Sometimes it pays to be sneaky. At 6’2″ and somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 lbs, nobody would accuse me of being stealthy and any athletic grace I may have possessed in my youth has gone the way of the brontosaurus. So I rely on opportunity and inspiration to accomplish those tasks which require a dexterity I no longer possess.
My Aussie, Gavin, has never liked having his nails trimmed, and though he is not a fearful dog he’s a damned suspicious one! He’s always on lookout to see what you have in your hand. He figures that food alone is a good thing. Food coupled with anything else in your hand needs to be evaluated at a distance. Anything else that isn’t food or a ball should be avoided with extreme prejudice.
For those of you with short haired dogs, trimming the nails of a dog with longer hair and feathers is often akin to finding a needle in a haystack. It’s best to have a cooperating dog in order to keep the session short and sweet.
So using that superior(?) brain of mine, I’ve taken to hiding the nail clippers under the edge of the couch. Gavin loves to nap on the couch with his legs stretched out for maximum comfort. This posture affords me the opportunity to covertly reach under the couch, grab the nippers, and start on the first nail before he even realizes what’s going on.
Laying on his side on a bunch of cushions doesn’t allow him to spring to his feet. Quick egress is not possible and he soon lets out a heavy sigh and lays his head down and allows me to do my dirty work, albeit not before giving me the doggy “Eat Shit and Die” look.
By way of punishment he’s not going to look at, or come near me for at least a half an hour or a couple dozen treats, whichever comes first.
Cheers,
Kevin
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