Today’s newsletter is all about your dog’s nails, which are actually claws. We certainly think about them when they scratch our floors or us, but we don’t think about how they can contribute to our dogs’ overall health and wellbeing, and we often don’t know when our dog’s nails are too long.
Even when your dog is walked multiple times a week on concrete or asphalt, that’s not necessarily enough to keep your dog’s nails in check. Some nails curve and arch toward the ground somewhat dramatically and while those can be kept in check with road work, often only the middle two get the most wear, while the outer two grow too long. Other nails grow more horizontally and rarely hit the ground, making nail trims a real priority. It also depends on how your dog stands naturally. My Cavalier Becket tends to stand to the back of his feet; Belgian Shepherd Token tends to stand to the front. If your dog has dew claws (the nail up by the dog’s wrist), then those definitely need to be trimmed. Also, as your dog ages and slows down, s/he will probably need to have their nails attended to more often.
When should you trim your dog’s nails? One school of thought advocates trimming if you can hear your dog’s nails on the floor or ground; another school says if you can see your dog’s nails touch the floor when s/he is standing in a relaxed position, then it’s time for a trim. In either case, but definitely in the latter case, it’s time for a trim.
If you’ve ever worn shoes that are too small or had painful toes for any reason (blisters, etc), you’ll understand immediately why it’s important that your dog’s nails not touch the ground when they’re just standing. Painful toes cause you to shift your weight back toward your heels, and standing like that permanently can affect your knees, hips, back, and overall well-being. If your dog’s nails hit the floor and bend to one side or another when they’re standing, then they’re definitely too long and immediate action needs to be taken. This is a great, if long, video about why and how to trim nails: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM4HQDb1Ef0&feature=youtu.be
You know whether you can trim or grind your dog’s nails, or whether you need to take him/her to the groomer or vet. For my shepherds, I freely admit to taking them to the groomer. Those big, black, hard nails are pretty intimidating, and it’s worth $10-15 to have them trimmed quickly and with no drama. Becket is proving to be good about having his nails ground, and I am making the commitment *right now* that puppy Saga is going to be good about having his nails ground. If you do leave it up to your groomer, have a discussion with them about what you expect at the end of a session. Of course, if your dog’s nails are pretty long, it’s going to take multiple sessions to get them appropriately short, however, I think a lot of groomers just snip off the very tip and call it a day. If your dog has fuzzy feet, be sure to pull that fuzz back and inspect the nails.
Regardless of the how, it’s better for everyone if your dog is somewhat compliant about the process. This article gives a nice overview on different ways to achieve stress-free nail clipping: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_8/features/Force-Free-Canine-Nail-Clipping-Methods_20576-1.html
Practice makes perfect, and bits of hotdog can go a long way toward making your dog happy about it, so go for it!
Even when your dog is walked multiple times a week on concrete or asphalt, that’s not necessarily enough to keep your dog’s nails in check. Some nails curve and arch toward the ground somewhat dramatically and while those can be kept in check with road work, often only the middle two get the most wear, while the outer two grow too long. Other nails grow more horizontally and rarely hit the ground, making nail trims a real priority. It also depends on how your dog stands naturally. My Cavalier Becket tends to stand to the back of his feet; Belgian Shepherd Token tends to stand to the front. If your dog has dew claws (the nail up by the dog’s wrist), then those definitely need to be trimmed. Also, as your dog ages and slows down, s/he will probably need to have their nails attended to more often.
When should you trim your dog’s nails? One school of thought advocates trimming if you can hear your dog’s nails on the floor or ground; another school says if you can see your dog’s nails touch the floor when s/he is standing in a relaxed position, then it’s time for a trim. In either case, but definitely in the latter case, it’s time for a trim.
If you’ve ever worn shoes that are too small or had painful toes for any reason (blisters, etc), you’ll understand immediately why it’s important that your dog’s nails not touch the ground when they’re just standing. Painful toes cause you to shift your weight back toward your heels, and standing like that permanently can affect your knees, hips, back, and overall well-being. If your dog’s nails hit the floor and bend to one side or another when they’re standing, then they’re definitely too long and immediate action needs to be taken. This is a great, if long, video about why and how to trim nails: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM4HQDb1Ef0&feature=youtu.be
You know whether you can trim or grind your dog’s nails, or whether you need to take him/her to the groomer or vet. For my shepherds, I freely admit to taking them to the groomer. Those big, black, hard nails are pretty intimidating, and it’s worth $10-15 to have them trimmed quickly and with no drama. Becket is proving to be good about having his nails ground, and I am making the commitment *right now* that puppy Saga is going to be good about having his nails ground. If you do leave it up to your groomer, have a discussion with them about what you expect at the end of a session. Of course, if your dog’s nails are pretty long, it’s going to take multiple sessions to get them appropriately short, however, I think a lot of groomers just snip off the very tip and call it a day. If your dog has fuzzy feet, be sure to pull that fuzz back and inspect the nails.
Regardless of the how, it’s better for everyone if your dog is somewhat compliant about the process. This article gives a nice overview on different ways to achieve stress-free nail clipping: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_8/features/Force-Free-Canine-Nail-Clipping-Methods_20576-1.html
Practice makes perfect, and bits of hotdog can go a long way toward making your dog happy about it, so go for it!