A pet product that really works!

[kas125]

Usually, I don't recommend products, even to my friends, but I have to share this one. I have two big dogs, one I've had for a year and one for three years. Neither of them would let me cut their nails. One time I fought for over two hours trying with the older one and still didn't get it done. I ended up just taking him to Petsmart or to the vet to get his nails cut, but every time I did it, I hated not being able to do it myself and paying someone else to do it. I've never had dogs who reacted the way these two do, I've always done it myself so it really bothered me that I couldn't do it with these two. Finally, I found the Gentle Leader Calming Cap and it really works. http://www.amazon.com/Gentle-Leader-Calming-Cap-PATTERNED/dp/B000RHZ0TW It came in today's mail and it says to put it on your dog a few times, giving treats each time so they get used to it. Of course, being the rebel I am, I didn't listen and just put it on the deaf dog whose nails were much too long so I could try to cut them. She put her head in my lap and didn't care what I was doing to her feet when she had it on. Then I tried it on the bigger, older dog whose nails I've been trying to cut for three years. No fighting, no trying to hold him down, no tying him to a post so he can't get away, no trying to escape, he just let me do it. This thing is a miracle product! If you have a dog who has issues with nail trims, car rides, etc. I strongly suggest you give this thing a try. It's an inexpensive fix and it worked for me.

[Zoigal]

1. Thanks, kas125, for the tip. My new borzoi

just hates for me to try and clip her nails. She was a kennel dog and
only socialized for showing. Only had contact with her owner/breeder.
Am going to order the calming cap and hopefully it will solve a few
problems....z

[kas125]

2. I hope it works as well with your dog as it did with mine! I know it

can be hard to undo the things our dogs went through before we got them; I rescued my deaf dog on April 1st of last year. She was found running loose on Christmas with a collar and leash, but nobody ever came to the shelter to claim her. Two other people took her and brought her back to the shelter the next day because "she didn't listen." No kidding, she's deaf and had lived over half her life at the shelter, of course she didn't listen. When I got her and took her to my vet he told me that from the way she reacted, he suspects that she's deaf because someone beat her and injured her head. Most deaf dogs are white, this one is a black and tan English Shepherd who looks nothing like most deaf dogs, so it is unlikely that she was born deaf. Just the thought of someone doing that to her is heartbreaking and infuriating and if I ever found the person who did it to her, I'd probably beat their head myself. So, this dog has issues and I am so glad to find any product that can help me deal with at least one of them. My other dog, Casey Jones, is just a big baby. Everything scares him from firecrackers to nail trimming, lol.

[Zoigal]

3. Thanks, I checked it out on the site and need your input as to size.

My dog, Skye, is a sighthound (borzoi) and as you know has a long,
narrow type head. Do you think the large size would be appropriate?
One comment said that the mask didn't allow her dog to see well.
Don't think Skye would react well if she couldn't see
If you have an opinion on this I would appreciate it......thanks, zoigal

[kas125]

4. I got the large one because I knew it would fit both dogs, but it's actually kind of

too big for Lady, the English Shepherd who has a collie-type nose and head. It fits just right on Casey who outweighs her by about thirty pounds; he's half Siberian Husky and half Golden Retriever. If I were buying one for a Borzoi, I think I'd get the medium size.

As for them not being able to see, I tried it on my own head just to see how it looks to them, lol. They can still see enough to get around, but they can't see things in the distance that usually set them off. I was worried about putting it on Lady at first, she's deaf and I thought it might freak her out to be unable to see as well as hear, but she didn't seem to mind it too much. I didn't leave it on any longer than it took to cut her nails, though.

[Zoigal]

5. Thanks, kas125

Will go ahead and order one for Skye. Incidentally, we had a whippet that
developed deafness when he was older. He learned to respond to hand signals
quite easily. And whippets aren't as bright as English Shepherd. believe me.
Another interesting thing he started doing was "talking"...actually opening his
mouth and making sounds like we humans do....only in dog language, not yips and
yaps like usual. Wish i would have had a video......z

[kas125]

6. I've taught her a few commands using hand signals. I know

she's smart and she's still young and eager to learn new things. When I first got her I was wondering how on earth I'd call her to come inside when she's out or how I'd get her attention if she wasn't right near me, but that's not a problem - she wants to be my shadow all the time. If she's outside, all I have to do is go out on the deck and sit down and she comes running for me to pet her. And she makes the strangest sounds I've ever heard come from a dog, lol. Casey barks and howls once in a while and he makes those irritating, trying to talk sounds that huskies make. But Lady moans and groans and makes sounds dogs usually don't make. The worst thing about her is that her bark is very shrill and she barks all the time. I've read that deaf dogs come in two types - ones who never bark and ones who bark constantly. She's the latter, but we're working on it...