When it comes to canine care, most dog owners understand the importance of…
- Feeding their pup a quality dog food for optimal health.
- Choosing safe toys to provide their dog with stimulation and fun.
- Providing their canine companion with daily exercise.
- Taking their dog for routine wellness visits to the vet.
- Creating a safe environment at home for their dog to enjoy.
However, there’s one aspect of canine care that often gets overlooked…nail care!
There are so many reasons dog’s nails don’t get properly taken care of. For example, some people simply don’t think about their dog needing a puppy pedicure every few months. Or perhaps the idea of cutting your dog’s nails is worrisome and you fear you might accidentally hurt your dog.
Fortunately, taking care of your dogs nails doesn’t have to be complicated or scary. Keep reading to discover my advice on how to properly care for and cut your dog’s nails, plus some suggestions on my favorite nail cutting tools and products!
Why Your Dog’s Nails Need to be Maintained
Just like human nails, dog nails are constantly growing.
You might be thinking… “Then why do wild dogs not have problems with overgrown nails?”
The reality is that wild dogs are constantly roaming and walking across surfaces like hard ground and rock that naturally file their nails as they move around. On the other hand, domesticated dogs often spend a lot of their time napping on the couch.
Knowing this, it makes sense that dog owners will have to spend a little more time managing their pup’s constantly growing nails.
How to Safely Trim Your Dog’s Nails
Now that you know it’s 100% necessary to trim your dog’s nail, the million dollar question is, how do you do it?
Here’s a quick step-by-step guide…
Step 1: Pick up a paw and hold it firmly. Gently press down on the paw paw to extend the nails and get a good look at how long your pup’s nails are.
Step 2: Analyze the length of the nail. You need to be careful of how much you plan to clip as dogs have a pocket of blood vessels (called “the quick”) right behind the curve of their nail. If your dog had white nails, you can easily see where the nail starts to turn pink. Do NOT cut past the curve. If your dog has black nails, it’s impossible to tell where the quick is, so it’s even more important to make sure you don’t cut too far down your pup’s nail. Nail grinders are often a good solution if you’re worried about cutting. We’ll talk more about my favorite products down below, so keep reading!
Step 3: Continue trimming the rest of your dog’s nails (including dew claws if your dog has them) until all the nails have been taken care of. It might seem scary the first time or two,but with a little practice you’ll get the hang of it quickly!
Training Tips for Easily Nail Cutting
Now you know how to cut nails…but what if your dog isn’t a willing participant?
The following training tips might help…
For starters it’s important to desensitize your dog to having his/her paws touched. You can easily work on this when your dog is calm and relaxed.
For example, if your dog is lounging on the couch with you, gently pick up a paw and touch his/her paw pads. Reward your pup with a pat or a small treat when they let you handle their paw without any fuss. Also, having someone to help you is a bonus.
If you have a puppy, this is the optimal time to work on checking your pups ears, teeth, and paws. The more you handle them at an early age, the less invasive it will feel when your dog gets older.
Second, having a solid training foundation in place for your dog is imperative. It’s important because if your dog trusts you and listens to you, they will be willing to let you handle them (cut nails, look at teeth, etc.) when it’s necessary.
If you don’t have a training program in place, I recommend you check out my program, The Dog Calming Code.
Finally, food motivation can be very powerful. If your dog is really struggling with getting his/her nails clipped, put them in the bathtub and smear some peanut butter on the bathtub wall.
Chances are your dog will be so distracted with enjoying the peanut butter that he/she will sit quietly and not even notice that you’re cutting their nails.
My Favorite Nail Care Products for Dogs
Finally, before we wrap up, I wanted to share a few dog nail care products that I find to be kind, gentle, and effective. Here are two types of nail clippers I highly recommend…
Safari Professional Nail Trimmer
If you’re looking for a classic, handheld nail trimmer I recommend the Safari Professional Nail Trimmer.
These trimmers are made with sharp, durable stainless steel blades that cut through nails quickly so you can get the job done fast! The best part is that these clippers are equipped with a quick stop, which helps prevent causing painful damage to the quick if you’re new to nail trimming.
You can find this affordable product on Amazon:
Dremel Cordless Nail Grinding Tool
As I mentioned earlier, a nail grinder might be a more preferred option to classic nail trimmers…especially for those who don’t have experience clipping nails.
The Dremel Nail Grinder works like a nail file or a sander and gently grinds away the tips of your pup’s nails. Your dog will hardly notice it!
I particularly like this model of nail grinder because it has a quiet motor, is cordless, and comes with replacement grinder heads, and is also a very affordable nail care option for your dog.
Please note, if you purchase through the links above, I may make a small commission, but it won’t cost you any more. If you do buy, thanks so much – it all helps to keep our free content coming your way 🙂
Cheers,
~Doggy Dan 🙂
10 Responses
Hi Charlene, I agree with Doggy Dan that it is better if you can trim a small amount on a regular basis rather than to try to remove large portions. Since growing long nails make it uncomfortable for the dog to walk and lead to pain. Get tips from a vet on how to trim dog nails safely.In case because of the ongoing situation your regular vet is unavailable choose a vet who does tele consultation from sites which have a list of vets in your area like Greatvet or Yelp will help as well.
Hi Doggy Dan, our 10 lb maltese poodle female gets so crazy when anyone comes to the house. She squeals/yips so loud it makes you nervous and jumps frantically and tries to nip at your clothes. She also whines/yips with a piercing screech. Really is hard on the ears. Can’t seem to calm her down or relax her. She also does this when we take her to the groomer. It gets real embarrassing. Would you dog calming code help her? Thanks
Hi Sharon…yes, my Dog Calming Code would help you both! Barking when guests come to the house is actually a topic I cover so you will be able to see exactly how to handle this situation. Grooming can be quite an unsettling time for dogs as they are exposed to all sorts of strange machines and equipment. Having a patient and skilled groomer, as well as doing a little proactive practice yourself, can make help remove a lot of the fear around grooming sessions. My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com ……we have an offer for $1USD trial for a 3 days……maybe take a quick look…all the best Doggy Dan
I use the Dremel grinder for our dog’s nails. It’s easy to use and safe. If you’re using a clipper, you should also have a little pot of styptic powder nearby, just in case you cut the nail too short and make it bleed. Applying the powder to the nail or dipping the bleeding nail into the styptic powder will clot the blood and stop the bleeding quickly. Without the styptic powder application, the nail can bleed for some time. Dan, could you comment on nails that have been left too long and how to go about bringing the nail back to a healthy length?
Great information Jill! When a dog’s nails become long the quick also lengthens, which means you need to be be extra careful when you trim them and keep the cuts small. If you need to shorten long nails then frequent, tiny trims will allow the quick to recede and you will avoid accidentally causing them to bleed. Dogs with light nails you can actually see the quick line, darker nails are harder to do this. I would recommend owners consult their Vet and maybe asking them to give a demonstration on their next visit, or they may also be happy to trim them. Best, Doggy Dan
My Pug, Buddy, Will not let me cut his nails. I was taking him to get them cut, but he raises such a fuss. Tne Vet gave me some trazodone to help him relax. I have a dremel that barely makes any noise, but he will not let me near him. Any Suggetions will be greatly appreciated !
Hi Nancy, it’s a common problem! Dogs can feel really vulnerable and uncomfortable having their nails trimmed but it can help to start desensitising them to the process. Grab some really high value treats and break the process up into stages, practicing frequently. Start by getting your dog used to having his feet touched, then maybe the dremel on nearby but not actually trying to touch his nails too soon. Make sure you call him to you to carry out this practice as this will leave him feeling that he has a choice, rather than be forced into it. If he starts to freak out a bit then end the session and try again later on. Best, Doggy Dan
I bought a clipper with magnifying glass and light to see what I am doing.
Can’t remember the price nor where I bought it. I just remember it was the same price as a regular nail clipper. It’s stamped PET CARE.
Good day,
I was curious if you have a video to show how to cut your dogs nails. I am trying to shorten my dogs very longs nails and fear the only way to shorten them will be from a surgery. He is a gorgeous 85 lb Weimaraner named Louie. We neglected his nails thinking it would be easy to get them under control but have found that is not the case. I try to cut them once a week and have them dremeled by the groomer every two months. What is the best angle to cut his nails? Do you have any other suggestions? Thank you.
Hi Charlene, when a dog’s nails become long the quick also lengthens, which means you need to be be extra careful when you trim them and keep the cuts small. If you need to shorten long nails then frequent, tiny trims will allow the quick to recede and you will avoid accidentally causing them to bleed. Dogs with light nails you can actually see the quick line, darker nails are harder to do this. I would recommend consulting your Vet and maybe asking them to give you a demonstration on your next visit, or they may also be happy to trim them for you. Best, Doggy Dan