If the thought of nail clipping your dog’s nails is frightening, you aren’t alone.
Most people ask their veterinarian to do this task.

Ideally, you should start clipping nails when your dog is young so he can get used to having his feet handled regularly. Desensitizing your dog to having his paws handled will have a few other benefits too: it will make it easier for groomers or your vet to handle your dogs' feet and will also mean if your dog is injured you will be able to examine his paws easier.

An essential part of pet grooming is the trimming of your pet’s nails. If you live in a house with wooden floors, the click, click, click of your pet’s nails when they walk on that floor can drive you crazy.

Not only is it irritating for the members of your family, it is an indication that your animal’s nails need to be cut. This is important because long nails can cause pain to your animal’s feet and they can be used as a weapon whether on purpose or by accident. The nails can also cause damage to furniture or carpet.

There are blood vessels and nerve endings. If you should happen to cut into this vein, the nail will begin to bleed and cause the dog pain. If your pet shows any sign of pain or discomfort, stop clipping the nail and examine your dog for injury. Pet grooming experts use special precautions when clipping the nails of a dog or cat.

The nail trimmers must be able to securely go over the diameter of the nail and not angled at all. To try this task at home, one must know where to cut and how deep down the nail to clip. The trick is to locate the "quick" and not to cut into it. There is a vein that runs part way up the nail starting at the base.