Nail Trim Puppy Training

Getting your dog comfortable with nail trims start when they are young. Waiting until they get older or having a nail issue is not the time to get them comfortable with having their feet touched. It is also something you do not need to rush. Start slow and gradual. Get them comfortable with you messing with their feet first. Then gradually take the nail trimmers and just touch their toes. Don't even cut the nails. Once they get comfortable then you can start nail trimming but with some form of distraction. I love the Kong cheese, peanut butter on the little rubber mats. This keeps this distracted but also understanding nothing bad is happening and they are being rewarded. I also recommend going slow and not rushing to avoid trimming too short. This is the stage in their life where they do remember a lot of things. So, if they take this as a bad experience, it could set you back with training. Try to go with them and keep their limbs in a normal anatomical direction. The more you pull, or the more they resist can set back the training process. The purpose is to make it an enjoyable positive experience for your puppy.  The video below just shows a simple method using the Kong cheese for a puppy nail trim.