Papoose

Wes and I have for years struggled with Lucy to get her nails cut. While Wes insists it isn't necessary, I heard that when dog's nails get really long they push back into the paw pad and cause the dog pain. Plus, the sound of Lucy's nails clicking on our hardwood floor drives me nuts.

I recently bought a Pedipaws, something my brother recommended, to try instead of the nail clippers. We ended up using both as it had been a while since Lucy got her nails cut last -- cutting first (we never quick her, fortunately) and then following up with the Pedipaws for a few seconds to file them down so they aren't sharp. Wes normally holds and I cut, but Lucy hates having it done so much that she still jerks her paw away.

So this time Wes got aggressive and did something they do to retrain patients at the hospital -- the papoose! I stayed near her head, petting her and bribing her with peanut butter. Happily, we got all the nails cut and Wes didn't get scratched like he normally does. And it took about one-fifth the time!