cutting a dogs nails

Dogs nails grow just like ours and need to be trimmed. Alot of dogs naturally wear their nails down out walking or playing especially on hard surfaces. If nails are not trimmed it can become very painful for your dog. Long nails also are prone to splitting causing bleeding and infections.
A good way to tell if your dogs nails are to long is when they walk on a hard surface and can hear the nails clicking on the ground.
The correct length of your dogs nails should be so they do not protrude over the pad, when the dog stands the nail should not touch the ground. Its best to trim their nails once or twice a month.
When cutting the nails the best tool is a guillotine type nail trimmer. Make sure you read the instructions. Let your dog familiarise itself with the tool as some dogs are afraid of it.
Your dogs rear claws are shorter and require less trimming.
Don't forget about your dogs dew claw on the inside of their front legs, these nails do not touch the ground so will not naturally wear down.
'The Quick'
The quick is blood vessels and nerves that live in the nail. Cutting it can cause pain, discomfort and bleeding. So you have to be careful not to cut it. Its easier to see the quick on lighter nails. When cutting darker nails you can use a light to find the quick or only cut small bits at a time, when you reach a dark spot this is where the quick starts. Its advised to cut 2mm from the quick.
If you accidentally cut the quick hold a tissue on it to try and stop the blood, bleeding should stop within 5 mins but if your dog licks the area this cause the healing to take longer try to distract your dog. The best way to stop the bleeding is to put some styptic power or pad onto it this will stop the bleeding very quick.
Maybe give the nails a file to smooth things off and then your finished and give your dog lots of praise.

I only need to cut Misty's the other two seem to wear their's away

fred and betty dont need theirs doing too often, they wear them away whilst out walking and in the garden..

I have to do Mimi's rear dew claws or they grow really long. I dont do any others though but I still make sure I could do if I needed to do.

aww yea, i have to cut freds dew claws every couple of months, they can be quite sharp when he wants a cuddle and puts his paws on your shoulders lol

I get my friend to do Marleys Im just too worried I cut too far down, she does them every couple of months for me.