I’ve always taken care of my dogs’ nails, never had to bring them anywhere to get them done. Monty’s former owners had an ordeal to cut his nails, they would wrap him in a blanket or a towel and leg by leg, get it done. Generally ended up with someone bleeding – but yet, I can cut them with no issues. I flip him onto his back and simply cut them. Yes, he lays teeth into me very gently showing me he doesn’t like it but he’s not fighting.
Many owners are afraid to cut their dogs nails, and that’s the very reason they can’t seem to do it. Dogs read us like a book, you can’t lie to them, can’t hide your emotions from them – they know when something is up. How is it a groomer can cut your dogs nails but you can’t? They aren’t going to make a big deal out of it, they stay relaxed.
I usually tell people to record themselves approaching their dog with clippers or whatever you use to trim your dogs nails. Then watch it, see what the dog sees. If you show fear or hesitancy with a strange object in your hand, I would expect the dog to react negatively. How negatively is up to you – but you shouldn’t have to fight your dog. The dog needs to trust you to allow a nail cut.
So, first thing, relax, calm down, take a breath. Approach the dog calmly, sit beside them. Take the time to stroke their paws, play with their paws – and it’s even better if you do this from the time they are a puppy. Show the dog the clippers, allow them to sniff it. If you have a motorized clipper, turn it on next to the dog, let the dog get used to the sound – but stay calm, be relaxed. If you’re worked up, so is the dog.
You will learn quickly where the dogs “quick” is located, be careful. It’s inevitable that you will cut the nail too short and cause bleeding. It’s simple to stop the bleeding – use crazy glue. I always have crazy glue handy when cutting dogs nails – small bead applied to the area and the bleeding stops. If you want a very hard layer, apply some baking soda – then apply a bit of crazy glue. Allow it to harden before giving the dog access to it.