Pup Pedicures

Author: maswan

If you have ever been on the receiving end of a large paw with long nails sliding down your leg, arm or chest you know the importance of good grooming of a dogs’ nails!
It is especially important with a large breed dog, to have a good nail care regimen established when they are puppies. When started early they will be used to it and accepting of it without a struggle. By doing it yourself you can save time and money by not having to take them to a vet or groomer to have their nails done.
Some breeders will start when the puppies are about two days old. If done on a weekly basis the nails will never get so long as to require drastic cutting. We try to keep our dogs’ nails very short, about ½ inch, and well rounded so there are no rough edges that can scratch. A good sign that your dog needs his nails trimmed is when the click on the floor!
For smaller dogs a regular dog nail clipper works just fine. By looking underneath the nail you can see where the quick is. Avoid getting too close to this as it will cause bleeding and probably discomfort to your animal. This will only make it harder to get them to stand still if they are afraid of the pain.
. For large breed dogs you may want to consider using a Dremel grinding tool instead of regular dog nail clippers. Their nails can be so large and tough it is hard to get them clipped with the clippers without pulling too much and causing some discomfort to the animal. By using a grinding tool you have some added assurance that if you get too close to the quick where there are veins those veins would be cauterized if cut into. Nonetheless you should always have some type of coagulant available just in case you get too close.
Even though our Great Dane was started with a grinding tool as a baby

he still sulks when I say it is time to do the nails. All of a sudden he urgently has to go outside or will go curl up in the bed feigning sound sleep! But thankfully he will finally hold out his paw and put up with the grinding.
Having well trimmed nails is just part of a good over-all grooming. Don’t forget the bath, ear cleaning and tooth brushing! A well-groomed dog is a sign of proud ownership.

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