Advice on dog grooming?

I totally hear you on wanting to do it yourself. I had the same problem at home. When they started getting a little too long, I broke out the clippers (without letting him see them, or else he'd take off running), grab a paw and clip one nail before he had time to know what's going on. The key is catching him BEFORE he reacts. Once he starts reacting, you are reinforcing this behavior (I should fight her when I see clippers because she's going to do something I don't like). Once I get that one nail done, I praised and rewarded heavily and then PUT THE CLIPPERS AWAY! Have you ever heard the term, "give him an inch and he takes a mile"? Don't take a mile!! Don't let your success with one nail lead you to hastily try clipping another. Get that one nail, make it a super-happy positive experience for your dog, and then call it a day. The next day (or so) go for the second nail. Again, make a HUGE deal out of what a good boy he is! Repeat until you've got all the nails clipped. Obviously this takes a lot of time and patience but it will be worth it in six months when your dog looks forward to having his nails clipped!

As for the baths, I've been very fortunate in that department; my dog LOVES baths. Once again you'll have to wean your dog onto the idea. Start with a trail of yummy treats to the bathroom door (or wherever his bath is). Just a trail of treats, and when he gets to the end (the bathroom) there's nothing good or bad. Repeat, repeat, repeat. After he figures this out, start moving the trail closer and closer to the tub until there are eventually treats IN the tub. If he's reluctant to get in the tub, don't force him. Try to entice him using an extra-yummy treat (like a piece of steak). Being careful not to tease him, let him sniff the treat and then slowly and steadily move your hand with the treat farther and farther into the tub. He may just stand there staring at it. Wait him out. Eventually a paw will go into the tub. If it doesn't happen on the first few tries, don't give up. And do not get frustrated- dogs can sense this and it gives them another reason to hate baths. Once you've got one paw in, work your way to four paws. Once you're consistently getting four paws in the tub, try turning the tub on. (Note, if your tub is noisy, I recommend starting the exercise with the tub on; when the dog enters the bathroom, the water is already running. If your tub is noisy it may startle the dog and set you back weeks). Once he's comfortable with that, try using your hand to cup some water and wet his paws. Work your way up his body (over the course of a few training sessions) and before you know it you'll be giving him a bath! The whole process should take 1-2 weeks and 14-28 training sessions, depending on how quickly your dog learns, how scared he is, and how patient you are.

Just remember, patience is key. No sudden movements, and lots of praise and yummy treats!

If, after all this, you can't get him to cooperate, I'd say it's time to take him to the vet... If you still want to do it yourself, you'll definitely need to consult with a behaviorist.

How often do you bath, maybe twice a year. for both dogs. I used to fight the nail thing, Yea why when the pros will do it for $8. I now longer even try. It just isn't worth the stress to you or the dog. The groomer can do it faster, and with less stress to the dog.