I adopted a rescue dog who has a phobia of nail trimming. Her back nails naturally file when walking on pavement, but unfortunately her front nails do not so they’ve grown pretty long. I wasted hundreds of dollars on groomers, trainers, and vet visits trying to find a way to get her nails clipped. Exposure therapy never progressed far enough to get a nail clipped. I had gotten a different puzzle with grit on top that dispenses food when pushed, but she never understood that so I had thought this wouldn’t work for her. I was so wrong. I could’ve saved her and myself so much stress if I’d bought this sooner. It did take her a few minutes to understand the objective. She does naturally tend to paw at things like puzzles so I definitely think puzzle exposure first helped. I don’t think it files her dew claws as much as her other nails but I’m honestly just happy that something has finally worked. Overall I would say if your dog digs or paws at things then this is probably more likely to be effective for them. Read more
It’s crazy that people are giving this low ratings because they can’t get their dog to use it, or they’re letting their dogs go at it unattended and the dog is able to open the door with their nose. That’s not the product’s fault, it’s user error. If you hold this up by the handles at an angle and don’t allow your dog to use their nose they’ll eventually try to scratch. My dog is very food motivated so she learned how to use this quickly. It makes nail maintenance so much easier and fun for her. I just put a treat in the compartment and she scratches to get it, then I open the compartment for her. Way easier than using clippers. I was also able to get my mom’s new puppy to learn too and now my mom uses one to maintain his nails as well. Read more
The media could not be loaded. Training is still a must, but my dog is doing fantastic. The channel is actually just a touch too large for my small, 22 lb dog, but still manages to file the outer nails a bit. The two center nails look fantastic. The dew claw isn't being filed at all. We haven't a need to do the rear paws as she's ok with the dremel for those. Overall, this is a great product as we work through our cooperative care training for nail trims. Perfect for those who can't make their own scratchboard; the curve of the product ensures all nails are tackled (except for the dew claw). Sturdy product. Edit to add: I've added some of the included sand paper to the back of the board and it works a bit better for my smaller dog. See the video (presuming it takes!) Read more
The whole thing feels like it is well made and solid.. and although annoying that you have to hold it up to use it, that's clear when you order it... But the stupid treat space is so weak, and for something that is supposed to hold up to the world's bestest dog's abuse, that is really unfortunate. It takes what world have been a great, functional item and makes it near useless. Read more
Love this!! I bought one with a slide tray which is perfect for my small 18lb skinny mini doodle. I turn around for the 40lb doodles as they don't need the tray and push the tray off the track. This took 20 minutes per dog to train them to use it. I now can just point and tell them to scratch and they go at it! We used it 4 times this week and they are now super excited when I get the board out as they know they get treats. Their nails have never been so short. They are a little sharp after using it though so if I had kids around I might Dremel the edges super quick after or take the dogs on a walk so the concreat could naturally wear down the edges. They smooth out within a couple days naturally though. I did get scratched up like crazy the first day as they were all learning to use it. Maybe wear pants and long sleeves the first few training sessions. Once they figure it this is awesome & super easy. 5 minutes all 3 dogs are done & super relaxed and now snoozing. Why did I not get this sooner! Fighting with 3 dogs to do their nails is exhausting! Read more
Oh my goodness, this is going to save us hundreds. Our dog is 90+ pounds, a year old, and particular. While I can hold "hands" with him, mess with his toes, and he doesn't care, if he even sees clippers he freaks. Trying a dremel tool only made him scared for me when I brush my teeth because my electric toothbrush sounds too similar. Thankfully, his back nails he tends to wear down pretty well walking on cement, but his front nails grow straight out. That means they don't get in his way for a long time, but they also don't get worn down. He recently had to go to the ER vet and was sedated for an x-ray, after the x-ray they tried to trim his nails, but he was so against it that he immediately woke up. We have tried a sedated trim (Gabepentin, tramadol (I think), and melatonin all at once) at the regular vet, they managed one nail and that is it. They've determined he needs to be completely put under for a nail trim. I got this, and in 30 seconds I had him scratching it, no problem. It won't get his dewclaws, but maybe we can get them with regular sedation. The board is sturdy wood, the sandpaper handled the initial scratches just fine. It is a nice size for my big dog, and in spite of me almost never giving 5 stars, I'm going to. If they figure out a way to get the dewclaws as well, I'd give it 10 stars. Read more
This is a good idea but poor execution. The dogs can nose the lid off once they figure out the treat is inside and don’t spend any time digging at the sandpaper to file their nails. Read more
My 70 lb pitbull HATES having his nails trimmed and he will try to head butt me. I was sick of stressing us both out. Now nail time is fun and comes with treats! The shape is great because it makes their paw stay on the board. The treat door is a little bit tight and can be a little tough to get open but it has started to loosen up the more we have used it. My boy definitely loves this thing! Read more
