Hi, I'm Mary, and my new puppy Chocolate would just LOVE you to vote for her in the petmillions.com contest. Here's the voting page - http://www.petmillions.com/?vote=3059. Now anyway, on to important things - how to clip your dog's nails!

You can tell if your dog's nails are too long by that 'click click click' sound when Fido walks across the tiles in the kitchen. You mustn't put off clipping even if you are scared of hurting your dog, because this is essential for your dog's health and comfort. And a comfortable dog is a happy dog!

You need to clip your hound once a month minimum. I do Chocolate every 20 days or so as she is still young and growing fast. Scissor or guillotine clippers are both fine. You'd be wise to have a little bottle of canine blood clot power too in case you nick too deep.

Let your dog snuggle up, and take his paw in your left hand. If he doesn't like this, get him used to it with treats and gentle words. Now slowly and gently start to clip, starting at the end and working back. Use a 45 degree angle, and be prepared to make lots of small clips, rather than 1 big one. Be sure not to go to far - be careful around the 'quick' - the bit of the nail with blood vessels and nerves. If you cut into this he won't like it!

If you make this mistake, use the clotting powder and a cotton swab with firm pressure for a few seconds. A lot of dogs have 'dewclaws' - a tiny claw just inside the front leg. Clip these too and be VERY careful! Chocolate finds this the most ticklish part! Ultimately, make it fun, and your dog will LOVE to be clipped, which will make life better for everyone!

If you have found this article useful, please go and vote for Chocolate on the petmillions.com site - I truly appreciate it! http://www.petmillions.com/?vote=3059.

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