Trimming your doggy's nails doesn't have to be a struggle. Here are some helpful tips.

Nail cutting becomes an event surrounded by angst and drama. For very active dogs who run all day long on varied surfaces, cutting nails may not be necessary. High mileage wears them down naturally. But among city or suburban dogs who are lucky to get a mile or two walk daily, excessively long toenails are more common than not.

Consequences Of Long Toenails
The first consequence of long toenails is painful feet. When a dog’s toenails contact hard ground, like a sidewalk or your kitchen floor, the hard surface pushes the nail back up into the nail bed. This either puts pressure on all the toe joints or forces the toe to twist to the side.

How To Trim The Toenail
Toe nail maintenance requires a trim every two weeks, just like maintaining human fingernails. If you can hear nails clicking on your kitchen floor, they are much too long. The concept is easy: trim around, never across the quick, which is actually your dog’s finger.

NAIL CLIPPERS 

Use only “scissor” type clippers. Guillotine style clippers crush the toe, which is painful. Never put the whole nail in a clipper.
Use small size clippers for better control. Only giant breed dogs will need large ones.
Keep your tools sharp: either replace or sharpen your clippers regularly.
Smooth out your trim afterwards with a rotating emeryboard.

IF YOU CUT THE QUICK

Use corn starch to staunch the bleeding if you make a nail leak. With shallow cuts, this will be rare.
TIPS AND TRICKS

Trim nails outside or in a well lit room.

If you need “cheaters” for reading, use them for toenail clipping too.
It’s actually easier to see the nail structures on pigmented nails than on white ones. The insensitive nail will show as a chalky ring around the sensitive quick.
Keep clipper blades almost parallel to the nail – never cut across the finger.
Don’t squeeze the toes – that hurts!

Some dogs act like cutting their nails is their worst nightmare. This may be a learned behavior from their painful, overstimulated toes, which will slowly dissipate along with the pain once the nails are short. Use all your best restraint and behavior modification tricks to get through the initial phase, whether your dog is a squirmer or a drama queen.

Make nail trimming “quality time” you spend with your dog. Lots of kisses, lots of treats and a positive attitude go a long way. If you dread it, your dog will too, so learn how to be a good actor until you succeed in believing it can be a loving experience for you both.

Hopefully, with some patience and these helpful tips, your doggy won't dread the days he's due for a nail trimming. Keeping your pup's paws in tip top shape is a priority! Sure, you pooch might be a little uncomfortable for a while, but he'll appreciate having his nails trimmed in the long run.

For more information on nail trimming techniques, check out Dogs Naturally.