| Morning Sun Kennels 814-355-8869 E-mail Bonnie1028@aol.com |
| Nail Care |
The nails should be trimmed once a month or so depending on the
individual dog and its level of activity. Your puppy has had its nails
trimmed once a week since it was two weeks old and should
therefore know what is going on. If you do not have a pair of dog
nail clippers you may purchase a pair From your vet or a pet shop.
To begin lay the dog on its side (you can have someone else
petting its belly to make it easier) pick a foot and look at the nail.
You will see the "quick", the nerve and blood vessel which run
together down the dogs nail. It is visible As a darkened area within
the translucent nail. Clip the nail just short of the quick so As to
leave the quick undamaged. If you do happen to clip it you won't
cause any permanent injury, but it will bleed and your puppy will
cry. Have a bar of soap ready in the event you do draw some
blood. Rub the nail along the soap to essentially fill the end of the
nail. That should stop the bleeding and save your carpets.
If your puppy is not happy about the idea of having its nails
trimmed you should do one foot at a time, praising, fussing happily
and giving treats after each nail that the puppy behaves for. If you
need to do one nail a day until the puppy is used to and accepts its
nails being trimmed. What most dogs who protest nail trimming
actually object to is having their paws restrained not having their
nails trimmed. If your puppy is one of these claustrophobic sorts
then hold its paw and play with its feet a lot (a couple times a day)
until your puppy accepts it enough to allow you to do his/her nails.
You can start by holding it very briefly and letting go before it
protest, then praising it mightily. Gradually hold the foot longer and
longer until it isn't an issue. I would not allow the vet and/or his/her
tech. to wrestle with my puppy to do its nails, because this will only
create a bad experience in the puppy's mind for no good reason.
WITH PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING YOU CAN DO
IT YOURSELF!
NAILS
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