While it's likely that you'll have to trim your dog's nails fairly regularly, taking your dog on walks outdoors can help cut down on the number of trimmings a dog needs. This is because hard surfaces like concrete and pavement can wear down a dog's nails naturally.
Taking your dog for regular walks, including on hard surfaces such as pavements, will help to shorten their claws, but may not be enough to keep them as short as they should be.
Pets who are able to exercise on an abrasive surface such as concrete tend to experience less frequent nail trims. The concrete can act like an emery board and slowly shorten the nails day by day. Let the ground do the trimming for you!
Walking on a hard, paved surface like concrete or pavement can help gently file your dog's nails. As mentioned above, while you'll still have to care for your dog's nails because this won't file them to the correct length they should be, walking on concrete can help file them down gently.
Use a soothing voice to keep her calm as you gently rub her paws. Then focus on the toes, giving each one a soft squeeze. Next apply gentle pressure to the nail itself. If your dog becomes scared or pulls back her paw, stop for a bit and continue only when she settles down.
Long walks can wear down your dog's nails naturally over time. In the wild, wolves and coyotes keep their nails short through digging and running after prey for hours.
Your dog's paws have footpads that can usually handle whatever a stroll or walk in nature throws at them. But a lot of human-made surfaces can burn your pooch's paws, including concrete, metal, pavement, sidewalks and asphalt.
Ground material like concrete and asphalt can be scorching for a dog to walk on during the hot months of the year and without proper protection, their little feet can burn!
Using your preferred clippers, trim a very small bit of nail at a time. Cut at a slight angle across the tip of the nail, following its natural shape. After each cut, look at the freshly-cut tip of the nail to look for the little black dot that tells you when to stop.
Place the tip of the nail in the stationary ring of the trimmer with the clipper perpendicular to the nail. Squeeze the handle to move the cutting blade. The cutting blade should be closest to you, not the dog. Be sure not to cut too short, as the nail will bleed.
As long nails hit the ground, it puts force on the foot and leg structure. This force can potentially lead to arthritis and ongoing pain. The growth pattern of a dog's nails forms a curved shape. If left untrimmed, the claws will eventually curve under the dog's paws and dig into the skin, creating pain when they walk.
One of the most common foot issues in domestic dogs is long toenails. Ideally, the nails should not touch the ground when standing on a firm level surface, but are long enough to provide traction when climbing a hill or digging.
So, if it's possible and practical to trim your dog's nails weekly or at least every other week, you'll likely see better results, have a much less stressed dog, and experience less stress yourself in the process. The quick is the part of a dog's nail that contains blood vessels and nerves.
Running on grass, dirt trails, or sandy beaches is much gentler on your dog's joints than running on asphalt or concrete.
Although concrete will harden soon after pouring, it's still susceptible to damage from weight during the first four weeks. Wait at least 24 hours before allowing foot traffic, including pets, on a newly poured sidewalk or slab, and don't drive a vehicle on a new driveway for at least 10 days.
Most common surfaces used for outdoor landscaping pose a threat to your dog's safety. For example, concrete becomes dangerously hot during the summer months and can burn delicate paw pads. Natural grass can grow stickers and sharp thorns that pierce your pup's skin and can lead to an infection.
Concrete flooring is completely safe and non-toxic.
Being barefoot isn't that tough when a dog is running on grass or other natural ground surfaces, but running on concrete, asphalt, gravel or other hard surfaces can put a lot of stress on your dog's body and can put them at risk of injury to their legs, paws or paw pads.
When your dog's nails are too long, they create an unnatural angle for the foot. This causes unequal pressure on the toes and can cause the nail beds to become sore and tender. Long nails on dogs are more prone to splitting and/or splintering. This is the equivalent of a human hangnail.
In most cases, after a dog's nails are trimmed the quick will start to recede after about 7 days. Depending on how long your dog's nails and quicks are, it might take a few months before you can get their nail to the desired length.
Just like in humans, dog's nails continuously grow. Wild dogs naturally wear down their nails due to the amount of exercise (walking, running) they do on uneven and rough terrain. Our domestic dogs don't normally get enough exercise on harsh surfaces to file their nails down.
For maintenance, cut every two weeks. To shorten, cut every week. Once the insensitive nail is thinned out and isn't supporting the quick, the quick will dry up and recede. This will allow you to cut your dog's nails even shorter.
A dog's nails should be clipped often enough that they remain short enough to not click on the ground when a dog walks. Long nails that touch the ground may cause discomfort for your dog, and potentially cause problems down the road.