The practice is still worth it.Īfter you’ve done that 5 or 6 times, send your dog onto his bed, into a crate, or place him in a down or sit. You’re learning to use the clicker, the dog is learning to understand the clicker, and you’re working on your timing. Put another treat on the ground, click and reward (by tossing a second treat) when he picks it up. Toss a treat a few feet away to reward what you clicked. When your dog picks up the second treat to eat, click that behavior (yes, really). Don’t worry, you can do more than one! If you’re using a marker word, substitute that for the word “click” in the below descriptions.īring your dog into your training area and place a couple of treats on the floor. If you have a puppy or an older dog, aim for 1-minute sessions. Set a timer – you want these sessions to be super short, no more than 2 minutes. I generally use a salmon-flavored kibble. TOWEL METHOD - For the towel method you’ll need a dog towel (any size will do), a crate or bed or a good down or sit behavior with your dog, your clicker or marker word, and some treats your dog likes. There are two different ways I’ve used to get that actually foot movement – a towel with something under it or some food in a plastic bag held in place by the end of your board. The clicker serves that purpose very nicely. Since letting your dog know the exact movement that you’re rewarding is the ultimate goal, it’s helpful to use something that’s very precise to mark that movement. While you can use a word like “yes” as a “marker word”, in this situation the clicker is actually clearer for the dog. If you’ve never taught your dog tricks with a clicker, this would be a really good time to give it a try. Glue the coarse sandpaper to the inside of the half pipes. Use a hacksaw or keyhole saw to split it in half lengthwise making two “half pipes”. Go to Lowe’s or Home Depot and purchase a short piece of “concrete form tube” which is made from heavy duty cardboard. Once your dog becomes proficient at using the flat board, you’ll find you want a curved scratch “board” which helps ensure the outer nails get filed. I place a zig-zag pattern of gorilla glue on the underside of the board so it’s not as likely to slip on the floor or rug. HOW TO BUILD A SCRATCH BOARDįor the initial training stages, you’ll want a flat board that’s about 4 feet long – 1 x 8-10 inches is fine. It’s fine to do two sessions a day if they’re short. Using a scratch board is a workout for your dog so it’s especially important to keep the sessions short with your puppy or your older dog. Older dogs have nails that are quite tough, and so it takes longer for them. Puppies take less time because their nails are soft. If your dog already has really long nails, it’ll take a while for them to get short with this method because you want to keep your sessions short. Once you teach your dog how to use it, several brief sessions a week will keep those front nails filed down. This trick is very helpful while teaching your dog to love nail trimsĪ scratch board is like a giant nail file for your dog! It’s a flat board with sandpaper glued to it. Make your training sessions fun, easy, and shortĤ. Create your own scratch board with the coarsest sand paper (60 grit)ģ. Use this trick to help your dog keep her own nails shortĢ.
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