How to Trim Your Puppy's Nails

One of the most traumatic experiences for a puppy and his owner can be the first nail trimming session. Often, the owner avoids it altogether and leaves it to a veterinarian who may not have time to do it gently. By learning a few tricks, you can trim your own puppy's nails without trauma or drama and actually make it fun for both of you.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Help your puppy get accustomed to having her legs, feet and nails touched and rubbed for several days before actually doing any trimming. Reward the touching sessions with a doggie biscuit.

2. Choose the best type of trimmer. Puppies usually have small nails, so unless you have a large breed with thick nails, the same trimmers you use for your nails might work for them and for small, adult dogs.

3. Perform a clip and treat routine that helps your puppy associate nail trimming with something yummy. Trim the very tip of a nail and then give the puppy a little piece of biscuit. You can perform these two actions at the same time by having someone provide the treats as you do the trimming.

4. File the nails with an emery board after trimming to smooth off any rough edges. This keeps the puppy from chewing on his nails so much later and helps keep your carpet and clothing snag free.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a very wiggly or fearful puppy, choose a time when she's tired and trim just one or two nails at a time. Repeat the process on subsequent days until all the nails are trimmed.

Resources

• Puppy nail trimming advice from experts
• Puppy grooming tips
• Websites for Puppies