A Pain Free Dog Nail Trim Based on Trust
Trimming your dog's nails can be unpleasant and frustrating for both of you but a couple of simple strategies can make the whole process much simpler and easier.
The goal to having a fast, friendly and efficient nail trim is to get your dog comfortable with having his or her feet handled by you.
Most dogs naturally don't like this a great deal, and if you haven't trained him or her to be comfortable with their feet, tail, legs etc being touched, now is the time to start.
This means spending time establishing a relationship of trust between the two of you first.
Start by touching your dog's feet regularly.
Just a gentle touch at first, almost like a stroking movement.
Include strokes down the back legs, ears, near the tail and the tail itself while you're at it.
If your dog is nervous or snappy, make a note of what part of the body makes him or her uncomfortable.
There could be an underlying reason like some arthritis or muscle inflammation that you can't see.
That's an issue you'll need to look at later.
Keep touching your dog's paws, legs and tails over a few days or weeks until you can touch each claw and look at the pads individually with no problems, Of course, if your dog already trusts you to do this and doesn't pull away, snap or squirm, you can move forward! Once you have a trusting relationship built up over handling some body parts, you can bring the clippers out for your first trim.
Ensure you own good quality clippers that aren't rusty or blunt.
I recommend holding the clippers near the nail but not actually clipping at first.
Do this over a few days and then cut one nail, and see how your dog reacts.
Many people take their dog to the vet or animal groomer because it can be so stressful, but really, it should only take a few minutes.
The most important thing to be mindful of is that you don't cut into the quick.
This is in the middle of your dog's nail and contains nerves and blood vessels so it can genuinely wound your dog if you cut into it or too close to it.
Check out your dog's nails, as you may be able to see where the darker vein with the quick in the middle ends, and the nail end starts.
Start by trimming a tiny bit off the end, then a little more until you believe you might be close to the quick.
On dark nails, it's practically impossible to tell so just cut enough to trim the nail neatly or else the quick could be cut.
The edges of the nail could be a little jagged after this so gently file them down until they're smooth or they might finish up catching onto something.
Stypic powder is something everybody with dogs should have in their grooming box, and a little bottle should last you for years.
You just put some on the nail if it's cut, to staunch the bleeding and encourage healing processes to start more quickly.
All well and good - but when is it actually time to trim your dog's nails? Generally, a dog's nails should almost touch the floor when he or she walks, so if you hear that doggie click clicking on hard floors or concrete, the nails have grown too long and need a trim.
The time span is usually every four to six weeks depending on the dog, and where he or she gets most of their exercise.
If you and your dog do a lot of walking on pavement, you may find you don't need to trim nails for up to two months.
This is because the surfaces help wear down the nails over time, a little like a giant nail file! Indoor dogs who mainly go to parks will probably have to have their nails trimmed more often.
The goal to having a fast, friendly and efficient nail trim is to get your dog comfortable with having his or her feet handled by you.
Most dogs naturally don't like this a great deal, and if you haven't trained him or her to be comfortable with their feet, tail, legs etc being touched, now is the time to start.
This means spending time establishing a relationship of trust between the two of you first.
Start by touching your dog's feet regularly.
Just a gentle touch at first, almost like a stroking movement.
Include strokes down the back legs, ears, near the tail and the tail itself while you're at it.
If your dog is nervous or snappy, make a note of what part of the body makes him or her uncomfortable.
There could be an underlying reason like some arthritis or muscle inflammation that you can't see.
That's an issue you'll need to look at later.
Keep touching your dog's paws, legs and tails over a few days or weeks until you can touch each claw and look at the pads individually with no problems, Of course, if your dog already trusts you to do this and doesn't pull away, snap or squirm, you can move forward! Once you have a trusting relationship built up over handling some body parts, you can bring the clippers out for your first trim.
Ensure you own good quality clippers that aren't rusty or blunt.
I recommend holding the clippers near the nail but not actually clipping at first.
Do this over a few days and then cut one nail, and see how your dog reacts.
Many people take their dog to the vet or animal groomer because it can be so stressful, but really, it should only take a few minutes.
The most important thing to be mindful of is that you don't cut into the quick.
This is in the middle of your dog's nail and contains nerves and blood vessels so it can genuinely wound your dog if you cut into it or too close to it.
Check out your dog's nails, as you may be able to see where the darker vein with the quick in the middle ends, and the nail end starts.
Start by trimming a tiny bit off the end, then a little more until you believe you might be close to the quick.
On dark nails, it's practically impossible to tell so just cut enough to trim the nail neatly or else the quick could be cut.
The edges of the nail could be a little jagged after this so gently file them down until they're smooth or they might finish up catching onto something.
Stypic powder is something everybody with dogs should have in their grooming box, and a little bottle should last you for years.
You just put some on the nail if it's cut, to staunch the bleeding and encourage healing processes to start more quickly.
All well and good - but when is it actually time to trim your dog's nails? Generally, a dog's nails should almost touch the floor when he or she walks, so if you hear that doggie click clicking on hard floors or concrete, the nails have grown too long and need a trim.
The time span is usually every four to six weeks depending on the dog, and where he or she gets most of their exercise.
If you and your dog do a lot of walking on pavement, you may find you don't need to trim nails for up to two months.
This is because the surfaces help wear down the nails over time, a little like a giant nail file! Indoor dogs who mainly go to parks will probably have to have their nails trimmed more often.
