Gareth’s dog Tippi has injured a front dew claw.
He’s not sure how she did it – just running around, somehow. She probably caught it on a stone or tore it by catching it on something. He’ll never know.
It’s split down the centre, so one bit is sticking out sideways – which means she keeps catching it on things and damaging it further.
I have every sympathy. My right middle finger nail bed was damaged and the nail now grows with a split in it. So, if there’s any length in it and I catch it on anything the nail splits, the edge then sticks up which means I catch it more and more. So, I have to keep it cut very short.
Poor Tippi keeps catching her damaged nail for the same reason.
Gareth is keeping it as short as he can by clipping off the end and edges, but the split reaches into the quick (the pink bit) so it’s sore – and Tippi is understandably not too happy with Gareth fiddling with it.
Luckily, Gareth brought Tippi to a Perfect Pet class when she was a puppy, so he learned how to teach her to be happy with being handled, including having her paws and feet held and having her nails clipped.
We use food to teach these essential husbandry activities. And as Tippi is a greedy gawp, it was easy with her. But even so, Gareth’s having to use a licky mat with peanut butter on, a very high quality treat, for Tippi to allow him to cut her sore nail.
It’s vital that you teach your puppy to enjoy being handled and get them used to the essential husbandry procedures all dogs have to have – nails clipped, coat tats cut out, ear drops, grooming, intranasal vaccines – there’s a long list.
Otherwise you risk causing unnecessary upset and suffering to your dog if they need a sore nail trimmed or need some sort of minor vet procedure. Some dogs may even need an anaesthetic for something fairly simple, adding unnecessary risk to any procedure.
And it’s simple to teach your dog to enjoy handling.
Puppies in the early months can lull you into a false sense of security – a tiny pup will let you do most things to them. But then the terrible teens strike and your cute bundle of fluff turns into a growly monster – and they object to bring touched on their back end, or brushed, or dried, or having their nails trimmed.
You’ll learn what handling and husbandry things you need to practice regularly at our Perfect Pet classes, as well as finding out everything else you need to teach your puppy so you get the perfect pet you want.
Keep training
Carol