How do I stay up... with hair on my feet?? - Page 1

If anyone is keeping a list of the dumbest questions for the year, please move mine to the top of the list and tell me what I've won.   Does anyone ever trim the hair from between these guy's toes?  See, I warned you.  : >)    Everyone tells this rookie that my 6 1/2 month old pup has a standard coat, yet he has hair protruding from the bottoms of his pads, between his toes.    I have not seen this as a problem until recently. Because of the weather, 2' of snow and cold, cold, cold, I have spent more time training basic obedience in the house.   I put this guy in a sit and the poor fellow tries to stay up, but his front feet slowly slide forward and he soon finds himself in an unintentional down. It's not even a good looking down, because his rear feet are sliding out the back as he lands on his belly. It's comical to watch, because he knows it's wrong, he's embarrassed and he keeps trying to right himself. I am about to go buy a throw rug just for him, but even with this, he will be slipping and sliding around other places in the house. I hope you're cracking up by now, I sure am. : >)   Anyway, I got rid of our carpets a few years ago when we went to hardwood floors and linoleum. I keep his nails trim because they won't just wear down where we live. Most of his training, playing and running is done on 5 acres of grass and gravel drives..... we live in the sticks (thank God).   So, to trim or not to trim, that is the question....  ; >)   Thanks for tolerating me....   Gator   p.s. Just so you'll have time to think about the answer, next months question might be about finding a proper bidet for Fido. ;>)    

Yes and I don't think it is a dumb question. I was told by my trainer (Russ Osborne) to always keep the hair trimmed in between my dogs toes.

Debbie

 Thank you Debbie. Now if I can just get him to think it's a good idea. LOL 

My female is standard coat, but I have to trim the hair on the bottom of her front feet.  I use my fiancee's mustache trimmer (don't tell him...lol) because it's not as loud as regular clippers and I make it quick because she really doesn't like it..  Good luck...hope he's easy going...lol.

-Nichole

Nichole, thank your for the tip. 
I'll try my mustache trimmer, but I doubt he will be nice about it. LOL
I can touch this pup anywhere on his body and not get a single complaint, but for this past week, I've had to put medication in his ears to fight a yeast infection, and he has let me know, in no uncertain terms..... he hates it. We shall see. LOL

I have a 22 month old fellow who hates having his toenails trimmed, his ears cleaned, etc.  and will put up quite a fight to avoid having it done. He was a rescue at 6 months, and it was pretty obvious that his previous owner had done nothing for him, so we had to start from scratch........ a friend of mine suggested that we use cream cheese as a distraction - you load up a large spoon front and back (it's gummy, so it sticks) and while he's working away trying to get every last morsel, you are doing whatever it is you have to do. It requires the help of another person (wielding the spoon, and a tub of cheese for "refills"), but for us it has worked like a charm -  our Conor LOVES cream cheese, and he has to work quite hard to get it off the spoon...... so it is " mission accomplished " every time we have to do something he doesn't like (including a recent chiropractic adjustment.)

You might want to give it a whirl! The only technique required is to find the best position for the helper - my husband usually sits in a chair with our boy sitting in front of him. I then lift his feet, clean out his ears or whatever.........

Good luck!

I have a long-coat and she gets hair in between her toes etc, several people when I first started out showing her obedience said she would slip or have issues with it, I never trimmed her feet and she does great. She runs like the wind on varible surfaces so I see no reason to trim unless your dog is having an issue. 

Amy

 AnjaBlue,

He's ok with me trimming his nails, I started that right after we got him. Actually, I just pretended to trim the first few times. I pushed it too quick with the ear medication.

I'll try the wooden spoon approach when I trim his pad hair. Thanks.

Hahahahahahaha , great thinking Nichole, and don't worry we won't tell him.

Debbie

 Amy, my boy definitely has an issue. 
  However, it has occurred to me that he is involved in a conspiracy with my wife to get me to put new tile down on the kitchen floor. :>)