I have a roughly 40 pound Jack/Pointer rescue. He's very strong for his size. He's going on 10 years old now. Early on, he had no problem sitting still while I trimmed his nails. He did not like it, but he sat there and let me do it. Eventually it became a mostly non-issue because walking him would trim them up pretty well.

That has been the only way to trim them in the last couple years because in that time he started freaking out about me trimming his nail. He will spin like a croc killing the denizens of the temple of doom. I have to almost crush him with my body to make him stay still. And even then I am convinced he is going to have a heart attack or break a paw trying to get away. I am worried all I am going to do is hurt him. The vet wanted to charge me a couple hundred to put him under and then trim his nails. That is insanity to me. Maybe if he had a problem with one, and this would be the necessary fix. But to regularly pay $250ish to trim my dog's nails? There has to be a better way.

Is there something I can feed him, maybe, that will calm him down? Should I wait until he's really tired and try again? I don't know what to do, and I don't want his nails to become a problem.

It really is only his front paws. His rear paws still trim themselves just fine when he walks. And I am more worried about his dew paw than anything else, really.

Thanks for any help.

This is the only picture I have that shows his nails. Obviously not a good one.
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ETA: In case anyone is wondering, he is freaking out in this picture because he figured out he was going to see his friends--a couple of border collies a few miles from where I live.

give him several benedryls, that'll calm him down

Mine hates getting her nails cut. I got tired of fighting with her, so I gladly pay $18 every 6 weeks or so for the vet to do it.

If all else fails a dog groomer will do it for a reasonable price. they know how to handle crazy dogs.

But get references you want someone that knows what they are doing. not someone just    tying him  up in knots then clip.

 The brown one in my Atari is no problem sits quietly. even if  I screw up and go a little too deep.


The white one will scream like you cut his head off if you just touch his nails with the clipper in your hand.
it's a battle I wrap him up in the towel that might help you. He's only 7 pounds easy to  over  power.

also get   Valium from your vet  the  given what's needed about an hour before

Get someone to help. Mine weighs 5 lbs, and he's a good boy but wiggly. I have someone help hold him.

50mg of Benadryl.

I wrap my Ridgeback up in a sheet like a burrito.  He gives up and stops fighting then.  It's still a two man operation.

My dog is approaching 6 months and weighs 32# trying to hold her still is like trying to hold a snake. 

I've found that a large bath towel employed as a straight jacket works well.

Now's the time to really work with your puppy.  go  the routine two or three times a week

don't cut but get him used to the Clippers on his    nails and rewards doesn't have to be food just praise and toys

it will  really make a difference when he's older

much easier now and no problems later.
I did this with my   Beagle and it got to the point if you picked up the Clippers he sat and gave you his paw
Really wish I put the time in  when these guys were puppies,  got lazy and pay for it now

Smal milk bone treat broken into four or five pieces.
Little piece of a treat .....snip
Want more ???? Paw gimme good paw treat
Paw ,snip, treat, good dog
Paw ,mmm no biting no come on ?
Gimmie paw, paw ? well, no treat then,  off.

Wait a few hour or till next day and repeat and start all over.

A lot of time the vet tech will manhandle the dog and making them aggressive and it may take years to win back trust.

The type of trimmers matter as does the dogs position.  

I like to sit big dogs in a chair outside. I start with one small milk bone broken in three pieces per paw.   Gimme paw Treat snip snip treat snip snip treat.
If he resists after the first paw, he gets down and we are done for awhile.  I wait until he gives me his paw freely then tiny piece of a small milk bone.
Command, up in chair and start over.
One nail a day, then a paw a day, then two paws a day, then 3, then all 4. It could take months of steadying work.

I trained a rottie mix (wife's/165lbs) to fetch the nail trimmer himself and sit up in the chair on command it took a year.
The wife had always had the vets trim her dog nails. I only got involved after he bloodied a couple vet techs,  they refused trim them any more.

He was five years old when I started doing them. He had decided " Nail trimming meant " FIGHT " .
He normally refused after more than one or two nails maybe a paw a day,for weeks.
It took 6 months before I could do all paws in a 30 minute sitting.
A year later it was " Up,sit,  treat ,next  paw, snip, treat,next paw, snip,next paw ,next paw, treat, good dog. Less 5 minutes.
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Good video with the same clippers I use http://www.dogsbynina.com/best-nail-clippers-for-your-dog/#Best_Dog_Nail_File

My ACD goes completely insane if you try to trim his nails. its ugly, very ugly.

so, I run him on pavement beside me on my bicycle once a week or so and its keeps everyone happy.
no screaming, no snarling, no bites, no blood.

all peaceful like.

It'll make them tired, but most likely won't make them less scared at the nail trimming.  Even on acepromazine (which practically turns the dog into furniture), I've seen them panic at nail trimming.

OP, I had a very nervous/skittish rescue that was terrified of nails.  I got some good, tasty sausage, and had my kid give him very small bits every few seconds, and I slowly trimmed his nails.  He'd panic, but the food would bring him back.  Each time we did that, he'd get more in line with it.  after a while, he still really didn't like the nail trimming, he'd lay there and let me do it as long as the treats kept coming.  Eventually, I could trim his nails without treats.

Be careful, OP, one time clipping too short can set your progress back a bunch.

Better clipped too little than too much.

I have an 18 week doberman that lets me trim his nails every 2 weeks with a dremel.

My wife uses a hand full of treats and lets him eat them slowly as I'm sanding the nails down. After we're done with that we will give him a bath and then he gets a beef knuckle. He is learning the routine and I suspect starting to look forward to it.

This is what I do with my GSMD.

I did the nail thing every week, twice a week and never once was she hurt and I never once cut the quick. Over time she just decided "Fuck it" and became impossible. The super experienced vet couldn't get it done, either.

My solution was as above. Lots of pavement, no problem.

I've read that regular pavement running is hard on their joints but a good 10 min run on concrete or asphalt once every week or two wont cripple them and it keeps their nails managed.

This.  Been using the dremel on my 7 year old Shiba Inu since a pup.  Breeder recommended it and got him used to it right away.  Not his favorite thing in the world, but he submits and seems to know the quicker we get started, the quicker we're done and ready to play.  I lay a towel on the bathroom counter (double sink size) and he sits there and lets me do it.  Lots of "Good boy!" and head scratching, we're done in about 5 minutes.  Taking a bath...different story!  Luckily only twice a year for that.

I have a shih tzu that hates having his nails clipped. But what I do is I grab my glasses,a pin light and I lay his cushion on kitchen table. Then I set him up there and make him lay on his back while I shine light through nails to see vain before I clip. When he tries to move or get up I stop him right away and force him to lay still. Been working well . Hope this helps you in some way .

u-baddog explained the basic procedure pretty well. You have to vary the exact method a little for every individual dog but it's not complicated. It IS time consuming and requires patience. Lots and lots of patience.

In the beginning you may have to be satisfied with nothing more than simply just touching a paw. Do not push for too much too soon or you will end up loosing the ground you've gained.

Here is a dog with mental issues that would bite you for any or no reason at all. He had so many mental issues he ended up being euthanized. If a dog like this can be conditioned to cooperate with nail trimming then a normal dog is very doable.

Nail trim


(Perhaps a Team member would like to embed the video)

Sure , Embedded

He is spinning for the treat at the end.
Good dog

If I so much as opened a drawer krashdog was in the next county. He knew exactly what trimmers were, and where they lived.

He was small for a Dane, but still 130 pounds. To trim his nails I had to have him lie on the bed. And put my armpit over his neck with my chest across him to hold him down. Didn't have to put much weight or force him down. Just keep that head from lifting.

Much like a horse, control the head, control the animal.

If they can lift they're head, they're up. If they can't, they're immobile. It's like deactivating a cat. They try to move, but can't. Let that head lift and it's ww3.

It works. Promise.

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Thanks for the embed.

As for the spinning- sadly it wasn't for a treat. The spinning was part of an assortment of mental issues the dog had. Spinning for him was an OCD type behavior that he had little or no control over. He would spin when he was anxious, excited, stressed or in situations like the video showed he would spin when 'released' from a situation (for example if we worked an obedience routine when we were done he would spin).

Along with the spinning he would bite his tail. About 4" of his damaged tail was amputated in an effort to reduce the biting/chewing. He would also pace/run in circles around objects like a couch, chair, pile of lumber or whatever.  

If you didn't stop him from spinning he would go into an almost catatonic or hypnotized state; wild eyed, panting and disconnected from reality.

The dog would bite people without hesitation over food, climbing into the back of a truck, going near his crate or for no obvious reason at all. In spite of his willingness to bite people, he completely lacked the nerves to do actual bitework like SchH, PP, etc.

Poor dog; it was a really sad situation. He was a smart, athletic dog who liked kids and was eager to learn/cooperate but his weird mental issues made him too dangerous to adopt out.

Our Ridgie is a royal bitch when we try to trim her nails... it takes the better part of a week because I can only do one or two at a time.

I like your method though - might have to give it a shot!

Only one I have to do has double rear hard attached dewclaws. And the vet does them with a muzzle. He loves me like a baby but he'll chew my knuckles off if I do it. He's highly protective of his rear paws. The rest of my dogs live in concrete kennels I had laid slightly rough to keep their pads rough and nails worn.

This 3 benedryls would mellow my Boxer out so we could do this...

We do something similar with our husky. I get her in a headlock and control her while my wife trims her nails. Once it's clear that I'm in control she stops fighting. As another poster said, controlling their head seems to take the fight out of them.

Tried having a groomer trim them at first, our dog fought so much they wouldn't do it.

Our three are addicted to turkey pepperoni.
Which only comes out when the clippers come out.
They'll flop over if they know they'll get two or three when nails are done.