[Dailydrool] Grooming Behavior

[Beverly Szaton]

Your Groomer must have a really elite group of dogs that she does if she has
not had a dog implode while doing nails. If you work with dogs that you
don't know on a regular basis, you know that you are probably more likely to
be bitten cutting nails than any other thing, including shots, x-rays and
bathing.
Bassets in particular, along with Beagles, do NOT like to have their nails
cut as a rule. This is shared in spades by my daughter's rather large and
forbidding Rottweiler, who must be completely anesthetized to have her nails
cut, or she will either hurt someone or hurt herself, nevermind the muzzle
and people wrassling her down.
My theory has to do with short legs, altho the nails are also very tough on
Bassets. My theory is that Vets and Techs and Groomers unfamiliar with the
breed, take the foot and PULL, pulling on those short, often crooked legs.
The jerk-back response is evident. And not surprising. It hurts when we pull
those legs out. They have had it done enough that most of them do not like
it at all, know it's coming and put up a huge stink.
The other possibilities are that the dog has been quicked-- once is enough
to ruin it forever--
And that dogs in general regard their feet as sacrosanct. Think about it.
Without feet a dog is in a real predicament. In the wild it might well be
fatal, and it is possible that like the fear of falling in people, the fear
of having legs and feet hurt is instinctive. Like many people who overcome
the fear of falling, some dogs over come the fear of having their feet taken
away from them. Many do not, and fight like crazy.
A dremel MIGHT work, but don't get nailed. And if you are afraid, it won't
work at all.
(We had one Basset that had to be double-muzzled and laid on by two grown
people so the Vet could do his nails, and this dog really, seriously meant
to hurt if he could.)

Do not lose sleep over this issue or let the groomer stampede you into
thinking your dog is a behavioral mutant. He is pretty normal. Your Groomer
may not be......

MomPerson to Nigel (Here is my foot, do my nails) Zelda (no, do mine, here's
MY foot) Llewis (GET AWAY) Mitchell (Not on your life: only Doc cuts my
nails!) and last but not least, Cooper
(NONONONOTMENOTMEGIMMEMYFOOTNODONTTOUCHDONTTOUCHNONONOPLEASEHELPMENOHELPMESOMEONE)

(Cooper will actually go outside to the furthest corner of the yard and
refuse to come in for a couple of hours if he sees me get the nail clippers
OR the Dremel out. LOL. If I open the door and call him in, and have
anything in my hands, he bolts back out.)
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