Trained Dogs Rule

Trimming your dog’s nails may not sound like training but if your dog is not used to having their nails clipped you may be in for a battle.

It is best to start trimming your puppy’s nails at a very early age. When they are young and small it will be much easier to hold them while you trim their nails.

You will need a good dog nail clipper that you can purchase at any pet store. As your dog matures their nails can become quite hard so make sure your clippers are kept sharp.

You can also use a grinder to do your dog’s nail. This definitely has to be started at a very early age since the sound of the grinder alone can frighten them. You can however teach your older dog to get used to the grinder but it will take a lot of time and patience.

If your dog’s nails are white then you can easily see the quick in the nail. When you trim their nails you do not want to cut the quick. Cutting the quick will cause bleeding and the next time you go to trim nails your dog is probably going to fight you. This makes it even harder then to properly cut their nails without doing damage.

I remember one dog we had who absolutely hated having her nails cut. It took the two of us to hold her and trim her nails. She still managed to get a good couple of kicks into my stomach. 

Dogs with black nails, I would say for the novice are harder to trim since you can’t see the quick. You can usually tell by the way the nail curves as to where the quick starts. If you are unsure then you should just trim off the points at the end of the nails.

I, myself, prefer to grind our dogs nails. They were both started very young so they are quite used to it. With grinding you don’t have to worry as much about cutting into the quick and making them bleed. You still can hit the quick though if you grind in too far.

You should try and trim your dog’s nails every week. By doing their nails every week they become used to it and their nails don’t grow out of control.

Dogs that are walked on pavement a lot may not need their nails trimmed that often as the pavement will wear the nails down.

The best way to tell if your dog’s nails are too long is if you can hear them clicking on the floor.

When you first start trimming your puppy’s nails try to make it a good experience. Talk to them in a very soothing voice. If they are really fighting with you don’t give up. Don’t worry about cutting enough off at first just snip the ends so you won’t accidentally cut into the quick.  You want to make this a good experience and as they get used to it and calm down then you can trim more off. If you happen to cut the quick and they start to bleed stick the bleeding nail into some cornstarch. This will help stop the bleeding.

Our male Doberman was a handful when we first started trimming his nails. He would kick and pull his paw away. It took the both of us to trim his nails. Now one of us can do his nails as he just quietly lays there while his nails are being trimmed. He always knows when that last nail is done. Then he is quickly on his feet looking for his cookie.

So as always remember patience is the key. With time and patience you’ll have nail trimming down pat in no time.

Until next time

Maureen Brownell