Dog Nail Trimming…There’s a training tip for that!
THE SANDPAPER MANICURE
When it’s time for a nail trimming, my Chihuahua mix, Rio, is a terror. A real Drama Queen. You would think it’s a major operation that’s never happened to anyone else. So when I heard of a way to have her do her own front nails, I thought I would try it. And you know what? It worked!
Here’s what I did:
I took a very heavy piece of sandpaper and stapled it to a small box.
Then, clicker and cheese treats in hand, I sat down on the floor with the box angled like a ramp on my knees. Rio was fascinated.
At the beginning, whenever Rio even looked at the box, I clicked and feed cheese.
Then she happened to touch the sandpapered surface with her paw, so I clicked again, more cheese.
Next, Rio began to get excited about the treats and pulled her paw across some of the sandpaper. Yes, another click and more cheese yet again.
Pretty soon, Rio was doing a half-decent job of filing those front nails!
I’ll admit it’s not perfect, but she is getting better at it. Since she’s more adept with the left paw, I am working now on getting her right paw more involved. One step at a time! Turning nail trims into a game has been such a relief and certainly less stressful for both of us.
Let us know if you’d like to try this fun approach with your pup. We’d love to help!
