I hope that last week's training has made some progress in your dog's relationship with the nail clippers and the setup around nail clipping.
Finally, remember to continue this training so that you have a really good foundation for safe nail clipping. Rushing is never recommended in this type of training.
This week you will get the 4 steps related to paw and nail management.
Read previous weeks' posts:
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Paw handling
Start by rewarding your dog for placing your hand on a part of their body that they are comfortable with. This could be their shoulder, chest or 'that spot on their neck where they like to be scratched'. From here, you can slowly, over several repetitions, work your hand closer and closer to the paw by sliding your hand over the dog's body and down the leg. Reward each time your hand has moved and remember to do easy repetitions in between.
Once your dog is comfortable with you letting a few fingers slide over his paw, you can start to hold your hand still on the paw for a moment. Then you can start to gently wrap a few fingers around his lower leg and finally you can gently lift the paw.
The next step is to make your dog feel comfortable by holding the paw with one hand and letting the other hand start to 'come into play'. If your dog can already give a paw on its own, you can start training at this stage.
First reward the paw being in one hand and then, over several repetitions, begin to move the other hand closer to the paw, around the paw and finally touching the paw. Always let your dog pull the paw towards you if he is not comfortable in the situation and then take a few steps back in the training.
- Nail care
Once your dog is comfortable with paw handling, you can start to expand to handling the nails. Work on quietly making your dog comfortable by isolating a nail and then gently squeezing the nail with your fingers.
- Nail clippers around paws and nails
In this step we begin to put together the training from the previous steps. Therefore, your dog should be comfortable with paw handling, nail handling, and nail clippers before you begin training this step.
Sit with your dog's paw in one hand while you have the nail clippers lying next to you. Expand to lifting the nail clippers and later moving the nail clippers closer to the paw in your hand. Once your dog is comfortable holding the paw in one hand while you take the nail clippers all the way and touch the paw with the other hand, you can start working on the nails.
Practice making your dog feel comfortable by patting a nail with the nail clippers, wrapping the nail clippers around a nail, and finally gently pinching a nail with the nail clippers (but without cutting!), while your dog safely rests its paw in your hand.
- Nail clipping
Once your dog is comfortable with all the previous 7 steps, you can try trimming a bit of a nail. Trim a piece as thinly as possible and never a large lump.
How best to respond after you've clipped a nail depends on your dog - some need to be told they're a superstar and others need a quiet treat and some praise without making a big deal out of it. You may already know what works best for your dog, or you may have to experiment.
When you've reached this point in your training, I want to say first and foremost: how cool is that!
And then I have to say: find patience, because you are not there yet.
Therefore, I would now recommend that you go back a little in your training and practice the previous steps well, until in next week's blog I will guide you the final path to safe nail clipping.
Until then, HUGE HAPPINESS to you and your dog, no matter where you are in your training.
- Mie
Success Dog - Mie Bay
Mie Bay is a veterinarian, dog trainer and huge dog nerd. She is passionate about the good relationship between dog and owner and has a particular passion for spreading training in safe and voluntary handling for the family dog. Mie owns SuccesHund, where she works according to the idea that dog training should be safe and fun - for both dog and human.
You can read about Mie's teaching and get to know her better on the Instagram/Facebook profiles @SuccesHund and on the website www.succeshund.dk
Safe Nail Clipping - part 3
I hope that last week's training has made some progress in your dog's relationship with the nail clippers and the setup around nail clipping.
Finally, remember to continue this training so that you have a really good foundation for safe nail clipping. Rushing is never recommended in this type of training.
This week you will get the 4 steps related to paw and nail management.
Read previous weeks' posts:
- Part 1
- Part 2
Start by rewarding your dog for placing your hand on a part of their body that they are comfortable with. This could be their shoulder, chest or 'that spot on their neck where they like to be scratched'. From here, you can slowly, over several repetitions, work your hand closer and closer to the paw by sliding your hand over the dog's body and down the leg. Reward each time your hand has moved and remember to do easy repetitions in between.
Once your dog is comfortable with you letting a few fingers slide over his paw, you can start to hold your hand still on the paw for a moment. Then you can start to gently wrap a few fingers around his lower leg and finally you can gently lift the paw.
The next step is to make your dog feel comfortable by holding the paw with one hand and letting the other hand start to 'come into play'. If your dog can already give a paw on its own, you can start training at this stage.
First reward the paw being in one hand and then, over several repetitions, begin to move the other hand closer to the paw, around the paw and finally touching the paw. Always let your dog pull the paw towards you if he is not comfortable in the situation and then take a few steps back in the training.
Once your dog is comfortable with paw handling, you can start to expand to handling the nails. Work on quietly making your dog comfortable by isolating a nail and then gently squeezing the nail with your fingers.
In this step we begin to put together the training from the previous steps. Therefore, your dog should be comfortable with paw handling, nail handling, and nail clippers before you begin training this step.
Sit with your dog's paw in one hand while you have the nail clippers lying next to you. Expand to lifting the nail clippers and later moving the nail clippers closer to the paw in your hand. Once your dog is comfortable holding the paw in one hand while you take the nail clippers all the way and touch the paw with the other hand, you can start working on the nails.
Practice making your dog feel comfortable by patting a nail with the nail clippers, wrapping the nail clippers around a nail, and finally gently pinching a nail with the nail clippers (but without cutting!), while your dog safely rests its paw in your hand.
Once your dog is comfortable with all the previous 7 steps, you can try trimming a bit of a nail. Trim a piece as thinly as possible and never a large lump.
How best to respond after you've clipped a nail depends on your dog - some need to be told they're a superstar and others need a quiet treat and some praise without making a big deal out of it. You may already know what works best for your dog, or you may have to experiment.
When you've reached this point in your training, I want to say first and foremost: how cool is that!
And then I have to say: find patience, because you are not there yet.
Therefore, I would now recommend that you go back a little in your training and practice the previous steps well, until in next week's blog I will guide you the final path to safe nail clipping.
Until then, HUGE HAPPINESS to you and your dog, no matter where you are in your training.
- Mie
Success Dog - Mie Bay
Mie Bay is a veterinarian, dog trainer and huge dog nerd. She is passionate about the good relationship between dog and owner and has a particular passion for spreading training in safe and voluntary handling for the family dog. Mie owns SuccesHund, where she works according to the idea that dog training should be safe and fun - for both dog and human.
You can read about Mie's teaching and get to know her better on the Instagram/Facebook profiles @SuccesHund and on the website www.succeshund.dk