Two Best Dogs! Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 (edited) I am wondering if anyone has experience on this or tried this? While we seem good for summer, in winter those nails were getting a bit long. I think I could teach her the "scratching" part for front and back easily, but I'm concerned about her pads. It seems some people used sandpaper? Does that harm her feet? I'm hoping not as no-one seems to mention it. Or alternatives to sandpaper? In the meantime, I'll keep getting the lovely vet to help get her accustomed to clipping. Cheers Edit: Results! Verdict: Works! Edited October 17, 2015 by Thistle the dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Why not use a nail file or sandpaper and rub the nail tips yourself? Poor thistle would need to scratch for hours to do her own nails???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 How often do you play with her feet...pick them up...examine them etc while making a rewarding game out of it, to get her used to having her feet touched. Then introduce her to the nail clipper, making it a fun thing...maybe just one little snip at a time immediately followed by a treat. Good if you can have someone there to treat every time you snip. Is there any reason why you can't do her nails yourself.?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denali Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Kokoda will scratch a sandpaper board, he seems to use mostly his toes and i haven't noticed any pad wearing :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 (edited) I used this method while training the dogs to be happy about having their nails trimmed. I used sandpaper glued to a wooden board. Here is a video of my old boy doing his nails: He got a lot better at it after a few tries. It's actually very quick method, just a couple of minutes, certainly not hours. And I am talking about a 55+kg dog with black nails. I sometimes still get the filing board out as I can actually get the nails shorter with this method than with the clippers, and it is much faster than the dremmel. I never had any trouble with the dogs hurting their paws. What I actually found was that I had to be careful they didn't file their nails too short. Edited October 13, 2015 by raineth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mim Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Really cool, raineth! How did you train it? My dogs will dig dirt on command so I think I could possibly transfer that command over to scratching at the board but not sure how else I could get them to offer that action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 (edited) Hey Mim, there was a really good tutorial from a YouTube user and I followed that. I'll see if I can find it for you. but if your dogs understand a dig command that could well work for you I imagine :) I found the clip, this might be helpful for the OP too :) Edited October 13, 2015 by raineth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mim Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Best Dogs! Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 I forgot I made this thread Sorry for ignoring all day - persephone: Mostly? Because I'm lazy XD - sheena: Have been playing the tootsie game, we're getting better with letting me touch them and fiddle with. The problem is, when it is just me she turns into a little wiggly bouncy mess that won't stay still XD and I accidentally quicked one of those damn black nails so right now I am getting a vet to do it for us, it's $20 on its own for all 4 feet - thanks denali, it is a concern - raineth: oh how cool! look at them go like a champ! Yeah I read some warnings about not leaving it out or the dogs can play and quick themselves? and thanks for that video. we don't have a dig command yet but i find when starting a new trick, she uses her feet a lot in digging motions so am hoping it'd be easy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 (edited) I think you'll have no trouble, my two caught on very quickly, and they don't have a dig command :) Although, if you end up teaching (or have already taught) a target then you will find that sometimes they pivot on the filling board before they remember they're meant to scratch their nails on it :laugh: Edited October 13, 2015 by raineth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Best Dogs! Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 I think you'll have no trouble, my two caught on very quickly, and they don't have a dig command :) Although, if you end up teaching (or have already taught) a target then you will find that sometimes they pivot on the filling board before they remember they're meant to scratch their nails on it :laugh: ...darn! started teaching that a week or so ago, just finished practicing too. If it wasn't risky for the quick, i'd be half tempted to just line the hallway with sandpaper (designated running zone) ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 oh :) THANKYOU> i honestly thought it would take ages ... Now - to make a giant emery board :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I think you'll have no trouble, my two caught on very quickly, and they don't have a dig command :) Although, if you end up teaching (or have already taught) a target then you will find that sometimes they pivot on the filling board before they remember they're meant to scratch their nails on it :laugh: ...darn! started teaching that a week or so ago, just finished practicing too. If it wasn't risky for the quick, i'd be half tempted to just line the hallway with sandpaper (designated running zone) ;) haha, that would definitely be an interesting interior design feature! My tip for you is for you to half rest the board on your lap while you're kneeling down, so the board is on an angle. Then it is quite different to a target. :) oh :) THANKYOU> i honestly thought it would take ages ... Now - to make a giant emery board :) Yeah, its really quick, especially if you train them to do it quite forcefully. I imagine it could be quite handy for anyone with arthritis in their hands. But of course its very challenging to to do the back feet this way, and this method doesn't really trim dew claws either. However my dogs seem to rarely need their back claws trimmed. I don't know if its the same for others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Best Dogs! Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 I didn't realise it was so fast either I thought it'd be something we'd have to do a couple of times every other night (which isn't any longer than the one toe a night I was doing prior to quick-cutting) A pleasant surprise! I find our backpaws don't need to be done as much either. Still a handy skill to teach her I think though, as she will get old eventually and not exercise as much... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 So what grade sand paper would you use ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 So what grade sand paper would you use ?? I can't know for sure, as ours was made such a long time ago. But the grade is in the middle, not coarse or fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Best Dogs! Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 So what grade sand paper would you use ?? Somewhere in the middle, not something to grainy but not so fine as to be essentially useless. Thinking when I go into Bunnings I'll run my own nails up and down a couple and pick the "best" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Best Dogs! Posted October 17, 2015 Author Share Posted October 17, 2015 (edited) Hey guys an update on this! So for $15 I bought a long board (decided I wanted doggie size so it's not mixed up with her pivot), 8 bits of 80 grit sandpaper and some glue. Ended up only need 6 bits, but I imagine spares will be need and I think I'll put one on the ramp in the rabbits cage. It files FAST. We got it right up close to the quick before I finished even shaping the behaviour and haven't even put in a verbal command yet. Surprise bonus: Even her offering circles on the board wore down her back nails a bit. Between them growing slower and that, I may not need to try to capture the rear digging. I'm thinking a couple of scratches once a week to start off with will keep them in order. They're filing a bit unevenly right now (she's right pawed) but it seems it will even itself out as she gets better at it. All around, pleasant experience, fast, cheap, her paws are fine and no stress. I think hypothetically one could place the board in a frequent walking place, i.e. the back door, ramps, and not even bother shaping the behaviour and just keep a close eye on the claws. But since we've started the behaviour we'll continue with it. Edited October 17, 2015 by Thistle the dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trifecta Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 That's fine, but you still need to desensitize your dog to having her feet handled! What if she gets a thorn or stone embedded in the pad or rips a nail? You need to be able to remove a foreign body, administer first aid, or cut a hanging nail off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 Well Done !! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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