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Step 4Trim your first nail!
Now that your dog is acclimated to the motions of clipping (this process should probably take about a week but could take longer if he has had bad toenail-trimming experiences before) we can start to trim his nails.
Pick up a paw and examine the nails. If your dog has light nails, you should be able to see the quick or the pink fleshy part that is inside the toenail. This is what we will try to avoid cutting into as it can be painful and will bleed quite a bit. If your dog has dark toenails, it will be harder to determine the proper length to cut but you can examine the underside of the nail. There should be a groove the runs parallel to nail growth. If you cut beyond this groove,closer to the tip of the nail, you should be safe.
Place the cutter around the tip of the nail with the solid plate of the guillotine cutter facing your dog. Your cut will be just past the quick at an angle away from the paw. (See diagram.) With one quick movement, close the clipper around the nail for a smooth cut.
Continue until you have trimmed all the nails. After each toe or couple of toes, praise your dog and give him a treat. Don't forget the dew claws, which are farther up on the legs, near the ankle. If left long, these can catch on things and actually injure your dog.
Pick up a paw and examine the nails. If your dog has light nails, you should be able to see the quick or the pink fleshy part that is inside the toenail. This is what we will try to avoid cutting into as it can be painful and will bleed quite a bit. If your dog has dark toenails, it will be harder to determine the proper length to cut but you can examine the underside of the nail. There should be a groove the runs parallel to nail growth. If you cut beyond this groove,closer to the tip of the nail, you should be safe.
Place the cutter around the tip of the nail with the solid plate of the guillotine cutter facing your dog. Your cut will be just past the quick at an angle away from the paw. (See diagram.) With one quick movement, close the clipper around the nail for a smooth cut.
Continue until you have trimmed all the nails. After each toe or couple of toes, praise your dog and give him a treat. Don't forget the dew claws, which are farther up on the legs, near the ankle. If left long, these can catch on things and actually injure your dog.
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