foot sensitive dog

Question
I have an 8-9month old female (spayed) lab/aussie shepherd mix named Gracie that my husband & I are currently fostering.  We have had her about 1 week.  Gracie was rescued from an abusive situation as a small puppy and spent a couple of months with the rescue organization and then adopted out to a family with an older cat and no other dogs.  After "herding" the cat constantly, the cat decided to bolt and consequently Gracie was tied up outside.  The rescue group was asked to place her elsewhere and that is I came in.  From day one she has been skiddish around my husband and me.  She and our 8mo old JRT female instantly connected and have played to excess ever since.  My biggest concern right now is that Gracie will not let us hold or touch her paws.  When she comes in from outside and has muddy paws, I need to clean her up but it becomes an ordeal.  She has even started to snap at both me and my husband when we try to hold her and wipe her feet.  I have a relatively small house and this dog is bigger than I really wanted to have as a house dog.  But if we could somehow work on her fear issues and her paw sensitivity we might be able to make this work.  Any help or insight you can give me would be much appreciated.  I feel that Gracie has a lot of potential (she is very smart) and we want to help her be the best dog she can be.

Answer
She may have had some bad toe nail trimming experience.  Try this:

''Elevation for small puppies:  Sit on the floor and gently put your hands around your pup's middle, below his front legs, and lift him up.  He is facing you.  Hold him for 15 seconds.  Repeat until he no longer struggles.  If he is past 10-12 weeks, lift his front feet off the ground, but don't pick him up.  

Cradling for small puppies:  Hold your puppy gently on his back, as you would cradle a small baby.  If he struggles, hold him firmly until he quiets for 10-15 seconds.  With larger pups, you can do this as your sit on the floor, with your pup between your legs.

Quiet lying down:  Place your pup on the floor on his side, with all 4 legs pointing away from you.  Use your hands on his neck/shoulder area and middle, to hold him in this position.  When he is quiet, praise him.  Lengthen the time that you keep him quietly in this position.  When he accepts this position well, handle his paws and muzzle, while keeping him quiet.''

The quotes mean this isn't my original work.  It is copied from my Puppy Raising Manual.  I have long used these or minor variations of them, and they are very effective.  You may want to give him a belly rub while he is on his back too.  Helps bonding.  There is a big difference between him rolling over and demanding a belly rub, and you choosing a time to roll him over and rub his belly.  The latter cements your place as pack leader.