Dog Health Questions: How Do I Do a Nail Trimming on a Reluctant Dog?
I have a black lab that refuses to let me do his nails!!! Any ideas without having to have him put under by vet, which I hate to have to do?
Black Labrador
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You can try taking him for a run on concrete, either running or biking
along side him – or use a skateboard if you’re the type.
Check out www.synalia.com.
The trainer there, Kayce Cover has a brilliant training technique that involves naming everything you want to communicate to animals. There is a yahoo group to join as well. She has used the technique to get a rhino to let her clean out a wound, I’m sure, once mastered, you can get your lab to understand you aren’t taking off his toes, when you need to trim nails.
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He probably had a bad and painful experience that he cannot get over. I assume you have tried clippers and dremel? If neither works, you should try to get him over his fear.
You need to get him use to you handling his feet. Hold the paws playfully (don’t squeeze at all), then give him a treat for letting him do it. Do this for a few days.
When you get him comfortable with this, just try barely clipping or not even clipping near the nail, do a little more every other day or so with treats and see what happens. You want to get him use to the clipper and you handling his feet. Do not go near the quick when you try this, if you are not comfortable or cannot see the quick (blood filled vein) because of dark nails it may be better to let a vet do it.
Good luck!
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My dog has never let me clip her nails.I’ve had her since she was 7 weeks old,so I doubt anything bad happened to her to have her so skittish about her nails.I have done the tip you suggested.It has worked to a certian extent.I’ve given up on clippers I’m using PDEI-PAWS and I am still working at letting my dog get use to the noise and sight of it.If it takes a month or 2 or 3 I will only do her nails when she is ready.
I have a two year old chocolate labrador that come feeding time he is obsessed with getting fed that he can knock the dish out of your hand before you even put it on the ground and have it eaten in ten seconds. Dinner time is a challenge that takes the good out of the dog. What can I do to calm him when food is around?
Labs are great sociable dogs that are sometimes rambunctious. You need to let him know that you are the boss. Have you ever watched the Dog Whisperer? Great show, but he focuses alot on just showing the dog that you are the master. Dogs are great at understanding that, unlike all other animals.
For the puppy that eats too fast, my boyfriend and I make our puppy sit and stay for a moment while the food is put down. This has slowed her down to a reasonable speed. Also, I saw today a store selling balls to go in the food dish that say they slow your dog’s eating down (because the dog has to move the ball around while eating.