# Nail Grinding information



## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

This is a really comprehensive page on how to use a nail grinder; it's on a site about Dobermans (Dobermen?) but she does refer to long-haired dogs and small dogs; if it's been posted before, apologies - I did a search and couldn't find it, but anyway, perhaps it's worth posting again for anyone new? I found it very helpful.

http://www.doberdawn.com/doberdawn/dremel.html


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## BFrancs (May 17, 2012)

I use a Peticure Dremel on my Viszlas, funny how they will let me use that on them but let them see a pair of clippers - they will run the other way. I haven't use it on the Canela and Vino, they move around too much and too scared I might caught their hair.

Lalla, Thanks for posting the link. I'm going to try the tip they give about grinding the nail tip perpendicular to the floor (i.e., straight up and down) I normally do it on an angle.

Here are two links I found helpful too:

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2013/05/trimming-baileys-nails-video.html

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2011/08/art-of-nail-trimming.html


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

It's made me want to try my grinder again; mine has a safety cut-off if hair gets caught, which is a comfort, and the stocking trick is a good one, ditto just wetting the hair so it's kept out of the way.
I had a friend with a Viszla who taught her to use a vertical scratch post, she was SO nail-clipping/grinding averse; for the back paws she taught her to scrape up and down on a horizontal board. 
I rather gave up with the grinder on my Coton and Havanese but think I might go back to square one and reinforce acceptance again. They both loathe their paws being touched at all, no matter how hard I try to get them comfortable with handling. Oh well, if it takes time then so be it! Thanks for the other links, the more information the merrier!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Lalla said:


> This is a really comprehensive page on how to use a nail grinder; it's on a site about Dobermans (Dobermen?) but she does refer to long-haired dogs and small dogs; if it's been posted before, apologies - I did a search and couldn't find it, but anyway, perhaps it's worth posting again for anyone new? I found it very helpful.
> 
> http://www.doberdawn.com/doberdawn/dremel.html


Thanks for posting this. I bought one, but have yet to get up my nerve to try it!


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

krandall said:


> Thanks for posting this. I bought one, but have yet to get up my nerve to try it!


I bought one, got up the nerve to try it, took it really slowly and did all the things I should and STILL found myself chickening out; the clipper is even worse, though, so now I'm feeling motivated to go back to the grinder and work harder at achieving acceptance. I especially hate it with Cuba whose nails are all black; Tycho only has one black nail, which is helpful of him, but terrible paw-touch-phobia, which is NOT helpful of him!


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## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

I use an Andis Grinder on my dogs. It operates quietly and with less vibration than a Dremel which I used for many years. With Leo I use the Andis weekly right after a bath while his feet are very wet. This enables me to keep the hair out of the way better than if it were dry. By using it weekly I only have to take off a bit at a time which makes the process go quickly so that Leo tolerates the nail trimming better I put him on the grooming table right after his bath with the grooming slip on. I still clip the dew claws with nail scissors as they are harder to trim with the grinder.


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

Pucks104 said:


> I use an Andis Grinder on my dogs. It operates quietly and with less vibration than a Dremel which I used for many years. With Leo I use the Andis weekly right after a bath while his feet are very wet. This enables me to keep the hair out of the way better than if it were dry. By using it weekly I only have to take off a bit at a time which makes the process go quickly so that Leo tolerates the nail trimming better I put him on the grooming table right after his bath with the grooming slip on. I still clip the dew claws with nail scissors as they are harder to trim with the grinder.


Yes, mine is the Andis; I like it because of the cut-out feature if hair gets snagged in the mechanism.


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## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

Lalla said:


> Yes, mine is the Andis; I like it because of the cut-out feature if hair gets snagged in the mechanism.


LOVE that feature!


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## HannahBearsMom (Jul 31, 2011)

krandall said:


> Thanks for posting this. I bought one, but have yet to get up my nerve to try it!


ditto


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## Alison (Aug 17, 2008)

I have used the dremel on my dogs since I always seem to quick them using the clippers. One additional tip that I do in addition to wetting paw hair is to loosely drape a towel over my dog's head and expose only the paw i'm working on so that he cannot try to bite the dremel. DoberDawn's site is great. That's where I learned to dremel. One thing different that I do is to take the sides down at an oblique angle left and right, then take back the center of the nail. This way there is less to take off when doing the center of the nail. think it's more comfortable for the dog this way.


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