How often should I trim the pups nails?

[intotheblue]

Is there a rule of thumb or recommendation on how often I should get my pups nails trimmed. Not sure if it makes a difference on age, but he is 4.5 months old. Thank you!

[BlackGSD]

As often as they need it. Seriously, some pups/dogs need it done fairly often, others, not so much. When they are puppies I do it at least weekly "wether they need it or not" just to get then used to it.

[MustLoveGSDs]

It depends on how short you prefer the nails. I am a nazi about nails and like them to be as short as possible. I use a dremel on all of my dogs' nails. I usually like to bump my dobe's nails weekly, for the GSD and the husky I do their nails about every 2-3 weeks.

[PaddyD]

It varies a great deal from one dog to the next. But I wouldn't let them go more than 2 months. It also depends on the expertise of the person trimming. I was trimming Abby's but I found I wasn't trimming enough. The vet did it and showed me underneath where the quick ends and the nail continues, then she trimmed them back to the quick without any injuries. For $10 every couple of months I would just as soon have it done by an expert.
BTW, I say 2 months because my dog does a lot of mileage on pavement to wear them down.

[intotheblue]

Thank you! I like the idea of weekly, so the pup gets used to it. It sounds like you guys do it on your own instead of going to a groomer, any pros or cons of a groomer doing it? I've never trimmed dog nails before, I feel comfortable cleaning the ears, brushing teeth, and bathing, but a little unsure about how to trim the nails.

[MustLoveGSDs]

Originally Posted by intotheblue

Thank you! I like the idea of weekly, so the pup gets used to it. It sounds like you guys do it on your own instead of going to a groomer, any pros or cons of a groomer doing it? I've never trimmed dog nails before, I feel comfortable cleaning the ears, brushing teeth, and bathing, but a little unsure about how to trim the nails.

I prefer to do everything grooming wise myself because I simply don't trust groomers/bathers. They can really ruin a puppy that needs time to be desensitized. This is just from my experience of working at various kennels and groom shops over the years. I've seen some horrible treatment of pets, yet they deliver your pet back to you with a smile on their face. You can go to a vet clinic or a groom shop and they can show you how to trim and/or dremel. There are also video tutorials you can pull up on youtube.

[Cassidy's Mom]

As others have said, how often really varies. Keefer's nails grow twice as fast as his half sister Dena's did. Halo's are somewhere between the two. The main pro about doing it yourself is that if you want it done on a fairly frequent basis so the nails never get too long, it would be expensive to take him to a groomer. Doing it yourself is free!

With a young puppy you can probably get away with using a human toenail clipper for awhile, that's what I did. The nails are smaller in diameter and softer than they'll be as an adult so this will only be temporary, but I found it easier than using regular full sized clippers.

I much prefer using a Dremel on dog nails for several reasons, and if you'd like to try it, starting now while he's still young is the best time. You can clip the tips and then use the Dremel to smooth them out a bit. If you clip too much you'll hit the quick, which hurts and will bleed profusely. Taking small amounts off frequently helps keep the quick short. Dremeling once a week or every other week makes it easy to take off a little at a time. And if you do go too far and hit the quick it doesn't hurt (I usually don't realize I've done it until I see blood, vs the dog yelping and yanking the paw out of my hand with clippers), and it doesn't bleed anywhere near as much, usually just a little ooze that's easily staunched.

Here are instructions: How to Dremel Dog Nails @ DoberDawn.com

[Kittilicious]

You can also check with your vet. My vet will clip a dog's nails for $6 and you can be in the room with them (at least at my vet I can). Sometimes during a walk I'll stop in (we walk by our vets office a lot of times) and they will just do them quick without an appointment.

[MustLoveGSDs]

into, i sent ya a PM with helpful videos if you want to attempt to trim yourself

kittilicious is right about some vets letting you watch them clip your dog's nails

cassidy's mom makes a good point about the human nail clippers for a young pup

[Cassidy's Mom]

Originally Posted by Kittilicious

You can also check with your vet. My vet will clip a dog's nails for $6 and you can be in the room with them (at least at my vet I can). Sometimes during a walk I'll stop in (we walk by our vets office a lot of times) and they will just do them quick without an appointment.

Lucky you - the last time I had the vet do nails it was $18! I have the cats' nails trimmed when I'm there because it's impossible to do them myself, but that means they only get it done once or twice a year at most.

After paying that much for Cassidy's nails years ago because she was horrid about having her nails clipped, even with one of us holding her down while the other one clipped, I bought a Dremel and never looked back. She went from yanking her paw away if I even touched it, to calmly laying on her side while I Dremeled all four feet by myself, in one week.