Clipping the claws is an unpleasant procedure for dogs. Some dog breeders, trying to tidy up the claws of their pet, hold it by force. But the tighter you hold the dog, the more it tries to break free in order to avoid this procedure. How to properly train an animal to trim its claws?
Basic rules for teaching dogs to trim their claws
As with all unpleasant procedures, it is necessary to train your dog to trim the nails as early as possible. The younger the puppy is, the easier and more painless this procedure will be.
There are a number of rules that will help you train your puppy to trim its nails and avoid problems in the future:
- Do not corner the dog before and during clipping. She must voluntarily approach her master, be able to retreat. Otherwise, in the future, it will be difficult for the owner to catch her in order to carry out all the necessary procedures;
- The unpleasant sensations of clipping the nails should be compensated for by the most delicious, in the opinion of the dog, delicacy. Every dog has a treat that drives him crazy for smell and taste. Let it be a reward for patience;
- Train to trim your nails slowly and gradually. These are necessary so that the dog does not have time to get scared and panic;
- Try to exclude all pain as much as possible. If the owner, while cutting the nails, accidentally touched the pulp and hurt the dog, then further training will be problematic. Acute pain is well "engraved" in the memory, and some dogs begin to panic already at the sight of a claw.
Most owners choose to bring their dog to the veterinarian for a nail clipping. But dog handlers recommend learning how to carry out unpleasant procedures on your own. Clipping the nails in a veterinary clinic will not bring positive emotions to the dog, and the fear of visiting this institution can have a bad effect on the behavior of dogs in the event of a serious illness: she simply will not allow herself to be examined.
The process of training a dog to trim its claws
Teaching to trim claws occurs in stages:
- Call the dog and sit it down;
- Stand behind her back and take the dog's paw so that you can see all the claws. Treat the dog with a treat for calm demeanor;
- Take a nail clipper or scissors, touch the blade to each claw. If the dog behaves calmly at every touch of the blade, then it should be praised and treated with a treat. Such manipulations must be carried out with all paws;
- Cut your nails carefully. It is important to carefully examine the claw, to make out the pulp in it. If the dog has become an unhappy owner of dark claws, then they should be cut off carefully, little by little. Praise and treat for each cut claw.
When the dog will calmly endure the clipping procedure and expect a treat, then gradually you can begin to reduce its amount. For example, give one piece for two clipped claws, then for three clipped claws, etc.
It is not recommended to completely abandon the delicacy: the joy of reward should always overpower the dislike for the procedure.
If during the clipping of the nails the pulp was accidentally damaged, and the dog began to be afraid, then it is worth abandoning the procedure for a while to start the training process from the beginning.
The key to successfully teaching a dog to any unpleasant procedure is the patience and calmness of its owner. It is important to always keep this in mind and try to control your emotions. Otherwise, anxiety, anxiety and fear can be transmitted to the dog.
