How long should a dogs nails be?

[Oreo]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

I know the general rule is that if the tip tap sound can be heard while walking they are too long.

However, I have seen pictures of someone's dog on facebook and noticed that they cut their dogs nails very short probably around a cm from the nail bed. They don't look sore or anything but they look rather odd.

It seems this person has a dog who is a nail biter and to stop it happening she was told by a vet to gradually cut the nails shorter and shorter until they are small.

What's your views on this?

Would it harm the dog?

I just wondered because Oreo seems to like biting her nails recently.

 

[lurcherman]

if you walk well on concrete then you should never need to cut them, my brindle who is nearly 11 has never had his nails cut, and ma black dog has a funny nail that gets done once a year, if i had to do iti wouldnt go anywhere near the bloodline id guess at least a couple of cm.

cadac if you could put a pic up id give you my honest view :thumbsup:

 

[Oreo]

Good idea. I'll take a picture tonight when I am home.

It's the dew claws I am worried about because they don't touch the floor so they need cutting. Oreo has black nails so I am a little worried about cutting them too much.

I filed them down over the weekend and they look much better but I do think they need more taking off.

 

[lurcherman]

yeah it the dew claws that are a pain, honest thow it not hard to cut as long as you got the proper cutters, a greyhound trainer gave me some there the bizz,, wot colour are the nails? best thing get a small tourch and shine behind the nail then when you see the blood clip say 2 cm back, look forward to seeing the pic, im so lucky mine dont flinch a bit,

 

[petitsfilous]

I'm guessing Oreo's nails are black looking at her colouring, making it difficult for you to be able to see the quick? I started using clippers with my pup but he hates it so much so now I file them whilst he is snoring his head off. You want to stop just before the quick, and file the nail into a slight angle. If the nails are kept short the quick naturally moves back/gets shorter over time.

 

[Oreo]

Hi,

Yeah they're black. I was told and also read that the more you cut them the more the blood line reduces them. So the guide is little and often.

I just didn't want to cut them too short and cause more problems.

Her paws are very sensitive (always have been since we've had her) but with her allergies she has gotten better with us touching them.

She doesn't mind a nail file but it just takes so long.

 

[banana]

Loads of walking on paths helps to keep them shorter....

I don't clip the claws on mine but they get a good walk on pavements to and from their run in the fields which I think keeps them under control....

 

[Shamrock]

I think people who show dogs keep the quicks short by regular nail cutting, If you do plenty of road walks it does help, but people often forget about the dew claws, they can end up curled round digging into the leg.

Unfortunately I see this sort of thing quite often

 

[hanneroon]

christ! You'd think people would do something before they got like that! That is just ridiculous, poor wee doggy. I'd be so cross if i saw that!

 

[Shamrock]

christ! You'd think people would do something before they got like that! That is just ridiculous, poor wee doggy. I'd be so cross if i saw that!

that's nothing.... look at his face

 

[hanneroon]

ohhhhh crikey, poor little sod! That is so unfair! Do you have to remain polite when people bring in a dog like that? Must be so hard to be diplomatic!

least they brought him in i suppose....

 

[Shamrock]

Yes, I have spent years telling people off, some just sod off and you never see them or their poor dogs ever again, every now and then you'll get one who is thoroughly ashamed of themselves, and will come back regularly, but I'm afraid it's all too common to see dogs in a horribly neglected state.

 

[hanneroon]

how horrible! I honestly don't understand how people can bear it! Imagine having that little chap in your livingroom and not giving him a brush and a nail-clip. My dog had extremely long nails when i got him, and his toes were very bent, i took me ages to get them down to normal, it just looked so wrong, i felt ashamed walking him, in case people thought it was me that let them get like that. I guess those people don't take their dog out for a walk either!

 

[Dizzyjenni]

Those pics are so sad!!

It is really hard when their claws are black... but there is NO excuse to let them get like that!

 

[banana]

Poor doggy!

 

[petitsfilous]

Oh Shamrock those photos! :O

Poor pooch!