I know that a lot of people dread the time of trimming their dogs nails,
ideally you should ply with the dogs feet right from when they are a puppy so they get use to it, but intentions are always good but sometimes they get forgotten, So I have done some diagrams to show you where to cut the nail so that you are more confident in trimming those nails, because long toe nails are dangerous and they can also cause the dog pain when they get too long.
One thing to remember is that your dogs nails are always growing and unless you are exercising your dog on concrete (which can be bad for their joints) they won't be wearing down their nails, plus the Kwik is always growing so the more you keep on top of it the better.
ideally you should ply with the dogs feet right from when they are a puppy so they get use to it, but intentions are always good but sometimes they get forgotten, So I have done some diagrams to show you where to cut the nail so that you are more confident in trimming those nails, because long toe nails are dangerous and they can also cause the dog pain when they get too long.
One thing to remember is that your dogs nails are always growing and unless you are exercising your dog on concrete (which can be bad for their joints) they won't be wearing down their nails, plus the Kwik is always growing so the more you keep on top of it the better.
 | First of all I would like to thank Flex for willing giving me her paw and let me fuss around taking photos of it, even when the camera refused to focus. First we are looking at the nail from the underside, you will notice that (just like your fingernail) the dogs nail is growing past the "finger" or the kwik, This part of the nail is where you will be cutting, I have tried to highlight this in the next picture |
 | Click on the picture to enlarge The orange is showing the nail that has grown past the 'finger' tip The blue is the 'fingertip' The green is a definite NO CUT area! The black line is ideally where you want to cut You want to leave a small bit of nail so that the toes aren't too sensitive. |
 | Heres the correct way to clip your dog's toes nails. You can see the entire nail from this angle, if you can have your dog stand on a table, this way you're at the perfect height. Grab your dogs foot just above the pad and lift, DO NOT pull the leg outwards as it can result in the leg coming out of the socket if the dog fidgets, rather take the leg straight back, as it would when the dog is moving. With one hand holding the foot, use the other hand to position the toe nail clippers, take small chunks at a time. Don't rush, and make trimming the dogs nails an enjoyable time. |
 | Heres a great diagram to help |
Accidently making the nail bleed
If by accident you hit the kwik don't fret!
Depending on how bad it is it will stop soon enough, but to save your carpet, have paper towels on hand and a bar of soap, don't use a towel as you don't want the hairs/ fluff from the towel getting into the wound.
The bar of soap is too push onto the nail to clog the wound, and it will stop bleeding.
HOWEVER if you have taken a considerable chunk of the dogs nails away, and it wont stop bleeding after 5 or so minutes, take the dog to the vet, they have surgical grade stuff that will stop the bleeding.
Depending on how bad it is it will stop soon enough, but to save your carpet, have paper towels on hand and a bar of soap, don't use a towel as you don't want the hairs/ fluff from the towel getting into the wound.
The bar of soap is too push onto the nail to clog the wound, and it will stop bleeding.
HOWEVER if you have taken a considerable chunk of the dogs nails away, and it wont stop bleeding after 5 or so minutes, take the dog to the vet, they have surgical grade stuff that will stop the bleeding.