The Groomer Had It - Now You do!

“The Groomer” has definitely had it - and I haven't even seen it. Yet, this seems a good time to mention the big grooming effort going on in our house – trying to trim Jake’s nails.

First, a word about Jake’s nails. I think of them as WMD protruding from his nice padded paws. From time to time, Jake tries to attract some attention by running his paw across my outstretched leg on the coffee table (or, he’s just trying to teach me some better manners). With summer coming up, I’m not fond of revealing the major scratching and bruising that can result when Jake’s nails aren’t kept reasonably trimmed. There just isn’t enough self-tanning cream in the world to cover up Jake’s handiwork on my legs.

So what’s the big deal, you might well ask? When Jake first came home, I bought a guillotine clipper. Problem is, it is too scary to use. Jake’s nails are very black and I can’t see where the quick is. They are also very dense and it seems unlikely that I’d be able to cut through in one motion. Maybe they could have named the clipper something less frightening. I read too much French literature to use a guillotine of any sort. So, somewhere in my house is yet another tool that will never be used.

Jake hasn’t liked having his nails trimmed since the third time I brought him into the local Petsmart for a trim. The groomer of the day, a creative young woman, with multiple body piercings and tattoos, grabbed Jake very fast without making what might be considered a proper introduction. She just kneeled down to the floor and grabbed his paw and used the guillotine. Jake’s reaction to this was immediate – I feared he might nip her and was glad he did nothing more than make a move for her. After that Jake didn’t even like walking into Petsmart – and when forced to, well, he made it quite clear that he wasn’t going anywhere near the grooming station.

So, Jake’s nails have been kept short by Jeff, our favorite vet-tech, who is very patient with Jake. Overall, it has been a positive experience. Jeff says that Jake is well behaved – and Jeff even gives him kisses on his nose during the process. This has allowed Jake to visit the vet’s frequently and bond with Jeff, all without any major pain being inflicted (unlike that time when he went in happy and left with a collar around his head). This has kept his anxiety about going there to a minimum (though still very evident). This routine is not, however, convenient for me, and it comes with a $19 charge every few weeks.

So, I heard that using a Dremel is the way to go. Unlike the “guillotine” which compresses the dog’s nail before it slices off the end, the Dremel (when used properly) doesn’t seem to hurt. I’d bought a Dremel for a house project and, after many months, finally decided to proceed and introduce it to Jake – even if it is a power tool. My mentor in this process is Dawn. She does so a fantastic job of explaining all the details on her website, I’ll leave it up to you to go there. Also, on YouTube there are several videos, and you’ll find my favorite below - the woman does such a great job of making things fun for her dogs.

So, after one week on introducing the Dremel to Jake, Wags helped me focus Jake on some treats while I tried to figure out how to file down his nails. This was definitely a two person job at the beginning. I think we were both surprised that Jake – who hates to be manhandled – took the procedure so well (though we didn’t do all the nails). And, I’m am exceedingly pleased to report that yesterday evening he allowed me to file several of his nails, including a few while he was lying down on his side in a nice calm state of repose. You don’t have to do all the nails at once!



If your dog has WMD at the end of her paws, consider the Dremel. And, as everyone will say, don’t just grab the Dremel and your dog’s paws. It is, after all, a power tool, and you want ensure that your dog is ready for it. Make the whole routine positive and you can be your dog’s best groomer. Good luck!