Sometimes outside activity isn’t enough to keep dog nails trimmed. Usually when a dog runs or walks over cement, the rough surface will grind its nails, but unless the dog is exposed to such a surface on a daily basis, its nails will need trimming with dog nail clippers. Failure to keep your dog’s nails at an appropriate length puts it at risk for splaying, pad perforation, and veterinarian intervention. Here’s how to trim a dog’s nails so that you can avoid these problems.

Desensitize your dog

Considering all the rough activity that your dog’s feet go through in a day, it’s surprising to see how sensitive they are. Just the slightest touch of your hand will make a dog’s leg flinch, so to make nail clipping easier and safer, spend some time caressing your dog’s feet first. Then get the dog used to snipping by cutting off just the tips once a week. This will eventually acclimatize the dog toward the entire process.

Dog Nail Clipping Tools

The only tool you’ll need is a pair of dog nail clippers. We recommend the ones that look like scissors or pliers because they come in different sizes and they’re easier to control. One style of clippers is called the guillotine cutters since it cuts nails with a single blade. If you’re not comfortable using either one of those styles, you can use a file instead. Some files are manual while other files are mechanical (like a dog nail grinder for example). Many professional breeders prefer using mechanical files if they’re faster than the manual ones.
You’ll also need some styptic powder, flour, or a bar of soap for accidents. (We’ll explain what this stuff is for in a bit).

The Process

With your preferred dog nail trimmer nearby, you’ll need to position the dog into a comfortable position. The more comfortable your dog is, the less likely it is that it will run away. So put the dog on a flat surface, and stand in front of it. Lift one of the dog’s paws and hold it firmly between your thumb and palm.

You must be extremely careful when trimming your dog’s nails because if you’re not, you might cut one of the dog’s quicks, which are parts of the nail that contain nerves and blood vessels. Avoid cutting your dog’s quicks by first, identifying them, and two steering clear of them! Quicks aren’t always easy to see and that’s why quick cutting accidents are common. If you can find a dark line extending from the base of a dog’s nail, but not quite reaching the tip of the nail, that’s the quick. On light colored nails, the quick will be pink. On dark colored nails, the quick will be brown or black. If cut, it will bleed, and the dog most likely will strongly protest. Styptic powder will stop the bleeding, but if you don’t have access to any you can rub the nail over a bar of soap or into a small dab of flour.

Troubles To Expect

No dog likes to get its nails clipped and yours may fight the idea at every chance. You’re going to have to be firm with your dog and insist that the procedure end on a satisfactory note. See if you can convince a friend or family member to help keep the dog still while you're attempting to cut its nails. Of course if the whole process is completely unmanageable, you can always outsource clipping dog nails to a professional groomer.