Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Pedicures all around

Vizslas are a "wash and wear" breed that require very little grooming. Regular nail trims and brushing of teeth are just about all that is required, with the occasional bath after your Perfect Puppy rolls on a dead animal. (Volt's fave cologne is seasonal rotting salmon.)

Nail trimming is critical to the proper development of the foot but is too often a neglected task because time isn't taken to accustom the dog to having their feet and toes handled and getting their nails trimmed. If you take the time to make it a positive experience, it is only a 5 minute weekly task. The nails should be kept short enough that they do not touch the ground when the dog is standing upright. Here are some images of nice, short nails. http://tinyurl.com/ok8msyf

The puppies all had their first nail trim this week. Their little nails are tiny and SHARP. Right now I am using baby nail clippers (and glasses!) to do the job, but later I will start using a Dremel because it creates a smoother edge on the nails than clippers and there is very little chance of cutting the quick. (You DO have to be careful to not let the nail get hot, which will happen if you keep the Dremel on a single toenail too long. On adult toenails, I rotate through the nails, sanding for just a few seconds on each nail, and then back around until they are the desired length.) By the time they go home, the puppies will be accustomed to having their nails trimmed.

My personal weapon of choice is the Dremel 8100 with the fine sanding drum but the Dremel 7700 is also suitable. I prefer the lithium ion battery because I've found that the other batteries lose their charging ability over the years.

And now, I'm off to trim Sophie's nails... she missed her trim last week...

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