Trimming you dog's nails

(Obviously that's supposed to say "Trimming YOUR Dog's Nails," but it won't let me edit the title). I am able to regularly trim my German shepherd's nails because he allows me to. My other dog, however, has always been skittish about having his feet handled. He will "shake" with no problem, because he knows he will get a treat. But if he sees clippers, he runs. If I have someone hold him, he gets aggressive. Even the vet has to muzzle him. He's never been injured or had his nails clipped too short, so I don't know why he is so fearful, so I guess it's just in his nature. I'm not very hopeful of ever being able to do this procedure at home, as I think his fear is ingrained to the point of never being able to "fix" it, but I thought I'd throw it out there on the minute chance that someone might have a suggestion.

 

Hmm.

I'm assuming you've already tried using treats and whatnot to entice him to stay calm, right? And how do you know he's never had them too short? It's sometimes hard to tell, so it's possible that even if they weren't cut, that a vet or someone could've placed the clippers too high before moving down and that could've scared him. Or maybe another foot injury that made the area sensitive and scary for him?

I'm really not sure there's anything you can do to calm him and remove the fear, though, beyond just working with him regularly. Instead of it being a once-a-month sort of thing, you could work just at training him to be near the clippers without actually using them....then having them in your hand and him getting a treat for sitting in front of you still, etc...until gradually working up to having them near him? Seeing them only every so often and then being scared makes it harm for him to not be scared every time.

 

I've had him since he was 7 weeks old, so I think myself and the vet have been the only people to attempt trimming them. I know neither of us cut them too short. But I suppose he could have had an injury I'm not aware of, or has just decided he doesn't like the pinching feeling even when they're cut properly. He is a nervous dog by nature - treats have no effect when he's nervous. I hate putting him through the emotional trauma, but I also don't want his nails to grow past the point of making it uncomfortable when he walks.

 

Aww, poor guy.

If it really, really upsets him that much, you might want to consider a mild sedative then. It'll relax him enough to not freak out and panic over it, but won't actually put him to sleep. I don't normally resort to drugs or even recommend them, but the anxiety he's feeling isn't necessarily a good thing either.

 

I think nail-trimming is something that has to be done right from the start. I remember adopting an old dog that simply won't let me touch its nails let alone trim them. The only time I got it done was when one of the nails became ingrown and its paw was swollen with pus. It was painful, too. So I ignored its protests and clipped the offending nail. After that it was not so touchy about me trimming its nails.