I suck FIVE times cutting dog nails! There's so much fear when it comes to dog nail cutting, and that's ME more than in the dogs. In the spirit of "smarter not harder," I found a solution. Here's how I used to do it. First, I'd hide the nail cutters behind my back and sneak up on one when they’re not looking. Then I sit them on my lap and try to calm them down—use a lullaby if I have to reach for their paw..then BAM! They retract and run for the hills. Then repeat! I then end, I'm driving down to the vet to hand them over and pay the price TIMES 5. But not anymore.
The dog swinging in the video is my Hehe (named after Disney’s Moana’s ditsy chicken) who walks into walls. Yes, Hehe is quite clumsy but I love the Moana chicken and love Hehe even more. I can easily get them to slip their feet in the holes and grab the loops to swing them up on my shower curtain rod. (sorry if you have the fancy kind without the rod—you have to get creative?) Clothes line? Limbo stick? I would also check if the rod is securely attached without chance of it slipping before taking the next step. All my dogs are less no more than 10 pounds so I couldn't or wouldn't recommend it for heavier animals as I haven't tried it myself. Just take steps to be safe first.
Once they’re up hanging, they all seem to go limp and calm, like they like hanging there. I give them belly rubs and their tails go-a-waggin.” They don’t even mind me touching their paws when they are hanging. I suppose they are distracted from the swaying and belly rubs. I am the one who is nervous, but I try to pretend I’m all good with a fake smile on my face as I believe they can sense it. And then it’s over in a few minutes. Voila! If you try this, I hope it goes as well for you as it does for me. No harm in trying? It cost me an old towel and $4.00 of materials from Walmart. By all means, alter the design as you wish. As you can see in the video, we "winged" it. Happy Cutting!
I created this video using my trusty iPhone and some editing skills I picked up while pursuing a degree in Creative Media at UH West O'ahu in Kapolei Hawaii. I got lots more to learn and please forgive the imperfections. Still learning. Stay safe and Be Well.
Aloha -- A. Reed - - the Dog Mama Grandma