Tips for Trimming Golden Retriever Feet and Nails
If you own a golden retriever then you will understand how important grooming is because they have the most beautiful coat, but it’s not just brushing their coat that needs attention, their feet and nails do too.
Generally, a dog doesn’t like having its legs touched much, let alone when the grip starts to tighten because it pulls its legs to the side, but there are ways to overcome this so that a good job of trimming the legs can be done.
Accustoming the puppy to trimming the legs.
Since a puppy’s legs don’t move very often, it’s only natural that they get nervous when suddenly someone tries to grab them, and not only that, they’re holding those glowing scissors in their other hand!
Here’s the secret to overcoming puppy withdrawal. Before you start trying to trim your puppy’s feet, it is best that he is used to having his feet taken care of. It’s a matter of running your hands over his legs and massaging them gently every time you sit with the puppy. Over time, he’ll get used to it and won’t mind at all when you take his legs for a little trim.
What needs trimming.
Since the retriever has long fur all the way down to the legs, it is important to keep the hair between his toes trimmed. If the hair in this area is not trimmed, it can get under the pad of his feet and he will lose traction as he runs around and this can be quite dangerous for him if he is trying to stop on a slippery surface like tiles.
Another reason why the hair on the legs needs trimming is that this area of the hair is a natural place to collect all those pesky wrinkles, small stones, seeds and other small hurtful objects that can cause pain in the dog’s legs .
Nail trimming.
Did you realize that a dog that has overgrown nails can have some pretty serious foot problems? What happens is that long nails actually distort the shape of the toe and then the shape of the foot. This is a serious problem as their walking and even standing becomes very painful over time.
When you get your little guy, you may want to take him to a professional groomer the first few times and have him show you how far back to trim the nails. Using the massage techniques, you will be able to trim his hair and nails without any problems soon.
How to start trimming nails.
The initial idea is to just cut one nail the first time and leave it at that. After a few days and a few foot massages later, cut two nails and leave them. Repeat the process, adding one more nail each time, and before you know it, all the nails will be done. In time you will be able to sit down and do all the nails at once as he will know you are not going to hurt him.
One thing to remember when grooming your Golden Retriever is that any fear and anxiety you feel about the job will immediately transfer to the dog. So keep calm and relaxed and keep talking to the puppy and petting him while you complete the nail and hair trimming tasks.
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