Basset Hound Bravely Conquers His Fear of Getting His Nails Filed One Step at a Time

No matter how courageous your dog might be, every pup has their own set of fears, even if it's a short list. For my dog, the number one thing on her list is the vacuum; if it's running and she's not in her crate, she's practically guaranteed to have an accident in the house (learned that lesson the hard way and never forgot it). For others, it's a fear of the vet, or meeting strangers, and the list goes on and on. And for others, it's seemingly simple tasks, like getting their nails cut and filed. It's a necessary evil, but it's very rarely fun for anyone involved, dog or human.

One dog (and his mom) is doing his best to overcome that fear just one step at a time, and if your pup has an extreme fear of manicures like he does, this method — though time consuming — could be really helpful for you.

As @frankthetankbasset explained in her TikTok video, her Basset Hound , Frank, isn't a big fan of having his paws touched, which means it's really hard to file and cut his nails. So now, they're on a desensitization journey, taking things one small step at a time.

This is their second week of process, and no cutting or filing is actually happening. Instead, Frank's mom simply lets the electric file run so that he can get used to the noise and being close to the file. He was doing really well, and even went to lie down next to the nail file... but as soon as his mom moved it a little closer, he jumped up to move again.

Hey, like I said, it's a process — give the pup some time!

As Frank's mom explained in a comment, "We practice everyday for around 5-10 minutes and as long as he’s generally calm he’s rewarded."

Baby steps. In time, he'll get there!

How to Help Dogs Who Fear Nail Trimming

If you have a dog who's afraid of nail time like Frank, getting them used to being near the trimmer is the first step, according to recommendations from the VCA Animal Hospital.

Once your dog is used to the trimmer, you can take it a step further by practicing handling their paws with your hands until they become used to that , and after that, it's time to bring the trimmer out. First, practice touching the trimmer or clipper to your dog's paws, and once that's all good, you can try actually clipping and see how that goes!

Some dogs are never going to love getting manicures, but maybe by getting them used to the idea, they can be a bit more comfortable with it.