Here's how to cut your dog's nails at Home: A step-by-step guide

How often do you cut your dog's nails? Once in two months or three months, or are you planning to do this for the first time? Keeping your pet's claw in perfect condition is crucial to their health and playtime safety.  

As a pet parent, you must check the length of your dog's nails and give them timely clippings. Ignoring your dog's nails length may cause them a lifetime of pain. Trimming your dog's nails is a crucial part of pet grooming.

Pet nail trimming can be challenging initially, but with the right tools and the appropriate method, you can trim your dog's nails at home. ABK Grooming brings you a complete step-by-step detailed process and the best nail trimming tools professionals use to groom dog's nails. 

Why you need to cut your dog’s nails?

Trimming your dog’s claw is very crucial for their health and comfort. The most common reason is that long nails make them feel uncomfortable walking, and thus they make awkward postures as they walk. This leads to sprain in the paws and may cause severe injuries in the back. Sometimes, the nail may also curl up and bury into the skin leading to pain and potential infection. 

Another reason is that dogs’ nail has living tissue, called quick, that grows along with their nails. If you don’t trim the nail timely, the tissue keeps extending, making it even more difficult to cut or maintain a healthy length. 

Thus it is very crucial to trim their nails. Usually, you would need to cut the nails every 2-3 weeks or once a month, depending on your doggo’s growth and playing habits. You can determine if your boy needs a trim using the following ways.  

How do we know it’s time to trim the nails?

As soon as we see their nails extending the pads of their paws, it’s time for the trim. There are two simple ways through which you can recognize the need for nail clipping:

1. Their nails touch the floor as they stand straight on the ground.
2. You hear a tap-tap sound as they walk around the room.

This is when you should grab the required tools and plan for the nail-clipping session.

ABK Grooming tools you need to trim your dog’s nail

Pet parents should be very careful when choosing trimming tools. Professional groomers recommend using only high-quality tools for a peaceful nail-clipping session. Picking up the premium quality trimming tools is essential, especially for first-timers, to be comfortable and confident in using these instruments. You will need the following tools to cut your dog’s nails:

1. Clippers- Scissor clippers are most commonly used since they are easy to use. It requires manual strength to cut the nail. A quality clipper is essential as they come with a safety lock, a limiter, and a no-slip rubber grip. 

You can buy Trixie’s Nail Clipper for small dogs or Andis Nail Clippers for large dogs.

1. Grinder- Nail Grinders come with a rotating head to grind the nail down. It can be less stressful to use since it trims off a small section of nails at a time. However, many dogs may get scared by the noise trimmers make. They are also helpful when shaping after the clipping.

You can buy Andis Cordless Pet Nail Grinders for their brilliant performance. Another one is Aeolus Pet NAil Grinder which grinds all sizes of nails quickly and efficiently.

1. Styptic Powder - You should only cut the nails at home with Styptic or silver nitrate powder. During the clipping, there are chances of accidentally cutting the tissue, which causes bleeding. Styptic powder stops the bleeding and makes the dog feel relief.

With the right tools in your hand, we are all set to learn the method that will make you feel confident about clipping the nails off.

How to cut your dog’s nails?

Before understanding the step by step process how to cut your dog’s nails, let’s find out the formation of your dog’s nails.

Inside the nail of dogs, there is a living tissue called the quick. This tissue can be observed easily by looking at the nail in the torch light. It shows a light pink coloration which doesn’t extend to the tip. This is our cutting limit. Nothing more or nothing less, just till the quick (or a pink fleshy muscle) is visible.   

However, in black nails, you cannot see this tissue. In this case, you should place the dog on a flat surface and trim the nails using the grinder, grind it till the fleshy part is visible from the bottom view.

Step to cut the dog's nail at home

Step 1: Familiarize your dog with the clippers and tools. Also, ensure they are comfortable and familiar with you touching their paws and nails.

You can do this by letting them smell the clippers and giving them the treat when they do. Do this for at least a few days before the trim day.  

Step 2: Create a relaxed environment and make your dog comfortable in that place.

They may resist and get afraid or uncomfortable. Use encouraging words and talk to them to make them feel assured. 

Step 3: Grab a nail to see the pink tissue and know how far to cut.

Also, observe the angle you need to cut from based on the natural shape of the paws.

If your dog’s nails are black, use the trimmer. Simply turn it on and place the nail in the instructed part. Now carefully trim the nail till the fleshy part starts showing up in the bottom view.

Step 4: Place the clipper and cut the nail in a quick and safe motion. 

Beware, at this time, your dog may instinctively move his paws. Also, if you take too long, your dog may get nervous and resist. 

Step 5: Repeat the same with other nails.

If you accidentally cut too much, stay calm. Stop the bleeding with powder and reassure the dog that they are also calm.

Step 6: Reward your boy or girls

After nail trimming, reward your boy or girl with some treat, warm cuddles, and playtime. 

Things to keep in mind during clipping:
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1. If during the process you feel nervous or unprepared, stop right away. You may resume the process later when you feel confident or prefer visiting the professionals.
2. At times if your pet resists, you may need to be forceful. You can take someone’s help in holding the dog.
3. You can trim the hairs between the paws before cutting the nails.
4. Cut the nails till the tissue (the quick) because if you don’t, it will start extending. This may result in serious health problems for your furry.
5. Use words of encouragement and reassurance during the cutting session, so they associate the experience positively.
6. Be patient and positive, as it may take time for your dog to get used to the routine.
7. Use clippers that are dog specific
8. Touch their paws and nails regularly so they get used to being handled

Taking care of your dog’s health

These beautiful souls fill our life with joy and fulfillment. And so keeping them healthy and active becomes our responsibility. Keep your dog healthy by regularly consulting the vet for early prevention and by maintaining their hygiene and sanitation. Now, this is where grooming plays a crucial role. 

Cleaning them up and brushing away all that buildup can be fantastic for your dog’s hygiene and smell. You can buy an Andis Slicker brush to remove tangles and matting and reduce the shedding of hairs by 90%.

Give them regular bathing using the finest quality shampoos and conditioners. Pick the ideal shampoo based on understanding the pet’s skin concerns, such as sensitive skin, dry skin, hypo-allergic pets, antibacterial properties, skin hydration, and other significant issues. Professionals love using Hydra Shampoos and conditioners for the best results. You can now buy one for grooming your dog at home without compromising the quality.

ABK Groomings has a range of top grooming products to pick from. Shop only premium imported grooming products based on your pet’s needs and give them the love they deserve.

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