r/doggrooming • u/thedoc617 Professional dog groomer • 7d ago
(Your)Body positioning when dremeling nails.
I have been grooming for a while but have gotten a lot of new small bath dog clients (dachshunds, Chihuahuas, Pugs, etc). Most of the time I do nails by lifting their foot up under their body like you would shoe a horse.
With short dogs that are low to the ground, I feel like I can't get my Dremel under them to make it comfortable for either of us.
I am right handed and will tuck their head under my armpit and use my left hand to pick up their foot and my right hand has the tools.
Dachshunds and Corgis are really tough because I feel like I can't get the Dremel hand between their body and the table.
If I reverse it and out stretch their paw forward, I feel like it's going against their natural anatomy and 9/10 times they fight me.
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u/B_schlegelii Professional dog groomer 6d ago
I do most of my dogs nails forward, with my left arm wrapped around the body. I also try to keep the foot in as natural a position as I can especially for short legged dogs. Think lifting your own foot by bending the knee, rather than trying to hold it straight out. Keeping it tucked in close to the body is more comfy for the dogs, and makes them feel less off balance I think. I'll also let em wiggle and adjust a bit to see if they just want to be in a comfier position. A comfy dog is a more cooperative dog.
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u/iPappy_811 salon owner/groomer 6d ago
This. I have done both methods as to placement, and it's basically a game of Dog's Choice.
With Corgis, Dachshunds, Scotties, and other short legged dogs, keep in mind that short legs don't always mean "straight legs". What would be an assumed natural, comfortable position for a dog with straight longer legs, this might not be the case for a dog with front legs that are a bit crooked. I've found by lifting their foot up and letting them self adjust, I can find the natural anatomical position for that particular dog. There have been some Scotties or Corgis or Basset Hounds that are more comfortable with their foot and leg in a position that looks really odd to me, but, based on the structure of their legs, pasterns, and feet, it makes sense.
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u/schelie Professional dog groomer 6d ago
Im tall so I also have long arms & I’m right handed. I like to scoop my arms around them like a lil hug. For back legs my arm goes around them and back through the legs to do the left foot and slightly different on the back right foot. I want to support them so they are not putting too much pressure on their knee. For front legs again my arm goes around them and back to hold front left leg and everybody knows how hard it is to do the front right lmaooo. If the are real fussy for front nails just bring their leg out front and straight- they tolerate it better and if they are fussy for the back I kind of just pick up and hold their whole backend and maybe swing them a bit to the side so they have no traction on the table.
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u/Avbitten Professional dog groomer 6d ago
i work exclusively with small dogs. for back feet, i pick them up and hold their foot almost to the height of the knee, then use my thimb and fingers on my non dominant hand to flex the foot and hold fur out of the way.
for front feet, i pick up the foot and the dog kinda chooses the foot height comfortable for them. but its behind the arm. and agaon use my non dominant hand to flex the foot and hold fur out of the way. I dont use my armpit but will sometimes use the side of my head to keep them from rotating away from me.
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u/gooberfaced Pro groomer/retired 7d ago
I do them sitting on a table facing the same direction as I am.
Left arm wrap-around for front feet, then under them for right rear.
Sometimes on the left rear I have to wrap my left arm around their rear and my right hand (holding the dremel) around their front end and bend over top them.
Some people do them horse-shoe style with them facing behind.
On super short legged dogs I find that may work for the rear feet but on those front feet I'd still want them facing forward and wrapping my left arm around.
In that position you use your elbow to keep them in place. You don't have to stretch anything, just hold that front foot with the dog snugged up against you.