Preparing your Puppy for Nail Trims by Carol Koepping

Preparing your Puppy for Nail Trims

Nail trimming will serve an important role in the health and well being of your dog, and preparing for this experience will help you, the groomer and the puppy.Here are a few tips I hope will help:

Choose a quite time to begin. For some this may be just after meals. Sit with the puppy and gently massage the paws, including the paw pads and between the toes. Work your way up to the pasterns (ankles). Avoid "baby talk" and fast hand movement. Calm and soothing is the key here.

Start with the rear paws- they will pay less attention to what you are doing. For tiny puppies you may wish to hold them gently and use a gentle rocking motion as you begin the massage. Remember- no baby talk- just low, soothing tones. If your pup resists or would rather play, give him some play time and immediately return to your massage technique.

After a few sessions, use an emery board or other nail file on the tip of the nails. Just one or two passes with the file is enough to begin with.

Once the puppy has gotten used to you handling the paws it's time for the nail trim. I prefer to use the scissor or pliers type of tool. (The guillotine type is acceptable but will sometimes pull on the nail causing the puppy some discomfort). Hold the paw in one hand and snip off the tip of each nail. Start with just the tip. Keep in mind that there is a vein that goes down into the nail and if you snip up too far you can cause bleeding. If you aren't comfortable with this process- see a Professional Groomer, they have the equipment and experience to ensure a safe and non- traumatizing experience for your puppy.

Remember that some breeds are more sensitive to touch. Some of these are Dachshunds, Terriers, Chow-Chows, Lhasa Apsos and Basset Hounds. Dominant dogs and those that frighten easily will take more patience in handling.

Perhaps more importantly, using these suggestions will establish a bond of love and trust and go a long way towards a lasting relationship with your pet.

If you have questions about your puppys first nail trim, e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it