Cutting your dog’s nails doesn’t have to be an ordeal or a scary undertaking. With patience and practice, you and your dog can have a safe and pleasant experience.
Why Should I Cut My Dog’s Nails?
It is important to keep your dog’s nails trimmed to avoid unnecessary pain and discomfort to their paws when walking. It can also cause a deformity to the paws also causing pain to your dog.
How Do I Know When To Cut My Dog’s Nails?
If you can hear your dog’s nails on the floor while they are walking, it is time to cut their nails. If your dog is not very active or mostly walks on carpet or grass, it is important to keep an eye on the length of your dog’s nails.
How Often Should My Dog’s Nails Be Cut?
In general, dog’s nails should be cut every few weeks to a month, depending on how quickly your dog’s nails grow and if your dog’s nails get ground down with activity.
Getting Your Dog Prepared
Before cutting your dog’s nails, it is important to prepare them beforehand. If you have never cut your dog’s nails before, they need to become accustomed to the nail clippers.
- First, bring the nail clippers out and let the dog smell them.
- Next, touch your dog’s paw with the clippers without actually cutting anything.
- Then, you may want to open and close the clippers a few times so they get used to the sound it makes.
- After each instance above, make sure to praise and reward your dog to create a positive affiliation with the nail clippers.
When you actually cut your dog’s nails, you may want to start with just one nail each day to get your dog comfortable with having them cut.
Cutting Your Dog’s Nails
When cutting your dog’s nails, make sure you are in a nice, calm environment where you and your dog both feel at ease.
Hold your dog’s paw gently but firmly with one finger on the pad by the nail you are going to cut and another on the top of the nail you are going to cut. Lightly squeeze each finger to better expose the nail to be cut.
Take the nail clippers and cut the nail.
When you are first starting out, only clip a small amount off the nail. If you cut too much off the nail, you may cut the quick.
What Is The Quick?
The quick is a part of your dog’s nail that contains nerves and blood vessels. If this part of your dog’s nail is cut, it is painful for your dog and it will bleed.
To avoid cutting the quick, use nail clippers with a safety guard and only cut a small amount of the nail at a time.
If you do cut the quick, don’t panic. Your dog will be okay. When cutting your dog’s nails, especially if you are new to it, have some styptic powder nearby to help staunch the bleeding. If you don’t have styptic powder, cornstarch can also help.
Here is a video from AtDove.org that shows you the best way to cut your dog’s nails:
The Best Nail Clippers With A Sensor To Cut Your Dog’s Nails
Best Overall Nail Clippers
Miller’s Forge Steel Pet Nail Clipper
Features:
- Available in 2 sizes: for small and medium dogs and for large dogs.
- Stainless steel blades.
- Safety guard to prevent over cutting.
- Lock to keep clippers closed when not in use.
- Lifetime guarantee.
Pros:
- Provides a clean cut.
- Easy to hold.
- Does not make any noise when cutting.
- Safety guard can be moved out of the way if you don’t want to use it.
- Can be used on thick nails.
Cons:
- The lock slips into place while cutting, so you may have to maneuver it throughout your session.
- The safety guard moves out of place easily.
- The grip on the handles sometimes slips off.
- Handles are thin and hard to hold for some people.
Best Nail Clippers For Small Dogs
Poodle Pet Nail Trimmer
Features:
- Stainless steel blades.
- Safety guard to avoid over cutting.
- Anti-slip handles.
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- Comfortable to hold.
- Provides a clean cut.
Cons:
- These may be too small for some people’s hands to hold.
Best Nail Clipper For Large Dogs
Hertzko Dog Nail Clippers
Features:
- Stainless steel blades.
- Safety guard to avoid over cutting.
- Anti-slip handles.
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- Provides a clean cut.
Cons:
- Some users have pinched their fingers when cutting.
Best Nail Clipper Sets For Multiple Dogs
Bougainvillea Nail Clipper Set
Features:
- This set comes with a large nail clipper, a small nail clipper, a nail file and a bag to store them in.
- Available in 2 colors: blue and red.
- Contains a safety guard to avoid over cutting.
- These lock closed when not in use.
- They have a non-slip grip.
- Stainless steel blades.
- Lifetime warranty.
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- They provide a clean cut.
Cons:
- The included nail file is not that great.
Bretheil Dog Nail Clipper Trimmer Set
Features:
- This set contains 3 sizes of clippers, a nail file, and carrying case.
- Clippers have stainless steel blades.
- They have a non-slip grip.
- The clippers lock when not in use.
- They have a rounded tip to better fit nails when cutting.
- Each clipper has an adjustable safety guard to avoid over cutting.
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- Good for use on multiple sized dogs.
- Provides a clean cut.
Cons:
- The included nail file is not good.
Mudder 4 Pieces Dog Nail Clippers Kit
Features:
- This kit contains 3 sizes of nail clippers: 1 large, 1 medium, and 1 small nail clipper and a nail file.
- Clippers have stainless steel blades.
- There is a safety stop on each clipper to avoid over cutting.
- Non-slip handles.
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- Provides a clean cut.
- Blades are sharp.
Cons:
- The included nail file is not great.
- This kit does not contain a case or holder for the clippers to be stored in.
Please check out our other posts on Health, Indoor, Outdoor, and Travel accessories for your dog, as well as Reviews of various products and travel destinations.