Here it is on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mikki-63761...id=1445507319&sr=8-1&keywords=mikki+nail+file
Desensitisation is going really well with Willow. I'm doing two sessions a day and have got to the point where I can do twenty strokes on a nail before treating. To be honest, the sand paper I'm using is rubbish for a dog's nails and goes blunt really quickly, so I'm not bothering too much with the actual effect, although it does a tiny bit, but I'm taking it as a positive first step at getting her really happy with me touching her feet in different ways and feeling friction against each nail, so it will hopefully be good groundwork for when I introduce the Dremel. Incidentally, she is happiest when I firmly hold the toe that I'm working on, so it is nicely secure and doesn't move/vibrate with the movement of the file. If I don't support it like that, she is much more likely to flinch away from the file. To be clear, I'm not restraining her in any way, simply holding it securely enough that it doesn't move with the file. I also found this evening that, with her more sensitive foot, she is happier if I work on that with it draped over the edge of the sofa, so I'm not having to hold it up. So I need to add working on getting her into appropriate positions, which I'll do separately through clicker training. I'm not sure how to approach rear nails yet; she's not a dog that's happy on her back, so I'm thinking the best position may be a "down", relaxed onto one hip against the back of the sofa, so both rear feet are pointing the same way. It's not the easiest job in the world, but I am enjoying the bonding that's occurring through process, as she's starting to trust me with her feet. It's also really good for Shadow, who has to settle on a mat while I'm working with Willow, and only getting treated now and then. He's doing really well at that, considering it's generally him that's sat on my lap
I use clippers but I've also noticed that thing about holding the nail firmly. They do not like a twisting action of the nail which can happen if you're not firmly stabilising it.
Yep I agree its really important to do this, and if they have a nail problem, like where the quick is damaged and loose in the housing of the nail the pressure is enormous. Dogs scream if this happens and its hard to tell sometimes whats actually going on inside. I only cut nails if necessary and very carefully and I don't like to leave them too short either. I never cut Dougs nails anymore its just too painful and he goes to the vets for his manicure its safer for him and much kinder. I walk my other dogs regularly on hard surfaces and rock so they have short nails without clipping and only the dew claw needs a quick nip off the end. It works fine.
Willow's nails are bionic. I swear you could actually watch them grow. I've let Shadow's get too long because of not wanting to stress Willow, which is stupid of me, but they are still miles shorter than hers are. We don't get much opportunity for walking on tarmac, although they probably do a total of about ten minutes a day, plus lots of rock, but it just doesn't make any impact on their nails at all.
I lucky that the park we use is about 15 mintues away so thats at least 30 mins of walking on pavements and tarmac and it really does the job. I think nails care and trimming is about one of the most stressul things i've had to cope with. Does Willow hide if you try to clip Shadows nails?
Charlie walks on pavement for more than an hour a day. I never had to clip his claws until he was on rest, then they got too long. It's like the pavement walking maintained his nails short but didn't wear them down from being too long.
She runs away and hides as soon as the clippers come out and gets quite stressed. I did his yesterday, though, and we just put her outside while we were doing them. I need to start doing the same desensitisation with him, too, so I can eventually Dremel his by myself, too, but with all the time (and treats) working on Willow, I'm going to wait until she's happy before starting on him. In the meantime, J distracts him with a pouch of mooshed up sardines while I clip away, and he's quite happy. I've moved up to using a metal file on Willow. It's a bit big and cumbersome, but she's being a star with it. Last night, as soon as I got a pot of treats out and sat on the sofa, she jumped up next to me and laid down "in position" without me even calling her. I hope that shows that, even though she still isn't entirely comfortable with the filing, she finds the overall experience more rewarding than negative.
It takes me about seven minutes to walk from one end of the village, so we'd get rather bored walking for an hour on pavements
Good luck! My dremel arrived...with a US plug on the charger! Or something...I put it in the 'things to sort out' pile. It's a big pile....
You Pile sounds like my 'To Do List' .....'Order Dremel' still features on the list! So you are a way ahead me! X
Well, it didn't go too badly. I started really slowly with Willow, holding the Dremel, turned off, in one hand, and holding her paw in the other. Gradually bringing the Dremel closer and eventually even touching a nail. She treated it just as she did the file, which is fabulous, and makes me glad I did all that work earlier. I then held the Dremel at arm's length and turned it onto its low setting and gradually brought it closer with loads and loads of chicken. Then, farther away again, but this time holding the paw. She really wasn't that bothered until it got within about 20cm of her paw. I'm going to repeat this several more times before moving on. I also did the same with Shadow, who hasn't had any training with the file, but who is a bit more steady in general. Well, "steady" might be the wrong word, since he thought that it was the perfect opportunity for tummy rubs and spent most of the session rolling around on his back with a silly grin on his face. So, as much as I don't have to worry so much about the softly-softly approach with him, I do have to do some work on keeping him still and sensible
My entire bedroom is a "things to sort out" pile, especially since getting back from the UK. It makes me shudder to go in there!
