I had some questions for you seasoned puppy owners. So I use mostly positive reinforcement with training. I will say "No" but that's really the only negative thing I do other than taking things away from him or walking away if he is playing rudely.

My question is sometimes I will be clipping his toe nails or looking at his teeth or brushing him and he will growl and snap while I am holding him. I don't hurt him when he does but I don't let him go, I don't want him to learn you can throw a fit and get away with things.

So positive training people with more experience than me, any suggestions? Is that how you would do it?

I gave Loki carrots and califlower when he was younger to get him use to no reaction. Now I can cut his nails with no treats, not holding him down, and no reaction. He seemed pretty easy from the start though. I did use distractions from first time though.

I'm not as experienced as some of the other positive-reinforcement trainers here, but I would say that's a sign you might have to take a few steps back in his training and go back to the basics of making him comfortable with you touching him to look in his mouth, clip nails, etc. There are different methods to train comfort with brushing teeth and clipping nails, but the basic premise is the same. It's a long process but in the end I think a lot of people have found it yields good results.

Basically it involves working from the bottom (i.e. showing the dog the nail clippers, treating them, putting the clippers away for a few minutes, bringing them back out, treating, etc.) and working very slowly up to where he is comfortable with you touching his nails with the clippers without clipping, treating all the way, and then moving further to clipping just one nail, treating, making sure he's comfortable, and moving on to being able to clip one foot with him being comfortable, then two feet, then three, four, etc. It takes months to build that trust.

Anyway, the same slow process can be used for brushing teeth, getting him comfortable with you looking in his mouth, etc. I would say, though, that him growling and snapping when you do that now is a red flag that he's uncomfortable and it's time to move back a few steps and get to a point where he is comfortable and work from there. Don't forget lots of treats and praise for behaviors you want. As far as not letting him go, it may be making the situation worse by holding on to him, but in an "emergency" of course you can't just let him go; however, if you're working on this type of training and it's not absolutely necessary that you hold on to him, let him go and move back a few steps to where he is comfortable.

Whew, sorry I got so long-winded. Hope this helps!

To be honest with you, most likely he will outgrow the biting and snapping. I think he's a little young to be working on all that. At this point your focus should mainly be on building your relationship and bond with him. I can do all of those things with Dizzy and honestly I never specifically practiced nail trimming, or looking at teeth. But I did bath him almost every week starting when I brought him home so he's great in the bath.

Honestly, I make my puppies deal with it. Letting go when they cry WILL reinforce, "Hey, this worked!", and they will cry or whatever to get out of anything that is uncomfortable. Give little nibbles of string cheese or something while you work on his nails, but make him deal with it.

I always played with feet, toes, teeth, tails, ears, you name it with my pups. I always recommended people basically mess with their puppies to get them used to things; it just makes it easier. I don't think it's a trust thing, it's just them being comfortable with being messed with.

Sheba&Kennedy wrote:

I always played with feet, toes, teeth, tails, ears, you name it with my pups. I always recommended people basically mess with their puppies to get them used to things; it just makes it easier. I don't think it's a trust thing, it's just them being comfortable with being messed with.

I'm not saying it's a trust thing, I'm saying it's a maturity thing. Handling and playing with feet, toes, teeth, etc is a good thing. Restraining a puppy to do a nail trim is totally different than handling in a way to get the puppy used to being touched.

I've only cut Gus's nails twice. The first time, i cut into his quick, and made him cry When i tried to do the rest of his feet, he wouldn't let me, and i just left him alone. I didn't want to make him more upset. And i was also very scared to hurt him again!

But last weekend, it had to be done. His nails were getting long! So i lay him down on his side (he is used to this because this is usually how i brush him). And started snipping his nails. At first, he was ok. Then he started to get nervous and pull away. When he did, i gave him an "ah-ah", but he didn't respond to it and continued to pull away. I know that Gus will not calm down if i force it on him. it just makes him more nervous. So i put the clipper down, and just held his paw, massaging his toes. Without the clipper present, he calmed down and let me hold his paw. While he let me hold his paw, i kept saying "good boy", then slowly brought the clipper back while sitll massaging toes! He stayed calm and let me finish the rest of his feet!

That was my experience with nail clipping! But i think if you keep touching toes, mouth, and ears often, then he'll get used to it. Don't just touch them when you're planning to do something. Just do it whenever he's laying beside you.

TheBadGuppy wrote:

I've only cut Gus's nails twice.  The first time, i cut into his quick, and made him cry  When i tried to do the rest of his feet, he wouldn't let me, and i just left him alone.  I didn't want to make him more upset.  And i was also very scared to hurt him again!

But last weekend, it had to be done.  His nails were getting long!  So i lay him down on his side (he is used to this because this is usually how i brush him).  And started snipping his nails.  At first, he was ok.  Then he started to get nervous and pull away.  When he did, i gave him an "ah-ah", but he didn't respond to it and continued to pull away.  I know that Gus will not calm down if i force it on him.  it just makes him more nervous.  So i put the clipper down, and just held his paw, massaging his toes.  Without the clipper present, he calmed down and let me hold his paw.  While he let me hold his paw, i kept saying "good boy", then slowly brought the clipper back while still massaging toes! He stayed calm and let me finish the rest of his feet!

I will have to try this technique on Layla. The exact same thing happened to me. To this day I have no idea how I even got into the quick because I never go that far with the clippers! The first couple times she was fine but I think it became so uncomfortable that now she will fight tooth and nail to make sure we don't get to clip her nails. After trying to hold her down and have her writhe around and cry without the clippers even touching her I gave up and haven't done it since.

I'm going to have the vet do it next week because they just need to be done and I'm so scared of hurting her, but next time I will definitely try the paw-massage and praise method!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHgBvnQ71ss

I feel lucky. I only have to clip Mishka's dew claws and nothing else...

Great video Kristina. I implemented this technique with Mishka and it worked. He tolerates getting clipped now even if he isn't thrilled about it.

We've always used peanut butter in a center bone and Link couldn't care less about his nails being clipped.

I am more concerned with what to do when he throws a fit. He will do it with brushing too and sometimes just being held if he decides he wants to get down.

I am more asking how would you handle it if you are holding your dog and he starts to throw a fit.

*please note that he does not do it every time we pick him up half the time he just relaxes like a limp noodle.

arooroomom wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHgBvnQ71ss

Kristina, I was waiting for a post from you on this. Great video! I love how the BC looks so contented and relaxed lying upside down getting her nails done.   

Playing with the Big Dogs wrote:

I am more concerned with what to do when he throws a fit. He will do it with brushing too and sometimes just being held if he decides he wants to get down.

I am more asking how would you handle it if you are holding your dog and he starts to throw a fit.

*please note that he does not do it every time we pick him up half the time he just relaxes like a limp noodle.

Remember, too, that he's a wiggly puppy full of energy and will want to get down when picked up and fidget. Try brushing his teeth or clipping nails or holding him when he's in the middle of a nap or at night when he gets naturally sleepier. He'll be so groggy he won't know what to do, haha ... though sometimes Layla has a way of waking herself up quickly and having a ton of energy in a split second after waking up.

Sheba&Kennedy wrote:

Honestly, I make my puppies deal with it. Letting go when they cry WILL reinforce, "Hey, this worked!", and they will cry or whatever to get out of anything that is uncomfortable. Give little nibbles of string cheese or something while you work on his nails, but make him deal with it.

I agree with this. It's great if you can desensitize them to having their feet handled, but for a stubborn pup that can take a loooong time and meanwhile the nails keep growing. Some things they just have to deal with no matter how much of a fight they put up. Stand your ground and it will get easier each time after he realizes it's getting done no matter how much fuss he makes. It's like kids...

My parents' Jack Russell/beagle mix is 11 and she STILL puts up a fight. Of course, she's easier to control, but she's also the most submissive dog on Earth ...

I just want to say I really appreciate all the tips and pointers and points of view. Today he whined to go out. I was so proud.

Well I don't know what the best way is, but the first time I trimmed digger's nails, I fed him so full of treats I he didn't have time to struggle and protest. Second time I gave him a couple, and now I just have to tell him I'm gonna trim them and he quite happily lays there with not too much protest. He just occasionally pulls his foot away..

Playing with the Big Dogs wrote:

I just want to say I really appreciate all the tips and pointers and points of view. Today he whined to go out. I was so proud.

Aww, good for you, Simon! Keep up the good work  

I´m not a fan of just ignoring bad behaviour, because it will definately can come to situations were you can´t ignore it.
When you brush him or clips his claws and he starts biting then use "no" or whatever word you use. When is a nice boy he gets rewarded. In either way stay calm.

In my opinion to learn to be nice while be brushed a puppy is not too young. By teaching him that brushing him is a good thing you will strengthen the relationship like you do with any positive interaction with your dog.

I've been thinking about this over the weekend, and I want to clarify what I mean a little bit.

I am all for desensitization and handling puppies, I think it's extremely important. However, I think it is crucial to do it in a way that creates positive experiences for puppies. To me, there is not really a big difference between the way you do this and something basic, like potty training or puppy biting. You need to set up the puppy to have a good, successful experience when you are working on handling for grooming and what not. You wouldn't leave a puppy alone for 2 hours and then get mad when he/she has an accident. If you know a puppy is in a wild or energetic mood why force handling on an 11 week old? What about biting? If a puppy gets overstimulated during play and begins to bite, what do we do? I think most of us end the game and walk away or do a time out. We don't continue to play the game while trying to force a puppy not to bite, all the while getting him more and more stimulated.

Sheba&Kennedy wrote:

Honestly, I make my puppies deal with it. Letting go when they cry WILL reinforce, "Hey, this worked!", and they will cry or whatever to get out of anything that is uncomfortable.

This is true, a puppy could potentially learn this, but they could also learn that scary things happen when the brush or nail clippers come out. Especially if they are restrained while throwing a fit, especially at this developmental stage. They could learn that when things get uncomfortable, owner gets scary and things get way more uncomfortable with no escape.

We protect them from getting attacked by other dogs so that they won't develop social problems. Why? Because at this age, a scary experience could imprint for life and cause aggression issues later on. What does it feel like when a puppy is uncomfortable and then tries to get away but can't? It changes a normal puppy reaction into a fear reaction, and potential into a fight or flight. It creates a pathway; discomfort   -> anxiety -> restraint/correction -> fear/panic -> aggression or surrender. If this pathway is relived often enough it becomes; discomfort -> aggression. I'm not saying that every dog that is physically forced to do something as a puppy will become aggressive, but I am saying that it's a real possibility. These are the dogs that bite seemingly out of the blue, people say they were totally fine and never showed any aggression, then one day they just attack a person or another dog.

My point is that things you think are a big deal now, will go away as the pup matures if you focus on building positive experiences and confidence in a puppy. I don't mean that you should ignore something, or not continue to work on training, I mean that this is totally normal puppy behavior and it won't be a long term issue unless YOU make it into one. Puppies throw fits. Husky puppies throw ridiculous drama filled fits put him in time out and walk away.

What would I do if an 11 week old pup threw a fit while I was holding him (btw, Dizzy threw many)? I'd put him in time out and evaluate how I can keep him from getting overstimulated next time while working on handling (with a glass of wine lol). What did I do that pushed him over his threshold? After he throws enough of them, you'll learn what triggers it, and the signs that one is coming on (signs of anxiety or frustration). When you see those signs, praise and end practice/training session on a high note. Why push a pup past his limits? Set him up for success and as he matures you will see him being able to handle more and more and you can push him more and more. Obviously your approach will change over time, but that's the point, as he grows you can expect and demand more.

My opinion and philosophy might be a bit different, and it's changed quite a bit since I brought Diz home, but it's been very successful for me. Dizzy has some issues, and I think it mostly stems from the fact that I didn't see it this way when I first brought him home. I saw him as a wild demon puppy that was 'challenging' me and I had to enforce the rules and not let him get away with stuff. In truth, he was a puppy acting like a puppy and with patience and acceptance of his limitations (excitement threshold), I  made a lot more progress. What do you do if a toddler throws a tantrum in a store? Leave, take them home, and put them to bed.

Jen, this is VERY well said! It couldn't have been said better. This is exactly what I mean by going back a few steps and making sure the puppy is comfortable at every stage of training. This doesn't mean don't handle them often. It means take it slow to set them up for success don't handle them in a way that they may come to see as scary and in turn develop a fear response (which can, and many times does, lead to aggressive behavior). If you stay positive and consistent, you will set your dog up to see the activity (cutting nails, brushing, anything you train) in the same light.

Also, I think you have to go into 'I'm going to attempt to trim nails' With a very calm, confident manner.
If your stressing about the 'what-ifs' your dog will sense it, and this will promote a tense response from him. You have to damn near meditate first if your worried about it in the first place.