Good nail care is an important part of your pet’s well-being along with proper grooming, nutrition and mental as well as physical stimulation.   

It is our opinion that a dog is more comfortable having his/her nails filed down with a Dremel-type drill as opposed to having them clipped with a nail clipper. Not all dogs know this ,however,and some will refuse to have this technique performed on them.   

Some dogs may have had a bad experience in the past with the procedure and it may be very difficult to reassure them. Other dogs may have never had their nails done, so they in turn may be fearful of the whole process. These dogs typically haven’t had the opportunity of socialization in other areas of their life as well and are fearful of many new situations not just the nail trimming. How would you feel if strange people held you down and trimmed your nails?   

Here at Four Muddy Paws, we prefer to use a file grinding tool to grind down the dog’s nails. We find that 90% of the dogs allow this to be done with VERY little resistance. Do we have some magical power, or some secret technique to be able to trim their nails when they won’t let you even attempt?? No, this is a very simple skill that can be mastered even at home.furry dog paw   

Dog nails should be trimmed monthly. This is an average since each dog is different. Some dogs spend a lot of time on concrete, which can aid in keeping their nails short. Puppies nails tend to grow really fast from the ingredients in their food.   

The best time to begin trimming their nails is NOW! The younger you start the better! If your dog is afraid and won’t let you (or our groomers sometimes) then you should really work on this at home to slowly build their trust and get them used to it. Don’t put off trimming your dog’s nails because he is afraid, he’ll never get used to it. The more often the better, even if it’s just a little bit. It’s challenging to work on your dog’s fear of nail trimming if you only bring him in once in a while and it can be very stressful for your dog too.   

Feel free to bring his favorite treat when you come in for a nail trim with us!   

Here are some quick steps to teach your dog about having their feet handled:   

You can start to socialize them by just touching their paw and giving them a treat.  If you’re using positive reinforcement you can click immediately after touching their paw and then give them a treat. Don’t forget to work with both their front AND back paws!  Add a little pressure and hold for a little longer period of time as they become more comfortable with their paws being held.   

Next, take a spoon and gently tap their nails with the back of it.  This gets them used to having an object near their paws and the metal feel which can an unique sensation for your dog. Give a treat or two with each paw tap.   

Finally, invite a friend over to and have repeat the paw touching and treating game.  This will help your dog learn that it’s OK if anyone touches their feet.   

This process could take some time to get your dog comfortable with having their feet touched.  Let them make the decision to allow you to touch them more and do stop if they’re struggling and go back to the step where they still felt comfortable and work up from that point to get them used to getting their nails trimmed.   

Remember, our groomers are available to trim your pet’s nails at the salon for only $12.   There’s no appointment necessary for nail trims and we do it seven-days-a-week at both locations.Master Grooming Tools Nail Grinder  Please call if it’s after 2 PM to confirm that the groomers have not left for the day.   

We  also carry grinding tool kits here at Four Muddy Paws, for you to use at home!   

So make some time for your dog’s nail care.  Maybe it’s before or after your self service dog wash or even part of their professional dog grooming experience, it’s good to have a little paw-dicure!   

Don’t forget to you can schedule your grooming appointments on-line!