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This is one of the other reasons I DO NOT like doing dog nails while the dog is standing up. I'll try to get a pic of doing nails tonight and show some ways we've done it with squirrelly dogs. I'm afraid if I merely describe it surely someone will come unglued, but in practice we keep things pretty relaxed.
Well, they didn't have the Jor-Vet brand when I went to Petco, but they did have the Miller's Forge clippers. What a difference the right tool can make!!! When I first bought clippers for Otto, I was really nervous about his dark nails. They had a brand called QuickFinder that was supposed to be able to detect the blood supply and signal the "all clear" with a green light. I KNEW when I bought them that the idea was too good to be true, but I went ahead and got them anyway. Complete garbage. I just finished Otto's nails with the orange-handled clippers and they're wonderful. Really heavy-duty and cut right through the nail.
Otto was terrible when I first started. I would have him lay down on the floor, I'd straddle him, and with two kid helpers (one to pet him and one to feed treats), he slowly improved. I still straddle him to keep him still, but I can do it myself now. He still doesn't like it, but every once in awhile he starts wagging his tail after I clip a nail because he knows something good is coming. Progress! For something as important as this, I don't mind dipping into the lunch meat. In today's case, it was honey baked ham. I'm also just taking a tiny bit off at a time. Figured if I do this every 5 days or so, I'll get his nails to where they need to be. And the more often I can do it without bloodying him up, the sooner he'll realize it's not such a big deal.
I'm sure that, whatever you're planning to show us Meg, it's pretty close to what I used to do with Otto and not entirely unlike steer wrestling...
OK, husband made a video of me doing Rogie's nails: http://youtube.com/watch?v=vpBLyBO09Q4 Random notes: - Rogan is 55 lean pounds of pure GSP Wild Child. He may initially appear 'good' but don't be fooled. He's basically putting up with this because I actually DID have to catch and tip over some mighty big calves back in my years working on a farm, and he knows good and well I will be kind and fair and I'll give him a cookie when we're done... but I WILL go at it ALL.FREAKING.NIGHT if that's what it comes down to. I wish husband had caught how I have the dog lie down between my legs and then just gently roll them into my lap. And they don't seem to mind that part at all. They're GSPs after all- don't they belong laying on their people in the living room licking chins or bopping them in the face? - You'll notice I can hold the foot up close to the dog's body. What ever position you prefer to cut nails in, I find getting where I can brace the foot tucked up hard against the body is the best plan for real rodeo nail-clipping-adventures. - Gotta tease Rogie a little bit too. "NO... not yer favorite thing...." lol!
Well, I could have had husband post the wrestling match with Anya.... that's 30 pounds of high speed flailing, lol! But once I get her tipped over in my lap she's clamped down in my arms against my chest so things settle down. Sort of. Cookies help.