How to trim anxious dog's nails?

I have an amazing, well behaved Boxer. Her only vice is getting her nails trimmed.

I have taken her to the groomer a couple of times and she freaks and gets so stressed I don't want to do it again. I have tried cutting them myself and she freaks out and makes it impossible. I've tried while she's really relaxed and napping and have also tried to hold her attention with treats. I have tried to have my son hold her while I try to trim them. The last time they were done was when she was under anesthetic at the vet for minor surgery!

I did buy one of those pedi-paws things- there was no way she was letting me near her feet with that thing! She does let me touch her feet but not for long. I began massaging her feet as a tiny puppy so she would be ok with nail trims but now that she's older she doesn't like her feet touched much.

Does anyone have any tips for getting her to stay still and let me clip her nails?

The best way how to cut a dog's nails is to have the dog lying on a raised table or other surface. Do remember to put a non-slip mat for your dog to sit or stand on so she doesn't slip and hurt herself. Having someone strong hold your dog in their arms while you quickly clip a couple of nails is another effective way of doing this.

Look at the website for additional help. It seems legit.

Do you have acces to a swimming pool?
What I did with my dog but he is a small dog with high anxiety for clipping nails. I put him in a bath tub and let him swim then I take him out for abit to try to trim his nails. I trim one nail and then I put him slowly back to the tub. This way his mind his on the tub not that I'm trimming his nails.
The tub makes him relax and he his focus on swimming. Kinda make him tired and calm.

Swimming, particularly in warm water, can help your dog relax and also drain her enegy. If your dog is uncertain about the water, start by holding her on an incline, just let her bottom half touch the water. Wait until your dog begins to paddle with his front legs, and then you can slowly lower her front half into the water. If the dog begins to splash around and panic, calmly return the dog to the inclined position again - with the back half of the dog touching the water. Then once the dog relaxes and begins paddling with the front legs again, send her back in! Continue this until she becomes comfortable with the water.

Once your dog has reached the lowest level of energy, begin by holding a paw and presenting the nail clipper to it without cutting anything. Then send her right back into the water to drain even more energy. At the same time, you are softening her nails, so they will actually be easier to trim. Then, after another round of swimming, you present the nail clippers again. This time cut a little bit, just to let her experience it and see her reaction. If she panics, send her right back in for more water therapy, but if the dog remains calm, do the whole foot - and then send her back into the water! This way, you're not giving the dog time to focus on the nail clipping, instead she is focusing on the water. We are exchanging one challenge for another! Your dog can learn to associate the nail trimmings with the time in between swims that she gets to relax and collect herself.



Best of luck

The trips to the groomer may have made her even moreso afraid of getting her nails trimmed. While it may get the job done, it only makes it that much harder to do them in the future. Nails grow quickly!

As the above poster said, water helps by softening the nails, making 'the big clip' a little less traumatic, easier, safer, and a lot quieter. It can also help make the nail more transparent (if the dog has clear nails) so you can see the quick better.

Exhaust her. Exercise her until she doesn't want to play anymore, she will be tired mentally and physically and won't have as much energy to buck like a bronco. I have a few dogs who hate having their nails trimmed. I've found that the easiest and safest position is the dog laying on their side, you sitting on the floor with one of your legs over their midsection and the other leg resting (but NOT with your full weight) across their lower neck/shoulders so you can clip away at the front nails. This works with my dogs but it may frighten or intimidate your girl, try it out.

Another alternative is asking your vet for a sedative, if all else fails and nail clipping becomes too traumatic of an event for her. They will likely be happy to prescribe it for you, since the pills would cost about the same as getting her nails clipped at their office anyways. It will make her groggy and calm and not feel like putting up a fight. You will not feel as rushed to clip all of her nails and it won't be as bad of an experience for you both.

Long nails can lead to bigger issues, possible fractures of the toes, nails may get caught on something and get ripped off (yes, it has happened and is gruesome and painful), nails may split or break. As the nails get longer, the dog will put most of their weight on their paw pad when they walk, instead of on their toes. This is not a natural gait for a dog and in the long run can cause orthopedic issues.

Good luck and best wishes. Don't give up, you will find something that works for both of you

believe it or not, she freaks out cos YOU freak out.

get a exp person to do her nails and they just clip clip done.

you go to a groomer and say oh poochi pooch freaks, then when they attempt it thier whole body changes.

you change the way you behave when you clip her nails, she will realise OH mums not worried, its all good

How long did you give each one a try? Nail trims are not a normal thing for dogs and most don't have any reason to to allow it, let alone like it. There are dogs out there that will always have to be muzzled and held down, but many if not most can learn to at least accept the practice with a Lot of Patience and high value treats/or what ever she considered the best thing(not just offered but kind of forced right in front of the mouth to where the dog feels like they have to eat the free food/high value item vs worry about what is going on with their feet).

Put a loop leash on your dog and attach her to a table/etc that she can not move. Have your son feed her handfuls of high value treats(kind of forcing them) while you do her nails. Only do nails that she will allow. You may have to build up to doing all four paws in one sitting even with treats.

If you dont have any help, a trip to a local grooming shop would provide you with a person to do nails while you distract and reward.
Most places charge 10 to 15 for nails.
This is a slow process and could take as long as a year or more to get her to accept having her nails done. Not the easy route, but one well worth the effort. If you go to a shop to get her nails done, make sure to space them out with good visits as well where she just gets attention and praise. That way she will associate the place with good things and not get anxious the second she arrives.