06/14/2025
Care tip for the week, nail trimming! How often should you trim your dogs nails? This solely depends on the individual. Most of our collies we trim every 2-3 weeks. The Pomeranians have to be done every 2 Weeks on the dot. The huskies have easily gone 2 months before a trim, although Fictionâs nails grow faster than Strangers.
When are your dogs nails too long? I attached photos of Manaâs recently trimmed nails and Paladinâs nails that need to be done. As a rule of thumb if the nail touches a hard surface while standing still they are too long already. Now this varies depending on the natural length of the quick. Thatâs the fleshy part inside the nail that has blood supply just like your fingernail bed. The quick will grow longer if you allow the nails to over grow and it takes time to get a quick to recede through frequent touch ups usually with a dremel.
Now you will notice Paladinâs nails arenât touching the floor but they are too long. There is a decent amount of clear nail protruding out in front of the quick and he is quite noisy walking on the floor.
Why is nail trimming so important? Your dogs feet, much like a horse is crucial to the health of their joints and ability to run and play. If the nails are consistently too long this puts unnecessary strain on the ligaments, tendons and joints in their legs. In a chronic condition this often leads to early arthritis in the limbs particularly the feet, shoulders, elbows, and hocks. Being over weight does the same thing and especially if the nails are chronically overgrown. It also makes them extremely prone to slipping and falling on hard surfaces and potentially causing injury due to the fall.
Because nails have to be done so often we donât recommend using a groomer for it. We suggest you learn how to do it yourself. And I will be the first to say dogs hate their nails being done. You will need excessive amounts of patience and fortitude to get it done because most are not going to be entirely compliant. For the particularly difficult ones me and Payton both tackle the dog. One holding the dog usually on their back between our legs and the other trims while said holder distracts with scratches or massage. We have tried treating during the process but this usually causes them to move around too much because all they want is the treat. Usually once the nails are done we give good scratches for holding still and then happily let them up and go get a treat for them.
The Poms tend to be the most difficult. They never stop resisting, pulling their legs and twitching and trying to roll away. This is not a failure to teach them to be still or anything. We have done nail trims on our pups nearly from birth and they still end up most often being a rotisserie chicken in our arms. If you have a dog that stays still for nails you have a saint lol. Some dogs do better if you allow them to stand while you trim but this is harder on you to do accurately. We typically ask them to lay on the floor flat on their side. If you are using clippers make sure they are sharp and go slowly. Most dogs prefer a dremel with a rounded sanding tip vs the flat barrel.
Dremels are easier to use for people with hand issues like myself. The biggest thing to remember with a dremel is you have to sand in very short bursts. The friction heats up the nail and causes discomfort so you have to allow the nail to cool. Typically we do a several second grind then pull the tip off for the same amount of time. Your dog will let you know if itâs getting too hot by jerking their foot away. The other thing about using a dremel that you have to be careful of is if you have a long haired breed. Their hair can easily get wrapped around the rod and it will sn**ch the hair out. But otherwise it is a lot safer than clippers and usually dogs tolerate it better when introduced properly.
I think I covered everything but if yâall have questions ask away!
collies
