can someone explain to me

elegy wrote:
> why toenail trimming has to be such a big, fat, hairy ordeal?
>
> i don't mind trimming dog toenails at work. pretty straight forward.
> no biggie. but i am so sick and tired of dogs who scream and flail and
> snap and snarl and act like the whole freaking world is ending.
>
> all three of my dogs will lie on their sides or backs on the floor and
> allow me to trim their nails without a fuss. i didn't have to teach
> luce or harv this. it just isn't a big deal to them.
>
> mushroom, when i got him, was very mouthy about feet. he wasn't nasty,
> but he made his feelings known, and his feeling was "no touchy". it
> took two people and a muzzle to trim his nails. that wasn't acceptable
> to me, so i worked with him, and it was really very straight-forward
> to teach him to lie on his side and let me do them with no fuss. no
> muzzle. no extra hand. i *know* it's not rocket science, because i'm
> hardly an ace dog trainer. it just took some time and some effort. and
> some cheese. and some peanut butter. and some not allowing him on the
> bed unless he'd let me touch his feet (meanie!).
>
> am i just spoiled by my dogs or am i missing something or what? i
> don't understand why this is such a big deal.
>
> (i stepped on somebody's toes today regarding this, hence the venting
> here)

I don't know why it's such an issue for so many dogs and their handlers.
I needed extra help with Cooper in the begining but now he's become
resigned to his fate and lays on the couch and lets me grind his nails
just like the BCs do (although I have to start with him because if he
sees me working on one of the other dogs first he tries to hide under
the bed).

I've done my mother's horrible, ill mannered dogs, as well as literally
every other dog in my flyball club at one time or another. Granted, all
of them know me and are well aware of the fact that if they lay teeth on
me there will be CONSEQUENCES but I don't consider myself especially scary.

The whole toenail business is a hot button issue for me. Dogs running
with long nails wind up with sore feet over the course of a tournament
weekend, and they play merry hell with the matting on the face of the
box. It's not surgery, for god's sake, and even if it was, consider the
surgeon's practicum: "Watch one, do one, teach one".

Practical tips for dremelling nails:

Trim long fur around the nails so you can see what you're doing and to
prevent winding fur up around the grinder.

Wear safety glasses or reading glasses to keep nail dust from getting in
your eyes.

Make the dog lay on his back on a couch, pinned against the back of the
couch by the side of your thigh. Use a helper if necessary, at least in
the beginning.

When working with plume-y tailed breeds, sit on the tail to keep long
hair out of harm's way.

Immobilize the limb by folding it in against the dog's torso rather than
pulling it out towards you.

Use a fine grit sanding head.

On a ten-speed dremel, start at 2 or 3.

Don't hold the grinding head against the nail for longer than 2 or 3
seconds at a time. This prevents heat build-up and lets you check your
progress.

You want to create a vertical face that will be perpendicular to the
floor when the dog is standing. Go back and round off any sharp edges
after you've reduced the length.

If the dog freaks out, take a break. Do a little at a time until both
you and he gain confidence.

If you quick a nail stop the bleeding with some styptic powder, or, if
you don't have that on hand, a pinch of plain white flour will work, too.