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Dog Nail Trims Part 5: How to Trim Your Dog’s Nails with the Dremel – Video

nail trimming, nail clipping, Dremel, dog training, dog paw, clicker, Smart Dog University, FrederickGrinding a dog’s nails: Crazy or genius?

If you’ve been following our dog nail trimming series, you’ve already read (and watched) about getting to know your dog’s nails, the mistakes people make when trimming their dog’s nails, how to get your dog comfortable with having his paws handled, and how to introduce the grinding tool to your dog. In our fifth and final article in the nail trim series, you’ll learn exactly how to use the Dremel to trim your dog’s nails.

This is the easy part. You’ve already worked with your dog to get her used to having her paws held without fear or growling, and you’ve paired the noise of the Dremel tool with really tasty food. Now, all that’s left is to actually trim some nails!

Here’s how to trim your dog’s nails with grinding tool like the Dremel.

  1. Provide a comfy spot for your dog to sit or lie down.
  2. Have some of those fabulous treats at the ready.
  3. Turn the Dremel on, ask your dog for her paw.
  4. Hold the paw firmly, but gently and put the grinding tool directly on the dog’s nail briefly, grinding some of the nail.
  5. Click (or yip) and let go of your dog’s paw.
  6. Deliver a fabulous treat.
  7. Repeat!

Be careful.

You want to tap, tap, tap the Dremel on the nail, not hold the Dremel there for any duration. The friction can heat the dog’s nail and it can be uncomfortable for the dog. If your dog is new to this, do just one nail and be done with the whole thing. You can give it another go tomorrow. Your main goal is to ensure the dog is enjoying the process and is voluntarily staying with you.

Talk back! Let me know how your grinding sessions go and if you like grinding better than clipping.

 

Dog Nail Trims: Part 1 – Get to Know Your Dog’s Nails

dog training, trim dog nails, cut dog nails, Dremel, Smart Dog, clicker, dog obedience, FrederickWho hates nail trims more, you or your dog?

Most of us dislike nail trims. There are so many uncertainties: what trimmer/clipper to use, how to do it, where to trim the nail, how often to trim, and oh yeah, the dog doesn’t really like his feet handled. With young, active dogs, nail trims aren’t needed as often because their activity tends to naturally wear down the nail length. With all of that, it’s no wonder that nails are one of the last things we dog owners think about.

But hold on a minute. Nail trims are important!

Did you know long nails…

  • Are more likely to break off and be painful (and bloody).
  • Change the way your dog stands.
  • Are painful for your dog.
  • Can increase the likelihood of your dog slipping or falling down and injuring herself.
  • Mar hardwood floors.
  • Are painful to you when your dog jumps on you or paws you for attention.
  • Can lead to permanent joint damage and pain.

So what’s a good dog owner to do?

Nail Trim Anatomy

Hitting the quick is one of the things I hate about trimming my dog’s nails. The quick is indicated by the black center of the nail in the illustration below. The quick is softer than the nail that surrounds it and carries blood into the nail and it’s quite sensitive (and bleeds a lot when nicked).

Photo from http://www.animalbliss.com/how-to-trim-your-dogs-toenails/
Photo from http://www.animalbliss.com/how-to-trim-your-dogs-toenails/

There are a couple different tools to trim your dog’s nails. Some prefer the nail clippers, but I love to use a grinder so I can avoid cutting the nail too deeply. It’s really hard to mess up and cut into the quick with a grinding tool because the nail is taken off gradually as opposed to being cut off. I use a Dremel with a handy flex shaft attachment to give me the most flexibility when grinding.

This is the first in a series of how-to nail trimming articles. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be talking about:

  • The four most common mistakes people make when trimming nails
  • How to get your dog used to having her paws held for nail trims
  • How to get your dog used to the Dremel tool (before you trim any nails)
  • How to trim your dog’s nails with the Dremel tool.

Talk back! Let us know who trims your dog’s nails. You? Groomer? Veterinarian?

 

 

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