i need some help with this thing my dog has with not letting anyone touch his paws. he has always been like this, even when we got him. he wont let you pet,touch,clip nails, rub his paws or anything or he will growl pull it away and snap at you. he does it to anyone that touches them. clipping his nails is horendous, we have to muzzle him and have somebody hold him down while the other person clips them. he fights it the whole time, we try to pet him and make him feel like were not trying to hurt him but he acts like we are sawing his feet off, he whines, growls, moans it is in a tome of sheer torture. i know im not hurting him at all. i think the person that had him before us hurt him bad when clipping his nails because its just so bad. i need some help.

Quite a few dogs exhibit this behavour. I have a Rottie like that now and my Britney is not real cool about it either.

Good luck.....

We go thru this crap every month, and I hate it, get out the clippers, get two dog cookies, break each in half, clip a foot,the dog gets half a cookie, all will be done in 10 mins

Not saying this will cure it-

Anytime your dog growls or snaps at you flip it over and hold it by the throat and look it dead in the eye and in the most evil voice you can muster say "NO". Never really had a dog that was shy about body parts but i would not allow a dog that i own snap at me in any way. Please understand- you dont choke the dog... just hold your hand around the base of it's throat. Its a very primal dominance type thing and it will get the point. If your dog snaps at you then you are not the alpha male and that in itself is a problem.

i demostrate my dominace to him when ever the chance comes. i wont let him walk through doorways before me, he eats after us, i stare him in the eyes untill he looks away

This dog wasn't properly conditioned as a puppy, and it will be difficult to break him of this habbit.

Not saying this will cure it-

Anytime your dog growls or snaps at you flip it over and hold it by the throat and look it dead in the eye and in the most evil voice you can muster say "NO". Never really had a dog that was shy about body parts but i would not allow a dog that i own snap at me in any way. Please understand- you dont choke the dog... just hold your hand around the base of it's throat. Its a very primal dominance type thing and it will get the point. If your dog snaps at you then you are not the alpha male and that in itself is a problem.


I agree here, ya just gotta let the dog know who is boss. Grabbing a dog by the nape of the neck will change there tune also, they revert back to momma picking them up, I've done this many times with dogs that are getting to rambucious (sp?) and settled them right down. I hope this helps you out.

p.s. goto your local pet store and ask if they have any books for this type of behaviour.