Everyone pets dogs and puppies, but only a few people actually know how to cut puppy nails painlessly. Your puppy’s nails need regular care and should be handled with a perfect method. Nobody wants to put their pup in pain or discomfort, but also realize that it is the trickiest practice of the entire DIY grooming techniques, so you must learn the best way to cut your puppy’s nails carefully.
If you are afraid of this process, then take a deeper breath, pick your nail trimming tool and read this informative guide to get yourself ready for this task:
A Quick Summary
The nail trimming process is very simple, but you need to do this DIY task precisely and in a friendly manner so that your puppy will never feel discomfort during this entire process.
Usually, you must clearly see two parts of dog nails; never try to cut the pinkish part because it may put your puppy in pain. You have to focus on the white portion only. It is better to set your target before cutting the nails for perfection in your work.
Use a nail clipper or Dremel to used to cut your puppy nails or to trim them accurately. Once your furry friend is familiar with the nail-cutting tools, you never feel any hurdle during the entire process.
When to Trim your Dog’s Nails
At the initial stage of this process, you must know how long should a dog’s nails be? or when the nail actually ready for this trimming process. You have to make a DIY grooming routine and add this process in your schedule list.
The estimated time for the nail growing process in most dog breeds is around six weeks, going up to eight weeks in some cases. To make things simpler for you, just remember that you should cut your pup’s nails when you see these nails touching the floor surface.
To trim puppy nails, you need to follow this schedule. This simple method will help you to cut your puppy’s nails at the right time. This routine will also make your pup comfortable as well.
The pet owners should also know how fast their pet’s nails are growing. It actually depends on the environment and lifestyle of your pet. Moreover, this nail increasing speed is not the same in different dog breeds. This is another calendar that you must identify before cutting puppy nails.
Furthermore, if you find this job difficult, you can take assistance from a dog grooming professional or bring your puppy to the grooming shop.
What’s the Wrong with Long Nails?
The workout of nail trimming is absolutely necessary. If you notice long puppy nails, you must instantly treat them with a trimming session because it might negatively impact your dog’s personality.
Moreover, long nails look dirty and sometimes painful for your furry friend. When your pet tries to scratch any surface with long hairs, it will feel aching or frustrating. The pet owner also notices these glitches in the body posture of their dogs.
Whether you have installed the laminate flooring or put the high pile carpets on your floor surface, you must cut your puppy nails to protect these expensive flooring setups.
Getting Your Dog Comfortable
Once you accept this challenge, now it’s your responsibility to make your puppy relaxed throughout this process. It is better to use the right nail trimmer according to your dog breed to perform this DIY task with precision.
Before holding your pup’s paw or treating its top toe, you must understand that you need to hold it firmly or gently. It actually depends on the mood of your dog. If you feel that your furry friend is aggressive, you should leave the situation for some time or treat your pup with his favorite food. This will make your dog comfortable.
Always Use the Right Nail Trimming Tools
There are three basic tools available for this process. Once you know how far you can cut a dog’s nails, now it’s time to choose a perfect tool for this purpose. Let’s quickly go through these utilities:
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Clippers – The nail clippers are just like the classic scissors, which are mostly preferred to cut thinner pet’s nails. It is not recommended for younger dogs, but once you see longer nails, you can use this tool greatly.
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Dremel – If you are looking for an effortless tool, you should go for Dremel. It is an electric nail grinder that makes the nails shorter in length, just like traditional grinding. So, if you are scared of a normal clipper, this technique will suit you more.
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Self-Filing – If you have an intelligent pet, you can also train a self-filing procedure on a clipboard. The surface of this board contains sandpaper which shortens the nails without difficulty.
How to Trim your Pup’s Nails – Two Effective Ways to Go
If you are still thinking about how to clip puppy nails, you can follow two methods. Both these practices are effective and help pet owners to cut their puppy nails painlessly. Let’s check out both these techniques so that you can easily associate one of them according to the situation:
1. The Tools and Techniques Method
This one is the classic technique that most pet owners adopt. You have to follow the given sequence of steps in the right order to trim your dog’s nails:
i. Be Prepared
Get yourself ready for this DIY project with sharp clippers for your puppies. You should also arrange bleeding accessories for its stoppage. It is better to choose a lighted area to get a crystal clear view of your dog’s nails..
ii. Use Good Tools
As far as the tools are concerned for this technique, they should be good in quality and sharp enough to cut the edges of a dog’s nails precisely. The nail clippers are usually very low in cost, so you should always place them in good condition; if you think this utility is getting old, you can buy a new one for the comfortability of your furry friend.
iii. Secure Dog
If you think your puppy will not show any aggression and cooperate with you during this entire process, you can comfortably sit in any high-light area and cut your pup’s nails at any position. However, if your pet is in no mood to cut his nails, then what to do?
Don’t worry! In such scenarios, you can take assistance from someone to hold your pup in any relaxed position, and you can pick his feet to trim the nails.
iv. Prepare Foot
The toes of your puppy paw are usually associated very closely with each other. You have to apply some pressure to separate them. There are two parts of their toes; one is pinkish while the other is in white format. You should see the whole nail clearly and mark your target.
v. Cut Carefully Look for the Quick
Now, you are absolutely clear about your job. You must avoid the pinkish area and only cut the white part of the nail because the pinkish area may cause pain or even bleed in some cases.
There is a certain chance that you see the nails dark or full back; in this case, you should only trim the nails from the edges, examine your pet’s behavior, and slowly move deeper. Finally, you will get the exact spot where you have to cut your puppy nails painlessly.
2. The File Instead Method
Now, if you want to know how to file your dog’s nails, then here is the detail of this process. You just need a nail file or Dremel during this technique. Let’s see how to cut a dog’s nails with the file method:
i. Use a Dremel
The Dremel nail grinder is quite an effective tool for precisely trimming your pup’s nails. It is better to read the manual guide of your newly purchased Dremel and follow the remaining instructions given here.
Initially, you have to inspect the length of your nail. Here again, you must set your target before starting this procedure for accurate trimming.
ii. Acclimatize to Tool
Another important hack in this technique is to familiarize your pup with this tool. Once your dog start recognizing to this Dremel tool and its sound, it will become very easy to cut your puppy’s nails with this utility. This might slow this nail cutting process, but you never need to take assistance from anyone during this entire technique.
iii. Prepare
You must do this DIY task in a well-lit place for a magnified view. If you see any hair on the nails, remove them to see the whole nail clearly, or the Dremel should not catch the hair.
iv. Apply Dremel
Now it’s time to apply this utility to your dog’s nails gently. Make sure that you don’t put any pressure at an initial stage. It is better to use this tool on different nails to check the behavior of your pup and the heat of the gear.
v. Stop Before Reaching the Quick
If the claws of your pup are clean, then you will surely get a clear view of the white part of their nails. You can straightaway apply the Dremel till the end of the white nail. If it is dark enough, you must periodically trim the nails and cut them until the white spot.
How to Eliminate Nail Trimming Fear from my Pet?
To take the stress out of your pup, you must understand the exact technique of how to cut dog’s dew claws. It is important to discourage your pet’s fear or stop its development in their mind; otherwise, it will become very difficult for the pet owner to control the scenario.
You can educate your puppy about the tool or at least make them familiar with your nail cutting tool to remove the fear from their mind. You can also take the stress out from your pet’s mind by rubbing his nails with the tool or putting a little pressure so your pup will feel relaxed with the tool. If you are using the Dremel, you should operate them closer to your puppy to familiarize them with the tool’s sound.
It is so important to train your puppy at a younger age with these hacks, you never need to think again about how to cut puppy nails in the future, and the whole process will become a lot easier for the pet owners.
Puppy Nail Trimming Tips
You can boost your puppy’s behavior and well-being by cutting his nails in the right way. If you have invested in the ideal tools and adopt perfect guidelines; your puppy will surely feel comfortable during the nail trimming process.
If you are a skillful person with this DIY task, then follow these tricks to get more knowledge about nail trimming method:
- Always cut your dog’s nails in a high-light and non-slip area of your home.
- Practice this technique and apply the tool with only one or two nails at an initial stage.
- Treat your pup with cuddles and with his favorite food to make the environment relaxed.
- Make sure the nail clipper is sharp enough and in good condition for smooth working.
- Always cut your puppy nails with complete confidence over yourself.
- You have to trim only the white part of the nail.
- If you think you can’t help your puppy during this process, it is better to get assistance from anyone.
Common Questions
When can you start cutting puppy nails?
The estimated time for nail growth in most dog breeds is around six weeks and goes up to eight weeks. As a pet owner, you should start thinking about cutting your pup’s nails after every six weeks. You can also plan to cut your furry friend’s nails after every month to make things simple for yourself.
How should I cut my puppy’s nails?
It is better to use a toenail trimmer or any other useful tool to cut your puppy’s nails. It will improve your dog grooming performance, making your pup comfortable with this process.
Can I cut my puppy’s nails myself?
Yes, the process of nail trimming for any dog breed is not tough, but you have to adopt a certain set of rules or follow the guidelines of a pro groomer to perform this task perfectly.
Is it better to file or cut puppy nails?
Filing puppy nails will give beginner DIY better control and will never harm the pups. This procedure is more efficient than the regular nail clipping process, and your dog will feel comfortable.
Can I cut my puppy’s nails with human Clippers?
If you have small pups, you can experience their nails with a traditional human clipper, but the larger dogs need proper dog clippers to give the right angle of your dog’s toenails.
At what angle do you cut a dog’s nails?
The nail clipper must be scissor-type, and its head should be long enough to twist your puppy’s nail. The angle should be below 45-degree, and it should be clipped towards the toenail for a perfect nail cut.
How do you cut four-month-old puppy nails?
You have to adopt a DIY grooming attitude with a six months puppy, but you can cut month-old puppy nails only from the edges on a regular basis for the right growth of your pup’s nails.
Final Words about Cut Puppy Nails
You need to take a closer look at your puppy’s nails on a regular basis. The behavior of your furry friend depends a lot during this entire process. If you feel you can’t handle the situation, then it is better to take assistance to hold your pet instead of putting them in pain.
You must make your puppy familiar with the nail trimming tools or rehearsal them with the sound of your utility. Besides all these, you also need a crystal clear view of the nail to cut only the white part of your dog’s nails.
Start practicing this technique and will do the next nail trimming session for your pet on your own!