Puppies should receive their first nail trimming when they are 10 to 12 weeks old, according to the "ASPCA Complete Guide to Dogs." They should then be trimmed again whenever the nails are long enough to reach the ground. Dewclaws also need to be trimmed, should the puppy have them.
Guillotine Style
The tip of the claw is placed inside of a hole. At the squeeze of the handle, the blades quickly chop off the tip.
Scissors
Scissors-type nail trimmers require the two blades to be secured around the nail tip and then squeezed together. These do not work well with large dogs, as they tend to slip.
Files
Files can be used to smooth out rough edges or to help trim the nails of very small or ones terrified of clippers. These take much longer to use than the other types of clippers listed.
Mechanical
Small wireless devices such as a Dremel with a grinding attachment or a PediPaws quickly grinds the nail tip down.
Use Caution
Except for files, no type of nail clipper is 100-percent guaranteed not to make the puppy's nails bleed. Always have styptic powder ready to stop any bleeding.
Resources
Photo Credits
- Image from Wikimedia Commons