A clever dog owner who was tired of his dog transforming into ‘something from the Exorcist’ every time he tried to clip her nails created a crafty hack using an old T-shirt.
After years of battling his two-year-old chihuahua-poodle cross Nug, Lindell Riffle, 37, from Greenville, South Carolina, decided to take matters into his own hands, cutting out four holes in an old shirt which he could pop her legs into.
A sweet clip shows how the 45-minute nightmare has been reduced to a breezy 10-minute job as Nug sits calmly with her paws stuck through the holes in the shirt and lets him finish the job in 10 minutes flat.
Lindel Riffle, 37, from Greenville, South Carolina, developed a genius way to stop his dog Nug from transforming into ‘something from the Exorcist’ when he tried to clip her nails
Desperate to find a solution to their nail clipping woes, Lindell (pictured) decided to get crafty and cut out four holes in T-shirt for Nug’s feet to poke through
Now every three weeks when they go to clip her nails they place her in the shirt with Lindell and she appears at peace with the process
So content, Nug sits and watches the clippers approaching without a care in the world and does not even flinch when they cut.
Lindell decided to get crafty after he became fed up of waging war with the pint-sized pooch when he pulled out the clippers every three weeks.
Before coming up with the ingenious hack, the 37-year-old routinely had to drag wife Michelle Riffle into the pampering sessions.
He said the experience transformed the tiny ‘ball of fluff and love’ into 6lbs of cold fury with ‘exorcist-level noises and scratches from hell’.
After trying different types of clippers, swaddling the dog in a towel and even a pricey dog grooming harness to no avail, Lindell took matters into his own hands.
The 6ft 2in glass factory operator embraced his crafty side and dug out an old tight-fitting t-shirt, measured Nug against it and cut out four holes where her legs could pop through.
The two-year-old chihuahua-poodle cross used to find the experience stressful but now sits patiently and watches as the claw clippers approach
Before they found a solution, Lindell often had to drag wife Michelle Riffle (pictured) into the pampering sessions
He said: ‘Before I made the shirt it was very difficult. She was like a little mini tornado, she would fight us every step of the way tooth and nail.
‘After everything we tried didn’t work, I researched different things and spotted a front-facing dog harness.
‘I thought ‘I’ll never find one big enough to fit me that’s not going to be way too expensive’ so I decided to make something similar.
‘I’m so happy I found something that made her feel safe and secure, it’s great that doing her nails is now a breeze.
‘It usually takes less than ten minutes and she’s so calm during the process, which is completely different to how she was before.’
Writer Michelle, 36, said that Nug normally has a very sweet disposition and hates being apart from her owners, but when it came to getting her nails trimmed her personality would switch.
The couple say getting her claws clipped used to transform the tiny ‘ball of fluff and love’ into 6lbs of cold fury with ‘exorcist-level noises and scratches from hell’
They tried out several different methods such as different types of clippers, swaddling the dog in a towel and even a pricey dog grooming harness to no avail
Michelle said: ‘She’s so sweet, if I go outside without her she cries. She’s so sweet and loves me, she always wants to be where I am.
‘She’s such a sweetheart but if I go to cut her nails she freaks on me too and yanks her foot out of your reach.
‘My other dogs are pros at it but for whatever reason it freaks her out.
‘You can see how small she is but it was taking both me and my husband to do it – one of us who have to hold her still in our arms.
‘She kicks with her back legs and she will claw the crap out of you.’
Animal lover Michelle, who also lives with Jack Russell Cyan, four, dorkie Coral, eight, and three-year-old rescue cat Mama, said that t-shirt harness had made an ‘amazing’ difference.
Michelle said: ‘It would take up to 45 minutes to clip her claws but now he can cut them in probably less than ten minutes, the difference is amazing.’
In a hilarious Facebook post Michelle shared her hubby’s solution to Nug’s problem on Christmas Eve, writing: ‘This is Nug. My sweetheart.
The couple also live with Jack Russell Cyan, four, (left) dorkie Coral, eight, (second from right) and three-year-old rescue cat Mama (right)
Michelle shared her hubby’s solution to Nug’s problem on Facebook on Christmas Eve
‘Problem is Nug turns into 6lbs of nuclear explosion every time we attempt to cut her nails.
‘I’m talking actual wounds here people. No biting but exorcist level noises and scratches from hell.
‘This is her human dad’s cost-effective solution and it works like a charm thank goodness.’
Michelle edited her post to add: ‘Thanks everybody! Y’all made our night! Added a pic of the front of the shirt and another pic of Nug to prove she doesn’t always look like a demon.
‘She’s a ball of fluff and love I swear!
‘Believe me, my husband only ‘invented’ The Shirt after trying nearly everything, she’s feisty I’m telling you!’