Nail Clipping

MalOwner

I'm terrified to clip his nails myself,

Because you are afraid of hurting him or afraid of his reaction?If it's the first one you could handle his toes while he's at rest offering treats as you do so.You could even get a nail clipper and touch his feet with it.The more often the better.Be careful to only reward when he is calm and accepting and not struggling.I don't let the vet or groomers do my dogs nails as sometimes they are in a rush and don't wait for the dog to relax.IMO that's how some of these bad habits take hold.If a horse can stand an hour to be fitted for shoes a dog can stand quietly for 30 seconds to get their nails clipped.It's really a matter of conditioning and training.

This is one way.  Of course, you have to introduce the dog to clicker training first if you don't train with a clicker.  Her site is a great place to get started.  Here's her nail trimming video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHgBvnQ71ss&feature=channel_page

Is it his anxiety or your anxiety?  If I make a big to-do about nail trimming, my dogs will struggle, whine, or mouth at me.  Generally, I do it outside while they are already out playing.  I call one over and as they are standing there next to me, just lift a paw and quick do it.  There's no big ritual of showing the dog the clipper, trying to get him on his side and hold him there...I just pull one dog aside from play for 30 seconds and that's that.  They are generally more concerned about getting back to play than why I'm holding their paw for a few seconds.  My friend was really nervous to trim her male.  He's over 2 years old and has never been trimmed b/c he would chew his nails but now they've been getting longer.  We started talking and as we were talking I just reached down and did it.  He barely even noticed.  I like to do it fast and just use a cheap scissor-style clipper I got at Target.

I don't know that I've ever heard of a husky or mal that didn't make a fuss over nail trimming. They are such drama queens.

All the suggestions you have so far are good. Some ideas I would add are a calming cap (google is), peanut butter on a wall, or a dremmel. A dremmel needs to be made a good thing, just like clippers, but my one dog who hates clippers (and is tempted to bite me) will lie still and calm for the dremmel.

I would first get him used to having his paws handled without any clipping going on. Just place your hand over one and see how he reacts. If he doesn't tolerate it, then try it until he stays still. If he is calm, try to hold it, examine it, check the pads or again until he tolerates it. If he is food motivated, I would make it a party; give him a treat before and during the touching of his paws, and while he might jerk away at first, eventually he won't care. Of course give him one after, but it helps to give him something to look forward to while you are doing it. After all of those baby steps culminating in you being able to handle the paws, just do one nail. It seems people get hell bent on doing all the nails and it makes for a bad experience for everyone. Slow and easy wins the race in this case. I'm not sure if you have clipped nails in the past and are afraid of cutting his quicks, but I think there is less anxiety for owners in using a dremel tool to file the nails. I switched my 14 year old over to it this year when I got my new puppy and her nails no longer click the hardwood floors. She has black nails and tolerates the tool better than me creeping up her nails with clippers while trying not to draw blood. I believe all the work I put into being able to handle their paws, made it easier for me to switch everyone over to the dremel.

MalOwner

Sooo, my huge malamute hates getting his nails clipped. Today it took two groomers to hold him down and finish the job. Any tips for getting him more used to it? I'm terrified to clip his nails myself, so I've always just taken him to a groomer. But is there anything I can do to lessen his anxiety about it?

I changed to a dremel because my dogs hated getting their nails clipped This site will teach you how if you want to do it. I like it because I have never hurt my dog doing it this way. You can get them much shorter this way also. http://homepages.udayton.edu/~jmerenski1/doberdawn/dremel/dremel.html

I second the Doberdawn training method.  Worked wonderfully to dremel-train my guys.