Long nails mean hurting feet. When a dog’s nails contact with hard ground, 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. Either way, those toes become very sore, even arthritic in the long term.

Trimming your dog’s nails regularly is a good but not-so-frequent habit. The most common reason for avoiding nail trims is that the owner is afraid of getting the dog scared and that he could turn aggressive and bite. So, nail cutting becomes an event surrounded by anxiety.

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 can be a problem.

If you can hear nails clicking on your kitchen floor, they are much too long, it’s time to cut them. Here are some tips:

– 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! Use your fingers to separate the toes for clipping and hold the paw gently.

– Use a pair of blunt-edged children’s scissors to remove excess toe hair: nothing dulls clippers quicker than cutting hair!

– Remember, no dog ever died from a quicked toenail. If you “quick” your dog accidentally, give it a yummy treat right away.

– Make nail trimming fun: always associate nail cutting with cookies and praise.

– For maintenance, cut every two weeks. To shorten, cut every week.