Dear 5 am and dear ulcers, YOU are not my friend. You would think I would be used to it by now, but I guess the not being able to sleep lately infringes on my ability to not let my ulcers bug me so much. May have to try and catch a nap between groomings today with Karson and Ranger on my bench in my office. Will spend this week getting Nicha ready for her trial. She is SO lucky that her family who came to visit her yesterday still wants anything to do with her after her spectacle when I tried to put a harness on her. She came up stairs like she always does, pulling to go for a walk, usually with Amy, and was choking herself. So, I said, Well put a harness on her so she doesnt choke herself like that and she did something I have NEVER seen her do in all of the months that I have known her. She FREAKED OUT. Nicha is a very vocal dog. Like if you think you have a vocal dog, trust me, Nicha is more vocal. She talks steady. I have full out conversations with her sometimes. Anyway, she pitched a fit when I tried to put that harness on her. She growled and howled and snarled. I was dumb founded because I have NEVER seen her behave that way. She was not trying to bite me but put on show that on-lookers would definitely think she was. In my mind Stop it Nicha, for Gods sake, you are going to blow this chance at a home. I didnt want her to win, can never let them win, but since people now were waiting for grooming and it had begun a show, I just put a better collar on her, which she did her USUAL self and protested to with some husky talk, for her walk with a perspective new family. I reassured them that she is NOT aggressive because I have never once seen an aggressive action ever from her and they went for their walk anyway. The whole time they were gone, I told my son, I think Nicha blew that. Much to my surprise, when they came back, they informed me that they still wanted to start a trial. I couldnt believe it. Was happy but surprised. Her display would have sent people with the slightest bit of fear for a dog running for the hills. They were ready to start right away but I was not. I was going to get that harness on her once and for all so she saw there was nothing to be afraid of. She hung out upstairs with me during a few nail cuts and then it was harness time. After both of us ended up out of breath, the conclusion, she has a serious fear of her nails being cut. I have given her many baths, but never done her nails yet because they werent needing it. My guys play so much and run outside that they only need their nails done every few months; they file them down naturally, and all our treadmill work outs help too. Now, they were in need of it. It took, me, Ben and Logan to hold her so we could get those nails done and WE DID IT! Could very well be the very first time she has had them done in her life, or the last time they were done they were done incorrectly and she was hurt. Either way, she does not like that done but she has seen that it is going to happen whether she likes it or not. Because I didnt like the way she was choking herself on her leash and I heard her gag a bit last night too, I have decided to keep her with me until Friday to make sure she is not starting with a cold or something and try and pin point why she chokes so much on a leash. She has her harness now and if it is because she has trauma to her throat from her previous life, I will be able to work with her a bit more this week, as well as keep pretending to cut her nails so her fear is less than what it is now when she is on her trial. A fear of nail cutting is all too common in dogs. Shouldnt be, but it is. This will not cause any red flags for her trial family although they will be well aware and informed to leave her paws alone at least until she adjusts and they can start to help her with her fear at home as well. This week will be getting Nicha fully ready for her trial. TIPS to make nail cutting a less stressful experience for your dog: Start early. If you have a puppy, play with his feet and manipulate his nails as much as you can. Bring hi to his first nail cutting appointment early. Even if the pups nails are not in need, a good groomer will barely trim the tops just so the pup sees that the process is nothing to be afraid of. On the first time, expect your pup to whine and cry. They just dont like being confined in any way. It is not that your pup is getting hurt, just much like how a child will cry before its first dentist appointment. I still cry, I hate the dentist and always will. Some dogs are the same. Try and always use the same groomer for nails. A grooming visit is a stress for any dog. If it is a happy go lucky dog, they will be excited to see a person, that is a stress. If it is a timid dog, that is a stress and couple that with a person they dont know trying to conduct an act they dont like and it could result in snapping. When a snapping dog snaps, a good groomer knows that it must be done regardless. A dog can not win. Much like our kids. If they know you will give up, you are done for:) Should nails bleed when being cut? NO! A good groomer will make sure to do everything in its power to make sure that a nail does not bleed when it is cut. If it bleeds a little, that can happen because some dogs nails have a small vein that actually runs from the big vein and reached to almost the tip of the nail. This small vein would not hurt as much, or bleed as much, as if someone cut the big vein. Cutting the main vein HURTS and a dog is so sensitive and smart, that hurt them once, and it will take a LONG time to win their trust back for the future nail cuttings. I prefer to grind. I have always ground the nails instead of clipped, especially with black nails. You can get a smoother nail cutting and WAY less chance of hurting a vein. The only down fall, the noise of the grinder and it is indeed something that you need to get the dog used to. What can also happen with nail cutting is, especially in winter, if the nail has been cut close to the vein, when the dog then goes for a run on ice or a hard surface it can indeed scratch the vein and cause it to bleed. This is rare, but can happen, especially if the ice has caused a brittle nail to crack. So, all that being said, time to get my butt in gear and get in there to work on Nichas nail fear and do a few other nails:) HAPPY MONDAY!
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 10:51:38 +0000
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