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Are you in fear of trimming dog nails? One of the concerns I have seen repeated by many of the dog moms in my circle is the loss of grooming services. Every dog mom knows that a good groomer is like a great bottle of wine or the perfect purse.
Trimming dog nails without a groomer may seem like trying to cut down a large tree with a butter knife, but I am here to reassure you – YOU CAN DO THIS. BUT before you pick up your tools, you need to make sure Fido is ready for game time!
I reached out to a few of my resources to try to pull together some information for dog moms. If you are hesitant about taking on the role as HEAD Groomer at your house, never fear – HELP HAS ARRIVED.
I reached out to a few of my resources to try to pull together some information for dog moms. If you are hesitant about taking on the role as HEAD Groomer at your house, never fear – HELP HAS ARRIVED.
My first question was to former groomer, Krista Marie Roque. Krista was a full time groomer for 12 years and now currently works part time as a groomer. She advocates using a Dremmel grinder rather than standard nail trimmers. It can cut down the risk with over-cutting and injuring your dog.
What is cooperative Care?
My next touch point was to my very favorite trainer from COOPERATIVE CANINE CONCEPTS. We decided now was a great time to partner up and share some truth with the masses. Not only about trimming of nails, but also Cooperative Care.
According to Jenny, OUR FAVORITE TRAINER and the owner of COOPERATIVE CANINE CONCEPTS “Cooperative Care involves training an animal to not only tolerate handling and husbandry procedures, but to be an active and willing participant during these experiences”.
3 Steps to Prepare your pooch for Cooperative Care
In true Jenny fashion, she knocks it out of the park with an amazing article that includes 3 steps to take your trimming dog nails sessions from disastrous to NAILED IT! She discusses the psychology behind how to prepare your pet for showtime or in this case, trimming their nails. Here is an excerpt from Jenny’s article!
Step 1 – Voluntary interaction with equipment and tools when trimming dog nails
During this process you’ll gather some yummy treats and present your item (nail trimmer or dremel) to Rover at a distance which he is comfortable with, maybe even set it down. Watch for rover to interact with the item.
Step 2 – Let the DOGS tell you they are ready to proceed when trimming dog nails
Bucket game – The game of choice by Chirag Patel: Clear communication, ability to tell you when they’re ready to proceed with an activity or procedure based on their learning history and previous experiences.Allows the dogs to easily correspond with us in a way that we as a human can feel confident in reading and responding to.
Step 3 – Proceed with caution UNLESS
Next up is following those steps to trimming dog nails. UNLESS you see any of the following:
- Your dog’s emotional and physical response is not improving (remember this takes time.)
- Your dog shows signs of extreme stress.
- Your dog reacts aggressively.
- You do not feel confident in your ability to maintain your dog’s care.
- You fear for your safety.
- You do not feel that you can perform the steps above confidently or without aid.
If you or Fido are struggling, Jenny suggests the following: Please reach out to a behavior consultant or a Certified Fear Free trainer, veterinarian or groomer to help you provide the very best care for your dog now and in the future. Fear Free Professionals strive to help you care for your pets while minimizing stress and increasing your pets comfort and confidence. Reach out to me personally, or find a professional near you here:
Once your dog is ready for the WHAT, let us help you with the HOW. Look for a webinar coming soon discussing getting your dog ready to do the trimming and a few ways to approach trimming dog nails.
Review the entire article from Jenny
Want to know why getting ready for trimming dog nails is just as important as the actual dog nail trimming procedure? Check out the FULL Article from Jenny at COOPERATIVE CANINE CONCEPTS. You will be glad you did!
Don’t have a dog to trim nails? LET us help you with that! Consider adopting Sassy! NO one is sweeter than this girl. She’s a pro at being sweet! You can find out more about her HERE!
