# Sharp Nails...can they be clipped?



## Buckley28 (Aug 13, 2009)

Luke is only 8 weeks and some change. I was wondering if he can get his nails trimmed so they're not so freakin sharp! My god he's adorable but his little paws, I swear, have razor bladed on em. My wife and I can handle it OK as we just push him away when he get's excited but I'm more worried about my 3 yr old. She was scratched by him last night (obviously not on purpose) and frightened her pretty bad. The last thing I want is for her to be scared of him...the bath scares her enough LOL.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Don't have the picture on how to find the quick, maybe someone else does...

You can cut them with a human toenail clipper, better yet a dremil if you have one. Dremil will make them nice and round. It's better to get them used to it at that age than to try to cut them when they're 4 months old and have never seen a clipper.


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

Perfect time to start introducing him to the dremel (in tiny baby steps).


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

If you clip and yes you can at this age, be careful to take just the very tip off. Use lots of treats. One of you feeds treats while the other trims. Lots of happy talk and praise! 

Actually the sooner you start this and make it positive with lots of reward, the easier it will be as he gets older. 

But remember JUST THE TIP. If you cut too far and get the quick it will bleed and it is painfull and there went the positive assocation right down the drain.

Also pushing him away when he gets too rambunctious may make him think "big fun game"! If he gets over the top put him in his crate for a time out or turn your back or walk away for 30 seconds. You can also use a verbal correction like ah!ah! said sharply as you withdraw from him.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

First, congrats on the new baby puppy!









Second, dogs think of "pushing away with the hands" as a game. So, if you don't want the pup pawing you, ask for what you DO want: A sit. Yes,puppy can so this at that age!







Say "Sit." Use a treat to lure the puppy, with the treat going gently up over his head a bit, to sit on his hindquarters. The minute the butt hits the floor, treat. . Sitting gets the puppy what he wants, gentle CALM petting and your eye contact. Pawing = no eye contact, no petting- and no fun pushing-away game.

Nails: Start with a sleeeeepyyy puppy.







You can clip carefully just the very very tips of the nails. How to do it without a fight? Don't do what comes naturally, we all want to grab the puppy's paw and start clipping. Dogs have a pull-away reflex when paws are grabbed, even gently. To avoid this, gently fold his paws under, like when shoeing a horse. Clip clip clip-- just the very tips! A treat can follow. No stress.


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## Minnieski (Jan 27, 2009)

This is a good diagram of where to cut:

http://my.execpc.com/~rebec/dog_nails.gif


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## Minnieski (Jan 27, 2009)

This one is even better - look at the one with the black nail.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=h...sa%3DN%26um%3D1


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

I trim my 2 month pup's nails every 5-6 days to get rid of those sharp little tips. Right now, you really are aiming to just trim off the little tips. 

Use Minnie's diagram. Use lots of treats (hubby also rubs his chest while I'm trimming, which puppy loves). Make it as pleasant as possible to set up a lifetime of good experiences.


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## Buckley28 (Aug 13, 2009)

Fantastic...thanks everyone.


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## ShatteringGlass (Jun 1, 2006)

If you're worried about cutting too short, you can always ask your vet or go to a groomer and ask them to show you hands on. Always make sure you have something to stop bleeding incase you do cut too short, the product called "Quick Stop" works really well.

I dremel my dogs nails. Sydney just lays there, and Shane....well, he's a nincompoop to begin with, he tries to lick the sander bit of the dremel while its on! I look at it as hey, at least he's not scared of it!


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