Trimming your dog's nails Trimming your dog's nails Check every 2 weeks or when you hear a clicking sound when walking A dog's nails grow over time like a human's and usually require routine maintenance. Some lucky dogs never need a trim. A dog's nails should barely touch the ground. Severely overgrown nails can actually curl under the foot and pierce the pads at the bottom of the feet. Long nails are prone to breakage usually at the base.
Broken nails can be very painful.
They can become infected and require a trip to the vet. With the guillotine type you place each toenail into a rounded slot, squeeze the handles together and a blade comes up and cuts the tip of the nail off. The scissors type has short, squared or rounded blunt blades with a round opening specifically for cutting nails. The guillotine type of clipper is a bit more difficult to use but has more leverage for tough nails. This type of clipper has to be kept very sharp otherwise it will simply crush the nail without cutting it.