sedative for nail trimming

Emma used to be that bad. At the advice of a group of JRT breeders, I started standing her on my chest freezer and letting her lick peanut butter, every day. After a week, she licked while I touched a foot. The next week, she licked while I held a foot up. The fourth week, I clipped one nail per day.

I clipped one nail per day, for several months, then went to one foot per week. Now, I do all of the nails, every week. It worked, very well.

Absolutely what Jennie said.  It's gotta be slow, and it's gotta be 'relentless' -- that's the hard part.  You can't get too busy to do this every day for just a little while. 
 
My favorite trick as I work on this is to hide treats in my bra -- *grin* yep.  It keeps their nose up away from their feet!!!
 
However, back to touching feet.  When we got Billy you couldn't touch his feet at all.  BIG time.  He was also a mega allergy dog -- so my holistic vet told us we needed to soak his feet in black tea every day.  Surrrrrreee -- this is a dog you can't touch his feet???
 
So David did this one.  We bought a little sun tea container and kept it on the porch (I just made a small amount of fresh sun tea every 2d day or so).  David would take him for a little walk (which he loved) and did a little leash training, and then up on the porch for the soaky foot game!!  David would pocket a package of string cheese before going out.  He'd go up on the porch, and tell Billy to 'sit'.  Ahhhh string cheese! YUM!!   First day he just quickly took his front leg and lifted it up by the knee and 'dipped' it in the tea (not touching the foot).  ewwwww DAD.
 
Then he had a bit of cheese pinched off in one hand and a towel in the other (just a folded terry towel).  He let go of the leg dangling the foot in the tea and grabbed the foot with the folded towel WHILE HE SHOVED CHEESE IN HIS MOUTH.
 
AHaaaa!!  WE do this EVERY day?  I get string cheese EVERY day???
 
By the 2d day Billy was willingly allowing his foot to be 'dipped' on ALL feet (by holding the elbow joint).  By the end of a week, he was SO focused on that cheese that David was able to pick up a FOOT and immerse it and then place the foot on the other toweled hand.  NO PROBLEM gimme cheese!!!
 
Then we simply continued to find excuses to hold his paws and reward with food or cuddles or praise.  If the dog is food-motivated it's much easier. 
 
Just find a VERY high value treat to do this with -- forget just dry treats -- break out the GOOD stuff.  Hot dogs, steak, a slurp of peanut butter on the table ... whatever works.
 
THEN ... once you get the dog so you can handle their feet any time, any place, any where THEN you begin training with a dremel.  I find a dremel far far easier to train with.  You have to expose them to the Dremel -- it vibrates and is weird, but you won't hurt them with it.  But like Jennie says you go easy -- you work it in day by day.
 
Depending on how nasty the dog gets in protecting it's feet depends on how long you have to take to train this.

i use a hollow marrow bone, stuffing it with PB like a Kong. i keep re-using it for nail clippings etc and it works.

but if your dog is not responding to any methods you may need some assistance from sedatives, its VERY common -- just use benadryl to take the edge off; ask your vet about dosages, probably a quarter of a pill.

BUT FIRST___ -- just make it a point to massage your dog while watching TV or during down time, and gradually work down to massaging the toes. He might of had a bad experience with a groomer or hates the sound of the clipper. you might be able to use a nail grinder, its quieter.

but if your dog is not responding to any methods you may need some assistance from sedatives, its VERY common -- just use benadryl to take the edge off; ask your vet about dosages, probably a quarter of a pill.

 
I would think more than 1/4 pill would be necessary for a dog this size.  My vet told me Benadryl is VERY safe, and you can give very large doses (within reason) without harming the dog.  I was told to give my Aussie (20 lbs.) 1/2 capsule, and it proved entirely in-effective.  But in that case, it was severe allergies, and only about 50% of dogs respond to Benadryl.  I have never used Benadryl to calm down a dog.  I only have one client who regularly sedates their dog (vet prescribed).  I did just recently order some Rescue Remedy spray, that I am going to try.

Pugs are notorious for turning into tazmanian devils when you touch their nails.  I use Rescue Remedy, a few drops under the tongue, and swear by the Dremel.  For whatever reason, they just tolerate it better than clippers.  You can find RR (Bach flower essence) in health food stores, or pet supply catalogs.