Pedicure Please: 3 Steps To Dog Nail Trimming Or Grooming Success At Home! #107, by Dogs That on YouTube. 24 min 15 s.
- Video length
- 24 min 15 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes a day for 2 to 3 we
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Check the length first. Stand your dog on a hard floor and look at the nails. If they touch the ground and you hear clicking, they are too long and need trimming.
Condition your dog to the tool. Show the clippers or turn the grinder on for a second, then feed a treat. Repeat until the sight and sound predict food instead of fear.
Teach a game on position. Send your dog to a mat, ask for a chin rest or a stand, mark and treat. Use a clear word like all done to end the game.
Trim one nail at a time in the game on position. Take a small sliver, mark, then feed several treats. Release your dog between nails so they can choose to come back.
Watch for consent signals. If your dog pulls the paw away, lip licks, yawns or leaves, stop and try again later. A dog that stays and offers the paw is saying yes.
Build a scratchboard to keep nails filed between trims. Glue coarse sandpaper to a flat board and reward your dog for scratching it with both front paws.
Keep sessions short and finish on a win. Two or three nails a day is plenty at first. Stop while your dog is still happy and eager for the next round.
Tips and common mistakes
Cut thin slivers rather than whole chunks so you can stop before the quick, the pink blood supply inside the nail.
Keep styptic powder within reach and press a pinch onto the nail tip if you do nick the quick.
Never pin your dog down to finish a nail. It teaches them that the clippers mean being trapped.
Short daily practice beats one long session. Aim for a few minutes at a time.
Questions
How do I avoid cutting the quick?
Trim small slivers from the tip and look for a dark dot or pink centre in the cut surface. Stop there and use a grinder to file the rest.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
