Basenjis and Toe Nail Clipping: Get a Grip

I've noticed on many pictures of Basenjis the length or lack of length of the dog's toenails. Some toe nails are clipped so close it looks like there are no toenails at all. Long nails that are sharp and sometimes show neglect, but often times it is just a Basenji that grows nails fast and refuses to have them clipped.

The quick on some dogs' toe nails does not seem to recede when the nails are clipped frequently. With other dogs you can continue to clip shorter and shorter as the blood of the quick recedes with each clipping.

Toe nails on the Basenji can really do a lot of damage if the sweetheart is into digging on the couch, at the door, or out in the yard. Heck, even those rare Basenjis that jump up on their owners and other people can do some major damage! Some Bs grow very long nails if you allow it and it can be painful for them to walk, with nails curling under. The ideal nail should just be slightly off the ground when the dog is standing.

So, clipping or filing nails is a good thing. Some Bs are fine with clipping and filing their nails and will sit patiently while you clip away. Others won't allow it, not one bit.

The easy Basenjis are few I think. Most Bs like their nails long and sharp. Possibly Basenjis used their nails to rip apart their prey and for digging burrows and nests in earlier times. The long nails also make it easier for the Basenji to use their paws as hands. They also use them to keep from slipping on surfaces and in quick turns. If their nails are too long or too short they are hindered from doing so.

I am no wimp at nail clipping, and have been doing it on all my Manx cats for years and years. I use treats on my cats and have tried giving treats to Sanji after each nail is clipped. He will do pretty well with it, but not our Gumbo. Gumbo will not go for this bribe. He will have nothing to do with anything that resembles a nail clipper or a dremel, at least from me.

I have at long last decided it is better for a groomer to do my dogs' nails than for me to try and wrestle with it.

My first Basenji would scream at the site of the clippers. I clipped one nail too close one time when he was young and that was it. He never forgot. The groomer could clip his nails in 2 or 3 minutes and he was fine with it. I believe my apprehension is obvious to my B.

Breeders have told me that some of their pups have no problem with having their nails done, while other wiggle and scream from the start.

You would think that with all the walking and running my boys do they would keep their nails trim, but it doesn't seem to work like that. Some Bs just seem to grow long nails quickly no matter what. Other Bs rarely need their nails cut at all, even if they are couch potatoes. The hind feet nails are usually naturally kept shorter than the front nails since the dog launches off with its hind feet, wearing the nails down more quickly.

Some people use nail clippers and some use dremels. In either case it is good to have the nails finished off with a file to make sure there are not any sharp edges. I bought the often TV advertised PediPaws hoping it would save me some money, but neither dog would let me near them with THAT THING! I watched some videos which showed B owners sitting on the floor with Basenji laying on its back between the owners' legs, and the owner clipping or filing away each nail without any complaint from the B. Well, that isn't going to happen here anytime soon so I'm off to the groomer with my two boys tomorrow- again.

Marj Baker
manxy2@comcast.net