Hi Everyone,

I'm having a terrible time with my 18 month old female Chihuahua. She will
not let me cut her nails so I have to take her to the vet to get it done.
They put a muzzle on her I've just found out cause I don't see what they are
doing I didn't know. But apparently she makes a terrible fuss when they try
to get it on her, they even asked me NOT to bring her so often now but I
only take her when her nails need cutting or trimming. I would like to try
that but I can't get it on her cause she goes nuts, so will ask someone to
help me. I would like to know if this is going to stress her out too much if
I try to do it. This would certainly save me $$$. She is the most difficult
Chi I've ever had and I've had 6 of them over the years and always been able
to groom them. Petria lets me bath her although she hates it and wriggles
around and growls a bit, I was advised to growl back at her and that seems
to work with the bath. She won't let me clean her ears and it drives me
crazy. I'm wondering if there is something I can give her to calm her down.
She is so little I can't fight or force her because I could break her neck
or legs. I've tried treats, they don't work she is too smart. I'm at a loss
and stressed myself now.

Hope someone can advise me as it's making me cranky too.

Many thanks,
Joan.

Joan, even though you're an experienced Chihuahua owner, this one is
different. And she's got your number. {grin and groan} Oh, boy, has
she ever! She even thinks she's in charge! So that's where you need to
start on a reform school program.... getting her respect and trust,
which you do not have at present.

First, she needs a Nothing In Life Is Free program. This is very simple
to do.... no pain, no fear, just rules that you must follow and enforce
CONSISTENTLY. It will be more difficult for you to follow than it will
be to her to make the lifestyle changes.

Although the Chihuahua is somewhat delicate due to size, she is still
One Tough Cookie both physically and psychologically.

First.... I have a reading assignment for you, so you understand what is
what and what is not. Go to http://phouka.com/dogs/dog_pack.html to
read about pack structure. Then go to
http://www.greyhoundlist.org/nothing_is_free.htm and read about the
program itself. There are many other web sites with the Nothing In Life
Is
Free Program, and each is slightly different. You can find those with
a simple search.

Basically, your little tyrant must Earn everything that she perceives as
good.... dinner, petting, a game with you, a walk, a treat, a toy. She
does this by following commands promptly and correctly. One time you
may require her to sit, another time to come, to shake hands, to lie
down.... If she doesn't know some commands, teaching her is necessary.
More on that in a minute. If she doesn't follow the command promptly,
the FIRST TIME you say the word, she doesn't get that desired thing or
activity.

If she doesn't know sit, down (lie down), come, off (get off), leave
it, and how to walk politely on leash without pulling, get thee to a
good basic obedience class. Your vet clinic staff can make some good
recommendations. Good obedience instructors at chain pet stores are
rarer than hens teeth. You want a dog club or private training school.
You will learn to teach her, she will learn to follow your commands, and
she will learn to both trust you and respect you. The Nothing In Life
Is Free Program supports the training process, and the training process
supports the NILIF Program.... so even if she knows some or all of those
commands, a class, with other dogs, will still be a terrific boost. It
all becomes a way of life.

Then you can start to work on the grooming issues of nails and bathing
and brushing. It is quite possible that you will need to use a muzzle
for some length of time. This is a safety measure for you. But as she
becomes more cooperative there are other tricks to the trade that you
can introduce.

For instance, I flip my small dogs onto their backs and tuck them
between my thigh and the arm of my favorite chair, dog head hanging
slightly over the front edge. I FILE the nails using a large coarse
grade nail file (emery board) from the beauty supply store, one nail at
a time. You may find a narrow one works better. I use treats lavishly
to keep dog's mind off what I am doing. At first, I'm happy to get one
or two nails done in a single session.

But I also use the approach of getting the dog up out of it's "home",
the floor, onto a table or counter top.... or a regular grooming table
(discuss with a groomer; s/he will have catalogs and suggestions). On a
regular table or counter top, I put a rubber bath mat or a dampened
towel (won't slide). Dog can be on it's side or standing. I clip the
nails or use a Dremel. A Dremel is a small electric tool for grinding
things.... using a stone or sandpaper drums. The one I'm using now is
the smallest model from WalMart's home improvement department, about
$19-20, rechargeable, two speeds. When running, the dremel shouldn't be
in contact with a nail for more than about 3-ish seconds at a time (nail
gets HOT). Use treats lavishily. In fact, I use lots of peanut butter
or squirt cheese.... a wad wiped inside the upper front teeth, on my
forearm or back of a hand to be licked off. Or combine clipping nails
and rounding off the sharp edges with a nail file (human, NOT pet
version... which doesn't work very well) or the Dremel.

If her nails are white, the Dremel almost "melts them away". If black,
it takes longer as the dark nails are harder.

If you do nails every 7-10 days, there's little that has to be taken
off.... and the dog gets more used to it and calmer. If you have
reasonably skilled help, put the muzzle on Madam Herself and one of you
hold the dog across your chest, inside the arms, legs hanging down
keeping human face turned away from her face, even with the muzzle. Get
in there and clip away from below.

Pet supply houses (http://www.petedge.com is one of many good places
with a wide variety of professional supplies.... reliable, good people,
and I don't get a kickback) carry a suction cup thingie that attaches a
tether to the inside of a sink or bathtub.... tether fastens to the
collar which must be snug enough that it Can't slide over her head.
This keeps the dog from bailing out, but frees your hands a little more,
making the bath quicker and easier for all. Big treat after. Note that
few dogs need a bath much more often than every 3-6 MONTHS.... My dogs
haven't had a bath in Ages, but they smell fine. I use unscented baby
wipes to do some rubby-scrubby about once a week to every two weeks....
and this leaves the natural oils on the skin so it doesn't dry out and
cause the itchies, while cleaning the hairs.

Jo Wolf
Martinez, Georgia, USA

Hi Jo, Thank you soooo much for taking the time to help me with all that
advice, WOW, I will read my assignment (thank you). I'm sure this will all
help the situation. I am in Australia but I've heard of the dremel for the
nails. My vet's nurse has one for her dogs but she said Petria may get
frightened with the noise. I'll follow your other steps with the nails. She
has never been hurt when her nails have been cut as I used to be able to do
it when she was a baby BUT only when she was asleep on my lap at night, she
wasn't aware of what I was doing. Then she got older and wakes more easily
so can't do that now. One of my sons put a towel around her and we covered
her face but she fought so much it was impossible so I gave up and have been
taking her to the vet for the nails. You are so right, she thinks she is the
boss, even my other Chihuahua is much bigger but she is a little afraid of
the baby (Petria).
I've just been down to the beach with them. I get bored walking around the
street so last week decided to try the beach where dogs are allowed. what a
nightmare that was. Even though I kept Petria on her harness she tried to
attack every dog in sight, maybe that was fear. Jacinta (bigger one) loved
the beach. Now they are covered in sand and salt water so have to bath them
both now. I'll come back when the stress of that is over. I don't have any
problems with Jacinta thank goodness.
BTW, I have taught Petria to sit, come and stay. When I give her dinner she
has to sit before I allow her to eat, then when she sits I say Ok. It's just
the grooming that is frustrating.
Many thanks again.
Regards , Joan.


"Jo Wolf" wrote in message
...
Joan, even though you're an experienced Chihuahua owner, this one is
different. And she's got your number. {grin and groan} Oh, boy, has
she ever! She even thinks she's in charge! So that's where you need to
start on a reform school program.... getting her respect and trust,
which you do not have at present.

First, she needs a Nothing In Life Is Free program. This is very simple
to do.... no pain, no fear, just rules that you must follow and enforce
CONSISTENTLY. It will be more difficult for you to follow than it will
be to her to make the lifestyle changes.

Although the Chihuahua is somewhat delicate due to size, she is still
One Tough Cookie both physically and psychologically.

First.... I have a reading assignment for you, so you understand what is
what and what is not. Go to http://phouka.com/dogs/dog_pack.html to
read about pack structure. Then go to
http://www.greyhoundlist.org/nothing_is_free.htm and read about the
program itself. There are many other web sites with the Nothing In Life
Is
Free Program, and each is slightly different. You can find those with
a simple search.

Basically, your little tyrant must Earn everything that she perceives as
good.... dinner, petting, a game with you, a walk, a treat, a toy. She
does this by following commands promptly and correctly. One time you
may require her to sit, another time to come, to shake hands, to lie
down.... If she doesn't know some commands, teaching her is necessary.
More on that in a minute. If she doesn't follow the command promptly,
the FIRST TIME you say the word, she doesn't get that desired thing or
activity.

If she doesn't know sit, down (lie down), come, off (get off), leave
it, and how to walk politely on leash without pulling, get thee to a
good basic obedience class. Your vet clinic staff can make some good
recommendations. Good obedience instructors at chain pet stores are
rarer than hens teeth. You want a dog club or private training school.
You will learn to teach her, she will learn to follow your commands, and
she will learn to both trust you and respect you. The Nothing In Life
Is Free Program supports the training process, and the training process
supports the NILIF Program.... so even if she knows some or all of those
commands, a class, with other dogs, will still be a terrific boost. It
all becomes a way of life.

Then you can start to work on the grooming issues of nails and bathing
and brushing. It is quite possible that you will need to use a muzzle
for some length of time. This is a safety measure for you. But as she
becomes more cooperative there are other tricks to the trade that you
can introduce.

For instance, I flip my small dogs onto their backs and tuck them
between my thigh and the arm of my favorite chair, dog head hanging
slightly over the front edge. I FILE the nails using a large coarse
grade nail file (emery board) from the beauty supply store, one nail at
a time. You may find a narrow one works better. I use treats lavishly
to keep dog's mind off what I am doing. At first, I'm happy to get one
or two nails done in a single session.

But I also use the approach of getting the dog up out of it's "home",
the floor, onto a table or counter top.... or a regular grooming table
(discuss with a groomer; s/he will have catalogs and suggestions). On a
regular table or counter top, I put a rubber bath mat or a dampened
towel (won't slide). Dog can be on it's side or standing. I clip the
nails or use a Dremel. A Dremel is a small electric tool for grinding
things.... using a stone or sandpaper drums. The one I'm using now is
the smallest model from WalMart's home improvement department, about
$19-20, rechargeable, two speeds. When running, the dremel shouldn't be
in contact with a nail for more than about 3-ish seconds at a time (nail
gets HOT). Use treats lavishily. In fact, I use lots of peanut butter
or squirt cheese.... a wad wiped inside the upper front teeth, on my
forearm or back of a hand to be licked off. Or combine clipping nails
and rounding off the sharp edges with a nail file (human, NOT pet
version... which doesn't work very well) or the Dremel.

If her nails are white, the Dremel almost "melts them away". If black,
it takes longer as the dark nails are harder.

If you do nails every 7-10 days, there's little that has to be taken
off.... and the dog gets more used to it and calmer. If you have
reasonably skilled help, put the muzzle on Madam Herself and one of you
hold the dog across your chest, inside the arms, legs hanging down
keeping human face turned away from her face, even with the muzzle. Get
in there and clip away from below.

Pet supply houses (http://www.petedge.com is one of many good places
with a wide variety of professional supplies.... reliable, good people,
and I don't get a kickback) carry a suction cup thingie that attaches a
tether to the inside of a sink or bathtub.... tether fastens to the
collar which must be snug enough that it Can't slide over her head.
This keeps the dog from bailing out, but frees your hands a little more,
making the bath quicker and easier for all. Big treat after. Note that
few dogs need a bath much more often than every 3-6 MONTHS.... My dogs
haven't had a bath in Ages, but they smell fine. I use unscented baby
wipes to do some rubby-scrubby about once a week to every two weeks....
and this leaves the natural oils on the skin so it doesn't dry out and
cause the itchies, while cleaning the hairs.

Jo Wolf
Martinez, Georgia, USA

"Joanie" wrote in message
ond.com...
Hi Jo, Thank you soooo much for taking the time to help me with all that
advice, WOW, I will read my assignment (thank you). I'm sure this will all
help the situation. I am in Australia but I've heard of the dremel for the
nails. My vet's nurse has one for her dogs but she said Petria may get
frightened with the noise. I'll follow your other steps with the nails.
She has never been hurt when her nails have been cut as I used to be able
to do it when she was a baby BUT only when she was asleep on my lap at
night, she wasn't aware of what I was doing. Then she got older and wakes
more easily so can't do that now. One of my sons put a towel around her
and we covered her face but she fought so much it was impossible so I gave
up and have been taking her to the vet for the nails. You are so right,
she thinks she is the boss, even my other Chihuahua is much bigger but she
is a little afraid of the baby (Petria).
I've just been down to the beach with them. I get bored walking around the
street so last week decided to try the beach where dogs are allowed. what
a nightmare that was. Even though I kept Petria on her harness she tried
to attack every dog in sight, maybe that was fear. Jacinta (bigger one)
loved the beach. Now they are covered in sand and salt water so have to
bath them both now. I'll come back when the stress of that is over. I
don't have any problems with Jacinta thank goodness.
BTW, I have taught Petria to sit, come and stay. When I give her dinner
she has to sit before I allow her to eat, then when she sits I say Ok.
It's just the grooming that is frustrating.
Many thanks again.
Regards , Joan.

I've bathed the girls. Petria was fine then I decided to ask one of my
teenage Grandsons to come and help me put the muzzle on her so I could clean
her ears and cut her nails. She went nuts when my grandson tried to put the
muzzle on her, I was holding her but there was no way we could do it. I'm at
a loss, if she were a big dog she could have hurt us. I have no idea how the
Vet's nurse manages to get one on her. Petria was so upset, not to mention
me. She was shaking so much I thought she would have a heart attack. Even
treats didn't work, she refuses to co-operate at all. We gave up. I will
read the links in the morning AU time, getting late here and I have to feed
the family.Just thought I would let you know the latest. I cannot believe
this is happening.
thanks again, Joan.


"Jo Wolf" wrote in message
...
Joan, even though you're an experienced Chihuahua owner, this one is
different. And she's got your number. {grin and groan} Oh, boy, has
she ever! She even thinks she's in charge! So that's where you need to
start on a reform school program.... getting her respect and trust,
which you do not have at present.

First, she needs a Nothing In Life Is Free program. This is very simple
to do.... no pain, no fear, just rules that you must follow and enforce
CONSISTENTLY. It will be more difficult for you to follow than it will
be to her to make the lifestyle changes.

Although the Chihuahua is somewhat delicate due to size, she is still
One Tough Cookie both physically and psychologically.

First.... I have a reading assignment for you, so you understand what is
what and what is not. Go to http://phouka.com/dogs/dog_pack.html to
read about pack structure. Then go to
http://www.greyhoundlist.org/nothing_is_free.htm and read about the
program itself. There are many other web sites with the Nothing In Life
Is
Free Program, and each is slightly different. You can find those with
a simple search.

Basically, your little tyrant must Earn everything that she perceives as
good.... dinner, petting, a game with you, a walk, a treat, a toy. She
does this by following commands promptly and correctly. One time you
may require her to sit, another time to come, to shake hands, to lie
down.... If she doesn't know some commands, teaching her is necessary.
More on that in a minute. If she doesn't follow the command promptly,
the FIRST TIME you say the word, she doesn't get that desired thing or
activity.

If she doesn't know sit, down (lie down), come, off (get off), leave
it, and how to walk politely on leash without pulling, get thee to a
good basic obedience class. Your vet clinic staff can make some good
recommendations. Good obedience instructors at chain pet stores are
rarer than hens teeth. You want a dog club or private training school.
You will learn to teach her, she will learn to follow your commands, and
she will learn to both trust you and respect you. The Nothing In Life
Is Free Program supports the training process, and the training process
supports the NILIF Program.... so even if she knows some or all of those
commands, a class, with other dogs, will still be a terrific boost. It
all becomes a way of life.

Then you can start to work on the grooming issues of nails and bathing
and brushing. It is quite possible that you will need to use a muzzle
for some length of time. This is a safety measure for you. But as she
becomes more cooperative there are other tricks to the trade that you
can introduce.

For instance, I flip my small dogs onto their backs and tuck them
between my thigh and the arm of my favorite chair, dog head hanging
slightly over the front edge. I FILE the nails using a large coarse
grade nail file (emery board) from the beauty supply store, one nail at
a time. You may find a narrow one works better. I use treats lavishly
to keep dog's mind off what I am doing. At first, I'm happy to get one
or two nails done in a single session.

But I also use the approach of getting the dog up out of it's "home",
the floor, onto a table or counter top.... or a regular grooming table
(discuss with a groomer; s/he will have catalogs and suggestions). On a
regular table or counter top, I put a rubber bath mat or a dampened
towel (won't slide). Dog can be on it's side or standing. I clip the
nails or use a Dremel. A Dremel is a small electric tool for grinding
things.... using a stone or sandpaper drums. The one I'm using now is
the smallest model from WalMart's home improvement department, about
$19-20, rechargeable, two speeds. When running, the dremel shouldn't be
in contact with a nail for more than about 3-ish seconds at a time (nail
gets HOT). Use treats lavishily. In fact, I use lots of peanut butter
or squirt cheese.... a wad wiped inside the upper front teeth, on my
forearm or back of a hand to be licked off. Or combine clipping nails
and rounding off the sharp edges with a nail file (human, NOT pet
version... which doesn't work very well) or the Dremel.

If her nails are white, the Dremel almost "melts them away". If black,
it takes longer as the dark nails are harder.

If you do nails every 7-10 days, there's little that has to be taken
off.... and the dog gets more used to it and calmer. If you have
reasonably skilled help, put the muzzle on Madam Herself and one of you
hold the dog across your chest, inside the arms, legs hanging down
keeping human face turned away from her face, even with the muzzle. Get
in there and clip away from below.

Pet supply houses (http://www.petedge.com is one of many good places
with a wide variety of professional supplies.... reliable, good people,
and I don't get a kickback) carry a suction cup thingie that attaches a
tether to the inside of a sink or bathtub.... tether fastens to the
collar which must be snug enough that it Can't slide over her head.
This keeps the dog from bailing out, but frees your hands a little more,
making the bath quicker and easier for all. Big treat after. Note that
few dogs need a bath much more often than every 3-6 MONTHS.... My dogs
haven't had a bath in Ages, but they smell fine. I use unscented baby
wipes to do some rubby-scrubby about once a week to every two weeks....
and this leaves the natural oils on the skin so it doesn't dry out and
cause the itchies, while cleaning the hairs.

Jo Wolf
Martinez, Georgia, USA

I've just read both the links you posted Jo and they are very informative.
Many thanks for your help.I'll just have to persevere but I don't think she
will ever accept the muzzle. I will keep trying though.
Regards,
Joan.
"Joanie" wrote in message
ond.com...

"Joanie" wrote in message
ond.com...
Hi Jo, Thank you soooo much for taking the time to help me with all that
advice, WOW, I will read my assignment (thank you). I'm sure this will
all help the situation. I am in Australia but I've heard of the dremel
for the nails. My vet's nurse has one for her dogs but she said Petria
may get frightened with the noise. I'll follow your other steps with the
nails. She has never been hurt when her nails have been cut as I used to
be able to do it when she was a baby BUT only when she was asleep on my
lap at night, she wasn't aware of what I was doing. Then she got older
and wakes more easily so can't do that now. One of my sons put a towel
around her and we covered her face but she fought so much it was
impossible so I gave up and have been taking her to the vet for the
nails. You are so right, she thinks she is the boss, even my other
Chihuahua is much bigger but she is a little afraid of the baby (Petria).
I've just been down to the beach with them. I get bored walking around
the street so last week decided to try the beach where dogs are allowed.
what a nightmare that was. Even though I kept Petria on her harness she
tried to attack every dog in sight, maybe that was fear. Jacinta (bigger
one) loved the beach. Now they are covered in sand and salt water so have
to bath them both now. I'll come back when the stress of that is over. I
don't have any problems with Jacinta thank goodness.
BTW, I have taught Petria to sit, come and stay. When I give her dinner
she has to sit before I allow her to eat, then when she sits I say Ok.
It's just the grooming that is frustrating.
Many thanks again.
Regards , Joan.

I've bathed the girls. Petria was fine then I decided to ask one of my
teenage Grandsons to come and help me put the muzzle on her so I could
clean her ears and cut her nails. She went nuts when my grandson tried to
put the muzzle on her, I was holding her but there was no way we could do
it. I'm at a loss, if she were a big dog she could have hurt us. I have no
idea how the Vet's nurse manages to get one on her. Petria was so upset,
not to mention me. She was shaking so much I thought she would have a
heart attack. Even treats didn't work, she refuses to co-operate at all.
We gave up. I will read the links in the morning AU time, getting late
here and I have to feed the family.Just thought I would let you know the
latest. I cannot believe this is happening.
thanks again, Joan.


"Jo Wolf" wrote in message
...
Joan, even though you're an experienced Chihuahua owner, this one is
different. And she's got your number. {grin and groan} Oh, boy, has
she ever! She even thinks she's in charge! So that's where you need to
start on a reform school program.... getting her respect and trust,
which you do not have at present.

First, she needs a Nothing In Life Is Free program. This is very simple
to do.... no pain, no fear, just rules that you must follow and enforce
CONSISTENTLY. It will be more difficult for you to follow than it will
be to her to make the lifestyle changes.

Although the Chihuahua is somewhat delicate due to size, she is still
One Tough Cookie both physically and psychologically.

First.... I have a reading assignment for you, so you understand what is
what and what is not. Go to http://phouka.com/dogs/dog_pack.html to
read about pack structure. Then go to
http://www.greyhoundlist.org/nothing_is_free.htm and read about the
program itself. There are many other web sites with the Nothing In Life
Is
Free Program, and each is slightly different. You can find those with
a simple search.

Basically, your little tyrant must Earn everything that she perceives as
good.... dinner, petting, a game with you, a walk, a treat, a toy. She
does this by following commands promptly and correctly. One time you
may require her to sit, another time to come, to shake hands, to lie
down.... If she doesn't know some commands, teaching her is necessary.
More on that in a minute. If she doesn't follow the command promptly,
the FIRST TIME you say the word, she doesn't get that desired thing or
activity.

If she doesn't know sit, down (lie down), come, off (get off), leave
it, and how to walk politely on leash without pulling, get thee to a
good basic obedience class. Your vet clinic staff can make some good
recommendations. Good obedience instructors at chain pet stores are
rarer than hens teeth. You want a dog club or private training school.
You will learn to teach her, she will learn to follow your commands, and
she will learn to both trust you and respect you. The Nothing In Life
Is Free Program supports the training process, and the training process
supports the NILIF Program.... so even if she knows some or all of those
commands, a class, with other dogs, will still be a terrific boost. It
all becomes a way of life.

Then you can start to work on the grooming issues of nails and bathing
and brushing. It is quite possible that you will need to use a muzzle
for some length of time. This is a safety measure for you. But as she
becomes more cooperative there are other tricks to the trade that you
can introduce.

For instance, I flip my small dogs onto their backs and tuck them
between my thigh and the arm of my favorite chair, dog head hanging
slightly over the front edge. I FILE the nails using a large coarse
grade nail file (emery board) from the beauty supply store, one nail at
a time. You may find a narrow one works better. I use treats lavishly
to keep dog's mind off what I am doing. At first, I'm happy to get one
or two nails done in a single session.

But I also use the approach of getting the dog up out of it's "home",
the floor, onto a table or counter top.... or a regular grooming table
(discuss with a groomer; s/he will have catalogs and suggestions). On a
regular table or counter top, I put a rubber bath mat or a dampened
towel (won't slide). Dog can be on it's side or standing. I clip the
nails or use a Dremel. A Dremel is a small electric tool for grinding
things.... using a stone or sandpaper drums. The one I'm using now is
the smallest model from WalMart's home improvement department, about
$19-20, rechargeable, two speeds. When running, the dremel shouldn't be
in contact with a nail for more than about 3-ish seconds at a time (nail
gets HOT). Use treats lavishily. In fact, I use lots of peanut butter
or squirt cheese.... a wad wiped inside the upper front teeth, on my
forearm or back of a hand to be licked off. Or combine clipping nails
and rounding off the sharp edges with a nail file (human, NOT pet
version... which doesn't work very well) or the Dremel.

If her nails are white, the Dremel almost "melts them away". If black,
it takes longer as the dark nails are harder.

If you do nails every 7-10 days, there's little that has to be taken
off.... and the dog gets more used to it and calmer. If you have
reasonably skilled help, put the muzzle on Madam Herself and one of you
hold the dog across your chest, inside the arms, legs hanging down
keeping human face turned away from her face, even with the muzzle. Get
in there and clip away from below.

Pet supply houses (http://www.petedge.com is one of many good places
with a wide variety of professional supplies.... reliable, good people,
and I don't get a kickback) carry a suction cup thingie that attaches a
tether to the inside of a sink or bathtub.... tether fastens to the
collar which must be snug enough that it Can't slide over her head.
This keeps the dog from bailing out, but frees your hands a little more,
making the bath quicker and easier for all. Big treat after. Note that
few dogs need a bath much more often than every 3-6 MONTHS.... My dogs
haven't had a bath in Ages, but they smell fine. I use unscented baby
wipes to do some rubby-scrubby about once a week to every two weeks....
and this leaves the natural oils on the skin so it doesn't dry out and
cause the itchies, while cleaning the hairs.

Jo Wolf
Martinez, Georgia, USA

EEP! Petria is a little twerp!

Try getting her VERY tired, before you try to put the muzzle on.....
Maybe the vet nurse can give you some suggestions. After all, they put
muzzles on multiple dogs of all sizes on a daily basis, so probably have
a dozen or so approaches.

I use a muzzle And an elizabethan collar/cone collar on one of my rescue
dogs.... but it's getting better..... Terriers tend to have long
memories, and this boy seems to have had some sort of traumatic
experience with nails.... because I can do Anything else with no
problems.

Oh, yeh, and Chihuahuas seem to me to be terriers that got shrunken in
the wash-and-dry cycle.....

Jo Wolf
Martinez, Georgia, USA

On Sep 23, 11:21*pm, "Joanie" wrote:
Hi Everyone,

I'm having a terrible time with my 18 month old female Chihuahua. She will
not let me cut her nails so I have to take her to the vet to get it done.
They put a muzzle on her I've just found out cause I don't see what they are
doing I didn't know. But apparently she makes a terrible fuss when they try
to get it on her, they even asked me NOT to bring her so often now but I
only take her when her nails need cutting or trimming.

How often are you having that done? Maybe you are taking her too
often.

? I would like to try
that but I can't get it on her cause she goes nuts, so will ask someone to
help me.

Stop using a muzzle first of all. Obviously she's freaking out over it
and you will never get her used to having her nails done till she
isn't afraid anymore. She will not stop being afraid if you continue
to create the conditions that started her fears to begin with.

I would like to know if this is going to stress her out too much if
I try to do it. This would certainly save me $$$.

If you try to do it by yourself it will stress you both out. This is
going to take some time to get her past the trauma she's been through
at the vet's office. Groomers are usually cheaper than a vet would be
so try that route. And let them know she's having problems and you'd
like them to work with you on getting her at ease with nail grooming.
Having you there, maybe even holding her while they do the cutting
would be a good start, if you know the proper way to restrain her.
She'd probably calm down just by having you there and hearing your
voice.

She is the most difficult
Chi I've ever had and I've had 6 of them over the years and always been able
to groom them. Petria lets me bath her although she hates it and wriggles
around and growls a bit, I was advised to growl back at her and that seems
to work with the bath. She won't let me clean her ears and it drives me
crazy. I'm wondering if there is something I can give her to calm her down.

This owner is in Australia. She may or may not be able to find Rescue
Remedy there easily, but there is highly likely to be some other herbal
or homeopathic calming compound readily available at natural food stores
(for humans) and/or pet supply stores. I have never had good results
with Rescue Remedy for my dogs, and despite what some owners have
claimed, when I've watched dogs before and after being given a dose or
two, I haven't seen a change. The herbals, if of good quality, tended
to give better results.... but dealing with a toy breed, hesitate to
give such a recommendation without information about doseage.

The problem with nail cutting came before the problem with the muzzle.

Nails need to be done approximately every 7-10 days to keep them from
banging into the floor/ground constantly.

In my nearly 35 years of dog ownership experience, twenty+ in purebred
rescue, and as a professional trainer dealing with pet owners, spreading
out the timing between nail work does not improve the situation. That's
why I suggested filing, as well as grinding and clipping. There's more
than one way to get there from here.....

Yes, she should talk with a Good goomer. One recommended by folks who
regularly have their dogs professionally groomed.

Jo Wolf
Martinez, Georgia, USA

Hi Cyndi,
Thank you for responding. I totally agree with you about the muzzle. My
eldest son came home last week end and I told him about it so he said "let
me try" WELL, she got so upset Glenn said it was ridiculous to even try. He
said "Mum she will have a heart attack so STOP this." I won't try again and
I will find a groomer as you suggest,. the Vet's nurse won't let me in to
see what they do and I want to be there too so a groomer surely will let me
be with her. I think this would work. I feel so sorry for my little
munchkin.
I have achieved another thing though, I taught her to "lay down" yesterday,
of course with a treat and lots of praise. She sits, stays and comes to me
and I don't have to give treats for those things now. she really is a
darling little angel..
Jo, if you read this I meant to come back ages ago when you were helping me
with getting Petria to go for walks because she would not walk on the lead
with a harness. I followed your tips with treats and she walks now but I
still have to go where there is less likely to be much traffic.
Many thanks everyone for the advice.
Regards,
Joan.

"cyndi" wrote in message
...
On Sep 23, 11:21 pm, "Joanie" wrote:
Hi Everyone,

I'm having a terrible time with my 18 month old female Chihuahua. She will
not let me cut her nails so I have to take her to the vet to get it done.
They put a muzzle on her I've just found out cause I don't see what they
are
doing I didn't know. But apparently she makes a terrible fuss when they
try
to get it on her, they even asked me NOT to bring her so often now but I
only take her when her nails need cutting or trimming.

How often are you having that done? Maybe you are taking her too
often.

? I would like to try
that but I can't get it on her cause she goes nuts, so will ask someone to
help me.

Stop using a muzzle first of all. Obviously she's freaking out over it
and you will never get her used to having her nails done till she
isn't afraid anymore. She will not stop being afraid if you continue
to create the conditions that started her fears to begin with.

I would like to know if this is going to stress her out too much if
I try to do it. This would certainly save me $$$.

If you try to do it by yourself it will stress you both out. This is
going to take some time to get her past the trauma she's been through
at the vet's office. Groomers are usually cheaper than a vet would be
so try that route. And let them know she's having problems and you'd
like them to work with you on getting her at ease with nail grooming.
Having you there, maybe even holding her while they do the cutting
would be a good start, if you know the proper way to restrain her.
She'd probably calm down just by having you there and hearing your
voice.

She is the most difficult
Chi I've ever had and I've had 6 of them over the years and always been
able
to groom them. Petria lets me bath her although she hates it and wriggles
around and growls a bit, I was advised to growl back at her and that seems
to work with the bath. She won't let me clean her ears and it drives me
crazy. I'm wondering if there is something I can give her to calm her
down.

Yes there is but you and she both need some training so everything
isn't so traumatic for her. There is a product called Rescue Remedy
you can order that will help for this. Look on the vitacost.com
website for it. They sell it at a good price. Just don't think that
this alone is going to help when there are deeper issues going on. Use
it as a tool along with the other solutions.

She is so little I can't fight or force her because I could break her neck
or legs.

Forcing her would make things worse. Try my way, use a groomer with
you present and with a dose of Rescue Remedy. This is *not* a tyrant,
just a scared little dog. Over time she will calm down when she
figures out the muzzle won't be used and eventually you will be able
to cut her yourself, or at least she won't freak so bad when you have
them cut.

This has nothing to do with the dog trying to be dominant. Please, put
the muzzle away and you will see improvement with just that one step/

I've tried treats, they don't work she is too smart. I'm at a loss
and stressed myself now.

Treats will work in the future. You have to get past the trauma first.


Hope someone can advise me as it's making me cranky too.

Many thanks,
Joan.

On 9/28/2011 12:37 AM, Jo Wolf wrote:
This owner is in Australia. She may or may not be able to find Rescue
Remedy there easily,

It's sold online.

but there is highly likely to be some other herbal
or homeopathic calming compound readily available at natural food stores
(for humans) and/or pet supply stores. I have never had good results
with Rescue Remedy for my dogs, and despite what some owners have
claimed, when I've watched dogs before and after being given a dose or
two, I haven't seen a change. The herbals, if of good quality, tended
to give better results....

How about some product names.

but dealing with a toy breed, hesitate to
give such a recommendation without information about doseage.

The problem with nail cutting came before the problem with the muzzle.

Nails need to be done approximately every 7-10 days to keep them from
banging into the floor/ground constantly.

I feel that is terribly excessive. Of course if all you are doing is
filing it may need done more often. This doesn't take into account the
activity level of the dog either. Younger more active dogs don't need
them cut at all.


In my nearly 35 years of dog ownership experience, twenty+ in purebred
rescue, and as a professional trainer dealing with pet owners, spreading
out the timing between nail work does not improve the situation.

It would if the dog is so traumatized that it's almost impossible to
have it done. The poor thing needs a break!

That's
why I suggested filing, as well as grinding and clipping. There's more
than one way to get there from here.....

Yes, she should talk with a Good goomer. One recommended by folks who
regularly have their dogs professionally groomed.

Jo Wolf
Martinez, Georgia, USA