In this blog, we will try to explain to you how to cut your dog’s nails at home using a dog nail-clipper with proper care. 

Taking your dog to a grooming salon every now and then can be a little time-taking. And there are certain grooming activities that can be done at home on your own. Such as hair brushing, nail trimming, and dry bathing.

Why trimming nails is important

Trimming nails of your dog is a part of their essential grooming process.

Unless your dog runs on hard surfaces very often you would have to trim them every once in a while. If your dog is not aggressive in nature or hyper-active, you can trim your dog’s nails at home using a dog nail clipper.

(PC: Good Housekeeping)

Initially, your dog might get a little uncomfortable with you trying to cut their nails. You can distract them and make the process a little easier by giving them a spoon full of peanut butter to lick off. That will keep them busy and entertained. 

Steps to follow

So let us look into the steps that you can follow to train yourself to trim your dog’s nails at home.

• Firstly, get your dog familiar with a nail clipper. Let them sniff it and then appreciate them with a treat and praise. This will introduce them to a new tool that they will be not scared of initially. If you don’t orient them first, then they might get a little anxious of the tool and start acting out differently.

• Once they sniff the nail clipper you can move on to the next step. That is, touch their paws with the nail clipper and give them a treat for cooperating. When you touch the tool with their paws, they will get familiar with the movement and not get startled when you try and trim their nails.
  
  
• If they are okay with what’s happening, then go ahead and try to trim a very tiny part of their nails. Keep rewarding the pet after every step so that they cooperate happily. Just trim the tip of the nail or two nails and see how they are reacting.
  
  
• If your dog is feeling fine, then move to the next step that is the main step fo this entire process- trimming the extra nail-length. To know how much to trim the nails you would need to consult your veterinarian once. This is because every dog has different nail lengths and growth and that is why you need to have a professional’s input before you start trimming them off.

(PC: American Kennel Club)

Things to keep in mind

1. Avoid clipping past the curve of the nail. The point at which the nail starts curving is the part til where it is safe to trim. After that, there is a possibility of hitting what is called the quick which has blood vessels. If that is trimmed it can be painful and can also bleed. For dogs with dark nails, watch for a chalky white ring.
   
   
2. Make sure to consult your vet and observe how he cuts your dog’s nails. Ask them if you have any doubts or queries.
   
   
3. You can practice the mentioned steps at intervals of a day or two if your dog is not comfortable with a nail clipper. Try to make them comfortable first before moving on to the later steps.

To sum it up-

These tips and tricks will help you in trimming your dog's nails at home. However, if you are still not able to complete the task for whatever reason, just take your pooch to a grooming salon and they'll do the required.