My dog will not allow me to brush him or cut his nails. The vet has to knock him out to do the nails. What can I do?

Question

I have an 11 month old Akita neutered male. I am a first time Akita owner, I did not get him for protection (or for any status symbol for that matter, unlike some Akita owners) I got him based on a recommendation from a good friend and mostly because with the exception of the same sex dog aggression notable to the breed, I truly love the breed. He is a wonderful dog with a lot of great qualities and from what I can see doesn't seem to have many of the hardcore dominance issues that you speak about on your site. He is not food aggressive, he DOES have a really high prey drive (loves to chase just about anything) although he has made friends with one of our cats (they tend to sleep together at night), I got nowhere with crating him for housebreaking (he hated the confinement to such a small area) but we do gate him in the kitchen at night and when we go out so he doesn't have free roam of the house.

    I got him at the wrong time (I work full time and started night classes pretty much right after I got him, I know.. NOT SMART) so I haven't been able to attend obedience classes yet, but I see that I need to do something NOW. He knows sit, but he pretty much CHOOSES when that will be. Some of the reasons I feel he DOES have dominance issues are: He REFUSES to allow me, or the vet to trim his nails. Both times they have been done he has had to be heavily sedated, which I HATE. He is also resistant to grooming, which is a royal pain with a dog with a double coat that falls out twice a year. My husband has taken the dog to work since we got him at 10 weeks old. It is a lawn and garden dealership, and we thought that being around the machinery and the constant flow of people would help with his socialization. And it has, with the exception of the barking at only CERTAIN people. And it's almost impossible to get him to stop until he's damn good and ready.

    I plan on purchasing your Basic Dog Obedience tape, can you tell me if you have any suggestions on working with the nail trimming and the grooming? I had done this myself when he was a young puppy, but lately he will not let me do anything.. and I need him to be more accepting of the handling, especially when he goes to the Vet. He is only 85lbs right now, but I expect him to get to 110 or 120.

Accepted Answer

Get a prong collar with the video. Do the training at home.

I would also get the wire basket muzzle we sell. He cannot bite you if he has the muzzle on . If a dog will not allow me to cut his nails then this is an obedience (or lack of obedience issue). The first thing you do is spend 3 or 4 weeks obedience training this dog. Then when he is at the point where he is minding better – go to the grooming. Talk nice when you do it and show him the treat before you start – then put it away and give him a treat after you are done– the sessions should be short in the beginning. Three or four stroked of the brush and then give the treat.

If this does not work it will take some serious corrections for him to know that you mean to brush him and not allowing it is not going to work. Sometimes pet owners can not correct to the level it takes.

Once you solve the brushing then move on to the nails – The fact is these things should have been taken care of at a young age. Now it is going to require a fight – make sure the dog is muzzled before the fight starts or you will get hurt. Make sure you have backup if you start a fight – the better idea is for your husband to do this.