Your Ultimate Guide to Nail Clipping & Husbandry

If you have a dog that has to be sedated and go to the vet to get their nails clipped, or you are getting a puppy, and you want to prevent that from being your reality in the future, this article is for you. And, if this is WAY too much to read, we invite you to get some support from our Online Grooming & Vet Prep Trainer by filling out the form here.

Keep in mind that it's a tough thing to modify if your dog has already decided that they are not a huge fan. Muzzling your dog, sedating them, or avoiding it together isn't a solution because your dog will never learn to feel safe or comfortable when they are having their nails clipped. But don’t worry! Following these steps will help your puppy to like their nails being clipped when they become an adult or, if your dog is already an adult, modify their perception of this situation. 

Now let’s dive into our four practical and easy-to-follow steps!

Before We Start...

Having your dog inherently love the experience of having their nails clipped is unlikely. You either have to put a lot of work in when they're puppies to normalize the nail clipping experience for them, or you have to undo an already negative association over weeks and weeks, if not months, if your dog has a sensitivity. 

With that being said, we don't recommend just going ahead and sending them away to different groomers and letting them have this traumatic experience done by somebody else. You can make them like nail clippers, and the experience of having their nails clipped, if you take the time to desensitize them. In this plan, what we're going to do is teach your dog that nail clippers equal good things happening. We're trying to convince their brain that it's not a bad thing when these strange things come moving towards their feet. You can imagine how a metal thing moving towards your feet is pretty scary and uncomfortable if you're a dog and you don't understand what it does. 

If you don't like pedicures, you can understand where your dog is coming from as well. It's sometimes uncomfortable, ticklish, and most dogs and puppies don't like being forced to do anything they're unfamiliar with. Often as puppy parents we just force it to happen, and by the time a dog is an adult, they are pretty clear that they have no interest in having this weird metal thing moving towards their feet. So, this can be a preventative training plan. We recommend that if you have a new puppy, you actively and regularly work on it; but it can also be done for an adult dog that already has a sensitivity. 

Many people try to use a Dremel instead of nail clippers to desensitize their dog to the experience of having their nails clipped. It doesn't matter which one you choose to use – both of them are weird for your dog at first. So, this training plan is suitable whether you're using a Dremel or nail clippers. And if you are choosing nail clippers, make sure that they match the size of your dog. If you have a puppy, you need puppy nail clippers; if you have an adult dog, you need adult nail clippers. Finally, you can get clippers that have a guard that limits how deep you can put their nail into the clipper. If you're a nervous nail clipper, I recommend looking for clippers that have this guard attached.

Note: From this point moving forward, we’re going to be using nail clippers as a reference, but the same applies to Dremels. 

What You’ll Need for the Training

• Tiny breakable treats or kibble

• A nail Dremel or nail clippers 

• A comfy place for your dog 

Our Four Step to Desensitize Your Dog to Nail Clipping

Step 1: Desensitize your dog to nail clippers in their presence.

Step 2: Desensitize your dog to you touching their feet. 

Step 3: Desensitize your dog to nail clippers touching their feet for short periods of time.

Step 4: Desensitize your dog to nail clippers being used one nail at a time.

Desensitize Your Dog to Nail Clippers in Their Presence

Step 1: We want your dog to associate the clippers with food. Don't get this part wrong, or else this isn't going to work for you. This tip goes for the rest of the training with nail clippers and anything you're trying to get your dog to like, for that matter. For your dog to develop an association, they have to first notice the object and then notice the food. If you have that in the wrong order, or the two are overlapping where the food and the clippers are presented at the same time, your dog is just noticing the food – they’ll never notice the clippers at all. So, it's always the presentation of the object first, in this case the clippers, and then the presentation of food within a few seconds. They can’t happen at the same time. 

When performing grooming tasks at home, don’t forget to pay attention to your dog’s ears, eyes, and teeth. Establish a routine for cleaning them. It is usually recommended to brush your dog’s coat at least once a week, or more frequently if they have an undercoat. If you are up for it, it is recommended to brush your dog's teeth every 2-3 days. This is to avoid plaque build up but it also gives you the chance to look into your dog’s mouth. You may want to check if your pup is losing their puppy teeth or to see if they have any abnormalities that might be of concern. 

Taking proactive steps to prepare for veterinarian visits and grooming sessions sets the stage for your pet's overall health and happiness. Remember that each pet is unique, so stay attentive to their individual needs and behaviors. With your warm and supportive approach, you can build a strong bond with your trusted veterinarian and groomer, ensuring a lifetime of optimum health and a joyful grooming experience for your beloved furry companion.

Already overwhelmed? Remember, you can ask for help here! From anywhere in the world!

What Do I Need to Do?

Present the clippers towards their feet without touching them at all. And then use the “yes” word and offer your dog a piece of food. Do this ten times per foot. The important thing is, don’t push past their current tolerance level. So, if your dog moves away, stands up and walks away, takes their foot away from you, you should listen to their body language and know that they’re not comfortable with what you’re doing. If your dog moves away or is avoidant, it means you need to go back a step. 

Instead of presenting the clippers all the way in their face, just put them on the ground for them. If they're fine with them on the ground, you can start holding the clippers. But never push past where your dog is showing you they're no longer comfortable. We want this to be on their terms and in their time and to be a fun game that we play with them, which means you have to respect their boundaries. 

What if My Dog Is Uncomfortable?

If you can't seem to get your dog comfortable with the clippers being in your hand near them – not moving towards them per se, but just presented – then definitely start for a week with the nail clippers just being on the ground. A quick tip would be to put the nail clippers down on the ground and then cover it with all of their food every single night for dinner. If the nail clippers go on the ground, and then the food is delivered, they start to think, "Wow, I think the nail clippers are causing my dinner to happen." This means they get a “bing” – a positive emotional response to the presentation of the nail clippers. 

They start to think the nail clippers being presented is the cause of food, which makes them like the nail clippers, and then you can progress to future steps. But make sure your treats are hidden. If your treats are in your hand, they're staring at your treats when the nail clippers come out. If they see the treats first, they are not learning that the nail clipper is the predictor of the good stuff. That's called backward training. You don’t want to do that. You want to make sure that the food is hidden in a pocket or on a counter and not within your dog's view until you say “yes,” and then feed them after the nail clipper has been presented. 

Once your dog is having a positive reaction to the nail clippers coming out, you're ready to move to tip number two. But until your dog is jazzed to see them come out, do not move to the next step because you're likely going to have to take a few steps back anyway if you skip this part. 

Desensitize Your Dog to You Touching Their Feet

Step 2: If your dog doesn't like their feet being touched, how are you going to hold their foot to clip it with nail clippers? So, it's important you don't skip this step. Many, many dogs have foot sensitivities. They don't love it when you touch or even hold their feet. You might be stuck on this step for a long time if your dog currently does not tolerate you touching their feet, so don’t rush this part. 

You want them to think the nail clipping adventure is a good one where good things happen, and you never force them to tolerate anything that they really don't feel comfortable with. Now, to get your dog to like you touching their feet, it's very similar to step number one, but there are no clippers involved. 

How Do You Start?

Reach towards your dog’s feet, saying “yes” once you’re touching them and then hand-delivering him a treat that they didn't know was present. Do that ten times per foot. Once your dog’s totally chill with you touching all feet ten times for lots and lots of treats or kibble, start to pick up the foot and hold it for a second. One second, not five. Hold all feet a few times over for one second, and then give them some treats. 

Make sure they’re comfortable with this part, which might take a week. It might take you doing this 30 seconds a day for a week, or even a minute a day for an entire week before you're able to pick up a foot and hold onto it. Don't hold onto the foot any longer than your dog is currently comfortable, or else you're going to have to go back in training. Don't skip this or rush it. 

What to Do Next?

Now that your dog’s comfortable with you touching and lifting their feet, aim to hold each foot for five seconds without them moving away, and give them a treat at the end of those five seconds. 

Friendly reminder: If your dog gets up and moves away from you, they're communicating, "I don't like this game anymore." And the only reason they wouldn't like this game anymore is if you're making it too hard for them to like it. So, if you're holding each foot for three seconds and they walk away, you might want to go back to holding each foot for just one second before giving them those food rewards to make it easier for them to play this weird foot touching game that we've started with them. 

Are You Doing It Right?

If at any point during any of these exercises you get nipping, barking at you, snapping at you, head whipping (turning their head really fast), or even growling at you, it means you're pushing it too hard, too fast. So listen to them. They're allowed to tell you to screw off if they don't like you touching their feet. Just like you're allowed to have those boundaries with the people in your life. So, don't punish them if they tell you to stop. Just know that you're not listening to them, and you're not making it easy enough for them to want to play the game with you. 

If they do any of those stronger, boundary-setting behaviours, just walk away, end the game, and try again when they're nice and calm and quiet the next day. 

Okay, once your dog’s cool with you touching all their feet, you can move on to step number three. Don't move on until you can hold each foot for five seconds with your dog just hanging out, waiting for that “yes” and for that food reward to be delivered. 

Desensitize Your Dog to Nail Clippers Touching Their Feet for Short Periods of Time

Step 3: If you're at this step, your dog should be excited when the nail clippers come out. The best place to start is to have them in a calm place like their bed and make sure to have all those treats hidden. Once your dog is ready and you are prepared, move those clippers towards their feet, and make very short contact. Maybe one second those metal clippers are going to be touching your dog's foot. Say “yes,” and then reach for that food and feed them. Do it multiple times, maybe five to ten times per foot. 

Then move on to asking for longer and longer durations of holding those clippers at their feet before your dog hears the yes word that means they’re about to get a treat. Once your dog is super comfortable with the nail clippers touching their feet for about five seconds per foot, you can add the step of holding the foot and then putting the nail clippers towards the foot. At no point in this step are you actually clipping any nails. You're just trying to get them used to you forcibly holding a foot, and the weird metal thing is moving towards their foot in anticipation of the yes and the treat. 

If your dog does not like the combination of the foot being held and the clippers being moved towards them, just go back a step and don't worry about it. It's normal to have some ebb and flow in the progression of this training plan. Once your dog's totally cool with you holding their foot and moving the clippers towards it, then you're ready for step number four.

What Does Cool Look Like?

For the record, totally cool in your dog looks like lying down, with relaxed body posture and loose body tension. They’re sort of looking and waiting for food, but they don't really care. They’re not moving away, they’re not tense. Their tongue flicking out over and over would be a warning sign that they’re a little uncomfortable. 

Desensitize Your Dog to Nail Clippers Being Used One Nail at a Time

Step 4: Don't try to nail clip all of your dog's toenails in one sitting. That’s a major no-no. You're going to put them past what we call their stress threshold. Their stress threshold is that moment between, “This is okay, I'm going to tolerate it,” and “Screw off, I don't like what you're doing.” It's normal for your dog to have a threshold. Some dogs have a higher threshold than others in terms of how much they're going to tolerate, but you never want to pass it. You want to be sure that you’re working below that stress threshold.

What About the Actual Clipping?

Our hope for you is that this protocol allows you to do one nail every day. By the end of five days, you can start on the next foot. It's really not putting them in a situation to be too stressed out, which is perfect because we want them to think, “Oh, cool.” That five minutes a day of touching their feet with this weird metal thing doesn't happen every day. And when it does, it's not a lot of pressure. So, one nail at a time would be a great goal. 

If your dog is super chill about it because you've done your homework well ... you're welcome! Then you can do one paw a day instead of one nail a day. 

The last tip I'll make is that you should have fun with it. It's a little bit of a strange situation for your dog. So if you see squirming or discomfort, feel free at any point to just change your tone a little bit. Give them praises, loosen them up, and allow them to feel like it is a safe place and that they can trust you, even though you're moving this really weird metal thing towards their feet, which sometimes can cause a little bit of discomfort.

Is There Something I Shouldn’t Do?

A few things to avoid would be never to force your dog to tolerate nail clipping unless they're ready for it. It's a bit like crate training. If you force it too soon and you do it wrong, and you rush the process, you're going to run out of luck when you actually need to nail clip. So don't push them too hard too fast through these steps. 

Also, don't ever force them to tolerate those nails being clipped. And don't you dare punish growling. Remember, for everything puppy and dog-related, punishing growling punishes communication and boundary setting, which is not something we want to encourage. If you punish growling, they learn that growling is not a safe warning to give, and they'll just bite you next time if they're in conflict. So, avoid that at all costs. If they growl, back off, listen to them, and know that you pushed too hard, too fast. 

A Few Friendly Reminders

Remember that these steps are both a preventive training plan and a corrective training plan if your dog already has a pre-existing nail clipping phobia. 

And never do this training with them, any of these steps, if you are dealing with a hyper dog. This should only be done when they're calm and quiet. 

Supporting Materials

We know this a lot to take in and remember, so we’ve created additional resources around this topic for you. AND, we have a trainer that specializes in Grooming and Vet Prep on our team! Visit ONLINE DOG TRAINING to sign up for help!

You can also watch our How to Clip Your Dog’s Nails If They Hate It Video on our YouTube channel for visual examples!