I have a 6 month old staffie who will not let me clip his nails.I have tried everything i can think of and have run out of ideas,so i was hoping someone may be able to help me.I also have a 3 year old staffie who lets me do her nails and has done from day 1. I clipped pups nails when he arrived at 8 weeks and again about 6 weeks later but i tried again the other day and he just gets hysterical.I tried using treats and asking him to give his paw,which he did after about 5 minutes,but as soon as i try to hold his paw and he sees the clippers he runs off,i tried to get him to 'make friends' with the clippers but still no luck,so today i clipped my other dogs nails in front of him to show him that it was nothing to worry about and he just kept barking at me like i was hurting her and he didn't like it at all.I am at my wits end,any suggestions will be very greatly recieved!!

The only way that I have found that will work is to hold very firmly and do it despite the protests. The secret here is that the dog must not be able to get away, otherwise next ime it will struggle all the more. It may be a two person job.

The way of controlling the head that seems to cause least panic is to put the flat of your hand across the muzzle, and direct the head down onto the chest, and hold steady. With my mediym size dog I back her body between my legs and use both arms one around the muzzle and other around the chest, and let someone else do the clipping.

When they realise that it will happen n matter what, and that it doesn't hurt 9so make suyre you only take the littlest bit) and they get a lovely reward (particularly favourite treat) they will come to accept it, even if they don't like it.

Thanx i will give this a try later on,can see a big fuss coming though!!He's such a wuss for a staffie :)

Ours were real strugglers - but now, one of us holds very firmly and supplies a constant stream of choccy drops (doggy ones) and the other clips. It's all over very quickly now they that realise that they get FOOD :D

Daisy

My dobermann was just the same i tried every thing and last week i won!My partner holds him on his lap like a baby with plenty of his fav food and he lets me do anyting to him at one point he feel asleep.

We just tried,my partner held him while i clipped,i got about 3 nails done which is progress but he yelped really badly like it hurt him,i have been doing my other dogs nails since i got her 3 & 1/2 years ago with no problems and i only took a tiny bit off so i know it couldn't have hurt him but we let him go as he was really distressed,should i persevere or should i see if the vet can do it for me?

Persevere through the protests, otherwise all he learns is that if he makes enough fuss you will let him go.

When he realises that you won't let him go until it is done, and then he gets a favourite reward, he will make less fuss, and it will be over with quicker and quicker. Baths are the same. I have had to retieve a soggy dog before now that had jumped out of the bazth, if I would have given in I would have had wailing and jumping out to contend with forever.

Thanx i'll give it another try,he doesn't much like baths either but at least in the bath he doesn't make noises that sound like i'm killing him,like he did yesterday when i clipped a few nails! Thanx again for your advice :)

If you stand him in a bath for a few minutes his nails will soften slightly and make them easier to clip. The squeezing action of the nail clipper sometimes nips the quick and causes pain. You don't need as much pressure if the nail is soft.
Lara x

Just a thought,
Is the nail clipper sharp enough?? If you've been using the same one for 3 years it may have become blunter than it should be, then it would be squeezing instead of cutting which would be really uncomfortable for a pup who has more sensitive nails.:(

To get your pup used to having his nails cut little and often is best. Do it every day for a few weeks until he's relaxed. :)
Every day clip one of the nails on one of his paws and just pretend to do the rest and give him treats after every nail at first. I know it would take 18 days to clip all of them but by the end of it he wouldn't turn a hair :D Once he's got to this stage you can start occasionally missing a treat until eventually he just gets one treat for each paw :)

Will try the bath suggestion,sounds like a good idea.I renew the clippers every year so they should be sharp enough maybe i'll buy another set to be on the safe side.Thanx guys for your help :)