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It is good to get into the habit of trimming your pet's toenails at least once a month while they are still puppies. The nails of a puppy grow very fast and are very sharp and pointed. This can cause the nails to get caught in carpeting, bedding, or any number of materials around the home. This opens up the potential for one of the toenails to get caught in something and be ripped off right down to the cuticle. Giving your dog's toenails a regular manicure will prevent accidents like this from happening. It will also teach your puppy at a young age to tolerate nail trimmings in the future.

Dogs cannot retract their toenails like cats can, so it is best to keep your dog's toenails trimmed before they have a chance to start curling under. When the toenails on a dog do begin curling under, this makes trimming the toenails a much harder task. The toenails can become embedded into the paw and will cause much pain for your pet when the toenails are trimmed off.

The nail of a dog is composed of a hard toenail on the outer surface of the claw itself and a spongy material part to the interior of the toenail. The material on the interior is usually pink in color and is called the quick. The quick supports the blood vessels and nerves of each entire part of each claw. If you trim your dog's nail too close to the quick, the nail will bleed. Your dog can feel this pain, very similar to the way we feel pain when we cut our own fingernails too close to the nail bed.

Having the right pair of toenails clippers for your dog is essential to a successful outcome. You can find the right pair of nail clippers from your local veterinary clinic or pet supply store such as PetSmart. If you aren't sure which nail clipper is best, then ask someone for help. The size of clippers will depend on the size of the dog.

To trim dogs toenails, place the clippers right at the point where the nails start to curve. You do not want to go past the pink part (the quick). On some dogs with white nails, it's easy to see where the quick starts, but it's more difficult on dogs with darker nails. If you're having problems locating the quick, It's a good idea to take your dog to the vet or an experienced groomer for their first nail trimming. Ask plenty of questions until you are confident enough to try it at home.

If you do get a toenail too short, and the nail starts to bleed, don't panic. There are several ways to stop the bleeding.

Buy a box styptic pencils to keep on hand at your home. Using a styptic pencil

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