Need advice on trimming nails

[EoinChaver51]

Hi, I'm new to this forums and I'm also new to owning an english bulldog. We got Hank (my bulldog) 2 months ago from a guy my mom worked with who wasn't able to handle him due to kids. Hank is 1 year old so we've been trying to train him the best we can but he is stubborn lol. Our issue now is nail trimming. When we got him his nails were very short we aren't sure if they brought him to a groomer or brought him to just the vet to do it but now he needs them done again. We are unable to do it on our own as he turns into the Tasmanian devil when he sees the clippers and especially when we try to grab his paws and put the trimmer up to it. In a nutshell he hates the trimmers and really doesn't like people touching his paws. If anyone could give me some advice it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Baxter Tiberius]

Juust do one nail at a time. I get down there, and get one clipped really quick, then I get up, and walk away for awhile.

By the end of the day they're all done. Works like a charm. There's no way in hell he'd sit there for all 4 feet at once.

 

[aprilemari]

we started off one nail at a time too, but we give treats to distract, even if that nail hadn't been clipped yet, keep the treats coming. i used to rip them up into tiny pieces. now Lola let's me do almost one whole paw on one treat. you can also try massaging his hands when its not nail time to get him used to them being touched.

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[aprilemari]

we even use the nail file when we're done :D

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[bluesteelapd]

I use a drimmel. On the foster dog we had I couldn't do his nails to save my life. I took him to groomer and honestly envisioned blood shed because this boy did not want his nails done. They took him to the back, sweet talked him the whole time and he came out with no blood on him. I asked how they did it and she said you can't trim their nails on "their territory" I had to trim them on the couch, since he was mostly on the floor. Not trim them while he was sitting on the floor.

You've gotten some great advise!

 

[Marine91]

You can also do a slow introduction of the clippers. Start by showing them to him and then touching. A day or so later touch his paws with them and do that for a few days before you try cutting them. Give treats along the way as he gets used to them.

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[KMARINO]

Well hell.............I take Vegas to Petsmart to have his nails dremeled $11.00 and out the door, he has all black nails and I am afraid to do them myself!!

 

[Davidh]

You have some good advise above. You might try to Dremel them too. Some of mine will tolerate the clippers and not the Dremel and some do better with the Dremel and hate the clippers.

 

[SMeyer13]

Start by just messing with his paws without any clippers or dremel. Get him used to the contact and pressure of you holding his paws. Slowly introduce the clippers like others have mentioned. You might even consider going to the vet, groomer or pet store for the first time or two until you feel confident yourself. When Tucker was younger it was a two person job and he was only 15-20 pounds. Now at 40 pounds He will sit and let me do whatever I want with his paws as he knows he will get a treat afterwards. I am lucky that Tucker has white nails, if he had black nails there is no way I'd touch them because I'd be afraid of cutting them too short.