in preparation, i spent a bit of time every day just handling her paws. the first few nail trimming sessions were a struggle. i actually got on top of her, holding her body down with mine - shoulder to shoulder, knees on each side of her hips. i reached around her neck to hold her paw in one hand using the clippers in the other. i spoke softly to her as i clipped each nail. by the time she was a year old and weighed 30 pounds more than me, i was able to trim her nails without a struggle and without holding her down. i did not use the 