How to Trim a Puppy's Nails
Medium
5 - 20 Minutes
4 Weeks
Need regular grooming services?
Introduction
Your puppy's nails can do all kinds of damage to your skin, your furniture, or even your floors if you're not on top of keeping them trimmed. If you wait too long to trim your puppy's nails, he may be a little anxious about the task at hand and could be uncomfortable or even scared. So the best time to begin trimming his nails is now--when he's a puppy. You can trim his nails a few different ways, but there are some key points that you'll need to know as you and your puppy acclimate to this new grooming task together. Familiarize yourself with the anatomy of a dog's claw and pay attention as you're trimming not to cause any discomfort, pain or bleeding.
Dog's Perspective
It might be a difficult task to settle your puppy down long enough for a good nail trimming. Remember, a long day of play and a few treats go a long way toward making this task easier when it comes to having a calm, sleepy puppy.
The Light and Dark Cut Method
Effective
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Nail Clipper
Step
1
Puppy’s nails
Take a close look at each of your puppy's nails. Some may be dark and some may be light or clear in color. Light and clear nails will show the quick inside the nail easily. Darker nails hide the quick, making it a bit more difficult to see. Clipping the nail without knowing exactly where the quick is can be worrisome.
Step
2
Closer look
If you take a closer look at the underside of your puppy's nails you may be able to see the quick easier or you will notice a split in the nail on the bottom. When cutting, do not go beyond this split, especially on the dark nails, because you may risk cutting the quick.
Step
3
Clippers
Choose the style nail clippers you will use for your young pup. You can use a guillotine type clipper or you can use a scissor type clipper. Both are easy to use, your choice is personal preference.
Step
4
Apply pressure
Once the nail is inside the clipper, apply a small amount of pressure. Avoid cutting the nail at this point. You want to gauge your puppy's reaction. If the amount of pressure you're applying is something your puppy feels, bring the clippers down closer to the tip and try again, having less of the nail in the clippers. If your dog does not react or flinch, he doesn't feel it and this is okay to cut.
Step
5
Little cuts
Use your clippers to cut small amounts of the nail tip, slowly moving up the nail. Making small cuts on your puppy's nail gives him time to get used to this grooming procedure as well as gets you used to how short you can cut your little guys' nails while avoiding the quick.
Step
6
Repeat
Repeat this process for each one of your dog's nails. Don't forget his dew claws if he still has those intact. You may need to go a bit slower with even smaller cuts on darker nails until you are used to where the quick is and how easy it is to accidentally cut.
Step
7
Cutting the quick
Accidents happen, especially if this is a new procedure for you and your puppy. If you happen to accidentally cut the quick you can apply styptic powder or baking soda to stop the bleeding. A little extra tender loving care and a treat may also help your dog deal with the pain and tenderness. Next time, go slower and be more careful, but know your little guy will forgive you if this happens.
Recommend grooming method?
The Grinding Method
Effective
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Dremel
Step
1
Tools
Prepare yourself with grinding tools. You can use either a grinder from your pet store or you can even use a Dremel to cut your puppy's nails.
Step
2
Position
Position your puppy so you are both comfortably seated together. You may want your little guy lying next to you so you can put his paws in your lap or you may want him on a table where you can sit comfortably in front of him.
Step
3
Massage and treat
This might be a new procedure if not the first time your pup is doing this. Take this procedure slow, be patient and gentle, and remember to reward your little guy for good behavior as he tolerates grinding his nails. The more patient you are now the better he will tolerate this in the years to come. Massage his paw and give treats while you do so. Turn on the grinder so he can hear the sound it makes. Be careful not to touch the tip to his skin or fur.
Step
4
Grind
Hold one paw in your hand and the grinder in the other hand. Very gently grind away the tip of your puppy's nails on both sides. This will grind very quickly so be prepared with how fast your grinder will take the nail away and don't hold the grinder to his nails long.
Step
5
Go slow
You cannot control how quickly the grinder will grind, so make your process as slow as you can, giving your dog time to adjust and get used to how it feels and sounds. Pause in between nails and give your little guy some treats. Don't grind off more than you need to the first few times you do this.
Step
6
Nail quick
You can grind the nail too short and expose your dog's quick causing pain and bleeding. This is why it's imperative to only hold the grinder to the nail for a split second before pulling it away and reassessing if you need to do that nail again. If you do happen to cut the quick inside the nail you will need to pause and stop bleeding with a styptic powder or baking soda.
Step
7
Rewards
Trimming your puppy's nails is something you are going to have to do on a regular basis, so be sure to reward him after every single nail grooming session so he's motivated to let you do it again without any problems.
Recommend grooming method?
Caution & Considerations
- Pay close attention to your puppy’s nails so they do not become broken or torn. A torn nail can snag on carpet or grass and tear more, causing pain and bleeding.
- Before you first cut your puppy’s nails look closely at each one, as they may differ in appearance.
- There is a nerve inside your puppy’s claw. It’s called the "quick". With white or clear nails, the quick is easy to see as it appears as a red line.
- In darker nails, the quick isn’t easy to find, so cut small amounts of the nail, moving slowly down the nail.
- The longer you allow the nails to grow the longer the quick will be, so keeping the nails well trimmed is important.
- If you happen to cut the quick, you can use baking soda or styptic powder to stop the bleeding.
- There are different tools you can use to cut your puppy’s nails from grinding tools to guillotine or scissors clippers.
- Filing your puppy’s nails after trimming will help smooth the surface and keep them from snagging.
- If your puppy still has his dew claws, don’t forget to cut those as well. If left long, they could curve back in toward the skin and cause pain.
Conclusion
Your puppy needs to be able to sit still long enough to have his nails trimmed. Trimming can be a fun and quick process with cutters or a grinder. But how your pup reacts will be based on how comfortable you are at the task at hand. Make his manicure funs with treats and build his confidence by going into this task with your own confidence and understanding of how to do it right.
