Eventually, after about 30 mins all-in-wrestling and two adults, I have managed to clip Lola's (8 month Dobe) toe nails. Phew I need a stiff drink and a lie down :D
The problem is, when I got her the breeder showed me how to do it and Lola stood there like an angel and let her (9 weeks old):) Her breeder said to do this every week. As many of you know, my life then turned upside down. Dog showing was the last thing on my mind and her nails grew. We have taken her to the vets a couple of times but they take very little off.

I have two questions:-
-  Will longer than average toe nails mean we won't get anywhere at shows? They aren't touching the floor ar anything, they are just now v. v. short as the show dogs are.
- Will I be able to get them short or will the quick have grown too long making it impossible?
We really would like to have a go at showing. The trouble is I am worried about hurting her as this will make it even harder in future. I have heard of people using a Dremel but I think the noise would make it even more stressful for her. I tried a file and we were filing forever and didn't seem to make much impact on the nails. It was a cheapish file from the pet store. I did think of caryying on and snipping a bit off every other day.

I would value any suggestions I gave her some cheese and half a pot of yogurt (small) as a treat and made loads of fuss of her.
:) annieee :)

Dn't know anything about showing but i cringe at the thought of doing Dolly's nails so i walk her down to the local 'poodle parlour' (as it where lol) and they do it for £5 and i've had hers done every other month.
Maybe you could ask at your local parlours and see what they say :)

If you just trim a little off they should stay short, I no in the summer from mine running around they stay really short very close to the quick....But trim them once a week close to the quick and then file them down this should help and they will stay short...I do this with my dogs in the winter since thats when I have to do more nail clipping...Not sure if I helped you any :(

Hi, I did hear once that if you regularly trim long nails, the quick will recede - but I am not 100% sure that is the case.  Maybe someone else knows for sure.

Fiona

Buy a file from B&Q or homebase, much better than the pet shop ones.  A dobe owner actually gave me this advice and her dogs had lovely short nails.  Mine is courser one side than the other which is handy too.

Sandra

Hi Annieee

Dobe's have strange feet.  The standard says "cat like" and the only way to maintain this is to keep the toenails VERY short for as you have probably found as soon as they start to touch the ground it tips and spreads the toes, in fact Dobermanns with long toenails find it difficult to walk unlike GSD's and other dogs with long front feet.

If you get a file or a dremel you can do them every day - just a little bit.  If you use clippers then once a week is enough.  Use a large builders file - the little ones from the pet shop are next to useless for our breed :D

I know what it can be like as I have always done my dogs nails from birth and some of them still struggle - one bitch would not let me clip them but with a dremel (noise, vibration, dust, heat) she just lay there with her feet up.

If you have a struggler one way is to lift the front foot, put the thumb or forefinger of the same hand that is holding the foot though the collar - it is not foolproof but works with many of the reluctant Dobes.

If you do them regularly then the quicks will shorten enabling you to get her nails shorter and shorter.  Some Dobes nails grow very fast and need doing weekly others (like my male and his daughter) only need doing very occasionally.

HTH

Thanks Christine, I hoped you'd reply. :)
I have had a couple more goes and I've ordered a Dremel. The nails are about 10 to 15 mm in length. Have you any idea how much I can cut before i hurt her? Or is it a case of going gently until she yelps? The trouble with dark nails, you just don't know where you're cutting :( I don't want to hurt her or else we'll be back to square one. What a bother :(
annieee

Hi Annieee

Look at the underside of the nail and clean the mud out of the front of it if there is any there.  If there is a hollow you can cut all of this off with no risk as there is no quick or anything there.  Have a look at another dog with long toenails to see what I mean if Lola no longer has this.

Look at the front of the nail after the first cut, if it is U (or upside down U depending on which way you are looking at it) shaped it is probably safe to cut a little more.  Once there is no longer any hollow and if when you cut you see a sliver of white or cream (looks like dead skin) or it is soft then stop as the next cut will  cause blood to flow.

Dremels (and their equivalents) are brilliant, I have a cordless and bought my husband an electric one for Christmas a few years ago, guess who gets most use out of it).  I have heard that Payless or one of those have them for about £15 at the moment.  You will want the stone grinder as the paper ones just disintegrate.  Don't use the fastest setting on the electric one and be very aware that the nail and stone get hot very quickly so you can only use it for a few seconds at a time on each nail till you get used to it.

Hi Christine,
I now need a lie down and a stiff drink or two (I'm tee-total as a rule :D) I have had another go. My daughter assisted and we wrestled poor Lola into submission. Most nails went well, then I was obviously getting more adept and I cut too much :(. Poor Lola. We now have a bleeding toe nail I dabbed it with the 'quik stop' Whoa don't they bleed. Both Lola and i have now lost confidence. However, most of the nails are looking better. Unfortunately I had my go before I read your post. It will be useful next time - if Lola forgives me :( I'm not sure how I'll manage to see the underside of the nai;l :D Having inspected the nail that bled, I can see what you mean about the shape of it.  Oh dear. I just wish the vets would have cut a bit more off and then we wouldn't have got into this state. Even when I was away, the family took her to the vets fortnightly - obviously this wasn't enough.
Thanks for the advise though :)
annieee:)