Grooming is an important aspect of owning a dog. If you are not willing to groom a dog, then, you perhaps are not ready to own a dog. Dog grooming is an old practice and is not completely done if you do not cut your dog’s nails.
A lot of dog owners might not have an issue taking part in other activities that need to be carried out for a dog to be properly groomed. However, one activity that some pet owners might not be very comfortable carrying out is cutting a dog’s nails. The reason for this is lots of dogs make it difficult for their owners to actually cut their nails.
Since cutting a dog’s nails can be difficult, a good number of dog owners might let professionals handle the cutting of their dog’s nails. This might seem like an easy way to go. However, it might not be very cost-effective.
If you own a dog and are looking to save money by grooming it entirely by yourself, then, you are on the right page. In this article, you will learn how to cut the nails of an uncooperative dog.
When is the Right Time to Cut Your Dog’s Nails?
Before going on to cut your dog’s nails, it is important you know the right time to get this done. If you are unable to tell when a dog’s nails are too long, you just might not have the motivation to cut its nails.
A major sign that it is time to cut your dog’s nails is when your dog is beginning to move from one part of the house to another with a clicking sound. So, if you always hear a clicking sound as the replacement for your dog’s footsteps while it walks on hard floors, then it is time to cut its nails. In as much as the clicking sound associated with your dog’s movement might seem beautiful, it could also be responsible for you getting injured when you play with your dog.
The clicking sound your dog makes while moving is only an indication that you should cut its nails if it always spends time in the house. This indication just might not work for dogs that spend a lot of time outside the house. So, if your dog is always outside, you can tell it is time to cut its nails when a part of its nails has a skinnier appearance than other parts.
Furthermore, telling that it is time to trim your dog’s nails is easier if it has white nails. This is because ideally, the part of your dog’s nails that should be left uncut is the pink region. So, if a major part of its nail length is white, then it definitely needs some trimming.
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What are the Effects of Letting Your Dog’s Nails Overgrow
To lots of dog owners, keeping their dog’s nails short is something that should only be done because of the likelihood of them getting injured when they play with their dog. However, beyond simply trying to avoid getting injured, there are other reasons you should cut your dog’s nails.
When left to overgrow, nails can get stuck in blankets and rugs. They could also end up becoming a paw pad which will lead to pain and an increase in the likelihood for your dog to get infected. Furthermore, when left for too long, overgrown nails in dogs will create room for the quick to get longer. When this happens, making your dog’s nails short again can be a major challenge. In addition to this fact, your dog might end up with several joint issues because of the stance it might have to adapt to be able to walk with long nails.
Steps in Cutting the Nails of an Uncooperative Dog
Putting the nails of an uncooperative dog might not be the easiest thing to do. However, with the right steps, you will not struggle as much as you might have assumed.
Step 1
The first thing you need to do when looking to cut the nails of an uncooperative dog is to ensure you have all the tools that you need ready.
Step 2
This is the point where you get your dog ready. Lots of uncooperative dogs are not familiar with their nails being cut. So, if you must cut their nails successful, you will have to ensure that they get used to the entire process.
To get your dog familiar with the process of cutting its nails, hold its paw and lift it up occasionally. You could get started by doing this for small periods and gradually increase how long you hold its paw in your hands.
Not all dogs will be calm when you hold their paws. However, if your dog turns out to be calm while you hold its paws, you might want to give it a reward.
On the other hand, if your dog gives you an aggressive reaction, you will need to be firm with it. Put your arms around its neck in a bid to restrain it. With the right moves, your dog might get used to the idea of its paws being held quite early. However, if it is a stubborn dog you will need to show a great degree of patience as some dogs might not get used to their paws being held in a couple of weeks.
Step 3
Going ahead to cut your dog’s nails while they are still hard migt seem like a way get things done without wasting time. However, this might make the entire process too stressful for you and your dog. To make sure that the entire process of cutting your dog’s nails is not too stressful, you will have to put its paws in water. Doing this will soften its paws and ensure you do not put in so much effort into cutting its nails.
Step 4
As soon as you have all the tools that you need ready, you will have to pick your dog’s foot and get ready to clip its nails. The average person looking to trim their dog’s nails might simply want to pick up the feet from the ground and go ahead and cut it. While this might seem like the most direct way to get started, it is a not always the best way to do things.
Instead of being very direct you can sit by your dog’s side and reach around its arm to hold its paw. You can go on to trim its nails with the free hand.
Step 5
When looking to cut a nail, you will have to isolate it. This is easy to do. You simply need to place your hand on the toe you want to deal with. Once your mind is made up, go on to expose its nail.
Some dogs have hairy feet. So, if you are dealing with one with hairy feet, one thing you must do is trim its hair or better still get it out of the way. Regardless of the tool you are using to trim your dog’s nails, you will need to get its fur out of the way. However, getting its hair out of the way is even a lot more important if you will be making use of a nail grinder. This is vital as nail grinders have a reputation for holding onto the fur.
After getting your dog’s fur out of the way, the next thing you should do is put your forefinger on its toe’s pad. With this done, place your thumb on the toe just on the part of the skin just above the nail you are cutting. That’s not all. You should move your forefinger backwards and inwards while simultaneously moving your thumb forward. Doing this will go a long way in moving the nail farther from the foot.
Step 6
At this point, you will have to make up your mind on the exact point you want to cut on your dog’s nail. While at this, ensure you are able to cut its nail as short as possible without issues of bleeding.
If you are cutting white nails, all you need to do is avoid the pink part of the nail. Additionally, when you are done cutting the skinny part of your dog’s nails, there will be no need to cut it any further.
Step 7
Regardless of the technique, you want to use in cutting your dog’s nails, cutting at an angle of 45 degrees will be ideal. That’s not all. You should not simply cut every part of the nail you are looking to cut at one go. You should cut the nails little by little.
Step 8
After clipping your dog’s nails, to ensure that you do not have to struggle with it the next time you are looking to cut its nail, ensure it gets a treat. If you are not looking to give it a treat, you can have a special playtime with it.
It is important you always reward your dog after trimming its nails. This way, you can help it always associate nail trimming with something good.
What to do When Your Dog’s Nails Start Bleeding
Your dog’s nails might not always bleed when you cut them. However, there are times it could move while you are trimming its nails. When this happens, it could end up getting injured. If for any reason, your dog gets injured while you are clipping to snails, you have no reason to worry. All you need to do is put flour or starch on the nail. This should be followed by some pressure until the bleeding ceases.
How Frequently Should You Cut Your Dog’s Nails?
The frequency at which you trim your dog’s nails is dependent on how rapidly it grows. Generally, you should be able to keep your dog’s nails properly trimmed if you trim it once every month. Additionally, if your dog is constantly walking or running on pavements, you might not want to trim its nails as frequently as you would for other dogs. Furthermore, dogs that spend more time on grass will need to have their nails cut once in two weeks.
It is vital that you touch your dog’s nails as frequently as it should. If you fail to do this, its quick might grow too long. If this happens, it will be impossible to get your dog’s nails as short as it really should be.
Dealing with a Dog that Keeps Putting its Paws Away
Some dogs will always panic and show a great dose of fear when it’s time to cut their nails. If you have a dog that keeps withdrawing its paws during the process of cutting its nails, you might be tempted to scold it. However, scolding will not be the best action.
If your dog keeps withdrawing its paws, simply give it no reaction. On the other hand, if it cooperates, give it a good reward and also praise it. If you put in everything you know about cutting the nails of an uncooperative dog and are unable to get the right result from your dog, you might have to let a professional handle trimming its nails.
How Difficult is Cutting a Dog’s Nails when they are Dark?
Cutting your dog’s nails if they are dark is definitely not as easy as cutting its nails when they are pink as spotting the quick might not be too easy. In a situation like this, you need to cut its nails bit by bit until you are able to spot the quick. The quick for black nails have the presence of a black dot on the nail.
Conclusion
The steps and tips for cutting the nails of an uncooperative dog are quite straightforward. So, you do not need to have owned a dog for a long time before you can comfortably make use of them as a guide in ensuring that your dog is well-groomed.
