Dog Nail Trimming Tips: Teach Dog to Use Scratchboard

April 24, 2015 by Fanna Easter

How to Teach Your Dog to Use a Scratchboard

You’ve built a size-appropriate nail scratchboard and now it’s time to teach your dog how to drag her front nails across it. You’ll need a clicker, lots of yummy treats (about the size of a pea), scratchboard and a room with a door.

Room With a Door

During the beginning stages, choose a small room with a door for dog training sessions. Before starting a dog training session, click and treat your dog for walking into the room and close the door behind you. By closing the door, you’re keeping your dog with you while minimizing distractions (e.g. movement around the house). Usually, I use our bathroom so my dogs associate it with fun instead of bath time. 🙂

This is not the torture room. This closed room means choice and fun, as your dog can decide to not participate. Remember, choice is a powerful reinforcer–sometimes even more so than food!

Placement of Scratchboard

After a few trials and errors, I discovered maximum nail filing when placing the scratchboard at a 45-degree angle to the ground. At this angle, your dog files the bottom portion first and then the middle and top of nail, forming a nice rounded and smooth nail. When keeping the scratchboard flat on the ground, I noticed a blunter bottom portion instead of a rounded nail tip, which seemed to grow out faster.

First Training Sessions

Goal: Positively introduce your dog to scratchboard.

Gather needed supplies, bring your dog into your chosen room, close the door and have a seat on the floor. Place treats on the seat of a chair before beginning each session. Basically, treats are kept up high so you can easily reach while keeping your dog from self snacking. Next to your treats, place the scratchboard. Placing the board on the floor means “let’s scratch at the board” to your dog. Plus you don’t want to miss any nail drags.

Place bottom of board on floor and leave top against your leg. The front should be facing your dog.
When your dog looks at, walks toward or touches her front paw on the board, click and toss her a treat.
Usually, looking at and walking toward the board happens during your first training session. Your dog is learning that the board means something so she’s going to investigate, which you will heavily reward.
Practice 5-10 times and end training session.

Paw on Board

Goal: Teach dog to touch paw to board.

Settle in chosen room, and set up treats and scratchboard.
Place board on ground with top portion leaning against your legs. Get ready. When the board is in place, this gives your dog the green light to start offering paw movements.
Click and treat paw touches (either paw or both) even if for a nanosecond.
After 5-10 treats, end training session.

If Dog Walks Away During Training Session

This can happen. Think of it as a temperature check of your training session. If your dog walks away, there are a few things going on:

Your dog is confused. She’s not sure what you’re asking her. Take a step back and click/treat for looking, walking toward and touching the scratchboard. Your dog should think: “When I touch this board with my paw, I hear a click and get a treat.”
Your treats are boring. Hey, your dog chooses what she works for just like us. So find treats your dog loves and use in next training session.
Too many distractions: Turn down the TV, close blinds or play soft music to drown out loud sounds.
Up your rate of reinforcement: Ideally, you should be clicking and treating every 5-10 seconds. I know your dog is offering behaviors in that short time. If you’re not noticing these behaviors, you’ll be shocked at what you missed. 🙂

VIDEO: Teaching Dog to Use Nail Scratchboard

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Building a Dog Nail Scratchboard

April 23, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Teaching Your Dog to Trim Her Nails With a Scratchboard

After finishing an entire tutorial on trimming your dog’s nails with clippers, I want to be upfront and honest. I’ve taught my dogs to trim their own front paw nails. In my opinion, it’s much easier and so much more fun for your dogs!

In the beginning, your dog will drag one front paw at a time across the scratchboard. Our goal is scratching two front paws (digging style) across the scratchboard, making dog nail trims quick and fun. Keep that in mind when building a scratchboard for your dog.

But what about filing down back nails? You can certainly follow these guidelines for teaching back paw scratches. I noticed dogs wear their back nails down naturally through daily activities, such as walking on concrete or running in the yard.

How to Build a Dog Nail Scratchboard

It’s pretty simple to build your own scratchboard. All you need is sandpaper, wood and staples. After building a few and trying them out with different sized dogs, it’s best to build a scratchboard based on your dog’s paw size.

Sandpaper

Introduce self nail filing using 80 grit sandpaper. This softer grit is more comfortable during the learning stage and less likely to scratch paw pads. Once your dog learns to drag only her nails across the scratchboard, lower the grit size slowly. Remember, higher grit numbers mean softer (less abrasive) grit, which will slowly file back your dog’s nails. Most dogs are comfortable dragging their nails across 30-40 grit sandpaper, which files down nails fast.

Dogs under 10 lbs: 80 grit.
Dogs between 10-25 lbs: Start with 80 grit and slowly introduce 40 grit (medium grit).
Dogs over 25 lbs: Start with 80 grit and slowly introduce to 30 grit (coarse grit).

If your dog is uncomfortable using a lower number (coarser) grit sandpaper, move up size. Now, coarser grit sandpaper won’t cause your dog’s nails to bleed. It’s dragging her nails across the scratchboard too many times that causes bleeding.

Wood Backing and Staples

Trim a 2×4 into two foot pieces and staple sandpaper around front, back and sides. Make sure staples are flush with the board. You don’t want your dog’s nails to get caught in a staple. When lowering grit, I just staple it over the previous grit. For larger nail scratchboards, wrap and staple entire surface with sandpaper.

For dogs under 30 lbs, I recommend stapling sandpaper around a two-foot long 2×4. Wrap around front and side, and staple behind (unused portion).
For large dogs, screw two pieces of 2×4 side by side (creating a wide area for the dog to scratch).
Giant breeds: screw three pieces of 2×4 side by side.

VIDEO: How to Build a Dog Nail Scratchboard

VIDEO: How to Build a Large Dog Scratchboard

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Trimming Dog Nails: Let’s Get Busy Scratching

April 21, 2015 by Fanna Easter

How to Teach Your Dog to File Her Nails

Once your dog will drag her nails along the scratch board, it’s time to ask for multiple scratches before clicking and treating. Grab a clicker and treats, and let’s get started.

Two Nail Drags

Goal: Two nail drags in a row.

Place nail scratch board in place.
Wait for two nails drags before clicking.
- About 50 percent of dogs will drag once, stop and look at you (or the clicker), waiting for the click sound. If they don’t hear the click sound, they’ll usually drag their nails again. Click and treat. The other 50 percent will remove their paws from the board, think for a moment, then offer two quick nail drags. Click and treat!
- Tip: Wait for second nail drag. If your dog becomes frustrated and leaves, then she is confused. Go back to single nail drags for a couple of training sessions and slowly wait for two nail drags.
Practice five times. Pick up board and end training session.

RELATED: Dog Nail Trimming Tools

Three Nail Drags

Goal: Three nail drags in a row

Follow the instructions for two nail drags.
If your dog gets stuck and you’re seeing results, there is nothing wrong with two nail drags for one treat. 🙂

Other Paw

Goal: Other paw (non-dominant paw) scratches board.

By now, your dog is probably switching paws in between nail drags. If not, move the scratch board directly in front of the non-scratch front paw. This usually gets it moving. When she offers her non-scratch paw, click and give her two treats. Trust me, she will notice and start offering it again!

Both Paws

Goal: Both paws scratch one after the other (digging motion).

Depending on your dog’s personality, this may have happened already. Stella (my Bull Terrier) offered this behavior in the beginning so I clicked and treated. Some dogs need to experiment and practice more, and some dogs may never offer this behavior. Remember, the goal is filing down nails. 🙂

Trimming Dog Nails: Restraining Your Dog’s Paw (2 of 3)

March 19, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Restraining Your Dog’s Paw for Nail Trimming

Let’s teach your dog that paw restraint is fun and pays with yummy treats! Plus, restraining your dog’s paw is an important part of nail trimming.

Step One

Goal: Wrap your hand around your dog’s paw for a split second.

Lightly wrap your hand around your dog’s paw just for a nanosecond and let go. Click as you’re wrapping your hand around your dog’s paw. Release and give him a treat.
If he moves his paw away, try wrapping two fingers around his paw. Click as you’re wrapping, release and give him a treat.
Practice five times in a row.
End session and take a break.
Practice during several training sessions over the next few days. Alternate between front and back paws.

If your dog pulls his paw away:

If this happens, release his paw and don’t click or give him a treat. We’re only clicking when he allows you to hold his paw.
When reaching for his paw, if he begins pulling his paw back and before you touch him, go back to this article.
Taking steps back is normal. Everyone needs to refresh so take the pressure off you and your dog. 🙂

VIDEO: Trimming Dog Nails – Teaching Paw Restraint (Holding Paw)

RELATED: Dog Nail Trimming Tools

Step Two

Goal: Hold your dog’s paw for one second.

Wrap your hand around your dog’s paw and lightly say “one Mississippi” and release. Click as you’re saying “Mississippi,” release and give your dog a treat.
If your dog tries to pull back his paw, hold his paw for a shorter time, such as when saying “one.” Click as you’re saying “one,” release and give him a treat.
Practice five times in a row.
End session and take a break.
Practice during several training sessions over the next few days. Alternate between front and back paws.

Step Three

Goal: Hold paw for longer periods of time. Try to teach for five to 10 seconds, which should be plenty of time to trim four nails, which comes later.

Following instructions in step two, slowly click when your dog allows longer periods of paw holding.

For two to three training sessions, hold paw for two seconds (one Mississippi, two Mississippi).
Continue adding one-second intervals during training sessions.

VIDEO: Trimming Dog Nails – Holding Paw Longer

READ ALSO: Why Dogs Dislike Nail Trimming

Trimming Dog Nails: Reaching for Paw (1 of 3)

March 18, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Reaching for Dog Paw to Trim Nails

Most dogs dislike touching or any type of restraint of their paws. We can easily teach your dog to enjoy this part. During this tutorial, you’re going to learn how to teach your dog to allow the touching of her paw. This is an important part of teaching your dog to accept nail trims so take your time.

Goal: Your dog allows (is comfortable) when you reach for and touch her paws and nails. This means your dog doesn’t pull her paw away when you reach, touch or restrain her paw.

Let’s Get Started

Most dogs pull their paws away, freeze, growl or snap when you reach for their paws. This step should reduce their anxiety, but it may take a couple of weeks.

You’ll need several small yummy treats (about 20-30 tiny pieces), a clicker and non-skid area.

Step One

Goal: Dog keeps paw in place while you reach for it. You’re not touching her paw yet.

Reach for your dog’s paw. Click as you’re reaching and give her a treat. If your dog moves her paw, as you’re reaching, try making smaller “reach gestures.”
Practice five times in a row. Click and treat when she keeps her paw in place. If she moves her paw, don’t click. The behavior is “keep paw still while I reach for it.” You’ll watch her process the situation and soon learn to keep her paw still while you’re reaching for it.
End training session and take a break.
Practice short sessions, alternating between front and back paws, until your dog keeps her foot still while you reach for it.

Tip: Click lots for “reaching for paw” even if you’re stopping three or four feet away. Reaching is the cue for nail trims so we need to change your dog’s perspective. She will learn “reaching for paws” means super yummy treats instead.

VIDEO: Dog Nail Trims – Reaching for Paw

Step Two

Goal: Reach out and touch her paw with your hand. You’re not holding or restraining her paw yet.

Using one finger, reach out and touch your dog’s paw quickly. Click as you touch her paw and give her a treat.
If she moves her foot, click and treat when reaching for her paw a few times, then try touching again.
Practice five times in a row.
End training session and take a break.
Continue practice sessions, alternating between front and back paws, until you’re able to touch her paw with your finger.

VIDEO: Dog Nail Trims – Touch Dog’s Paw

Step Three

Goal: Touch nail with one finger.

Reach out and touch your dog’s nail quickly. Click as you’re touching her nail and give her a treat.
If she moves her paw away, click and treat when reaching for her paw. Then, try again.
Practice five times in a row.
End training session and take a break.
Continue practice sessions, alternating between front and back nails, until you’re able to touch her nail with a finger.

How to Teach Your Dog to Use a Scratchboard

Room With a Door

Placement of Scratchboard

First Training Sessions

Paw on Board

If Dog Walks Away During Training Session

Teaching Your Dog to Trim Her Nails With a Scratchboard

How to Build a Dog Nail Scratchboard

Sandpaper

Wood Backing and Staples

How to Teach Your Dog to File Her Nails

Two Nail Drags

Three Nail Drags

Other Paw

Both Paws

Restraining Your Dog’s Paw for Nail Trimming

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

Reaching for Dog Paw to Trim Nails

Let’s Get Started

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

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