It is a good idea to keep your dogs’ nails clean and short and you can achieve this by using these top-rated best dog nail clippers. Your pet’s nails grow quickly, so it’s understandable if you’re worried that he will scratch you. In this article, we have discussed everything you need to know about nail clippers for dogs.

It worth noting that the tip of his finger will bleed if you trim too low. This will be sore for your dog, and the exposed quick may become infected. Press your dog’s finger pad away from the nail to avoid nicking his skin, and keep a firm hold on his hand as you cut or clip. Cut the nail around the curve of the finger, however, do not cut down the sides of his nails, as this may cause ingrown nails and infections.

Importance of nail trimming for you and your pet

Nail trimming is an important part of pet grooming for both dogs and cats. When you trim dogs nails and cat claws regularly, you can greatly reduce the risk of your pet becoming caught on carpeting, furniture, and fabrics and ending up with painful, broken nails.

Ensure to get the right nail clipper as the wrong dog nail clippers can do more harm than good, leading to over-cutting and slipping that can injure your pet. That doesn’t mean that you have to head to the vet or groomer every time your dog or cat needs a trim. It simply means that you need to have the best nail clippers in your collection of pet supplies to help you get the job done quickly and safely!

Regular clipping results in neat and tidy claws that not only look nice and make your pet more comfortable but also reduce damage caused to furniture from scratching.

When do you start trimming your dog’s nails?

Getting your dog to behave while you cut or trim his or her nails can be tricky. This is why teaching your puppy to cope with the feeling of having his or her feet touched can help come time to trim.

Most furry friends require nail trimming about every two weeks, but it’s recommended you consult with your veterinarian first if you are not sure.

Tips on how to have an enjoyable nail trimming experience for your dog

1. Keep pet relaxed.

The ideal time to trim your dog’s nails is when he or she is calm, happy and relaxed. This could be following mealtime or after playing with some toys.

2. Have clean and ready injury accessories

Grab your favorite pet nail clippers as well as something that will help clot blood in case bleeding occurs.

3. Quiet environment

Find a quiet spot where you can have your dog sit comfortably on your lap as you slowly trim his or her claws. (Make sure all other pets will not disturb you and your puppy.)

4. Be keen and careful

Keep in mind that it’s best to point your dog’s claw away from you during trimming to prevent scratching and you might also want to cover your legs with a folded up towel or blanket for added protection.

5. Keep the experience enjoyable

A nail trimming should be an enjoyable experience for both you and your pup. If a cutting causes your dog pain, it will most likely be much more difficult to perform trimmings in the future. This is why you need to make sure you only trim a safe amount at a time.

If your pet squirms and moves about when you try to cut his or her nails, try talking to him or her in a soft, calming voice. If his or her behavior doesn’t change, take a break from trimming.

6. Regular nail grooming

When it comes downs to it, all dogs need their nails trimmed on a regular basis. You do not want them to be too long or too short,  healthy nails will slightly touch the ground as your dog walks. The nails of active dogs can gradually trim from walking on pavement, but dogs who are not as active should receive trimmings more frequently.

7. Start trimming when the pet is still a puppy

Start conditioning your pet from an early age to trimming, begin by massaging their paws regularly when they are just weeks old. This will get him or her used to the feeling so that they will not feel uneasy once the clippers are in the picture.

8. Keep process short

When it’s time to trim your dog’s nails, you will want to start with just one or two nails a day to test his or her reaction. Do not forget to follow up with a treat and a cuddle session to condition and comfort your pet. Hold the paw securely while trimming the nails. Quickly cut off the top of the nail with a single stroke.

9. Give a reward

If your pet experiences pain or discomfort during a nail trimming, it might be difficult to ever cut his or her nails again. This is because the trauma of an unfortunate experience can have long term emotional effects. If your dog behaves always reward good behavior with a treat, a cuddle session or playtime.

10. Use nail clippers for pets only

Nail clippers or nail scissors that are made for humans can split your pet’s nails, so never use them to trim his or her claws. If unsure where you should be cutting, ask your veterinarian to show you the next time you are in for a checkup.

11. Disinfect regularly

Pet nail clippers can accumulate yucky buildup over time, which is why they should be properly cleaned. To keep the trimmers clean between uses, it is advisable you disinfect them regularly.
High heat is the best method for killing germs, but you can also go about disinfecting with disinfectant sprays or solutions to get rid of bacteria on the blades.

What to do in case you cut your dog

Cutting the quick will cause your pet pain and the nail to bleed, which is why you should make sure to avoid it.

If this occurs, stop cutting your pet’s nails immediately and try to stop the bleeding by quickly apply a styptic patch to the nail. You can also use styptic powder styptic powder, a bit of flour or a dab of cornstarch. The powder should stick so that it clots the cut.

If bleeding continues for more than a couple of minutes, call your veterinarian for advice on what other steps you should take.

We did our research and trawled the market to find 10 nail clippers we think will do the job for you and your pet.

Best Dog Nail Clippers

1. 1. Thunderpaws Protective Nail Clippers

Professional grade clippers with a safety guard and stainless steel blades mean you will swiftly clip your dogs’ nails in one smooth action. The handles are rubberized to be comfortable and non-slip.

Highly rated, we think these should give you the confidence to try clipping at home and save on costly trips to the vet.

Features:

• Used by veterinarians and professional groomers.
• Built with high-quality stainless steel blades to ensure a clean cut in one smooth action.
• Non-slip rubber handles that are ergonomically designed for a comfortable grip and ensuring a safe nail trimming experience for you and your dog.
• It comes with a protective guard to protect your pets from “over-trimming” and safety lock for easy storage.
• The nail clipper is very sharp.
• A lifetime warranty and 90-day 100% money-back guarantee.
• Rates 4.8 in Amazon

 

2.   Wahl Dog Claw Clipper Guillotine

These guillotine claw clippers make the job of trimming your pet’s claws simple.

The spring operation makes trimming smooth and easy, has high-quality stainless steel blades that provide a long-lasting, sharp cutting edge to trim your pets’ nails safely and accurately.

It can be used with dogs, cats, and other animals.

With this clipper, your dog is safe and can experience safe and trouble-free manicure sessions in the future.

Features:

• Manufactured from durable, rust-resistant stainless steel
• Guillotine, sprung cutting action for precise clipping and ease of use
• Strong claw clipper suitable for small, medium and large dogs and other animals
• Lightweight, ergonomic design fits comfortably into the hand
• Rates 4.4 in Amazon

 

3.  Professional Dog Nail Clippers

Suitable for large dog breeds as these nail clippers trim your dogs’ nails with ease and take the stress out of pet grooming for both you and your pup.

Powerful enough to trim nails with just one cut for fast, convenient at-home grooming as they are comfortable to use, and actually cut the nail cleanly.

It is strong, sharp and easy to use on even the hardest pet nails.  A mini nail file in the handle is a neat little addition to a nice, ergonomic pair of professional-grade clippers.

Pro:

• Large dog nail clippers for even the hardest nail cut with ease and take the stress out of pet grooming for both you and your pup.
• Powerful enough to trim nails with just one cut for fast, convenient at-home grooming.
• High-quality stainless steel blades for life long clean cutting.
• Outfitted with a safety stop that ensures quick, painless and easy trimming.
• Non-Slip extra-long handles comfortable to grip and provide great leverage for fast effortless cuts.
• Mini nail file fitted conveniently inside the clipper handle. It can be used to smooth down any sharp points or edges of your pets’ nails for proper pet grooming.
• Rates 4.6 in Amazon.

 

4. Dog Nail Clippers with Quick Sensor and Lock

Protect your dog from over trimming as this clipper considers your pet safety first. In addition,  easy to use with a protective guard and, non slip rubber handles for a comfortable grip. Simple pet clippers are lightweight and sharp and cut well even the strongest nails. Suitable for heavy-duty use including large breed dogs, these are good value and come highly rated by dog owners.

Features:

• Nonslip rubber handles.
• Safety lock for easy secure storage.
• Protective guard to prevent over cutting nails.
• Sharp stainless steel cutters.
• The nail cut is clean.

5.      OMorc Ultra Quiet Dog Nail Trimmer

A nail grinder is an alternative way to reduce sharp nails, perhaps if you are reluctant to use a clipper. You can also use this alongside clippers, once having trimmed the length, you could then use a grinder to make super smooth nails.

This nail grinder has a diamond bit, and low noise technology to reduce pet anxiety and produce effective results. It has a cordless operation and USB charging for convenience.

The grinder comes with two sized wheels and 4 ports, meaning all pets’ nail sizes can be accommodated – this is not limited to only dogs, making it a great value if you have a multi-pet household!

A good buy product if you want to avoid pet scratches, damage to furniture, or avoiding injury to the pets themselves from overgrown claws.

Features:

• Designed with 4 dog nail grinder ports to meet your pets’ needs.
• Perfect for all sizes of household pets. Choose the appropriate port according to the nail size.
• Quick to use, no more than 5s per claw.
• Unique mute technology provide quiet operation for pet comfort.
• The pet nail clipper is made of high quality and non-toxic ABS material.
• Can use several grip ways (ordinary grip, reverse grip and side grip) and choose your favorite one to do the nail clipping.
• Can move with it as it is cordless-you’re able to work in the position that’s the easiest and most comfortable for you and your pet.
• It comes with batteries for easy cut.
• Rates 4.3 in Amazon.

6.      SmarterPaws Professional Dog Nail Clippers

This top-rated clipper features all the spec we would come to expect from a handy nail clipper, with built-in safety guard, nail file and soft grip ergonomic handles. It also includes free e-book and videos to teach novices how to clip quickly and easily. A definite bonus for pet owners who haven’t clipped at home before.

Features:

• Comes with a free e-book and video where you can learn how to clip nail quickly and easy for your pooch.
• Every clipper comes with a free Nail file conveniently stored in the handle to file away rough or sharp edges for the comfort of your pet.
• Built-in safety guard to help you cut nails quickly and safely at the comfort of your home.
• Easy to use as it comes with instructions.
• A strong grip has ergonomic handles ensuring your dog safe during the nail trimming process.
• Rates 4.8 in Amazon.

 

7.      Millers Forge Quality Nail Clipper

Another popular nail clipper, these are plier style with a built in guard which can be moved into place, and a lock to keep the clippers closed for safe storage.

They are suitable for almost all dogs except very large breeds.

Features:

• Comfortable plastic grips and a spring-loaded cutting mechanism for more positive cutting action.
• Built-in guard can be moved into position to prevent the overcutting of the nails and there is a lock to hold the trimmers closed for storage and maintenance.
• Nail clippers can be used for just about all sizes of dog except very large breeds.
• Quality-made of stainless steel pliers to withstand years of use.
• Works really well with large or tough nails.
• Rates 4.5 in Amazon.

 

8.      ROSEWOOD Soft Nail Clipper

This are great to get leverage on big dog’s claws  as they are great with very thick claws and work quickly, cut clean and efficiently.

They have a locking clip on the right side that you can slide up and down to lock/release the lock and there is also a guard on the back of the blades which is great so you do not put the claws in from the wrong side and also the guard helps to prevent you cutting off to much of the nail. The blade is really sharp and it cuts through the nail so easily.

The grips are big and well-padded so they are comfortable to hold, blades are sharp and the hole is big enough to get the biggest nails through.

These clippers fit very well in the hand, and there is no slippage when they’re used. They don’t require a lot of pressure to cut, which is great when you have a dog who hates claw cutting.

Features:

• Nail clipper (large) with ergonomic hand grip.
• Ideal for dogs and cats.
• Easy to control for accurate clipping.
• Precision and high quality stainless steel cutting blades.
• Rates 4.7 in Amazon.

 

9.      Safari Nail Trimmer

For regular trimming, one needs a durable trimmer and safari trimmers are made from the finest quality stainless steel to satisfy your need for a long-lasting, sharp cutting edge.

It also has locking blades and comfortable, rubber-coated handles to help prevent injury to your pet’s claws.

The blades are extremely sharp and the reverse is spring-loaded so that once you release the locking mechanism (which is very sturdy), the blades easily come open and ready for use.

The small-medium sized trimmer works well for both small and medium-sized dogs.

With this trimmers no need to visit the vet for nail trimming anymore you can do it at the comfort of your home.

Features:

• The SAFARI Professional Stainless Steel Nail Trimmer is designed for dog nail trimming and maintenance
• Made of stainless steel; Features safety stop to prevent injury and soft comfort grip handle for ease of use
• Available also in large size
• Sharp, durable trimmer for proper pet grooming.
• Quality Guaranteed.
• Rates 4.6 in Amazon.

 

10.  Wahl Professional Nail Grinder

Wahl’s Classic Nail Smoother is a battery operated nail grinder kit that is ideal for trimming, shaping and smoothing rough nails of sensitive pets. This will be the solution for pet owners who are afraid to injure their pets while cutting their nails.

The safety auto-stop prevents accidental hair winding and the safety cap is to reduce dust and prevent over-trimming of the nails.

Ideal for use on small dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, and birds.

Grinding pet nails can be easy with a cordless, battery-operated nail grinder.

The nail grinder is supplied with two grinder attachment heads and grinder paper for trimming, smoothing and shaping rough nails.

Features:

• Ideal for trimming, shaping and smoothing rough nails on small pets.
• Powerful battery operated nail grinder for easier at-home grooming (2 CC Batteries NOT Included).
• Quiet and lightweight –perfect for working with sensitive pets.
• Safety cap and safety-stop feature to reduce dust and prevent over trimming.
• Cordless operation for flexibility and freedom of movement.
• The nail grinder has a contoured grip to fit comfortably and securely in the hand.
• Ideal for small dogs and cats.
• Rates 4.0 in Amazon.

Con

• Pet owners need to wear a dust mask when doing this for your dog- otherwise, you will be breathing in some nail fragments and while it is or is not necessarily harmful, I cannot imagine you would really want to inhale that stuff.
• Not recommended for use on large breed dogs or thicker nails.

 

Regular care of your pet’s nails will not only make them more comfortable but it will prevent them from scratching furniture, floors, and kids. Trimming your dogs’ nails at home has undoubtedly become easier with a wealth of products available on the market aimed at safe, fuss-free clipping even for the first-timer. Why not have a go today?