Nail Care

Every dog needs a regular pedicure. Long nails can uncomfortably splay your dog’s toes and stop their foot pads from touching the ground. They can also do some serious damage! The earlier you start clipping your puppy's nails, the quicker he'll get used to it, and the easier it will become.

Get your dog used to having their paws handled from an early age. Use treats to reward them for allowing you to hold and play with their paws without fuss. When you can hold the foot for at least 30 seconds without a struggle, then they're ready for nail trimming. Use specialist nail trimmers designed for dogs (your vet can advise), but beware of the following:

1. Not too short
   Clip nails no shorter than the base of your dog's pads so that you avoid cutting the quick - a blood vessel that extends down each nail which can bleed and cause discomfort if cut. When your dog is standing, the nail should still just touch the ground (good dog nail clippers will help make sure you don’t cut any shorter). If you do clip the quick by accident, apply pressure with a soft cloth or napkin to stem any bleeding.
2. Dew claws
   Most dogs have four digits with nails on their front and hind paws, but some have a fifth, called the dew claw, on the inner side of their leg, near the paw, like our thumb. As they don’t touch the ground, dew claws don’t get worn down from running around and can grow very long, even curling back round and burying into your dog’s leg, so do keep an eye on them.