How to Clip a Small Dog's Nails
Unlike cats, dogs wear down their nails when they walk. Some dogs don't get enough walking on hard surfaces to wear down their nails, so it's important to keep their nails trimmed. The dewclaws on a dog's front feet rarely touch the ground, so they don't get worn down. If left untrimmed, the dog's nails can split, or grow back around and cut into their toe. Be especially careful when trimming dark nails. The pigment makes the sensitive quick more difficult to see.
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Instructions
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Hold the dog in your lap, or place it on a table.
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Lift the dog's paw and examine the nails to determine which ones need to be cut.
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Look for the dark pink area in lighter claws. This is the quick, the soft center of the nail that is filled with blood vessels and nerves. Don't cut the nail so short that the quick is exposed, or you will hurt the dog. The quick is harder to see in dark colored nails.
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Fit the trimmer over the end of one of the long nails. Guillotine-style trimmers have a ring and sliding blade. You insert the nail through the ring and squeeze the lever to cut the nail. Scissor-type trimmers have curved jaws that fit around the nail at a right angle.
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Cut the claw to within two millimeters of the quick. Make several short, shallow cuts in dark nails instead of trying to cut the nail all at once. Look at the end of the cut edge. When you start to see a light oval appear on the edge of the nail, it means you're getting close to the quick and should stop cutting.
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Tips & Warnings
Many dogs don't like having their nails trimmed, so you may need someone to restrain or distract the dog while you cut its claws.
Dog nail trimmers come in two basic types, guillotine trimmers and scissor trimmers. Guillotine trimmers are easier to control, but they don't work on claws that are heavily curved.
If you cut into the quick, the dog's nail will start to bleed. Stop the bleeding by applying styptic powder to the wound.
