Grooming and Medicinal Support

So you gone through the counter conditioning steps and your pup still squirms, fights, growls etc.. Maybe the issue is more than fear or discomfort. Maybe the pup feels pain while being brushed or while having her nails done or ears cleaned, etc.. When an animal is in pain, counter conditioning might not work.

Advanced Counter Conditioning and Desensitization

Well, it's not really advanced. But this video series just goes into more detail about the process - something to read if you have been trying desensitization and counter conditioning and it doesn't seem to be working - and you've ruled out medical issues of course

When one dog gets upset about another dog's procedure

When you have to do something "scary" to one dog, does another dog get upset?

Nail Trims. Part 15. Don't Be Stingy

Not only do I give treats after each toenail grind,  but I also sometimes give a treat after each pass on a single toenail - i.e. grind/treat, grind/treat. Which means one toe might yield 3 treats. Which means by the time we are done, my dogs have eaten anywhere from 18 to 50 treats.

Nail Trims. Part 14. Nail Trim Position

The girls and I have been experimenting with positioning.  I liked it when they were comfortable on their beds, but lately it seems that having the girls in a higher position than me has been beneficial.  I'm not a fan of  grooming tables. I ask the girls to sit in a chair while I sit on the floor. 

Nail Trims. Part 13. Pet Grooming Sling

With the help of a professional, the grooming sling might be a safer alternative to a slip lead and grooming table.

Nail Trims. Part 12. Finding the Quick.

One of the reasons that many dogs find nail trims so scary is because they have been "quicked" before.  The vet staff or groomer might have cut into the fleshy part of the nail.

Baths. Part IV. Dogs Who Hate Baths

So far we have discussed not bathing our dogs, alternatives to pet shampoos, and what might cause our pets to be stinky.
Today begins our discussion on dogs who hate baths. Before we start talking about counter conditioning (in a later post), lets look some aspects of the bathing process that might be scary or uncomfortable for our pets.

It's Been a Year Since My Dogs Have Had a Bath

It's not because of neglect.  I have made a conscious decision to not bathe them. (maybe not never but definitely less often).  It wasn't a decision that I came up with all at once. I just sort of evolved into it:

Grooming

For the past few weeks, we've talked a lot about nail trims. The same principles apply to grooming in general.  Introduce fur brushing, teeth brushing, ear cleaning, etc.. in tiny increments and include a lot of rewards.  See more in the video below

Nail Trims. Part XI. A Little Dab'll Do Ya

We've discussed using the Dremel with soft or fine attachments. Now we can try a  more course attachment. But continue to use a low setting and only do tiny bits at a time as your dog acclimates to the tool.
See more in the video below

Nail Trims. Part X. Desensitizing to the Dremel

We have already covered treating the dog for looking at the dremel and treating the dog when we touch him/her with the dremel.  Now it's time to use the dremel but not actually do the nails. 

Nail Trims. Part IX. Self Manicure

While you are working on helping your dogs feel better about nail trims, you might be able to teach them to do their own nails:

Nail Trims. Part VIII. Using "Jealousy"

After reading about Leslie McDevitt’s Give Me A Brake Game and watching this video by Susan Garret on nail trimming, I decided to apply reverse psychology to nail grinding.

Nail Trims. Part VII. Training Back The Quick

When dogs' nails grow, the fleshy part continues to grow as well. That's why it's important to regularly trim the nails.  

Nail Trims. Part VI. Alternatives to Clippers and Grinders

If you have a dog who is afraid of clippers and grinders, a manual file might work.  See the below video on manual filing plus other ideas

Nail Trims. Part V. Instrument Desensitization

Once we chose an instrument, I needed to help the dogs become comfortable with it.
See the video below

Nail Trims. Part IV. Grinding Tool Comparisons

In my last post, I wrote about how I liked the Dremel Stylus.  Before I discovered that tool, I had to test several other grinding options.  Please see the video below for details

Nail Trims. Part III. Our favorite Grinding Tool

In my nail trim saga, I wrote about my search for an instrument that would work well for my dogs and me.
The video below demonstrates the grinder that I have found to be easiest to use. 

Nail Trims. Part II - Our Nail Trim Saga

It took several years and a lot of trial and error, but I can finally do all of my dogs' nails without help. See the video below.