Self-evident lesson of the day: it is a lot easier to hold down a 25lb dog to clip their nails than it is a 100lb dog. This is getting rediculous. The dogs need to get their nails cut. I did a lot of desensitization with Zoe and the nail clippers, but I’m no sure how much it helped. She just started squirming like mad again soon as I held her paw. But there’s no longer a choice in the matter, her nails HAVE to be cut. So I just held her down until she stopped squirming, then clip clip clip. And she’s up and happy and I praised the ever-living HECK out of her for being such a good girl. I had to do it three or four times, sometimes I’d only get one nail before she’d start squirming again, but in the end she did actually calm down. None the worse for wear, but minus several really long talons that were starting to worry me.

Zeeke, on the other hand. That didn’t go well. I tried doing it really calmly and nicely, and he just bared his teeth and told me in no uncertain terms that I was not getting near him with those clippers. So Den grabbed him and I got three nails. Three, before he totally flipped out and both of us couldn’t hold him. I don’t know quite what to do with him. I will be taking at least him in to get groomed in the next few weeks, and I’ll get his nails done, but I don’t know how much better he’s going to be for them than with us.