Thanks guys! I will say that it caught me off guard when my sweet little Dudley showed me his big scary teeth, but I wasn't going to let him know that! I work with kids with emotional disturbances and on a daily basis they try to make me feel intimidated...so I'm a pro at not flinching
I would never try to "whack" Dudley into submission...seems really counter-productive and a good way to get bitten.
Just for curiosity...when you are trimming nails, do you have your dog standing up or laying down. I've seen it done both ways. We lay Dudley on his side, but he will immediately flop over onto his back. Maybe this is another reason he gets so uptight...I'm hovering over him with big scary utensils...I don't know, just trying to brainstorm ways so this doesn't happen again