Nail clipping the easy way (starring Noch)

[Katcetera]

Great video! I'm gonna try this.

[captmicha]

Grinding is better.

[wyvern10]

@fullfist Thank you for your kind remarks! He's very trainable, though not always "easy". :) Generally I agree (about commands). But in this case I am conditioning Noch to actually enjoy nail clipping. This type of "re-programming" of emotion/feelings it is best done using R+ (positive reinforcement). If you listen closely I am saying the equivalent of "good" in swedish ("bra/duktig") and then rewarding him with a small portion of his dinner. P+/- (eg "no") is not used. Hope you understand!

[fullfist]

also, that is a beautiful GSD/huski !

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seems like a great combination. both have desirable traits for training.

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[lissamiss]

It also helps when you know how to clip nails. Some dogs know and do not trust people who do not know what they are doing. I started on my dog who had clearly had some bad experiences in the past, but I am fast, efficient, and even if I quick him, I apply styptic powder and pressure, and move on. It's good if you get to the point where you're only quicking the dog once out of 10 or 15 nail trims. This just takes time to get used to.

[wyvern10]

@lissamiss True true, but I assure you that this technique is great for the inexperienced owner just starting out. If you enlist the fair and willing cooperation of the (in this case) dog he or she will have more focus on getting a sucessful nail clip followed by a treat that your own insecurity and fumbling with the clippers. :)

[TheMasterFerrets]

@wyvern10 can you please tell me how you tuaght him to give his hand like that its almost like he is reading your mind i asked my dad for a gsd puppy his friend is a pure breeder and i am in love with them

[MishalMooreLover]

Ska man belöna efter varje klo?

Och vad är det där pipet som låter ibland? :-P

[wyvern10]

@MishalMooreLover Man kan belöna efter varje klo i början. Men i takt med att hunden känner sig tryggare kan man trappa ner på belönandet och bara belöna sporadiskt. Jag väljer numera att belöna ibland efter varje klo eller ibland bara med att han får sin middag. Om man läser lite om beteende kan man dra slutsatsen att "variabel förstärkning" är det mest effektiva för att underhålla ett beteende (tänk jackpot maskiner, googla termen ifall du undrar). Pipet är en liten fågel som jag hade då. :)

[MishalMooreLover]

@wyvern10 Kan man också belöna efter varje tass, och trappa ner belöningen om man först börjar med att belöna efter varje klo? :)

[wyvern10]

@MishalMooreLover Det är såklart som du säger! Jag skrev lite fel (ibland går det lite fort när man skriver) - jag brukar belöna efter en tass eller två nuförtiden, eller efter hela proceduren. Man går helt enkelt lika fort fram som hunden är bekväm med. Om hunden verkar orolig så "backar" man bara några steg och sänker svårighetströskeln och därmed också ökar belöningsfrekvensen - tycker dock att det verkar som om att du har förstått konceptet finfint!

[MishalMooreLover]

@wyvern10 Tack! :) Och tack för hjälpen :) Det är bra att veta när man någon gång skaffar hund i framtiden (har ingen hund nu, hehe) eller klipper klorna på något annat djur, för att denna tekniken funkar nog superbra på alla slags djur! :)

[wyvern10]

@MishalMooreLover Så lite så! Stämmer så fint det du säger ang andra djur. Med lite fantasi kan man använda samma teknik t ex för att verkar hovar på en häst eller få en fågel att bli handtam. Lycka till då i framtiden! :)

[porcmort69]

your dog is squeaking...you need to oil him up a bit :))

[brucemercury]

Wow. Your tip worked like a charm. My large dog is usually a big baby and has never liked any dog treats. So after dinner I tried your tip with dinner nibbles and she liked them and I was able to trim her nails without any crying or whimpering in one try. I've always dreaded clipping her nails, but not anymore! Your tip is life changing. Thanks so much for sharing!

[wyvern10]

@brucemercury I am so glad to hear that my tip has helped you! So happy you managed to find a food reward that your dog is motivated by to find nail clipping OK. Good stuff you two! :)

[lynn4flowers]

Thank you for a great video. I like that you don't have an intro or advertisement at the beginning. I click away from those!

[MrSpanky87]

damn that's one well trained dog...though i think my dog's personality is much more hyper/naughty.

[DensterNY]

Good video and good use of positive reinforcement. I do have one suggestion for any dog owner who wants to cut their nails and that is to cut from underneath which allows you to see where the quick ends and where you can cut safely. I know a lot of people are intimidated when it comes to cutting their dogs nails but if you see your dog's paw from underneath it takes the guesswork out of it.

[billywig2]

As I was watching, my bird decided to join in with your bird :-)

[clickerhappyful]

Good job! I appreciate your silence because most of us talk to our dogs too much when teaching behaviors, which effectively teaches them to quit paying attention.

This is a great example of how positive reinforcement helps the dog to willingly and consistently cooperate rather than temporarily "submit."

[eeiko321]

lol every clip of the cutter, the dog looks at the treats

lol

[mymightyboosh]

proberly his brother in the bowl lolol

[Psyclone129]

you shouldnt have to worry about making your dog bleed u dont cut that far

[frekijsimpson]

talk you fucking moron

[frekijsimpson]

for fucks sake.. TALK ALREADY!!!!!!!!

this is fucking stupid!!

[wyvern10]

@frekijsimpson I am sorry you do not appreciate that I am silent. But it helps the training not to blabber on. I want Noch to be listening and watching me for cues. Best of luch with another video, there are lots of other dog-training videos that talk. Also I hate hearing my own voice on film. ;)

[junglemamas]

@wyvern10 Your dog is amazing! That means you must be pretty amazing yourself. I found your video to be helpful and I understand why you are silent, also... Hi Five to you for not stooping to that guys level. Please, share more videos on how you care for your dog and what you feed him.

[kosmodog14]

@wyvern10 - It took me a minute to be patient with the non verbal communication in this video, but I understand and appreciate it - so many damn people on YouTube spend the entire length of the video blabbing on and on, that I lose interest and stop watching.

How long is the actual cutting session? How much practice did it take before the dog was comfortable with this procedure? Thanks!

[wyvern10]

@kosmodog14 I am happy that you appreciated my video. The actual cutting sessions were quite short an the very beginning. I did one paw at a time with high-value treats (a blob of his dinner) after each cut. I found that Noch got a bit stressed out so I kept the sessions short and full of rewards! After he started relaxing and understanding that all I wanted was for him to sit still and accept getting his claws cut I lengthened the sessions so that I got all paws done in one session. At this

[wyvern10]

point they could go on really long as I was still rewarding for each paw cut. Then, as he got really used to the whole thing, I started rewarding after I did one whole paw, this cut the time down once again. Nowadays (he is 3 1/2 years old) I just use his low-value rewards (dry kibble) and I randomly reinforce, sometimes after two paws done, sometimes after three, sometimes after one claw cut. Our sessions these days are a lot faster and less of a "lesson" for Noch. I will try and film it soon.

[wyvern10]

You asked how long it took – approximately 2-3 sessions for him to associate the nail clippers with yummy rewards. General paw handling is something we are always "practicing" in everyday situations (such as drying muddy paws with a towel). This training paid off two winters ago when a glass shard got stuck in his paw. He was such a star at having his cut cleaned! (It was very deep). Nowadays he is just very cooperative when handled which is excellent when we go to the vets for checkups.

[fullfist]

@wyvern10 i know you might be shy on camera but using simple one worded commands actually will make him understand you better (if used consistently and appropriately).

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also the tone of the voice : "growly" no, for undesired actions, and soft afirmations for desired.

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dogs use the sounds to communicate also. so you shouldn't be shy.

[missemsnitchesss]

@frekijsimpson think of it this way you can listen to music and watch at the same time. at least she put words on the screen so you know what's going on.

[MrLeonofkings]

was that the dog whimpering or some weird beep

[wyvern10]

@MrLeonofkings it's my bird in the background, she loves sounding like an alarm(!)

[MrLeonofkings]

@wyvern10 o hahaha awesoe i wish i had a bird

[dehbee]

you sure your gsd is mixed? i dont really see any of those mixes you listed. just looks like a typical sable colored gsd to me. great way to show your dog nail clipping isnt scary! my problem is im scared to clip my dogs nails!

[wyvern10]

@dehbee Yes I am sure. I know his mother and I knew his grandmother. Both are owned by a good friend of mine. Genes are sometimes unpredictable things. If you look closely at how fluffy his tail is compared to a GSD you can see some of his husky heritage. His body is also unusually long and thin to be a GSD. Plus if you pet him you can feel his soft Husky-undercoat. None of thiese thigs are easy to see in the video understandbly.

[SizzlinLiz]

Thanks for the instruction, you have a wonderful teaching skill. Noch is beautiful I truly enjoyed this video. A very kind and compassionate way of addressing this chore.

[ElkaCoyote]

I have an elkhound and a dog who looks exactly like a jamthund. Is Noch an elkhound mix or possibly a jamthund? Or GSD something? Very nice video, it's so good to see someone doing kind training.

[wyvern10]

@ElkaCoyote He is approx 1/2 GSD, 1/4 Siberian, 1/8 Elkhound, 1/8 Newfoundland. Glad you liked the training!

[lokloklok203344]

the vido is very good . i like

[musicofnote1]

Great video! See, no restraint, violence necessary. He's nt comfortable with the process, but he's trusting you too. That's what it's all about - trust.

greetings from Switzerland

Vela & Buzz

[TheTropigurl]

Thank you! I just did this with my dog for the first time and it totally worked! First, he was squirming... but I clicked a small bit of his nail, said "good boy" and gave him a small piece of sliced cheese, he just sat there and waited for the next click. A few times, I had to move him into position, but soon he started holding still and waiting for his treat. When we were done, he wanted more ; ) And, it only took one cheese slice to do all his nails.

[TheFaithArtist]

Thankyou for this informative video. Our dog hates the sight of the clippers and consequently has a broken nail, so today I've been looking for a good video about positive reinforcement so I can start getting back on track with the grooming. Your video is just what I was looking for!

[wyvern10]

@TheFaithArtist Excellent! That makes me really happy to hear. You know, I had no idea this video would become so popular and help people I have never even met. I made it mostly to show my friends and family (ppl who would be babysitting Noch eventually). Good luck wth clipping!

[junkjanedoe]

Cool!

[pristrent]

what a good dog =)

[animalsshouldlive]

Why do you cut his nails? The dog can run faster if he has nails and when you cut them they will start growing constantly, its stupid to cut nails on a big dog...

[TheFaithArtist]

@animalsshouldlive You obviously don't own a big dog, or you would notice that its claws keep growing too long and getting split, broken or ingrown. Clipping is necessary for the dog's health. It's an urban myth that cutting them makes them grow constantly - the claws already do this naturally, just like your fingernails.

[animalsshouldlive]

@TheFaithArtist yeah but if the dog gets enought exercise and runing he will spend nails

[wyvern10]

@animalsshouldlive I disagree animalsshouldlive, the surface that seems to wear Noch's nails down most is asphalt, and too much running on this kind of surface can damage joints(just think about joggers and running on roads). We do walks on both grass, forest and asphalt/concrete. His claws do not wear down enough for me not to trim his nails. His back nails wear down more than his front paw nails too. If I didn't trim them they would definately grow too long, especially the front ones.

[ZhangXLR8]

Very German Shepperd

[rmcdaniel423]

Good video!

My personal preference is to have the dog lying on his back, tucked right up close to me between my outstretched legs. This puts him in a submissive pose, my legs help anchor/control him, and I clip one whole paw per treat. After doing 2 paws, I just spin the dog end for end and repeat!

The comment about clicker training is also very true. The sound and feel of the clip = yummy treat!

[binkolinus]

Jag skulle behöva fråga dig om en sak. Jag försöker vänja min hund vid att klippa klorna, och började med att röra tassar och klor. Det funkade efter ett tag. sedan började jag introducera klotången, och gav henne godis när hon gjorde rätt. Idag klippte jag en klo. Jag berömde henne, som du gjorde i klippet. Problemet är att hon har slutat lita på mig nu, och vill knappt bli rörd på tassarna igen! Jag klippte inte för långt eller något! Har du ngt tips på vad jag kan göra?

[wyvern10]

Det finns ett bra klipp som du kan söka på som heter "CIA Case File: 'Tucker' Nail Trim" här på You Tube som kanske hjälper. Om inte, tänk på att inte släppa tassen efter klippet som om ni genomlidit ngt jättehemskt. Utan belöna lungt precis som om ni håller på med en vanlig "sitt" övning eller dyl.

[wyvern10]

Tom kanske hålla kvar tassen ett tag efter klippet och sedan säga "bra" och belöna och sedan släppa - detta så att hunden verkligen kopplar "matte håller i tassen och pillar"=bra saker händer. Tänk på att också låta det ta den tid det tar och använda ngt som är riktigt gott/motiverande för hunden. Om hunden verkar osäker får ni backa lite och kanske gå tillbaka till att bara ta fram klotången utan att klippa.

[wyvern10]

Vissa hundar verkar hata kloklippning mer än andra och de flesta verkar ogilla det oavsett. Noch verkar tycka om det (tack vare belöningen) men ändå tycka att det är otäckt. Lycka till!

[binkolinus]

@wyvern10

okej. jag har nog varit lite stressad dessutom när jag ska försöka vänja henne .. men jag får nog backa några steg som du säger. ska kolla på det d'r klippet! tack för hjälpen! :)

[tmomof6]

Thank you very much for posting this. I have two large dogs one of which we adopted a few months ago & her nails are long with long quick & this will help me to train them both to nail clipping. Very positive & very little stress.

Awsome.

[jerryx2000]

1:21 the whining. lol

[wyvern10]

Oh! That's my bird Gimli in the background wanting attention rofl.

[MrJaxon545]

Good Lord, this must have taken hours!

[wyvern10]

Rofl, not really. In reality it took about ten minutes. Nowadays he doesn't always get rewarded for each nail. That cuts down the time to about 7 mins. It also depends on how worn his nails are and how many of them need cutting and how much they need cutting (I "nibble" them down and don't just do one cut since he has black nails - hard to see the quick)

[00jupa]

Thank you for my part as well as on behalf of gaspard, my dog

[ainas90]

pen hund! :)

[KissedByNIsland]

omg sooo scared to clip my dogs nail im scared i might go to far and he might bleed....aghhh!

[Andralynn]

Beautiful dog (:

[Boboua]

Hahaha that's a huge treat! I can see why he's happy.

[LSUTigerMom]

my vet showed me a trick to keep from cutting too closely....you look at the nail from the side and you'll see where the underside of the nail makes a sharp angle... that's where the quick ends...so cut the part of the nail forward from the 'angle'...hope this helps...

[Andralynn]

I shine a little flashlight right through the dogs nails so I can see the quick (: Helps with dark nails.

[Priince25]

you're dog is so adorable! and thankyou for the video.

[elleanor07]

wow I did it I just clipped my dogs nail like you thank you for the help and now I got a happy puppy too! and I didn't hurt him either!

[elleanor07]

wow greatttttt

[Alubre]

nice dog indeed

[vicious8387]

wow thts grt... my dog doesnt like his nails to be clipped...worst part even with treats he becomes very violent and bites off when he see the clippers !!!!!

[val8253]

This has never worked for me, sadly. My dog knows exactly what's going on and while he wants to run from the clippers, he stays just out of reach of me because he really wants the treats! But maybe it would work if I had meat. Thanks!

[simplysmile3]

my poor dog wont cut her nails even with treats T-T what should i do?

[88pennie88]

is that dog like a german shepard mix akita or just akita??

[wyvern10]

Noch (pronounced "notch") is a German Shepherd - Siberian Husky mix.

To be more exact he's approx 1/2+ German Shepherd, 1/8 Siberian Husky, 1/16th Newfoundland, 1/16th Norwegian Elkhound -- some mix eh? :)

[jessica1374]

wow, you're pretty much the best dog owner ever!

[wyvern10]

Haha, I hardly think so, but thanks for the compliment! We'll work on being a good team Noch and I (and Olle)...!

[picatsoforfma]

Good job. Your dog looks happpy and healthy and this is great for my veterinary class. Your dog is beautiful.

Sadly, dispite how good this is, I will be working the other people's dogs and they will not all be so well trained. (Some of thhem might even need to be muzzled because lots of dogs hate having their paws handled). It will still be very helpful with my dog.

[wyvern10]

Thank you so much for the encouragement! I am very happy to have been of help! And thank you for the compliment, I will tell Noch that he is beautiful from you ;)

Poor dogs who are frightened of the vets and poor you for having to bear the brunt of that! ... and good on you for doing it! (Ppl who go to the vet for nail-clipping, I am guessing, have dogs that really don't enjoy it at all).

[wyvern10]

I am happy that "positive reinforcement" has helped make me become a much better dog owner.

Laika (my old dog) used to hate the vets and I realise today that she could have benefited greatly from clicker training and positive reinforcement in many areas of her life (she was a rescue dog).

I have a much better way of communicating with my dog now that I focus on the things I want instead of behaviours I don't want or that are "wrong".

Best of luck with your dog and your work!

[ceciliabatta]

man i wish you could do my dogs!

[konartis5555]

nice job!

[wyvern10]

Excellent, I will start the same training with my pets.

sx

[wyvern10]

Bizarre that someone managed to comment logged in as me - must be someone I know :) -- but anyhow, good luck with your pets!