When I worked as a dog groomer, short nails were my obsession. It’s one of the most important parts of dog grooming—and also the part customers complain about the most. Almost as soon as any dog is turned over to their owner do they say, “Can’t you cut them any shorter?!”
It’s understandable. The nails may very well be longer compared to the last time they were cut. That’s because if nails are left to grow, the quicks can sometimes grow right along with them. The quick is the vein inside the nail, so it really isn’t possible to cut them shorter.
How do you know the groomer isn’t fooling you?
It’s easy enough to see for yourself if the groomer has taken the nail back as far as they can. Look at your dog’s nail, at the tip where they were cut. The freshly cut area will have a white chalky area, and a dot in the center. That dot is the quick. Here’s a close up of what it looks like.
If you see that dot, you can tell that the nail was cut all the way back, and if it’s cut more, the nail will bleed.
So, what now?
If the quicks have grown out, it’s possible to get them to recede. We actually tested this with my dog Leia. I am a dog groomer, so nail trims are free and convenient. I can do them as often as I like. I found that two weeks is nowhere near often enough.
Trimming the nails once a week maintained the quick, but I spent a decade of her life dutifully cutting them back and found no evidence that it actually shortened her nails. I made two mistakes, and they were critical to the success of shortening my dogs nails.
The Alternative Cut Line
Cutting the nail back all the way to the quick challenges the nail in one direction but adding just one additional cut challenges the nail from two different directions. The alternative cut line is a brilliant invention that really helps shorten nails.
If the alternative cut line is used punctually every week, this makes a difference, but there’s one more thing you can do that will show significant shortening within about a month of using it.
Daily walks on hard surfaces
Daily walking on hard surfaces, such as asphalt and concrete in combination with the alternative cut line made the biggest difference in my dog’s nails. In a previous trial, we tried a quarter mile, but that didn’t help much.
In our next trial, we walked for a mile on top of the nail trims—and that was the winning ticket. Our dog’s nails shortened noticeably in just 3 weeks.
If you truly want to shorten your dog’s nails you will need to cut them, or have a groomer cut them, at least once a week. We have a flyer available here you can give to your groomer if you’d like to ask for the alternative cut line, but walking every day is something you’ll have to do on your own.
Together, you and your dog can see shorter nails. It just takes a little time and effort to get them there.
Similar Posts:
- What is the Alternative Cut Line?
- How Often Should You Trim Your Dog’s Nails?
- How To Trim Black Dog Nails
- How to Trim Your Chihuahua’s Nails
- Why Nail Trims Matter
That’s so true! I always found it fascinating how picky people could be about nail length – it’s definitely a tricky balance to get right.
I understand why people are picky. It costs something like $20 these days to get your dog’s nails done. They grow in just a couple of weeks. You want as much as you can get for it! I think the real solution is learning to do it yourself so if it starts getting long you can fix it.