With many behavioral issues, we go back to the basic
desensitization and counter conditioning "rules." The "rules" can be found at the link below.
When working with a dog that dislikes having his nails
trimmed, we start very slowly and use a very high value treat. Some dogs have
learned to snap when a hand comes close to their feet, so we start at a safer
spot, such as the shoulder area. If your dog has back-end handling issues, you
can do the same steps as below, but start at the shoulder area and work very
slowly to the hip area and then down the back leg. If, at any time, you feel
unsafe, consult with a professional dog trainer!
Make your dog and yourself comfortable for this, since this
should be enjoyable for both of you. A grooming table can be very useful or
have the dog lie quietly on the couch while you sit beside him. If you already
use a clicker or a marker word, it can be used during desensitization and
counter conditioning. Or, you can just give the treat. Each session should be
about 5 minutes long and you can do multiple sessions per day, but do not take
the next step until the dog is completely comfortable during the current step.
Some dogs have become afraid of the clippers, so having them
where the dog can see them can be helpful, but we will not pick them up at
first.
Assuming the dog does not mind being touched at the
shoulder, start by gently touching and patting the shoulder area. At the same
time, click, if using the clicker, then give a treat. Repeat this: touch the
shoulder area, click, and then give a treat.
When the dog is happily anticipating your touch at the
shoulder area, move your hand to the elbow area. Touch, click and treat.
Here are the next areas: upper leg, ankle, foot. Remember to
practice at each area until the dog becomes completely comfortable.
Signs that the dog is not comfortable: panting, lip
flicking, tucked tail, shaking, looking away, snapping, or growling. Some other
signs include pulling the paw away or running away during the training session.
If any of these happen, then you need to back up at least one, if not two
steps.
Signs that your dog is comfortable: tail wagging, looking
for the treat, offering the paw, begging.
Once your hand is on or near the dog’s foot, try holding the
foot gently in your hand for the count of one. Remember that we are still
clicking and treating! Slowly build up duration (time) that the dog’s foot is
in your hand by working on one second hold, then two second hold, then one
second hold, then three second hold and so on.
We are not quite to the clipping stage yet! We still need to
part the toes, touch the foot with the clipper, clip the clipper, and then clip
the nails. For the first two steps, still click and treat as you do them.
The “clip the clipper” step is an important one. During this
step, we will use an old set of clippers and some toothpicks. Every time you
clip a toothpick, your dog will get a treat. Do this over and over until he
becomes comfortable with the noise. Once comfortable with the noise, clip the
toothpick while holding or touching the dog’s foot with your hand (this takes a
little practice).
Once the dog is comfortable with the noise, it is time to
pair the holding of the paw with the clipping of the clipper. If your dog is
easygoing, you could try to clip one nail at this point. When first starting to
clip, I give a treat before and after the clip. Two treats for each nail. Once
the dog is completely comfortable with being clipped, then I phase out the
beginning treats and give one after each nail.
To review the steps: shoulder, elbow, upper leg, ankle,
foot, holding foot, parting toes, touch the foot with the clipper, clip the
clipper, clip the nails.
To review the rules: do not proceed to the next step until
your dog is completely comfortable with the step that you are working on. Some
dogs can fly through all of the steps in one session, but this in the
exception. Taking a week or more per step is not uncommon.
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