Remember the helter skelter scene I caused when I last attempted to clip Chuck's toe nails?
Well thanks to the magic of the internet and to the sage advice of Melissa Mitchell, proud service dog owner/trainer and follower of this blog, we discovered the PEDIPAWS.
This little phallic looking little device converted Charlie from a bloody sharp-toed mess, into the divinely pedicured show dog that he is (or at least aspires to be.) It's actually quite a simple tool, much like a little dremel, which allowed me to quietly file down Chuck's nails without too much difficulty.
The instruction manual offered some good suggestions for desensitizing your dog to the "pawdicure" experience (basically just introducing the device slowly, over a period of several days, and combining it with lots of treats.) I pushed Chuck just a bit as I know he's a quick study and we managed to do a complete pedi on our first try. Now he's absolutely gorgeous from his big square head to his round little toe nails. Thanks for the advice Michelle!
One other thing ... for anyone looking for Charlie's reviews, check out our new blog devoted entirely to product reviews (dog stuff will stay on this blog but all our other reviews will go here.)
6 comments:
Hi,
I have been following your blog for a few days and find it very interesting. I am an adult with Aspergers. But anyway back to Pedipaws, I read some not so good reviews, so I have been dubious. Non-service dog Torie hates anyone touching her totally wonderful (not so much) paws.
So would you recommend this to a paw phobic dog??
Thanks,
--jane
Carolyn,
Just another one of your great suggestions to add to my shopping list. Thanks!
Guess what? Maya is here. She came for an overnight visit. It's going so well. I be sure to post pics, etc. a.s.a.p.
Happy! Happy! Happy!
Do they make them for humans? You should see the dreadful condition of my husband's hind claws.
Jane - have you tried peanut butter? I find that having a small tupperware of peanut butter held in front of the dog's nose by one person while the other person quickly does one or two nails and then stops tends to be a big help. If your dog is too afraid for this to help, you're looking at a big task to overcome the problem. A good positive reinforcement trainer should be able to help you with a training plan, but be warned it will take a lot of work and time.
Hi there!
We got this for Millie (our 7-month female golden retriever) and it has worked well. We started using it when she was pretty young, actually running it beside her so she got used to the noise first before we tried it on her paws. My husband will hold a treat for her while I actually use the tool on her paws. It works quickly too.
Look forward to seeing you soon!
Kelly
Thanks Wendy,
It is just me and Torie as I don't think the cat will help any! Right now I am taking her to Petsmart every other month. They dremel, but it costs about $11.
--jane
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