# Cutting the Quick & Making Our Dogs into Babies (A Rant)



## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

Sorry I hit the button too soon - stupid mobile app. 

Anyways, I just see so many dog owners who are overprotective and hover over their dogs. I've seen owners cry when they have to leave their dog for two hours to get groomed. 

These same owners are the ones who typically don't house train - at least not really - and their dog can barely walk on a leash. 

I'm not saying that people shouldn't love their dogs. My dogs are what bring me the most pleasure in life. But I do think that dog owners and dog professionals need to start treating dogs a little more like....dogs.

Cutting a quick will not emotionally damage a dog (my co-worker also said this) nor will making your dog behave (as long as violence isn't used). It's called training and responsible ownership.

......okay, I feel better now. End of rant.




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## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

Oh and I don't mean to offend anyone by this. Sorry if I did. 


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I've cut the quick on definitely more than one occasion over the years and Dremmeled too short too, until a spot of blood appeared. I felt awful, said I was sorry and made a fuss. But honestly, the dogs seem none the worse for wear. They flinch for a second and then when I've put them back down, they're tearing around outside or in the house with no sign of pain. They may have a little soreness. After all, dogs are good at hiding pain. But I would guess it's not as bad as ripping out a whole finger nail. It's probably like a short lived nick. I wouldn't want to make that mistake too many times as it might make them shy away from getting their nails done. Lots of treats and lovins seems to help.


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## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

Poodlebeguiled said:


> I've cut the quick on definitely more than one occasion over the years and Dremmeled too short too, until a spot of blood appeared. I felt awful, said I was sorry and made a fuss. But honestly, the dogs seem none the worse for wear. They flinch for a second and then when I've put them back down, they're tearing around outside or in the house with no sign of pain. They may have a little soreness. After all, dogs are good at hiding pain. But I would guess it's not as bad as ripping out a whole finger nail. It's probably like a short lived nick. I wouldn't want to make that mistake too many times as it might make them shy away from getting their nails done. Lots of treats and lovins seems to help.


I always feel bad when I cut the quick too. I try to cut away a little at a time to prevent this. But I've never had a dog limp away or act injured about it. I always apologize to the owner. But sometimes I think dogs react to their owner fussing about more than pain. So telling an already protective owner how painful something is probably doesn't help. In my opinion.


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

i cut my dog's quick accidentally once and he was totally freaked out and broke away from me dripping blood. not a pretty sight. imo, dogs, like people, have different pain thresholds.

what i did read somewhere is that one way to get the quick to recede is to use the grinder to thin out the nail all around the excess quick (not just the part of the nail that is at the very tip of the nail). that supposedly gives no room for the quick to expand further. of course you have to keep the nail thinned out and eventually the quick will recede bit by bit.


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## AmandaNola (Jan 14, 2014)

I've only quicked one dog and I'm not ashamed to admit I cried more than he did.  But after some QuickStop, a treat and a cuddle, he was fine and never had any issues with nail trimmings.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

Sunny's quick is very near the end of his nails.......it is a constant challenge. With as much as walking / jogging as we do on cement, it does not have any affect on the nails, though I have read that dogs who walk on sidewalks have their nails worn down naturally --- not Sunny! Anyway, I try to take a little every other day or so, and have quicked him maybe twice. He jumps down, gives me a dirty look, and then digs like crazy in his bed......goofball..... I don't think a good groomer would ever tell a client that about quicking a dog......I know mine wouldn't ever -- something wrong there IMO.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Yikes! I am one who believes cutting the quick is quite painful. I am so careful with my dogs and it is VERY rare for me to quick, and if I do it barely bleeds because I barely quick. I know if my nails are cut to short it hurts, a lot. 

I had one lady come into the groom shop and wanted me to quick all her dogs nails. She said she brought him in to professional groomers once a year and had it done. She wanted them all to bleed, this way she was sure they were short enough! I told her how painful it was and that I would not do that to her dog. She was mad, and said she would just find someone who would.

My Pablo was quicked pretty badly by a professional groomer when he was small. It took me quite a long time to get him to trust me and relax while I do his nails.


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

I believe it hurts too. I had them give missy a good nail trim when they spayed her. They made it a point to tell me they would not cut her nails totally off, and that they were against it. I was rather baffled people would actually ask to have the nails cut down to little nubs. 


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## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

I keep the nails short on all of my dogs. Being able to hear them clicking on the floor drives me crazy. Yes I think catching a quick is painful. Yes they can bleed quite a bit if you catch them bad enough. Many people don't maintain nails as frequently as they should and the excessive length is detrimental to the dog...nails growing into pads, walking incorrectly, etc. I encourage people to maintain nails & if they are squeamish or the dog is difficult pay the $10 at the local pet store and have them done. Many times dogs will take advantage of the owner's hesitation and throw a fit.
I am actually going to show my students how to trim nails in class this week. I've already warned the owner of the dog I am demoing that if he is really difficult I will likely only do 1 and refer her to a pro. 

Yes dogs are dogs however I think most folks are afraid of hurting anything, animal or person. I think that nervousness makes owners hesitant to just get on with it and dogs take advantage. Many dogs don't like their feet handled and quicking them certainly doesn't improve the situation. Maybe not fingernail ripped out painful but still painful.

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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

A groomer quicked Lou's nail once and Lou didn't act like it was a big deal at all, she forgot all about it a little while after. 

But I'm such a chicken.... I Dremel Lou and Apollo's nails, but JUST A LITTLE BIT, so they are always longer than I would like, but I'm just sooo afraid to quick them  

I'm going to try the grinding around the quick a little bit too and not just the tip/end of the nail....


*** Does anyone have a video that shows how to Dremel long nails safely? *** 

I feel like I don't take nearly enough length off , I barely round them off a bit and Lou's nails grow so fast!

Thanks!!! 



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## cindyreef (Sep 28, 2012)

I'm sure it hurts. (not like ripping out a nail, but it hurts). If I catch the quick its no huge deal but he is not happy with me and I feel soooo bad. My Dexter has long and different colored nails. I find if I cut them as short as I can without touching the quick he is fine. I also file (with my own foot/heel file) all the edges away (top and sides) to make the nails smooth and this helps the quick to naturally recede some. Works for me but I know it would be better if I was faithful about doing it every few days.


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

I've certainly quicked dogs in the past, with the old-fashioned clippers. Don't think it affected the dogs too much, but it made me very reluctant to clip nails. I finally worked up the courage to use a Dremel on Jazz. She doesn't seem to mind a bit if she's up on the grooming table, so I've been doing a bit every day when I comb her out. Her nails are black, and I do worry about quicking her, but so far so good. Luke the Lab has always had long nails, despite walking three or four miles a day on pavement when he was younger. I can't heave his 85 pounds up on the table, and it hurts my back to get down in the floor with him, but I'm going to start using the Dremel on him, too, at least a couple of times a week.


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## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

JudyD said:


> I've certainly quicked dogs in the past, with the old-fashioned clippers. Don't think it affected the dogs too much, but it made me very reluctant to clip nails. I finally worked up the courage to use a Dremel on Jazz. She doesn't seem to mind a bit if she's up on the grooming table, so I've been doing a bit every day when I comb her out. Her nails are black, and I do worry about quicking her, but so far so good. Luke the Lab has always had long nails, despite walking three or four miles a day on pavement when he was younger. I can't heave his 85 pounds up on the table, and it hurts my back to get down in the floor with him, but I'm going to start using the Dremel on him, too, at least a couple of times a week.


The great thing about a dremel is if you do get too short it is just a tiny spot of blood. I dremel Racer weekly and when I nicked him with it I got just a small whine and he pulled his foot back. 

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## TrueColors (Nov 18, 2012)

I get Jenna's quicks... For some reason i always get the tip of it just enough to get it to bleed a bit. quite frustrating.. I always do her nails about every 2 weeks cause I tried to do it every month but her nails & quick got long so i went to 2 weeks and it's been doing pretty well like that. anyways she never pulls away she doesn't have much reaction..

Like Poolann, The clicking annoys me. A few times i thought of just cutting the nail to the desired length but i wouldn't be able to stomach all the blood let alone put her through that much pain.. it's one thing to graze the quick but chopping 18 nails to nubs, Yikes..


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## grab (Jun 1, 2010)

I'm sure it is not comfortable (although all dogs have different tolerances..I know my terrier broke a nail completely off once while playing and I had no idea until he tracked blood in...he never faltered a step) but I would certainly not compare it to pulling a fingernail out. I'd compare it to cutting one of our nails too short...not the most pleasant thing, but not the end of the world. 

I dremel my dogs' nails, so I rarely if ever quick them with that method. However, when I have over the years, I make no more fuss than a quick pat on the head while I apply quick stop. Much like with young children who fall on the playground, if you make a big fuss, they tend to think it's a much bigger deal than it is and can act out more next time.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

It probably depends on how far up you quick them. If it's just a smidgen where it tapers down, which is what I think I've done a few times...even with the Dremel, it may not hurt as much as when you cut it up higher where it's winder. I make a fuss, but it doesn't make them react any differently. The good thing about the Dremel is that it cauterizes it so the blood drop, if there is one just stays put.

That clicking...Jose` has learned (because I'd look at him to see what he is doing and say something to him... lol) to do it on purpose when he wants something...like when he needs to go out or when it's almost meal time. He'll stand in one place and alternate his feet so his nails will click. They're not that long but somehow, he can still reach the floor with them. I think he has flat feet. lol. Talk about annoying. Grrrr.


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## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

Just so everyone is clear, I'm not talking about cutting a quick deep. We are all trained to cut a small piece off at a time. If the quick is cut, it's usually a tiny amount without much bleeding. 


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

JudyD said:


> I've certainly quicked dogs in the past, with the old-fashioned clippers. Don't think it affected the dogs too much, but it made me very reluctant to clip nails. I finally worked up the courage to use a Dremel on Jazz. She doesn't seem to mind a bit if she's up on the grooming table, so I've been doing a bit every day when I comb her out. Her nails are black, and I do worry about quicking her, but so far so good. Luke the Lab has always had long nails, despite walking three or four miles a day on pavement when he was younger. I can't heave his 85 pounds up on the table, and it hurts my back to get down in the floor with him, but I'm going to start using the Dremel on him, too, at least a couple of times a week.


have you thought of purchasing steps that will enable him to get up on the grooming table himself? though i'd just run the dremel around him first with a few treats - maybe sit on an ottoman and ask him for his paw while you dremel a nail slightly, give a treat, etc. wouldn't want 85 pounds of dog to panic while on the grooming table.


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## Bellesdad0417 (May 18, 2014)

My first spoo Belle managed to snap a toe nail off at the toe being ball crazy. She Bleed like a stuck pig and returned the ball to hand even while covered in blood she never made even a whimper and never once lost her urge to run hard. After that if I nipped a quick I nipped it but realized it's no big deal and relaxed when I had to clip nails


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## exile (Dec 15, 2013)

Lou said:


> A groomer quicked Lou's nail once and Lou didn't act like it was a big deal at all, she forgot all about it a little while after.
> 
> But I'm such a chicken.... I Dremel Lou and Apollo's nails, but JUST A LITTLE BIT, so they are always longer than I would like, but I'm just sooo afraid to quick them
> 
> ...


Here's a video that explains it pretty well, and her webpage with instructions and diagrams.....

Cutting Your Dog's Nails . . . How Important Is it Really? | Susan Garrett's Dog Training Blog


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

exile said:


> Here's a video that explains it pretty well, and her webpage with instructions and diagrams.....
> 
> Cutting Your Dog's Nails . . . How Important Is it Really? | Susan Garrett's Dog Training Blog



Thanks a bunch!! I dremelled their nails about 2 hours ago and I took twice as much length off, and they were fine  (still not much )and I will do a little bit twice a week until the quick recedes 

Thanks for the info!!! 







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## Minnie (Apr 25, 2011)

Caniche said:


> First of all, I don't think *it's *that* painful.* While I'm sure it hurts because of the nerves, I've had some dogs who scream like babies and some who don't even blink when a quick is cut. Then again, I've had dogs scream like babies when you try to shave the bottom of their feet too. Or get them wet.


I was completely with you until this comment.... All have different pain tolerances and no one has any idea of the level the individual feels. And you have no idea if the dog has been babied to the point of a squeal comes out for nothing or if in real pain. 

My groomer has quicked my dog before (we keep her nails very short for agility) but she has always told me so that I can watch for soreness or bleeding. I would hope that all groomers are this honest but I know my groomer goes above and beyond!


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## loves (Jul 2, 2013)

Oh on cutting quicks affecting dogs, it can and does. So many dogs I see that won't let you touch their feet I will ask, who had done their nails and did they bleed. Majority say the dog was fine until Dad/Brother/Uncle, etc cut the nails too short. Some dogs don't forget.

As for people treating dogs like kids, OMG that drives me nuts!!! Teenage girls are the worse. Really, tears? It is just a bath and haircut dear, get over it. Why people want a clingy, insecure, pet is beyond. I'd be so embarrassed if my dogs "couldn't live without me". How did these people raise kids? Or should I wonder how their kids turned out? lol


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

I believe it hurts like snipping the tip of your finger off or if it was barely cut too short, then like cutting your own nail too short. I try my best to not cut nails too short and I've never cut my own dog's nails too short since I file them very often so the quick is receded. But I've quicked my fair share of dogs at work. Sometimes there is no choice like when the nail is about to grow into the paw pad. You've got to cut it short enough to where its not curling under any more. I do think that some dogs remember and then are more fearful... I've seen it myself. Quicked a dog bad and then next grooming the dog is more fearful for nails. I would be too! But it happens. I apologize to the dog and soothe it and move on. Be careful with the Dremel too. You can quick a dog with that if the vein is grown out long enough. I have and it was messy. Blood hit the dremel head and went all over me!


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## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

Yeah so I did my little demo clipping the dogs nails. He was good once we laid him in his mom's lap. Sure enough third nail in I quicked him. Fortunately he didn't react and there was very little blood. His nails weren't bad. They've had him since Feb and he's been trimmed once while in boarding back in April. I told her she could just get the tips if they continue to grow slowly and she does him every two weeks or probably even once a month. This dog has really great feet and they are very fortunate. He is the first dog anyone in their family has had.

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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

I dremelled Lou & Apollo's nails again today. I've been trying to get the courage to get them way shorter, slowly getting the quick to recede..
So every 4-6 days I've been dremelling a little bit, rounding them off too.

Today I took about twice as much off the length again, which still isn't much! Because I'm a chicken 

Luckily they don't mind, they let me do anything  
and they get yummy treats  and lots of praise 

Hopefully their nails will get to 2/3 the size they are now. I just hope I'm not "taking one step forward to steps back type of thing" meaning: not taking enough length off and it's growing more than what I Dremel off.. Well it looks to me like they are getting shorter  

I'm just so scared, I've been SLOWLY increasing it, I Dremmel a bit more than the last time, Every time 


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## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

Lou. You could paint one of their nails to see how fast they are growing !


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## Manxcat (May 6, 2013)

Lou said:


> I dremelled Lou & Apollo's nails again today. I've been trying to get the courage to get them way shorter, slowly getting the quick to recede..
> So every 4-6 days I've been dremelling a little bit, rounding them off too.
> 
> Today I took about twice as much off the length again, which still isn't much! Because I'm a chicken
> ...


You are brave!

I have bought a grinder, decided to try it on myself to see what it felt like, didn't like it one bit so it is still in the box!!! At some point I will try it on the dogs... maybe...

Just call me chicken...

Pushkin has had his clipped again at the vets, Pippin's don't seem to grow (well, I know they do but they wear down) but Pushkin's are a nightmare to keep up with.


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## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

Manxcat said:


> You are brave!
> 
> I have bought a grinder, decided to try it on myself to see what it felt like, didn't like it one bit so it is still in the box!!! At some point I will try it on the dogs... maybe...
> 
> ...


Keep in mind their nails are tougher than ours. I have inadvertently dremmeled my own nails. It is hard to even them up after. I gave up and clipped it off lol. The only real issue I had was when I dremmeled my nail bed...ouch. 

I would also recommend glasses or possibly safety glasses. It doesn't happen often but I've heard toenail in your eye is none too pleasant. I wear glasses so I don't worry much about it. Also if you have to get close to see like I do close your mouth lol.

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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Manxcat said:


> You are brave!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My friend Ellyisme (awesome groomer) did their nails while I watched and that's how I learned 

Their nails are way harder , I occasionally accidentally hit my nail with the dremell and it's awful! It's shreds it LOL 

My poodles are totally cool with it, they don't mind it, and they get yummy treats. But it truly doesn't seem to bother/tickle/or hurt at all. 
I make sure I alternate nails so it doesn't get hot too 



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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

poolann said:


> I would also recommend glasses or possibly safety glasses. It doesn't happen often but I've heard toenail in your eye is none too pleasant. I wear glasses so I don't worry much about it. Also if you have to get close to see like I do close your mouth lol.


i haven't followed my own advice yet, but i think surgical masks might be warranted, too. grinding/filing creates a powder from the nails that i'm not sure we want to breathe in - and we are bound to breathe some of it in, as normally to do the job properly one's face is pretty close to the dog's paws.


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## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

patk said:


> i haven't followed my own advice yet, but i think surgical masks might be warranted, too. grinding/filing creates a powder from the nails that i'm not sure we want to breathe in - and we are bound to breathe some of it in, as normally to do the job properly one's face is pretty close to the dog's paws.


Me either lol.
A mask is a great idea. Since my GSDs have larger nails & I normally clip whenever I do dremel there is a good bit more dust. 

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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

patk said:


> i haven't followed my own advice yet, but i think surgical masks might be warranted, too. grinding/filing creates a powder from the nails that i'm not sure we want to breathe in - and we are bound to breathe some of it in, as normally to do the job properly one's face is pretty close to the dog's paws.



I've gotten nail dust/particles hit me in the eye, the tip of my tongue! I had my mouth open I guess (breathing through my mouth instead of my nose) this piece hit and I spit it out and laughed!! I'm going to use the plastic protection glasses that came with the lawn mower-weed-eater !!!  

I usually have the Spoo's head/neck under my left arm (not tight) just to keep their nose in the opposite direction from the Dremel (I'm right-handed) so that way they don't get any nail dust and I feel that is safer for them to not be able to sniff/lick or their ears to get close to the dremel  

It hurts my back though (I'm out of shape!) to bend over the whole time  while they are standing up 




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## Rachel76 (Feb 3, 2014)

I think it depends on the dog. Some have such low tolerance for pain and others seem to be oblivious. I can't tell you how often an owner told me 'oh he doesn't like that, meaning 'I never trained him to be tolerate anything'. The dog was usually trying to rip someone's face off because he needed his temperature taken or teeth looked at. I often replied with something along the lines of 'we all have to do stuff we don't like' (for a nice owner) or 'and I don't like being bitten' (for a nasty owner). 

I have quicked many a dog and mostly on purpose but it was necessary and they were under anesthesia. Toenails growing into the pads or pushing the dog's toes to the side were the reasons I cut the quick intentionally. The dogs went home with pain meds and the owners went home with a lecture on better pet care. 

I try to take a smidgen off Hemi's nails every week. It keeps us both in practice and keeps her nails short. I have been doing this since she was 8 weeks old.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Misha has her nails done at the groomer, weekly. But Emilio I do at home. I know his nails so well and know exactly where that quick is. I have NEVER quicked Emilio. He is very good about the whole thing. 

Yesterday my daughter was taking Misha to work for her weekly bath and now that Pablo is gone she felt bad leaving Emilio home alone, so she took him too. He got a bath and his ears cleaned and he now smells like Old Spice! lol....but the groomer went to clip his nails and my daughter stopped her. She said, Oh no, my mom is VERY particular about his nails and he has never been quicked, better leave them alone. I was so happy to do it myself when he got home.


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

*Dremel confession + solution*

This is horrible but it happened and if sharing can help, please read my bad example .

I love long Poodle ears so Oliver's have been growing for a while. Once over a year ago, we were dremeling and he looked down and his ear became entangled in the running dremel. Even though I quickly pulled the electric cord, a little bit of his ear leather was split :sad:.

Wrapping a long scarf aound his neck and ears a couple times and trying harder to keep his head turned away helped but was still awkward. I finally located a snood and it works wonderfully.


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## exile (Dec 15, 2013)

Had to google it.... A snood (/snuːd/, rhymes with 'food', not 'wood') is historically a type of European female headgear, or in modern times a tubular neck scarf. In the most common form the headgear resembles a close-fitting hood worn over the back of the head. A tighter-mesh band may cover the forehead or crown, then run behind the ears and under the nape of the neck.


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

exile said:


> Had to google it.... A snood (/snuːd/, rhymes with 'food', not 'wood') is historically a type of European female headgear, or in modern times a tubular neck scarf. In the most common form the headgear resembles a close-fitting hood worn over the back of the head. A tighter-mesh band may cover the forehead or crown, then run behind the ears and under the nape of the neck.


I saw the suggestion here to cut the leg off an old pair of pajamas for use as a snood. Works really well.


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## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

I cut the arm on a old sweatshirt. He hates it but it works! 

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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

poolann said:


> I cut the arm on a old sweatshirt. He hates it but it works!
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


So smart!

I had cut the cuff off an old sock and that worked, but as his ear hair and topknot grew, it got very cramped in there, even for short times. Finally at Woofstock I found someone with a great snood selection and made a lucky guess on sizing .


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## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

Streetcar said:


> So smart!
> 
> I had cut the cuff off an old sock and that worked, but as his ear hair and topknot grew, it got very cramped in there, even for short times. Finally at Woofstock I found someone with a great snood selection and made a lucky guess on sizing .


I used an adult sweatshirt but I have a spoo. If you have a smaller poodle maybe you could get a child's sweatshirt at a yard sale or thrift store?

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## BeckyM (Nov 22, 2013)

exile said:


> Here's a video that explains it pretty well, and her webpage with instructions and diagrams.....
> 
> Cutting Your Dog's Nails . . . How Important Is it Really? | Susan Garrett's Dog Training Blog



Thanks for this video!! I watched this video last week and have cut Polly's nails like she recommends twice now and wow! what a difference! I had been cutting her nail each week trying to get them shorter and shorter but cutting them her way is much more affective and I didn't quick her a single time (I never have since she has nice clear nails but I was worried to go shorter before)


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