How To Restrain A Dog To Cut Nails

Trimming your dog's nails can be an anxiety inducing job for both you and your dog. Only knowing but the right place to clip their nails to prevent injury doesn't take to be a guessing game. The Detroit domestic dog groomers at Canine to V have compiled the perfect at-dwelling guide to trimming your dog's nails that'll walk you through every step of the way.

What to utilize?
Not all nail trimmers are created equal, and purchasing the proper fashion and size for your dog will assistance set up you upwardly for success.

For small dogs or tiny puppies, you'll need scissor style clippers.

Formedium&large dogs, you lot'll need large smash clippers.

Y'all'll too want to exist prepared with styptic pulverization in the effect a smash starts to bleed.

When to trim?
A skillful rule of pollex is to trim your domestic dog's nails once they commencement touching the footing. Much like human nails, a domestic dog's nails volition go along to grow and grow until they whorl outward, or worse – in. Long nails tin exist uncomfortable for your domestic dog to walk on, they take away your pup's traction making it easier for slips and falls, they're more susceptible to breaking or tearing off completely, and they tin can grow into your dog's paw pads causing pain and infection. If y'all hear your dog's nails clacking on the ground, it may be time for a boom trim!

Where to trim?
Arguably the most important question – WHERE? Most dog owners know that within of a canis familiaris'south nail is a vein called the quick. This vein is the source of claret and all of your anxiety. If you're lucky, and aye – when it comes to dog nails, yous tin really get lucky – your dog will accept white or clear nails that go far possible to see the quick from the exterior.

The quick is where the pink function of the nail begins – trim just below this line.

Merely for many of us, our dogs either accept one or more nails that are all black, making it incommunicable to meet where the quick is from the outside of the boom. In this case, the best method is to trim little by lilliputian, which we'll comprehend in the next section.

How to trim?
And so we know what to use, when to use it, and kind of where to cut it, now – what is the best technique? If this is the get-go time you're trimming your domestic dog's nails, or yous already know they're are a fleck nervous when it comes to a pawdicure, you'll desire to comprise some positive reinforcement training first earlier diving in. Here is a video that shows how to desensitize your dog to the idea of nail trimming and create a positive experience for them.

"If your domestic dog has nails that are naturally very dry out and crack or chip oftentimes, information technology's all-time to clip the nails after a bath when they are still moistened, this can help prevent further cracking" – Detroit Domestic dog Groomer, Brittany

If you have a small-scale dog or tiny puppy, the easiest fashion to cutting will exist in your artillery with blast pair of scissors. This video below shows how to employ smash pair of scissors on a at-home and collected domestic dog.

"When clipping, always start slow and work your mode up. A lot of the time y'all tin can judge how much to take off by the neighboring nail yous have already trimmed. Sometimes, back nails need less off than front nails because of how dogs bear their weight." – Detroit Domestic dog Groomer, Brittany

For dogs with black nails, trimming little by picayune is the but way to go. This video will prove yous how to spot the quick from the within of the nail.

Unfortunately, information technology is very like shooting fish in a barrel for a dog to take a bad feel with nail trimming. Either they've had their nails cut likewise short in the past which caused pain and bleeding, or they were restrained too aggressively instilling fear into the process. Whatever the reason for your dog'south fright, know that is is very common and near dog owners struggle with nail trimming at home.

Groomer Brittany says,"The big thing to remember is that even one pes or one nail a twenty-four hours is a large accomplishment when working with a dog who doesn't like having it washed. At that place is definitely plenty of fourth dimension to work on edifice that trust with a dog in making this a positive and productive process, so don't rush and stress either of yourselves out. Effort to approach it every bit confidently as you can considering your dog will pick up on any and all of the energy yous put out there."

If your canis familiaris is very much opposed to having their nails trimmed, getting someone to assistance gently restrain your domestic dog while talking to them, or feeding them something yummy like peanut butter, can brand a big divergence. Here are Detroit Canis familiaris Groomers Lisa and Najee working together to trim a domestic dog'southward nails.

If your dog is more than than nervous with boom trims and behaves aggressively, you may need to incorporate muzzle preparation with them. This video below shows yous how to commencement railroad train your dog to tolerate wearing a muzzle, then how to safely restrain a fearful dog to trim their nails.

Finishing Touches
Once you lot've finished trimming your dog'southward nails with clippers, y'all can motion on to using a dremel. The sound of the dremel can exist scary for some dogs, then a smash file can be used instead if needed.

"Always make sure that the pilus is pushed dorsum on long coated/hairy footed pups. This can be washed with pantyhose, or even a plastic bag and all you do is poke the nails through. This is all extremely of import when using the battery operated nail filer to prevent pilus, body parts, or other objects from getting caught in the parts that spin." – Detroit Dog Groomer, Brittany

Filing your dog's nails will aid you lot get closer to the nail'south quick, and the closer you trim to the quick, the further this vein will recede making information technology possible for shorter nails.

If your canis familiaris's nails are long, your dog will more than likely tolerate dremeling if y'all clip them first, then dremel as a finishing tool. Merely, if your canis familiaris'due south nails are already short, or known to have long quicks, dremeling can assistance maintain that shortness and help the quick recede.

In addition to achieving a shorter nail, the dremel can help with shaping and rounding out the edges, making it more pleasant for us humans when our dog jumps upwardly or sits on our lap. Assuasive your dog walk or run on physical tin have a like result.

Help! My dog's nail is bleeding!
If you end up cutting into your dog's quick, stay calm. You'll desire to accept styptic pulverisation on paw to dip the blast into. Dipping the private blast into styptic powder non only coagulates the claret and stops the flow, information technology helps creates a clog at the lesser of the vessel which will prevent bacteria from entering the blood vessel.

If your dog's nail was cutting severely short and it will not stop bleeding, contact your vet office for further direction.

Y'all've got this!
At Canine to Five, we believe in you and know that you tin can trim your dog's nails at habitation! But if your dog has other ideas, our Detroit Grooming Salon offers blast trims with haircuts, baths, as a walk-in service, or while your dog is with us for doggy daycare or overnight dog boarding.

Recommended Products

Master Grooming Tools Pet Blast Scissors (for small dogs or tiny puppies)
Master Grooming Tools Nail Clipper Westward/Teal Handle (for medium to large dogs)
Millers Forge Big Nail Clipper W/Orange Handle (for medium to large dogs)
Dremel 7300-N/v 4.8V MiniMite Cordless Rotary Tool
Coastal Pet Products DCPW6112 Stainless Steel Safari Diamond Dog Nail File
Central Laboratories Remedy+Recovery Styptic Pulverization (ane.5 Oz)
Miracle Intendance Kwik Stop Styptic Solution

Loved this weblog post? Check out our At-Domicile Guide to Brushing Your Dog!