{"id":5177,"date":"2022-11-18T20:45:27","date_gmt":"2022-11-18T20:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/notabully.org\/?p=5177"},"modified":"2023-11-11T20:49:51","modified_gmt":"2023-11-11T20:49:51","slug":"does-walking-your-dog-trim-their-nails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/notabully.org\/does-walking-your-dog-trim-their-nails\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Walking Your Dog Trim Their Nails?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ever owned a dog, then you know that trimming their nails is one of the most dreaded tasks of dog ownership. It seems that it\u2019s just simply an innate trait that most dogs hate having their feet touched.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wouldn\u2019t it be nice if something as simple as walking your dog would trim their nails for you? That would cut down on the stress and anxiety in both you and your dog regarding nail trimming.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So the question is – does walking your dog actually trim his nails?<\/span><\/p>\n

While walking on hard surfaces like pavement may help keep your dog\u2019s nails a reasonable length, walking your dog won\u2019t keep his nails filed to the correct length they should be. The gentle filing from the hard surfaces is a nice benefit to the walk, but you\u2019ll still need to trim your dog\u2019s nails occasionally.<\/b><\/p>\n

In this article, we\u2019ll discuss how walking on different surfaces can affect your dog\u2019s nails and all the nail care basics. Since there\u2019s a lot involved, let\u2019s get started!<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Does Walking On Concrete File a Dog\u2019s Nails?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As you can probably imagine, the type of surface you\u2019re walking your dog on does matter in how much it can file down your dog\u2019s nails. Walking your dog on a hard surface won\u2019t take care of all your dog\u2019s nail maintenance needs, but it can certainly help.<\/span><\/p>\n

Walking on a hard, paved surface like concrete or pavement can help gently file your dog\u2019s nails. As mentioned above, while you\u2019ll still have to care for your dog\u2019s nails because this won\u2019t file them to the correct length they should be, walking on concrete can help file them down gently.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, walking your dog on a soft surface like dirt or leaves packed on top of a trail in the woods isn\u2019t likely to do much filing of your dog\u2019s nails. Similarly, while walking on the beach might be fun, the soft sand doesn\u2019t provide any benefits in filing your dog\u2019s nails.<\/span><\/p>\n

While walking on a hard surface will help file your dog’s nails, it won’t take them to the perfect, short length that they should be. Why is that? Well, the answer is simple!<\/span><\/p>\n

When your dog walks on a hard surface, only the tip of their nail will come into contact with the concrete. As your dog walks, that tip will get gently filed. Once that tip has been removed, your dog’s nail will no longer be touching the concrete so no further filing will happen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, if you spend time carefully trimming their nails, you can trim them to be much shorter. Frequent nail trimmings can help your dog’s quick recede, which means that over time, you’ll be able to trim your dog’s nails shorter and shorter. <\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s The Proper Nail Length for Dogs?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Dogs actually do need their nails! While it\u2019s annoying to hear the click-clack on hardw<\/span>ood floors from nails that are too long, dogs use their nails for traction when they\u2019re running around and digging.<\/span><\/p>\n

In general, a dog\u2019s nails shouldn\u2019t be touching the floor when they\u2019re standing. They should have a small amount of nail left that is neatly trimmed and rounded off right to the quick without causing any bleeding or pain.<\/span><\/p>\n

Importance of Keeping Your Dog\u2019s Nails Trimmed<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve ever owned a dog, then you\u2019ve probably experienced how feisty and even angry they can become when you try to trim their nails. Even though some dogs hate having their nails trimmed, it\u2019s essential to stay on top of it and keep their nails the proper length.<\/span><\/p>\n

Overgrown nails can cause issues with how dogs place their feet when standing, and some nails can even grow so long that they cut through the paw pad. In a nutshell, overgrown nails can be uncomfortable and painful for your dogs to walk on.<\/span><\/p>\n

In some cases, long nails can even cause dogs to place their feet differently so that they aren\u2019t in as much pain. Placing their foot in an unnatural position like this can cause medical issues with deformed feet and injured tendons.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that we\u2019ve established how important it is to keep our dogs\u2019 nails the proper length and that, unfortunately, simply walking alone won\u2019t do it, let\u2019s discuss how we should trim our dog\u2019s nails.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Often Should You Trim a Dog’s Nails?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Every dog is different and will require a different nail-trimming schedule. When a dog stands, their nails should be just shy of touching the ground.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Generally to maintain that length, most dogs will need their nails trimmed once or twice per month. This will depend on how quickly your dog\u2019s nails grow, how long their nails are, and how often they walk on hard surfaces. <\/span><\/p>\n

How to Trim A Dog\u2019s Nails\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As we mentioned above, if you\u2019ve owned a dog, then you are no stranger to the fact that many dogs hate having their nails trimmed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, how do you trim their nails if they barely even let you touch their paw? The good news is that by going slow and using good training techniques, most dogs will eventually allow you to trim their nails. There are also many techniques and nail-trimming equipment to see what works best for your dog.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Have the Vet Trim Their Nails<\/h3>\n

Most vets have specific appointment slots throughout the day to accommodate nail trims. If you don\u2019t want to deal with the hassle or are afraid of quicking your dog, the easiest option is to let the professionals do it. While you will have to <\/span>pay for this service<\/span><\/a>, it\u2019ll be well worth it. <\/span><\/p>\n

Find the Quick<\/h3>\n

The <\/span>quick of the nail<\/span><\/a> is the center of the nail that contains the nerves and blood supply. To the best of your ability, you\u2019ll want to avoid cutting the quick. Cutting the quick usually results in a bloody mess, and it can be painful for your dog.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can easily see the quick on white nails. The quick is the area of pink at the base of the nail. It\u2019s impossible to see on black nails unless you start trimming. When you get close to the quick on a black nail, you\u2019ll notice a white dot in the center of the nail. That white dot is the quick.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s best to trim nails at an angle away from the center of the nail or the quick. Trimming little bits at a time from the left, right, and bottom of the nail will actually expose the quick just enough so that it can start to recede.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Do It Yourself<\/h3>\n

When trimming your dog\u2019s nails at home, you have options with the tools you want to use! Some dogs have a preference, so consider experimenting to see if your dog responds to one of these options better than the others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can choose from the standard plier-style trimmers or opt for nail scissors or even nail clippers with a guillotine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some dogs prefer and do much better with a <\/span>nail grinder or Dremel<\/span><\/a> instead of nail clippers. If your struggle clipping your dog\u2019s nails with trimmers, try a Dremel. Dremels file the entire nail down smoothly, leaving no sharp edges like trimmers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is the process for training your dog how to trim their nails:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. If your dog hates having his feet touched, it\u2019s essential to go slow at this step. Gently touch your dog\u2019s paw and then reward him. Do this with all four paws until your dog is comfortable with you touching their feet. This can take quite a while for some dogs!<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Once your dog is comfortable with you touching his paws, bring out your tool of choice, whether it\u2019s nail trimmers or a Dremel. Let your dog look at and smell the tool and reward them.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. When your dog is comfortable near your nail-trimming tool of choice, touch the tool to his paw. Keep the tool turned off if it\u2019s a Dremel, and do not actually clip the nails yet. Simply touch the tool to your dog\u2019s paw and reward.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Once your dog is comfortable, trim just one nail and reward.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Repeat trimming one nail per day and rewarding your dog for that.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Once you\u2019ve trimmed all of your dog\u2019s nails, increase to trying to cut all the nails on one paw per day. Don\u2019t forget to trim the <\/span>dewclaws<\/span><\/a> too!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Some dogs hate having their feet touched so much that they may never be truly comfortable with this process and may only allow you to trim one paw per day, and that\u2019s okay!<\/span><\/p>\n

    Trimming nails is one of those tasks where practice makes perfect. Remember that it\u2019s always best to go slow and take little bits off at a time instead of big chunks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The video below has some tips and tricks from a professional on how to make your dog more comfortable when trimming his nails.<\/span><\/p>\n