Yogi's Mom

I was just wondering how many people use a dremel type tool for their dogs nails? Are they very loud and scary for dogs? I have seen them in different dog catalogs and have thought about giving them a try for Yogi. Can you just use the dremel tool to keep their nails short or do you still have to clip them? Yogi is not too fond of nail clippings but he does let the vet techs do it with no problem but if I could do them myself with the dremel I think he would be happier. Of course I would have to work with him on it slowly, maybe one nail at a time to get him used to it. I am just wondering if they work well and are they worth the money?

Mikey T

dremel or oster tools do not make a lot of noise but they do make some. Whether it botheres a dog depends on how sensative the dog is to electric motors. for most dogs it is no prblem but I had one dog that would let you clip his nails all day long but approach with a dremel and he would be long gone,

The other caveat about "rotary files" is they generate heat. This can be a problem for some dogs. Doing touch-up work is not a problem but for serious shortenting it is a good idea just to remove a little and move on to the next to one allowing the nail to cool inbetween preventing a painfull heat build up. Personnal I prefer the clipper. For me I can do the nails faster eith the clipper. I have had dogs that do much better with a dremel however, and as stated above the other way round as well,

you might find the following article helpful

How I Dremel Dog Nails

BubbaLeroy

Our first Basset, Bubba (AT, would let you use a dremel on his nails. He was from a show kennel and had been shown as a pup, and they had used the dremel on him. We got him as an 8 month old after he outgrew his ears and they didn't see "Best in Show" in his future. It was great, just a quick buzz on each nail, and they were done and looked great.

Now Bogie was a different story. From the same kennel, not show quality from day one, so they just clipped his nails. We got him at 10 months. Bogie will just lay on his back and let you clip away. Bring on the Dremel, and he's "out of here" heading for the north forty, scared to death. Since we had the dremel, we tried working with him, one nail a day with cookie bribes, etc. Finally decided it wasn't worth the trama we were causing him, and back to clipping.

He is also paranoid about the vacuum cleaner. At least after almost two years he's down to walking when I run it from the frantic trotting and panting when we got him.

Good luck with Yogi.

__________________
You don't own a Basset, a Basset owns you!!
Aroooooos from Bogie !! - Trumbull's Who's Teasin Bogart CGC- Born April 21, 2005
ATB: Bubba - (Trumbull's Surley It's Stormin Norman) Sept. 8, 1998 - Dec. 20, 2005

Mikey T

The dog I had with the dermel phobia this was also true, Not just the vaccum but any electric motor type sound except for the can opener. My mother bought him a grooming brush with a massage option he was fine with using as a groomer until the battery powered massager par was turned on. As soon as he heard it he was gone.

I mention this because it might serve as a guide as to whether your dog will or won't be efffected by the noise,

Yogi's Mom

Yogi does really good with the vacuum. I can run the vacuum right up along the side of the couch and he doesn't even move an inch. Occasionally, if he is on the floor while I am running it he will run up and bark at it but he doesn't do that very often. Last year I decided to try using the hair dryer on him in the winter because he gets so cold after a bath (mostly I try not to give him one in the winter but there are times when they are needed due to skin issues) and after a few times he has come to accept it but he still won't let me dry his neck area with it. I don't know if it is the noise being too close to his ears or what.
Thank you both for your advice. The article is really good and let me see that there is more to it than I thought but I am still thinking it might be a better choice.
I wish I could find a good groomer for the nails but we have had some bad experiences with groomers which is another post entirely.

Lightning&Stomps

I'll sell you the dremel I bought to trim Stomps' nails. I don't know why I thought a dog who was terrified of anyone touching his toenails would suddenly roll over and offer up his feet when I came at him with a power tool. And he'll even let me vaccuum him sometimes. He's to the point now that when I take him to the groomer, he rolls over and she trims his nails in mere seconds. So I have no need for my dremel.

Maggie's Mommy

My German Shepherd (AT had his nails grinded (that's what I call it) every 4 weeks. He did not have the best temperment with most people and hated the clippers. For some reason the dremel didn't bother him??

Rusty & Stickers came to me at 1 year old and we very use to being handled. I use the clippers once a week and also use a buzzer to shave the hair between the pads. I don't own a dremel but I think they would tolerate just about anything. Most of the time Rusty starts to fall asleep while I'm grooming him

I agree it really depends on the dog.

Bassets3

The rechargable ones are quieter than the electric one but I think the electric runs on a higher speed. (Which would make it noisier). I use the dremel on Laci but Shami prefers the clippers. Laci hates the clippers. I saw this info commercial on last week and checked out the web site. It has some interesting information about the tool. Of course don't be fooled by the $29.95 price. For Bassets we need the bigger one. One feature I like about this particular one is it looks to have a shield around the cutting wheel which may cut down on the dust. http://www.peticure.com/

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Bassets are like potato chips. You can't have just one!

Yogi's Mom

Those look pretty cool! They make it look so easy. I confess that I am a bit nervous about trying the dremel on Yogi. Only because I love him so much that if I hurt him I will cry! Yes, mom is a bit neurotic when it comes to him!

Yogi's Mom

Well, after taking my time to get the right size sanding bands for the dremel tool and working up the nerve to try this I finally decided to give this a try a couple weeks ago. It is going really well! I am slowly working on getting his nails shorter. The only ones that I am having trouble with are the dew claws because of the angle. Tomorrow he is going to the vet so I think I will ask them to just clip the dew claws while we are there. I was really nervous about doing it but now I feel more confident and I think he senses that. He really has surprised me with how well he is doing with it!
Has anyone tried the Peticure tool yet?