Photo by Ruby Schmank, Unsplash
A friend asked how I could possibly clip the nails of four dogs—including one 5-month-old puppy—in fifteen minutes, all by myself. Here’s what worked for training ours, whether raised from puppyhood or adopted-as-feral canines. The goal is for them to not only trust their human with the task, but to be eager to comply.
Early on, develop tolerance to paw manipulation by touching their toes, top and bottom, while praising them and offering a Cheerio or other tiny snack. With puppies or wilder dogs, it’s easier to start after a long walk or play session, when they’re tired. Over time, work toward grasping the toes and bringing a finger up underneath each claw. Don’t let go of the paw until the dog relaxes; the idea is to train them that YOU decide when it’s over, and that jerking the paw away isn’t the answer.
The first time you clip, show the dog the clippers, tell them to lie down, and reward with a Cheerio and praise. I’m assuming you know where to clip; if not, there are videos of this online. However, for the first few attempts, the goals are to 1) familiarize the dog with the sensation of vibration from the cut, and 2) to avoid nipping them, so instead of a “real” nail job, you’ll barely snip off the most miniscule portion of the very end of each claw. If you have multiple dogs, clip your best-behaved one first, allowing each of the others to see that clipping means snacks. You may wish to start with one Cheerio per toe, and gradually work toward one per paw. Do not permit the unclipped dogs to share; it’s a treat for good pedicure behavior, and teaches them to wait their turn.
Practice a couple of times a week at first, gradually working up to a true trimming, ideally scheduled right before a walk, both as reward and to file down the edges of the clipped claws. When each dog’s paws are completed, tell it, “Good dog. All done” and reward with half a dozen Cheerios, then invite the next dog. With time, they will be eager for their turn, yet polite about waiting. At the very end, when everyone is clipped, give them a “party” with a few extra snacks for each, lots of praise, and then go straight into a walk, tug-of-war, or fetch session. It won’t take long before they are thrilled with the sight of the clippers.
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