Nail Trimming 101

I will start this blog post with a caveat - I am not a professional groomer, nor have I been professionally trained in the best way to clip your dog's claws. My experience comes from the past 4 years with my own two dogs and the past 4 months working directly and on a daily basis with clipping dogs nails. I thought I would share some of the things I have learned - I hope you find it helpful and if not, remember we can trim your dogs nails for you for only $5.

My own experience clipping dogs nails (or claws, if you like accuracy) started with my 6 week old puppy Zane. We had him in a Puppy Training class at the PetSmart in Austin, TX and the trainer was just amazing. Her own Gray Lacy would do ANYTHING she asked, including moving his own bed from place to place on command! Anyway, I told her one day that I was terrified of clipping Zane's nails because I didn't want to see him bleed or do it wrong and her response has always stayed with me. She said, very simply and directly, "Don't be skeered". It took me about a year to work up the nerves to do actually do it, but after reading some how-to tips on the internet and psyching myself up I did it.

The first time I clipped his nails I just shaved off the tips. This is very easy to do with the scissor-type nail clippers. I use the small dog sized clippers on pretty much every dog (except Bassett Hounds who have the thickest nails of them all, even Great Danes!). Of course, your dog needs to be (ideally) still for this process. Clipping a wriggly dogs nails is dangerous for both the dog and yourself. Start slow and just start playing with your dogs feet when he is not paying attention, while you are watching t.v. or while he is eating. Give him lots of praise and treats while you do this so he feels like having his feet touched is a wonderful, wonderful thing. Eventually work your way up to putting your fingers between his toes, rubbing his nails, etc. This will prepare your dog for the clipping process.

When clipping your dogs nails, take a deep breath (preferably away from your dog) to release any nervous energy, grab your clippers, some styptic powder (corn starch or flour will also do) and some treats and possibly a friend to distract your dog and walk with confidence over to where your dog is! Give him a treat right off the bat. He'll know something is up and we want to show him that it's a good "adventure"! I like to start with the front nails, they are usually the hardest to do and that way when I'm done he's already forgotten the annoying experience that came with clipping his front claws and is happy again! You can hold the paw two ways depending on what your dog is comfortable with. I usually try the "show me your hoof so we can re-shoe it" method. With your dog sitting or standing run your hand down his front leg (you should be standing next to him - I switch sides when I do the other side), and gently but firmly pick up his foot and bend his ankle back so you can see his paw pads and the undersides of his nails, just like you've seen people do with horses feet. Holding his paw in your palm put each one of your fingers underneath each one of his nails, this aids in quickly getting through all four claws quickly. When looking at your dogs nails from this angle you can usually see just how far you should trim them back. There will be a definite spot where you can see where the "nail tip" ends and your dog's "insides" or the quick begins. If your dogs nails are long, it will be quite a bit (maybe a few centimeters worth of nail) if your dogs nails are fairly short it will be less. Again, if you are nervous only shave off a little bit! Each time you do this you will become more and more comfortable (and so will your dog). Clip quickly but decisively - if you have each of your fingers underneath each of his claws simply move your finger up to make a claw accessible and then release it after you have clipped it. This method has helped me become very fast!

If your dog isn't comfortable with the "re-shoeing the horse" method you can certainly do it while your dog is laying down from the top of the nail. You won't be able to see the quick this way but your instincts should be able to tell you how much to clip off (usually it's just a tiny bit).

Move to the rear legs and again run your hand down their leg and have them lift it up and back (like a horse). If your dog won't let you do this or has bad hips or joint problems you may want to have them sit or lay down. The most important thing, I think, is that both you and your dog are completely comfortable however you choose to clip his nails.

If you trim a nail too short, remember about how far you went on that one and be sure to take off less on the remaining claws. If you have a styptic powder (I use QuikStop) and you need to stop the bleeding just dip the dogs nail into the powder and it will immediately stop the bleeding.

Yes, clipping your dog's nails too short is painful, but more so for you than for your dog! Just remember, be calm and be cautious. Cutting them just a little bit at a time until you are comfortable with the process is perfectly OK!

How often should you clip your dogs nails?!? This is probably the most frequently asked question I receive about nail trimming for dogs (and cats!). The answer is it depends on what your goal is for your dogs nails (do you want them to stop scratching the wood floor? do you need them to be "show dog" short? or do you just want them clipped back to a comfortable length for your dog?).

There are basically two types of claws I see on a daily basis. Those who claws are pretty long and are clearly uncomfortable for the dog and those who just need a little trim up. The longer ones will have a longer quick. It is sometimes tempting to just lop off the nail so the dog will be comfortable, but it's best to take off as much as I can without hitting the quick. Some vets will do a nail clip under anethesia where they basically cut them as short as they can, letting the nails bleed out so the quick recedes and the nails will be comfortable. I believe you can get the same results with every 2-3 day clippings. Here's my theory (again, this is just my theory, there is no scientific evidence that says I am right!): the quicks on dogs nails are pretty sensitive. When you clip a dogs claws the quick says to itself "Hey! That was pretty close! I'm going to just step back here for safety". The quick will recede and you can clip the nail again in another two to three days while the quick is still receded. If the quick is allowed to grow too long you cannot take off very much nail without causing some discomfort to the dog. If a dog has very long claws that are causing his feet to splay I think it's best to clip them every two to three days for two to three weeks, then you can probably maintain them with a clip every two weeks. Once you get your dog's claws to a manageable and comfortable length I recommend a nail trim once every two weeks to once a month. This seems to work for most of my customers.

On a personal note, I clip my dogs nails every two weeks. Zane's grow less because he was on a strict every three day clipping for about two months. I barely shave off the tip of his nails when I clip them and sometimes I decided not to clip some of them at all. Dozer's grow a little faster, and I can take off quite a bit every two weeks.

So, in conclusion, nail trimming is a necessary part of basic grooming for your pet. How often you do it depends on your dog, your comfort level and your goal for your dog's nails. It also requires a commitment on your part to keep up with whatever strategy you decided on! I always encourage my customers to learn to clip their dog's claws at home. Just remember to keep your cool and be confident!

I will quickly add a blurb about clipping cat's claws. These are MUCH easier to clip than a dogs! Cats typically have clear nails, so you can see the quick very easily! Cat's claws also tend to grow much faster than dogs - which means they get longer and you can take off quite a bit. I clip my cat's claws once a month. I have my boyfriend hold them tightly to his chest while I take each paw in my hand and press gently to release the nail, then I just clip them quickly with either the dog nail trimmers or a pair of human nail trimmers. I think human toe trimmers work perfectly on cats nails! Cats do tend to file their nails down by scratching (hopefully not your couch!) so don't worry too much if they become a little rough after clipping them.

Finally, I have NOT tried the pedi-paws or pedi-cure products that are out there. I am hopelessly devoted to my clippers and I think they work great. Some folks like to see a neater, more rounded trim and for that you can use a regular old nail file if you'd like. But like with cats, dogs nails will naturally file themselves via your regular walks with them. I've heard that some dogs do not like the sound of the pedi-paws/pedi-cure/dremel but I've also heard that some dogs are much easier to clip with those products than with the clippers. Whatever you decide, just make sure your dog is happy, healthy and comfortable!

As with all blog posts, your comments are welcome!

My First Blog!

So it has come to this...I am starting a Blog! I have had so much fun creating the Pawsitively Clean website that I thought I would enjoy blogging, too. It seems like an appropriate time to start blogging what with 2009 fast approaching.

I thought I would begin at the beginning...It's a long story so bear with me!

As many of you know I purchased Pawsitively Clean from a wonderful woman named Tara Choate at the end of August 2008. It has been quite a journey getting here and I imagine the journey is just beginning.

In August 2007 I was living in Austin, TX working as a Human Resources Generalist for a small engineering corporation. Taking the dogs out to the greenbelt for a romp and a swim was the normal evening routine. Unfortunately (or fortunately!) the dogs got really stinky in that water, so I began taking them to Dirty Dog, a self serve dog wash on South 1st Street in Austin. Soon after I began taking the dogs here they began offering franchises. Knowing I wasn't going to be in HR for the rest of my life I thought perhaps buying a self serve dog wash franchise would be just the ticket! Around the same time I decided that I would be moving back to the Pacific NW after 3 years in Austin. It was finally time for me to return home, be with my family and get readjusted to the cold and rain!

Originally the plan was to purchase a Dirty Dog franchise and open it up in Hillsboro, OR. After much consideration it was decided the franchise fee was not worth the benefits owning a franchise would afford and I decided to go it alone. I spent last Christmas break searching for locations in Hillsboro and Portland and then finally moved my stuff from Austin in February of 2008.

The road trip from Austin to Portland took 1 and a half weeks with stops in San Diego, San Francisco, and Ashland, OR. Thankfully my old Ford Ranger survived the mileage as I visited old friends and took my dog Zane to two dog beaches! It was a real blast and I was SO glad to have finally made it!

Then the search began for a location for this new dog washing business. I landed a part time job at a local rental management company doing receptionist and leasing agent work while I scoured the streets of Portland for the perfect location...After a month of searching I found what I thought was the PERFECT location on NE Fremont Street. Two months of researching local water and sewer statutes and laws resulted in a no go from the landlord. So it was back to square one! I continued my search for the perfect location reluctantly and was just about to give up on the dream and start flipping houses instead when a family friend found Pawsitively Clean for sale on Craigslist (yes, there are even businesses for sale on craigslist!). I had driven by the store before and remember thinking to myself, "If only I could just have an already established business like that one!". Well, luck was on my side this time! I put in an offer and within days Tara accepted it and we began the process of the sale. I trained with Tara for a month, learning the ropes and on August 29th, 2008 we signed the papers and I handed over the check. It was a really great day for me, one I will never forget.

So here we are four months later and we just finished the painting. We chose Pear green and St. Lucia sky blue from Benjamin Moore and I am so pleased with the results. The next project will be replacing the drywall from the exterior of the tubs with concrete board and then laying tile on the tubs and "backsplash". Finally we will resurface the floor and paint it a coordinating color. There are still TONS of other little things to do; create a logo, re-do the windows, signs and create some business cards and a marketing plan, etc. but I think I'm up for it!

It has been most amazing to meet so many wonderful dog owners in my customers and have made many new friends through networking. I am learning more and more everyday (did you know that you can remove burrs from your dogs coat with vaseline?!?) and cannot wait to continue to learn more about basic grooming and coat care. I especially cannot wait to share that knowledge with my customers. This year has been a year of changes - I've gone from working a doldrum desk job in Austin, TX to working a dinky part time job and living in my parent's basement to becoming a business owner and living in an amazing century year old house right here in SE Portland!

Zane, my newfoundland/rottweiler mix had surgery this fall for a torn ACL and is currently recovering. Dozer, my Catahoula hound mix, survived the move from hot and humid Texas to cold and rainy Oregon and is adjusting well. Our two cats, Poppy and Zelda are doing well, too (Zelda had kittens last Christmas and we found good homes for all of them).

I'm definitely grateful for all the opportunities this year has brought for me and I cannot wait to see what 2009 has in store.