Desensitizing your dog is a great way to get him to hear you better when you try to trim his nails. I know my lab wasn’t desensitized before I caught him and now, clipping his nails, he’s always crying like a baby or peeing. Now if you have that problem with your dog or want to prevent your dog from not liking having his nails trimmed, here are some great tips to help you out.
The first thing to do with a new puppy to make him insensitive to foot manipulation is to pet his feet frequently. Now, I don’t mean that you have to do this every time you pet your dog, but you should do it at least once a day. Foot stroking will get you used to having your feet handled at a young age. Remember, just like your children, you want your dog to get used to things he may not like later in life, while he is still young enough to be trained.
The next thing you’ll want to do to help desensitize your dog to nail trimming is to massage his pads. Now this is similar to stroking your dog’s feet, except that you will be handling the sole of the foot. Handling the sole of the foot will also help your dog get used to having his paws cleaned before entering after walking in a muddy area. Massaging the pads will also help your dog get used to being handled by the pads, which you should do to help your dog’s toes spread so he can get one nail instead of all at once.
The third thing I did to help my other dogs numb to having their nails trimmed is that I would start clipping their nails at a young age. Now you would check with your vet to find out what age would be good for your breed of dog. Starting to trim dogs’ nails early will get them used to the clicking sound trimmers make.
Desensitizing your dog’s paws at an early age will help you later in life. Desensitizing your dog’s paws will not only help you trim his nails, but it can also help you clean your dog’s paws after getting out of the mud outside after a storm. It will also help you wash your feet during the bath. Remember to start young and it will get easier as your dog gets older.
