, 2010 at 9:42 pm |
Eliza,
thanks for your question. human nail clippers are meant for thin, flat, curved human nails. dog nail clippers are designed for much stronger, thicker, rounded nails like dogs have. using human nail clippers on a dog can easily damage {by splitting} dog’s nails and possibly hurt the dog in the process.
here is very well written article about how to clip your dog’s nails. http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/dog_nails.aspx
best to just go and buy a pair. there are several types of pet nail clippers and trimmers on the market. some come with styptic powder {for clotting blood if you cut through the quick} and nail files. the way the blades meet can also be different, as some resemble a guillotine, but i tend to stay away from those as they are more difficult to use. i recommend Millers Forge Big Dog Nail Clippers, because they are basic, strong, easy to use, and will last a long time.
hope that helps!
miabella