It's a Pug's Life

I almost hate to admit it, but I'm guilty of smearing peanut buttor or cheese whiz all over a plate and letter Sasha lick it while I trim her nails.
 

Hi there -- as a fellow pug and doggie lover we use this trick with Buddy our pug. He needs a distractor - what better is food? A good thing is light or fat free peanutbutter. Smear it on a spoon so it lasts longer. Get him to lay down next to your side on the couch so when he does try to run away, you can hold him. Leave his paws hanging off, or at least so you can access them. Be sure to use a lot of positive reinforcement (as if the PB isn't??) telling him he's a good boy. Anyway, here's the hard part -- get a salon style, or any thick nail file. We start filing his nails. You may need to do it lightly, barely touching his nails to show him that it doesn't hurt. Then, when he's distracted enough, I clip off tiny parts of his nail to get some off quickly, but I have to use this sparingly because he gets wise to it. I spend most of the time filing them down since that's what he's most comfortable with. He tries to run away, but we keep him there until the job is done. But, this has taken 5 years of practice. Let him get up for water every 15 minutes or so. That PB gets really salty! The key is not to get frustrated. It will take a long time, and if you get mad at him, he will only dislike the situation more. It's a 2 person job, but it works. Hope this helps you. Good luck!