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Have two mutts. They're both siblings, 1 year old. One is fine. The other's terrified of everything. He's gotten used to remotes, phones, etc...Little things.
Where I'm having serious problems is with baths and clipping his nails. Anything where he has to be restrained. Wouldn't be that big a problem if he wasn't 70 lbs. He's very strong. I'm also strong, so he cannot escape, but he'll try to the point he's really going to injure himself.
I'm very good to my dogs. I don't hit them in any way, but I'm not one of the "kill 'em with kindness" people. I'm the boss in my house. I'm very stern, but fair. I've raised three EXTREMELY well behaved dogs that love me to death. Including this one. And I've trained them very fast with my methods.
But whenever it's bath time or time to clip his nails, he panics. He struggled so hard to get away once that he crapped himself. In the past, I've held panicky dogs in the bath until they stopped fighting and realized they weren't going to die. They usually get used to it pretty quickly.
Tonight was the last straw. I was sitting on the floor getting ready to clip his nails. As soon as he saw the clippers he ran. I grabbed him and made him sit, while I just tried to touch his feet with them to get him used to them. He started struggling and doing everything within his power to get away. Didn't work, but for one hour (not an exaggeration) he fought me. One hour straight. He didn't once pause to catch his breath.
How do I get him to loosen the hell up? I've never beat him or hurt him (though he's tempted me) so he shouldn't be scared of that. I'm at my wit's end.
Any thoughts?
Where I'm having serious problems is with baths and clipping his nails. Anything where he has to be restrained. Wouldn't be that big a problem if he wasn't 70 lbs. He's very strong. I'm also strong, so he cannot escape, but he'll try to the point he's really going to injure himself.
I'm very good to my dogs. I don't hit them in any way, but I'm not one of the "kill 'em with kindness" people. I'm the boss in my house. I'm very stern, but fair. I've raised three EXTREMELY well behaved dogs that love me to death. Including this one. And I've trained them very fast with my methods.
But whenever it's bath time or time to clip his nails, he panics. He struggled so hard to get away once that he crapped himself. In the past, I've held panicky dogs in the bath until they stopped fighting and realized they weren't going to die. They usually get used to it pretty quickly.
Tonight was the last straw. I was sitting on the floor getting ready to clip his nails. As soon as he saw the clippers he ran. I grabbed him and made him sit, while I just tried to touch his feet with them to get him used to them. He started struggling and doing everything within his power to get away. Didn't work, but for one hour (not an exaggeration) he fought me. One hour straight. He didn't once pause to catch his breath.
How do I get him to loosen the hell up? I've never beat him or hurt him (though he's tempted me) so he shouldn't be scared of that. I'm at my wit's end.
Any thoughts?