I need help getting my German Shepherd to let me trim his nails. I’ve tried everything from clippers, a dremel, nail files but he pulls away, cries and struggles like he’s in pain. I’m experienced with nail trimming, so I know I’m not hurting him. I have also used treats and rewards, but nothing seems to work. His nails are really long and thick, and I don’t want to just give up. Any tips on how to go about this?
My dog had a similar issue and my trainer advised me to gradually desensitize my dog to nail trimming by first handling his paws regularly until he’s comfortable. I then introduced the clippers by letting him smell them and rewarded him when he stayed calm, without actually cutting his nails. Slowly, I started touching his nails with the clippers, rewarding him each time he didn’t pull away. I began by trimming just one nail, celebrating with high-value treats, and gradually increased the number of nails. I avoided forcing him and made sure I’m the only one trimming his nails to keep the experience positive. This steady approach has been effective for us. Maybe you too should try it and see if it works. All the best
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Wow, such a brilliant advise. Thank you for this helpful piece! I’ll definitely try this technique. But since my dog gets bored with the same treats, I’ll mix it up and use some high-reward treats. Thanks again!
Such an insightful piece, Thanks so much for this @Dija If I may ask, how can this be handled in a situation where the dog has some serious anxiety? The nail clippers has been so difficult to use. I recently put on meds for anxiety and I am soon planning to try the trimming again.
My dog also has a lot of anxiety, almost like generalized anxiety, and using clippers was a nightmare. I switched to a dremel tool and spent six months getting him used to the feel and sound. As suggested, a lot of high-value treats helped me accustom her to trimming. He still has some issues but usually doesn’t fight or run away anymore. Now that yours in already on meds, you could try follow the advise by @Dija it should work just fine.