There are three main types of nail tools. The standard pliers-style and guillotine-style trimmers function very similarly. Holding the handles in your hand, place your dog's nail between the blades, and squeeze the handles together to trim off the end of the nail at a 45° angle. The third main type of canine nail trimming tool is the dremel (dog nail grinder). A hand held, battery operated tool, the dremel is a rotary tool that grinds your dog's nail. It produces a smoother nail end than either of the previous two options. Some pet owners find the smell produced when sanding their dog's nails rather offensive though. Before you start thinking up creative ways to deal with the smell of burning nails, let me tell you that personally my tool of choice for my dog's nails isn't among the three common options. I actually prefer to use something much less glamorous. Those toenail clippers sitting quietly in the drawer of your bathroom vanity will work just as well trimming your dog's nails as they do trimming your own. You may find sharing nail clippers with your dog a gross proposal. I'm sure your dog wouldn't be offended if you bought her her own personal pair. You might find that you prefer using one of the more popular, canine-specific nail trimming tools. But give your toenail clippers a trial run on your dog's nails. You may find that you like them even better.
In order to avoid cutting the quick and causing your dog to bleed, trim her nails at a 45°angle. Some dogs have transparent nails, making it easy to tell where the quick ends. If your dog has opaque nails, look for the notch and trim the nail at a 45° angle immediately before the notch.
What do you do if you accidentally cut your dog's quick? You can purchase a small bottle of styptic powder to help stop the bleeding. Apply the styptic powder using a q-tip. If you don't have any styptic powder on hand, flour can be used in a pinch.
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