Best ways to introduce toenail clipping to puppy - Page 2

Kaffirdog your lucky,
I have a female Am Bulldog that has nails like a dobie and you about need bolt cutters to trim them. Her nails are as thich as my finger. I use to sedate her about twice a year and show cut them. But now she's old and i'm not sedating her any longer for just nails. I was doing her nails once a week with a dremel and could never keep them within normal length. Now that she's older then are long and curved, and i clip them about once a month. She never complains and i file them after but i don't go for real short any more.

And for those who have never seen a "Show Clip" it's where you cut the nail back until you have less then 1/2 inch of nail sticking out of the toe. It cuts into the quick and forces the nail back.  I never bled the dog because of the method i developed. And the Quick Stop power stopped all bleeding. They never limped or complained and for very difficult or dangerous dog that had to be sedated for grooming. A Show cut saved them from coming back for 6 months. I've seen nails grow into the dogs pads because no one could touch their feet without being bitten. So for those type of dogs show cutting was the safest way to go.
Hopefully puppy nail will never need to go this route.
Fry

I rarely trim the rear nails but do the front once a month.  The rear seem to grind themselves.  I know some people who never do either and the nails stay short.  My dogs live on mostly soft surfaces (and even running flyball and agility they are on grass, antifatigue matting, or rubber floors) so they don't grind theirs down naturally like I've seen from dogs who live mostly on cement.

Thanks for all the responses. I'll read over everything twice. I have to get my head in the right place when I go for the toes, this next time. I also should mention.... I didn't touch his feet at all since around Christmas time until now, because he broke a back toe.... I didn't want to associate any pain or power struggle with that going on, thought it should heal first. Of course, he kept growing and is now a 70 lb puppy! 

VKGSD... your above photo... gives me the slight feeling of a crime scene.... but I'll get over it! LOL

dragonfry: The show cut.... hmmm, I could never be a groomer, I know it now!  I'd never want to make them bleed on purpose! Glad you have found a better way! 

Dog groomers have to do a lot of stuff that really sucks. Both for the dog and for the groomer. I've plucked the hair from ears, squeezed anal glands, chipped tarter from teeth, pulled hair matts from teeth, cut off nails that were growing back into the feet. Nearly shaved off a dew claw on a very badlly matted dog. It did need to be removed because it as being strangulated by the matts and i cut it pretty bad.
Been infested with fleas, have ticks crawling all over me, dog crap on the table, old dog passed a kidney stone, did battle with the meanest cocker spaniel on the planet and shaved a lot of sedated animals.
For anyone that thinks grooming is expensive and the groomer get payed to play with dogs is delusional!
Fry :D

Hey Fry- I didn't know you have an Am Bulldog too! Any pics to share with me? Funny thing this thread, my lil girl is 14 weeks old now and I did her nails today, and trust and believe, it was a battle! LOL