Large dog won't have nails clipped

[letsplanaholiday]

Please could anyone advise. Our dog is a staffy cross so he's strong! About 6 months ago our regular groomer was on holiday so I took him to a groomers in a pet shop for a tidy up. The groomer caught the quick on several of his claws. Since then he goes crazy if you try and cut his nails. Even our regular groomer has struggled since as he starts thrashing around to escape as soon as you attempt to put any device near his nail (have tried clippers and an electric grinder) .

Obviously he needs to have his nails clipped. Can anyone advise how to do this and rebuild his confidence?

Ah, but does he need them clipped? I'm a vet, and many owners request nail clipping when it isn't needed. Which leads to claws being cut too short. Poor dog, no wonder he is petrified!

Most non-elderly dogs who are being walked regularly, don't need this. Can you post some pictures of his paws/claws?

Do long walks on pavement/gravel not help? I have a staffy and she's 7 now and never had her nails clipped. They just file themselves down on walks it seems.

Stop clipping his nails.
He is terrified so to keep trying to do it isn't helping him. He most likely doesn't need them clipped anyway I have never clipped my dogs nails just make sure he walks on ground not just grass.
Moving forward you should probably start to do positive reinforcement type training rather than just keep trying to clip his nails.

Only nail that gets clipped on DDog is her see claws because she is terrible for catching them

Your groomer ought to be able to go right back to basics with desensitisation techniques (positive reinforcement, might not get them actually clipped for a good free sessions so be patient for the long haul). Or you can do the same at home - treats for just having the clippers or grinder near his nails (not on, not attempting to clip) etc.

If he's walked regularly on pavements he shouldn't need them clipped.

Walk him enough and he shouldn’t need his nails clipping. I’ve never had to clip any of my dogs nails.

Agree with the PPs. Walk the dog more instead. Use pavements and gravel paths. You can still use fields and grassy areas when they want / need to run. Mix it up.

Mine are 10 and 11 years old, both different breeds and both have never had their nails clipped.

Look at a scratch pad? You can teach the dog to do it themselves and most enjoy it too. Just look up the videos on YouTube

He gets walked every day. There has never been a day in the 2 years we've had him that he's not been walked. We live quite rurally so these walks generally aren't on pavements so the natural filing doesn't occur enough. They do need clipping.

Thank you @SarahSissions , that's a good idea, I'll have a go at this.

In the short-term, take him for more pavement, road and gravel walks and they'll get shortened naturally.

Long-term you can of course work on desensitisation, but don't keep trying to put him through the clipping process when he's so stressed - it's not fair on him and someone could easily end up bitten.

Have you tried cutting them when he's asleep? That worked for us.

Lots and lots of positive association with high value rewards? Maybe peanut butter, or tiny pieces of chicken, or cheese? Take things very very slowly. So have sessions 2 or three times a day, with the high value treats. A couple of weeks of just being brushed generally, letting you look in his ears, lift his tail, feel his tummy, examine his gums etc, then reward with praise and the high value treats. Then a couple of weeks where at least one session a day is focussed on his legs , just running your hands over them, or asking him to shake paws. Again highly rewarded. Then moving on to feeling his paws, lifting them each in turn, feeling the pads, looking at the claws. Then when he's fully comfortable with that stroking the claws, holding a claw clipper in one hand. More delicious treats and positivity from you, no telling him off if he reacts nervously, just take things a step back until he's ready. After a couple of months of consistent work he should be at the stage you can distract him while clipping (maybe with a stuffed kong, or interactive dog toy) and then can be well rewarded after. BUT prevention is better than cure. Our doggo gets about 2 hours of walking a day and it's only her dew claws that ever need clipping.

My lab's dew claws were so long they were curving and almost digging into his paws. He wouldn't let me or the groomers cut them so I took him to the vet thinking he might need sedation or GA.
She said it'd be better if I wasn't there as he might play up more, so I waited in the waiting room.
Could hear everything, he put up a hell of a fight barking very loudly throughout. It took 4 people to hold him still.
I don't think it hurt him, he just didn't like having his feet touched. He was his usual bouncy self when it was over.

I feel your pain OP. My whippet hates having his nails cut and they most definitely get way too long if I don’t. He’s having surgery next week and I’m going to ask for them to be done while he’s under!

My dog had a negative experience at the groomer, so I couldn't trim him myself . So I put a few treats on the table, then after he had eaten them I put him on the floor. Next time I combed him. Worked up to trimming his feet and in about ten sessions I did all of him. But a bit of a nightmare.

Have you not seen the video doing the rounds where a girl wraps clingfilm round her forehead then smothers it in peanut butter. The dog licks it whilst she clips it’s nails.