Dog owners; raise your hands—how many of you have struggled to keep your furry pal’s nails nice and trimmed? Many of our pets struggle or try to bite the minute they see the clippers or the dremel come out, even if we take them to the vet or local groomer’s offices for a trim.

If you, like me, own a dog that goes absolutely bonkers the minute the clippers come out, then the following 10 tips will help make nail time far less stressful.

Hire A Qualified Trainer

If your dog turns into a furry velociraptor the minute you bust out the nail clippers, it is never a bad idea to reach out to a qualified force-free trainer in your area. They will be able to assess the situation, and help you teach your pet to not be afraid of nail trimming sessions.

Counterconditioning And Desensitization Are Key

The processes of counterconditioning and desensitization involve training wherein you change the emotional response of your dog to a particular stimulus. A good trainer will be able to demonstrate these methods, so you can help teach your dog that nail clippers are not the Devil incarnate.

Try Medication

If your dog’s fear of nail trims is very bad, it is never a bad idea to discuss anti-anxiety medication with your vet or a qualified vet behaviorist. They will be able to figure out the right medication for your pet, which will help lessen their fear and improve counterconditioning sessions.

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Play Soothing Music

In order to help keep your pet calm, why not make nail trim sessions more like a spa? You can play calming music designed specifically for dogs, such as “Through A Dog’s Ear” or “Relax My Dog” on YouTube. Your pet will thank you for making nail trims more fun, and less of a hassle.

Put A Thundershirt On Your Dog

The Thundershirt was designed to give gentle, constant pressure to relieve anxiety in dogs. In addition to counterconditioning and desensitizing your pet, putting a Thundershirt on them can also help keep your pet calm and relaxed when it comes time to clipping or dremeling those talons.

Make Sure You Don’t Skimp Out On Treats

When it comes time for counterconditioning and desensitization sessions for nail trims, make sure that you don’t skimp out on treats! If you want your dog to associate nail trims with something good, you had better make sure that the treats you are using are extremely high-value. For example, if your dog adores food such as grilled chicken or Happy Hip treats, you can use that for your nail trim sessions.

Go Slowly

Many dog owners are so excited by their progress when performing counterconditioning for nail trims that they move too quickly too fast, and have to take a few steps back. Make sure that you improve slowly, and if there’s any signs that your dog is over threshold, it is important to take a few steps back. You don’t want to accidentally scare your dog and ruin all your hard work, do you? Just remember that slow and steady wins the race.

Keep Sessions Short And Fun

While counterconditioning your dog to nail trims, make sure that you keep your sessions short and sweet. You don’t want to overdo it and make your dog frustrated. You should also do the best you can to make the sessions fun: play soothing music as well as give lots of cuddles and pets in between trimming each toe nail.

Try A Dremel

Patricia McConnell noted that some dogs absolutely hate having their nails trimmed using a clipper, due to the fact that they are afraid of the “click” of the clipper as it cuts their nails. Therefore, it doesn’t hurt to try a nail grinder, such as a dremel, so you won’t have to struggle to get them to accept clippers. If your dog is noise phobic, the brand Oster has the “Gentle Paws” nail grinder that is a quieter option for pets who dislike loud noises or the “click” of a nail clipper.

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Use Alternate Methods To Keep Nails Short While In Training

If your pet loathes clippers and you’re still working on getting them used to a nail grinder, you can use alternative methods to keep your dog’s nails short. One option is to build a scratch board and teach your pet how to file their nails themselves. You can also see if they will accept having their nails filed with an emery board, and exercising them a bit on concrete can also keep their nails short too.

While it may be frustrating to not be able to just clip your dog’s nails, with some time, patience, and training, your pet will be able to overcome their fears and eagerly anticipate their manicure sessions!