My dog is a smallish terrier mix (about 15 lbs). We get her groomed ever 6-8 weeks (mostly for her face and butt) and her nails grow like crazy between groomings.
She hates getting her nails cut and I can usually only get one foot at a time. They are just always so long! Of course she's got black nails on every toe which makes it even more difficult for me.
I usually try to trim a couple nails every couple days, focusing mainly on her three dew claws (she used to have 4 I'm sure of it. They are the nasty kind barely hanging on like a skin tag) because I'm paranoid I'll forget about them and they'll wrap around all crazy.
Here's some pictures for reference (mostly to show off how stinkin' cute she is).
@rosie1970 I would definitely try to figure out someone who can help you hold her so you can do her nails. We don't have anything special to make the dog behave, if they don't behave we have to have someone help us too. Since you're her parent, she probably thinks she can get away with it if she fights you enough, but you have to just give her some tough love and make her do it. Ask your groomer to show you a safe but effective way to have someone hold her while you trim her nails. The biggest problem I see is owners are unsure how to hold their dog to get them in a good hold. This way, you do it all at once and get it over with instead of dragging it on for days. It's stressful for her, and for you. Also, just a suggestion as I have done this with clients (but I'm not sure how common it is honestly, I just try being nice) you could ask your groomer if there's anyway you can make a deal if you come in for nails once a week or so if they would do a small discount. Normally I charge $7-$10 for nails, but there's a couple of people I know have a hard time financially so I made a deal with them if they came once a week or two weeks I would do their large dog for $5 and their small one for $3. (Including nail grinding, I'm not sure if you get that done but it would help to keep her nails shorter for a little longer) Hope I helped!
@imagebeastmarkbeast My groomer always says how great and sweet she is when I pick her up but she starts wiggling something fierce once I've done the first paw.
@rosie1970 I've had people drop off their dogs and warn me about how difficult they are for nail trims. The thing i've noticed is that a dog's demeanor often changes once the pet parent is no longer in sight. Being in the salon, many dogs often realize that this is business and it's going down. They are in an unfamiliar setting (or at least, a setting they don't associate with being their home). The salon smells funny, sounds strange and the people who are working with them have a confidence that often soothes the dog and reassures them. They're not looking for the groomer to save them or give up and take them on a walkie.
I recommend taking your dog in between grooms for a nail trim of buff. Buffing will get the nails a little shorter and rounder and the groomer may be able to get them short enough to last between visits. If you decide to get your own grinder, just be sure that the hair on your dogs feet and any long hair that is around there is short enough not to get caught in the rotary tool. That can be painful, scary and result in a scared pup and a new mat. Good luck!
@rosie1970 Honestly, groomers tend to sugar coat things. I usually tell people their dogs are sweet and were great, even if they werent. It just makes the owner feel better. Most dogs hate the groomer, so we expect dogs to not be perfect. We're used to it. I don't imagine her acting a significant amount better at the groomers than with you. I would just ask your groomer next time you visit for some tips on doing her nails at home, if you can have someone hold her correctly it will be a ton easier.
@imagebeastmarkbeast There's a difference between "sugar coating" and straight up lying, though. I would never lie to a pet parent about their dog's behavior and say they did fine when they didn't, and I've worked in more than one salon setting and I know that a good 90% of groomers don't straight up lie about their dogs. Of course you don't say "He was nasty and bit me and two other people." But more like "He wasn't a huge fan of getting his nails done, and he nipped a bit, but that's okay." Saying what you just said isn't fair to this pet parent who is worried about the well-being if their dog. You're telling them that their groomer and many others will probably lie to them about her behavior just to make them feel good? No, no, no. Any groomer that does straight up lie doesn't understand how the relationship between customer and respectable employee who cares (which is most groomers) works. Most PP's want to know, good or bad, how their dog was- straight and simple. And most groomers will tell them just that.
@aucmdgirl I think you misunderstood. I just sugar coat, I don't lie. If I had a dog that squirmed (which is what the owner is saying the dog does) I would say what you said, pretty much word for word. "She did really well, she wasn't a fan for the nails and was a little squirmy but she is a sweetheart." If a dog bit me, or was nasty the entire groom, I will tell them so and that we will need to work on trying to get them to act better with training at home and bringing them to the salon more often. OP didnt mention any biting or terribly bad behavior, just said she is a squirmer. Most groomers wouldn't say a squirmy dog is necessarily bad, so I wouldn't figure the groomer of this particular dog would tell the owner the dog was bad. I expect most dogs to squirm.
@imagebeastmarkbeast I'm sorry if my reply came off a little gruff, but I feel like your comment didn't give our community(community? Idk.) the benefit of the doubt.
@rosie1970 I seriously suggest walking them every day on a rough surface such as concrete or old rough road. Not only will this help with the nails, but it's a great way to bond and helps keep your dog heathy and of course is a workout for you! we suggest this to all of our customers when they come in. If yup have an issue with walking your dog, try using a harness instead of a collar. If that does work, trying using a leader harness. It loops around the muzzle so you can control them easier, sort of like a horse. Don't worry thouhg, it's not a muzzle and it won't hurt your dog, it's just a good tool for training your dog to walk.
@rosie1970 Like others have said, bringing her to a groomer in between her regular grooms is the easiest option.
Do you know if she would tolerate a dremel? Once you get the hang of it and if you do it often enough, it should only take a few moments.
Personally, I have someone else with me while I trim my pups nails. He dislikes having his front feet touched and will fight me every step of the way if he doesn't have a distraction. Most of the time I'll just grab a small bowl of shredded cheese and have my helper distribute it a strand at a time!
@rosie1970 Sadly you have a terrier and they are just going to grow quickly no matter what! Since terriers were bred for digging around to catch the vermin, they needed those long nails. Trust me, I feel your pain, I have two cairns!
@rosie1970 If she just has the "hanging dewclaws" that aren't connected to bone, then a vet should be able to remove them for relatively cheap. They're useless and it would maybe be worth it in the long run since they can get snagged on stuff.
Also, just take her into your grooming salon in between grooming. If she gets groomed every 6-8 weeks, then bring her back after like 3-4 weeks just for the nails. At the grooming salon I work at, we charge only 9$ for the nails to be trimmed. Any other nail salon shouldn't charge much more or less than that, and it sounds like the salon doesn't have a lot of problems getting them trimmed. See if they offer nail grinding too.
If you keep up with it, then the vein will recede and you'll be able to keep her nails shorter in general.
@robinto My vet is unwilling to remove them without them having other problems. I've asked about them because they gross me out. They are really just the nail on some skin. I can twist and turn them and she doesn't care at all.
She needs her nails trimmed probably every two weeks. I think that is a little cost excessive for something I can do at home.
@rosie1970 You could maybe check the SPCA? Or you said that you swore she had a fourth one, so maybe you could explain that you're worried about them getting snagged and ripped off? Because that is a real possibility.
How is 9-10$ every 2-3 weeks cost excessive though? I think its worth it since it gets your dog's nails as short as possible and you don't have to worry about hurting her due to her black nails, and its something you're clearly having trouble with.
I guess the only other advice I could give would be to find someone the dog trusts to hold her for you. Next time you go to the grooming salon, a groomer might be able to show you some positions that you can hold your dog in in order to keep her still easier.
we suggest this to all of our customers when they come in. If yup have an issue with walking your dog, try using a harness instead of a collar. If that does work, trying using a leader harness. It loops around the muzzle so you can control them easier, sort of like a horse. Don't worry thouhg, it's not a muzzle and it won't hurt your dog, it's just a good tool for training your dog to walk.