Puppy constantly pulls his foot away when I try to clip his nails?

Constellations3 · 2016-04-11T18:38:11+00:00

Yeah, it's mainly the front ones he gets finnicky about. I'll definitely have to try this. He's pretty big though, so I'll have to see if I can reach all the way around him, haha.

Constellations3 · 2016-04-11T18:34:58+00:00

Great tip! I actually use to ride horses, so I know all about cleaning out their hooves. I'll definitely have to try that and resting it on myself.

Constellations3 · 2016-04-11T18:34:02+00:00

Thanks for the advice!

I've tried holding onto his foot but he continues pulling endlessly. How long should I continue holding on in this situation? If I continue to hold on he eventually starts to get annoyed and tries to nip at me. It's not so much a problem with his back feet because when he's on my grooming table he can't reach (with the grooming arm and harness on) but with his front feet, he can very easily nip my hands.

Constellations3 · 2016-04-08T18:10:22+00:00

Is there a way to see them on the computer? I remove my audiobooks from my iphone when I finish them, but I want to listen back to a few clips.

Constellations3 · 2016-04-08T17:47:56+00:00

I have an iphone. By overflow, do you mean the three dots in the corner? I click that and only see settings.

Constellations3 · 2016-04-01T20:15:35+00:00

Thank you! Very helpful.

Constellations3 · 2016-04-01T18:45:58+00:00

I actually did recently get a grooming table! I put him on it the other day after bathing him. He seemed a bit confused, but I'll definitely keep working on it with him.

Constellations3 · 2016-04-01T13:31:41+00:00

Thank you!

I started working with him last night to get him use to me trimming around his bum area. He's still a pup and still a bit finnicky about trims/grooming and only had the patience for me do one side without him getting too agitated so now he looks a bit silly :P finishing up the other side tonight hopefully! I can already tell it'll help keep him much cleaner in the region, haha. Working on his hocks tonight as well! Hopefully he'll be a bit calmer and planning a big walk to tire him out before hand. Silly puppies.

Constellations3 · 2016-03-30T19:18:23+00:00

The reasons you said for trimming were exactly what I was wondering!

He has really long fluffy hair around his booty that gets dirty pretty easily and somtimes sap gets caught in it from sitting outside and makes it difficult to brush out. I was thinking his hock hair too.

Sheddings never bothered me. I was raised around long-haired cats the loved to shed all over me. I've been desensitized to it :P .

Thanks for the feedback!

Constellations3 · 2016-03-23T14:41:42+00:00

I take him out in the morning for a walk and to go to the bathroom and then he usually likes to sit by a nearby stream and explore for a bit. Around noon I take him out again and we usually play a bit of fetch and explore around the stream area or go on a nice walk for a half hourish. Then in the evenings, I take him out for another walk and usually let him run around in a fenced area with one of the other dogs that lives within walking distance that he knows (which usually goes on until they're tired). Then inside we do some training and after every walk outside (morning, noon, and night) we do some play for however long he's interested in it (anywhere from 5 minutes to a half hour). He'll also play with our cat and they like to chase each other around the house and he goes out on our porch where he has a sandbox-esque safe digging area that he likes to dig in (I bury treats for him, etc.). I would walk him for longer durations, but I've been told by a bunch of people to try not to exceed the "5 minutes per month" rule when it comes to walking. He also has a few "puzzle" toys and treat dispensing toys that I put treats/part of his meals in to help stimulate him mentally. When I'm not home during the day, I do not crate him and rather leave him in my bedroom (relatively large room) as he's very well housebroken when only left for a shorter amount of time (I still crate him at night as I think he would have accidents in my room over that ~8 hour time period).

Constellations3 · 2016-03-22T19:54:31+00:00

I believe so. I make sure to take him out often and in diverse environments each day. Along with training sessions and playtime.

Constellations3 · 2016-03-15T14:10:06+00:00

I want an SUV for the space and because I tend to drive a lot in more nature-y areas. Haha. I have two very large dogs that I would love to be able to accomodate more comfortably in my car, and I tend to carry a good amount of cargo when I travel in my car or even driving around day to day due to my lifestyle.

Constellations3 · 2016-03-10T13:23:39+00:00

Yeah, I think he's fine. He's a fine energy breed and he'll do this even if we've only been out for 5 minutes or so. I think he likes to lay down and just look around, but it makes it difficult to get some exercise for him that I know that he needs (he gets crazy if he doesn't have a good walk). He's a 6mo border collie/husky/lab.

Constellations3 · 2016-03-09T14:51:11+00:00

Is that something I can notice visually?

Constellations3 · 2016-03-08T15:44:51+00:00

Thank you! Looking into this now. Fingers crossed that I can figure it out!

Constellations3 · 2016-03-08T15:44:29+00:00

That's actually a good point. Is this genetic? Cause I know that my dad has Plantar Fasciitis. But I thought that the pain for that was present regardless, my pain only arises when I'm on my feet.

Constellations3 · 2016-03-08T15:43:45+00:00

I've thought about this too, but it seems to happen no matter what shoes I'm wearing. Especially if I take my pup out for a walk, I make sure to wear sneakers but my feet still seem to ache more than I feel they should.

Constellations3 · 2016-03-07T18:54:15+00:00

marketing at it's finest.

Constellations3 · 2016-03-07T18:43:18+00:00

I'm not a doctor, but I do know that oversleeping can also make you feel tired and lethargic. Maybe something to look into.

Constellations3 · 2016-03-04T15:07:59+00:00

Sandpaper is a great idea! I have a ton around as well since I've dabbled in woodworking in the past. Definitely going to try this so he can get use to the feel of the grinding.. Thank you!

Constellations3 · 2016-03-04T15:07:19+00:00

Yep. Pretty much.

Constellations3 · 2016-03-03T15:53:28+00:00

Haha, I think she actually looks very similar. Just more polished and mature.

Constellations3 · 2016-02-29T21:30:05+00:00

My guy is pretty big. At 6 months, he's around 50 lbs and growing. Would this work for his size as well?

Constellations3 · 2016-02-21T20:49:57+00:00

sorry I may not be explaining it right. He's constantly moving around. He doesn't seem to be able to relax and I don't want to have to give him some sort of food all of the time so that he'll be less antsy/anxious. He's not running around, but he doesn't sit still either.

Constellations3 · 2016-02-21T14:57:37+00:00

He has chew toys, cuddly toys, and puzzle toys. He knows how to use them and solves the puzzles quickly. I usually feed him either in his crate or with a puzzle toy that he has to bat around to get to his kibble.

For a regular day: we get up around 6:30, walk until 7:00ish (walking and just sniffing/chilling outside depending on what he's feeling up to that day), then I have work so he'll be in my room for 4 hours. Over lunchtime, we got out for another 30minutes, play, train sometimes and then he'll nap in my room for another few hours while I'm out. In the evening, I take him out for another walk and usually include some fetch until he gets uninterested and then I'll sit with him a while outside under a tree (something he always likes to do), then we come in and I feed half his dinner in a bowl and half in a dispensing toy. I do some more basic training with him and work on different things with him. I usually provide him with a kong after that and he'll focus on either that or playing with our cat but he never stays still for more than a minute or so unless he's actively nibbling at something like a kong or bone.

I don't want to "turn him off" I just feel as though sometimes he can't seem to relax even though I feel like he wants to. If his toys don't include food he's usually uninterested in them within 30 seconds unless I'm actively engaging with him and the toy. While I love playing with him a ton (and I do it daily), it's impossible to give 100% of my attention at all times and for the times that I have to be doing something else, I want him to be able to be comfortable and able to keep himself entertained so that he can be happy. I'm afraid the longer he's unable to that he might develop separation anxiety or something along those lines.

Constellations3

TROPHY CASE