Cutting Dog Nails

[sabrinah]

Plenty of people on this site seem to cut their cat's nails so I assume some cut doggy nails too!

I moved to a place with hardwood floors and I've become very aware of my dog's clicking nails. I've always trimmed them regularly, but until the last few months, I haven't actively tried getting the quick to recede. While his nails do seem to be very, very slowly getting shorter, the clicking hasn't lessened! Part of this is because he prances and bounces constantly, but the rare times he does walk normally there's still light clicks. I cut his nails weekly as far as I can without hitting the quick. It's slow work on black nails, but I manage. None of the nails touch the floor while he's standing. I refuse to take him to a vet or groomer for his nails because last time I did that they cut the quick on every. single. nail. And I'm not talking a tiny nick with just a hint of blood. It was so bad I made them stop. They tried to insist on finishing since they were charging me regardless of their horrible job and I had to physically move my dog away from them to make them stop. He limped for two days afterward and wouldn't let me touch his paws for months.

Any tips for making the quick recede faster? Should I cut twice a week? I've done a ridiculous amount of research and the tips I find online just haven't worked. I know other people swear by dremels but I prefer good old clippers, and my dog is absolutely petrified of unfamiliar noises so it would take a good 6 months at least to even get a dremel near him. Dremels just aren't for us. I do file his nails with a regular nail file after cutting to make everything nice and smooth and get a wee bit closer to the quick.

 

[gitabooks]

Wow, going to that groomer sounds horrible! I agree, don't go there.

I'm actually struggling with the same thing with my senior dog (seniors seem to grow their nails quicker). He has darker nails (not completely black) and he clicks when he walks. However, when I shine a light against them to trim them the quick just seems so close to the tip that I freak out and only do the very tip. I need to work on that, but I just feel so bad when I hit the quick.

Anyways, to me it sounds like slow and steady is the best course to go. You're doing a great job being consistent. Keep up the good work and his nails should continue to get healthier! If they aren't touching the ground you're making good progress.

Hope this helps. : )

 

[sabrinah]

Now I'm dreading him getting old even more! He's only 5 and his nails grow super fast. When he's old it'll be so hard to keep up!

I've only cut the quick twice in 4 years and I felt horrible both times. With black nails you have to go so slow! His nails also aren't like the pictures they show online, so I'm kinda on my own figuring out how far to cut. If he yanks his paw away but there's no blood I take that as getting too close to the quick.

 

[neely]

I'm with you on dremels, i.e. I was never able to use them either, but just as you said some people swear by them. Our dog had some black nails but not all. Fortunately we had a very positive experience with the groomer, never once did they cut the quick/bleed. In fact, the last year of our dog's life when he lost muscle mass in his back end and had difficulty getting up our groomer came to the house and didn't even charge extra. I think you're doing a great job also. Down the road you may want to check for a word of mouth referral from other dog parents in your area about a reliable groomer or continue to cut them yourself which is probably less stressful on him.

 

[sabrinah]

Your groomer sounds amazing! I don't think I can ever trust someone else to cut his nails again. I'm sure a professional could do a better job (and have him not clicking by this point!) but my dog is comfortable with me and would most certainly try to bite a stranger after the last experience.

 

[neely]

Yes, we were very fortunate with our groomer and had been going there for a long time. She even has a separate day for 'cat grooming only' so the cats won't be annoyed or scared by barking dogs. I'm sure you probably already know this but just thought I'd mention it - I don't know what the area is like where you live but long, frequent walks on cement/concrete, e.g. sidewalks, will also keep the nails trim. I walked with our dog constantly since he loved being outdoors and so did I.

 

[sabrinah]

We take long walks daily on sidewalks but it really doesn't do enough for him. I try to go up as many hills as possible so his nails will dig in a little harder but it doesn't seem to help at all. I'm sure with no walks maintaining his nails would be an absolute nightmare though.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I wasn't comfortable with a dremel but it became necessary many years back.
How to Dremel Dog Nails @ DoberDawn.com This helped me a LOT.
For clipping, check this out:
(It's 14 minutes, but really good and very informative on how long nails can, over time, break down foot structure and make some joint problems appear way worse than they are.)

 

[sabrinah]

I wasn't comfortable with a dremel but it became necessary many years back.
How to Dremel Dog Nails @ DoberDawn.com This helped me a LOT.
For clipping, check this out:
(It's 14 minutes, but really good and very informative on how long nails can, over time, break down foot structure and make some joint problems appear way worse than they are.)

I've watched that video dozens of times. I fully understand the importance of clipping and am very familiar with all the diagrams, but I need to see it. And I don't want to see it from a distance or see someone grabbing a foot and clipping away while occasionally checking underneath. Someone needs to make a video using multiple dogs with different types of nails and clearly show the underside of the nails at various stages while cutting. The pictures I find online are generally the same ones used across various websites and the dogs all have similar nails. I've yet to find a picture of dog nails that look like mine during cutting. Everything about my dog is weird so I'm not surprised, but I'm frustrated.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I've watched that video dozens of times. I fully understand the importance of clipping and am very familiar with all the diagrams, but I need to see it. And I don't want to see it from a distance or see someone grabbing a foot and clipping away while occasionally checking underneath. Someone needs to make a video using multiple dogs with different types of nails and clearly show the underside of the nails at various stages while cutting. The pictures I find online are generally the same ones used across various websites and the dogs all have similar nails. I've yet to find a picture of dog nails that look like mine during cutting. Everything about my dog is weird so I'm not surprised, but I'm frustrated.

I'm sorry. I thought it would help.
Hoping you can find a good way to deal with it, long nails can be really frustrating.

 

[sabrinah]

I'm sorry. I thought it would help.
Hoping you can find a good way to deal with it, long nails can be really frustrating.

I greatly appreciate you trying! Sorry if I sounded rude, I'm super frustrated. I tried dog forums but apparently they're dead. I've read every article and watched every video and yet I can't get his nails to shorten at a decent rate. I've also read a number of things saying to aim to get the nails short enough that they don't touch the ground when standing and they won't click anymore. It's total b.s. My dog can walk silently if he's trying to be sneaky, which makes me wonder if he intentionally digs his nails in to minimize his slipping and sliding on the floors.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I greatly appreciate you trying! Sorry if I sounded rude, I'm super frustrated. I tried dog forums but apparently they're dead. I've read every article and watched every video and yet I can't get his nails to shorten at a decent rate. I've also read a number of things saying to aim to get the nails short enough that they don't touch the ground when standing and they won't click anymore. It's total b.s. My dog can walk silently if he's trying to be sneaky, which makes me wonder if he intentionally digs his nails in to minimize his slipping and sliding on the floors.

It sounds really stupid on my part, but do you know his breed or mix, and is there anyway you can send pictures of his feet?
Sometimes the foot structure is in such a way that "off the ground nails" are impossible, or close to it, or can't be achieved as easily.

If you can, I would personally look around to see if there are any breed handling classes around. (Not pet obedience or pet smart or basic pet manners stuff, but people who show their dogs in the breed ring under an instructor). If you find one, reach out to them and ask if they'd be willing to show you how to keep the nails short. Breed ring people are fascinated with super short nails that are almost invisible and would probably be able to give you some really good pointers.

 

[sabrinah]

Just so happens that I got a DNA test done. His breed composition is... interesting, but it makes sense given his personality and bizarre shape. Huge chest, tiny head, skinny legs. I'll make him pose for feet pictures!

I can guarantee there are no handling classes here. In this area, dogs are for working and guarding, not showing or really just being part of the family. It's sad.

 

[sabrinah]

Here are some feet! Some front, some back, a couple angles...

 

[sabrinah]

Also doggy in question, because he's cute

 

[gitabooks]

He's super cute!

 

[neely]

I've been a member of a specific dog breed forum for almost 18 years and have made a lot of friends there. I will ask for suggestions tomorrow and let you know if I get any helpful tips or advice.

 

[sabrinah]

I've been a member of a specific dog breed forum for almost 18 years and have made a lot of friends there. I will ask for suggestions tomorrow and let you know if I get any helpful tips or advice.

Thank you so much!

 

[1 bruce 1]

Super cute dog indeed! His foot structure looks good, and the nail length is so not what I expected! I understand your frustrations but you've done IMO a superb job with them and keeping them short.

 

[sabrinah]

Super cute dog indeed! His foot structure looks good, and the nail length is so not what I expected! I understand your frustrations but you've done IMO a superb job with them and keeping them short.

Thank you! So they do look short? Should I work for shorter? I keep thinking they look shorter than they were, but the clicking hasn't improved in the slightest. Maybe he just likes tap dancing. I noticed when he walks he doesn't place his paws flat down, he put the tips of his toes down first unless he's making a specific effort to be quiet. If he's trying to be a jerk and sneak up on the cat or steal something off the counter, paws are placed flat and he's silent. He also prances more than anything else, so I guess that could contribute to the click-clacking.