How to Clip a Pugs Toenails

Cutting your pug's toenails can be an arduous task. Most dogs get antsy when you start to play with their paws and pugs are no different when it comes to this. Pug's nails grow fast and if you don’t properly maintain them, they can cause him pain and discomfort as well as a potential breakdown of the paw, which can lead to walking problems and joint disorders. Keep your dog's nails and overall health in tact by following this very simple guide to pug nail clipping. Here’s how to cut your pug's toenails.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dog nail clippers
• Treats
• Styptic powder
• Tissue

1. Start them when they’re young. This is one of the best ways to begin an effective nail maintenance program. If you start clipping his nails when he is young, he’ll be more likely to equate it with the rest of his everyday tasks like going to the bathroom outside, being brushed and even sitting.

2. Get her while she’s sleeping. Pugs fall into extremely deep sleeps, which makes this the best time to trim her toenails. If your pug struggles when you try to cut her nails awake, try getting her when she’s asleep. Even if she wakes a bit, she’ll be relaxed and in no mood for a fight. Be careful of sleep twitches and clipping too deeply.

3. Be gentle. Hold her in your lap, with her back to your stomach so that when you hold her paw in your hand, it is similar to the position your hand would be if you were cutting your own nails. Gently spread the nails by pressing on the bottom of the paw and cut the very tip, just to the end of the curve.

4. Trim his nails regularly. In order to avoid paw problems, like the breakdown of pasterns and bleeding, a pugs toenails should be clipped at least once a month.

5. Be careful. One of the biggest mistakes that dog owners make when clipping toenails at home is cutting to far down on the nail and into the quick. The quick is a part of your pug's toenail that contains blood vessels. If your dog yelps it is not because he’s being a baby, it’s because you cut the quick. Clipping to deeply will cause bleeding and pain, so avoiding cutting too far and clip just the curved white tip. It’s better to clip too little than too much.

6. Give her a treat. Reward your pug with a small treat or lots of love and affection at the end of each clipping session. Clipping a pugs toenails is not a punishment and should never be used as such. Reward your pug's good behavior and cooperation with a treat so that they’ll be more apt to cooperate in future nail cutting sessions.

Tips & Warnings

• If you cut the quick and your pug is bleeding, blot with a clean tissue and styptic powder.
• If your pug has dark toenails, be extra careful when clipping. It is always better to cut too little than to cut too much.

[Kimmee24]

on 11/19/2008 My pug is all black, even her toenails. I know about the vein/quick. But it is really hard for me to clip the nails without seeing the vein. The nail it's self has a curve to it but I dont understand exactly where to start. Is there an easier way of doing this? Her nails grow fast like you said and will need a trim every two to three weeks.