what is the best way to trim my dogs nail?

Answer 1

using nail trimmers, you can usually buy these from a local pet store or even grocery store. Just grab his/her paw and lightly trim the edges off...be careful not to cut off too much, b/c it will bleed and hurt badly. Once you get the nails trimmed, you can run/walk the dog on hard surfaces such as pavement, and this will help wear the nails down naturally.

Answer 2

The best thing would be to get your dog used to having his feet touched and played with while he's a puppy. This technique can be used on older dogs as well, however, so don't be alarmed if he's past the puppy stage.

Start by getting your dog to sit or lay beside you (or on your lap if he's small enough) and calmly start massaging his body while using a word such as "easy" or "settle." Once he is calm, practice rubbing his feet, toes, and nails just like you would hold them to do the actual cutting. If he allows you to do this while remaining calm, praise him and offer him a treat. Be sure that he stays calm and does not fight to get away or he'll associate the squirming and getting away with the reward.

Repeat this exercise every few days until you feel comfortable enough to actually start clipping his nails. I would recommend using the scissor-style trimmers and not the guillotine. The guillotine is basically a round hole that you insert the nail into, and clip. Unfortunately, most guillotine style clippers don't have a safety built in, allowing you to (accidentally) insert the entire nail into the hole. This would cut the dog's quik and hurt him.

Take note when you decide to start clipping that there are two different colors of dog nails: white and black. White nails are much easier to cut because you can see the vein in the nail. Take your clippers and clip off the end of the nail just before the vein. If the nails were very long to begin with, you'll need to cut a little bit off the end every few days. Cutting regularly will help the vein to recede and soon your dog will have short nails again.

Black nails are harder to do. First, cut a bit off the end. After a while you should see a dot in the middle of the nail; that is the beginning of the vein. Stop after you see that dot. If you cut too far, or "quik" your dog, just apply pressure to the nail, or a styptic powder and eventually it will stop bleeding.

When cutting your dogs nails, don't forget about the dew claw. This is a nail slightly above their foot, I look at it as if it is where the ankle is. If you keep your dog's nails short, it will reduce the risk of them growing long, painful nails. Long nails take much more maintenance and time to get them to a normal size.

If you still feel uncomfortable about trimming your dogs nails yourself, several of the specialty dog stores have grooming salons inside that charge a reasonable price for a quick trim. The groomers are also very good about showing you how to do it yourself the next time.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

There is this cool product out on the market that allows you to trim safely. It's a nail trimmer with a light attached to it so you are able to see the quick(the part of the dogs nail that you DON'T want to clip)

Answer 4

I hate to say this, but go to a groomer. I have tried it before and my dog's paw was bleeding because I cut the nail too short.