How to Trim a Puppy's Toenails With PediPaws

Your puppy may not calmly sit still while you cut its toenails with a set of clippers. PediPaws offers an alternative that uses rough sandpaper to slowly file the nails down. This is a safer alternative as cutting nails too far back can hit nerves and cause pain to your puppy. Grab some treats to occupy your puppy's attention and file down those nails one at a time, or watch as your wood floors and furniture get torn to shreds.

Things You'll Need

  • PediPaws
  • Dog treats
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Instructions

    • 1

      Grab your puppy, the treats and the PediPaws device and move somewhere soft such as a carpeted floor or couch.

    • 2

      Turn on the PediPaws nail filer and offer your puppy a treat. Keep moving the device closer to your puppy as you talk to your dog. You don't want your puppy to fear PediPaws, and this will help introduce it in a nonthreatening way.

    • 3

      Turn the PediPaws device off and wait for a few minutes, then turn it back on and give your puppy another treat. Repeat this process until your puppy is no longer afraid of the PediPaws sound. If the puppy is still afraid after several attempts, stop and continue the process again the next day. It may take a few days of slowly introducing PediPaws before the puppy gets over its fear of the device.

    • 4

      Feed your puppy a treat as you take one nail at a time. Insert one nail at a time into the opening of the orange cap and file in a rounded motion for 3 to 5 seconds. File both the top and bottom of the nail edges as they are different lengths.

    • 5

      Switch to another nail on the same paw, and continue the process until the entire paw is finished. How much to file down depends on the breed, but you want to stop when the hard outer enamel starts getting softer. Too much filing and you will reach the "quick," which is the layer that contains blood vessels and nerves.

    • 6

      If your puppy is cooperative, continue this process until all the paws have been trimmed. If uncooperative, slide your arm on top of your puppy's back and underneath the front right paw. Use your body weight to hold your puppy in place, but be sure not to rest all your weight on the puppy's back.

    • 7

      Grab a paw and start filing the nail down. If the puppy resists, hold it in place. If you allow the puppy to move, it will reinforce the behavior and know that it can run away. Do not injure the puppy or use excessive force. Just use your leverage and body weight to hold the puppy down as you move from nail to nail.

    • 8

      Heap praise on the puppy after each paw is finished and reward it with several treats. This will encourage the puppy not to run away the next time it hears the PediPaws device.