Trimming your dog’s nails at home is a scary thought for many new pet parents. However with the right knowledge and proper tools it does not have to be a nerve wracking experience!
This post will run through why it is important to cut your dog’s nails, how to do so safely, and also introduce to you the perfect tool for the job – Wagglies Dog Nail Clippers.
Why you should trim your dog’s nails
There are several reasons why it is important to keep your dogs nails trimmed and they have nothing to do with aesthetics!
Excessively long nails can cause pain and discomfort as your dog walks. This is because with each step they take, the nails will contact the ground ahead of the pads of their feet and push into your dog’s nail beds.
In extreme cases, long nails can even lead to posture issues and unnecessary joint stress.
This happens if your dog begins to adjust their walking form and gait to avoid pain from their nails!
Finally, long nails are much more likely to crack and bleed. In case you are not familiar, inside of a dog’s nail runs a blood vessel known as the “quick.” A broken nail will typically tear into this blood vessel (which is also surrounded by nerve endings) causing pain and A LOT of bleeding.
Poor Charlie
Nobody knows this better than our poor Charlie who is consistently breaking the nail on his dewclaw. This causes him a great deal of pain and gives us a big scare every time it happens.
Our veterinarian has recommended keeping the nail as short as possible to help prevent it from getting snagged and causing undue stress in the future.
Tips for Trimming a Dog’s Nails
There are many great guides on the subject, so we won’t get into too much detail on the process here, but instead mention a few of our most important tips.
Get your dog accustomed to having their paws and nails touched
Many dogs are very sensitive about having their feet touched. For this reason it is important to slowly introduce them to this touch long before trying to come at them with a pair of clippers.
Whenever possible, starting out while they are young is a good idea. After they are accustomed to having their paws touched, introduce the clippers and allow them to sniff and lick to examine. Show them how they move and any sound they make and then put them away. Once they feel completely comfortable with their presence and function you can begin using them.
Have Stypic Powder on Hand
In case you do accidentally nick your dogs quick, Stypic powder will be a huge help. This dry powder will absorb moisture and help the blood to clot. Gently pack some into your dogs nail to use. After, you may want to apply a gauze pad and wrap the area with a self adhesive tape to prevent your dog from licking and causing further irritation. A sock can also be used to cover their foot. Just make sure not to bandage too tightly – this could cut off circulation to parts of your dogs foot!
Do Not Force the Issue
If you have tried and tried and found the process to be too stressful for either your dog or yourself, let a professional handle it. Most groomers or veterinarians will offer this service for a very small fee and it is worth the price if you are not comfortable.
Wagglies Professional Dog Nail Clippers
We have always used a cheap pair of nail clippers in our home and honestly not thought much about them. I mean this is just a grooming tool to handle one of those unfortunate tasks of dog ownership, right?
We were recently contacted by Wagglies to see if we wanted to give their Dog Nail Trimmers a try. With all of the recent trouble with Charlie’s dewclaw, and their clippers being billed as professional grade – we thought that the timing was perfect.
Let’s see what these clippers are made of and if there really is a difference…
Features of Wagglies Dog Nail Clippers
Built in Safety Guard
As we mentioned above, there is a blood vessel running through a dog’s nail known as the “quick.” It is very important to familiarize yourself with its location before trimming so as not to accidentally nick it.
Wagglies nail clippers have a built in safety Guard to prevent you from inserting your dog’s nail too deeply into the cutting area. While this is not foolproof solution (every dog and every nail will be slightly different) it is an excellent reminder to watch what you are doing and to only allow a bit of nail to be removed at a time.
Locking Clip
These clippers have a built in locking clip to keep them closed when not in use. This saves space and also keeps the cutting area shut so little hands can not accidentally access the blade.
Rubber Grip Handle
The Wagglies Nail Clippers have an ergonomic rubber handle. While a comfort grip may seem like a no-brainer, most of the standard clippers you will find in pet stores do not have this. Instead just a thin rubber dipped coating over the metal handle.
Angled Tip
The cutting blade of these clippers are at a roughly 30 degree upward facing angle to the handle. This makes for a much more comfortable trimming position, especially when you take into consideration the angle at which the nail should be cut!
Lifetime Guarantee
These will be the last pair of nail clippers that you ever need to buy as they come with a lifetime warranty.
Testing out the Wagglies Clippers
Our dogs are pretty good sports about having their nails trimmed so it was not a problem introducing them to a new pair of clippers.
The major test was going to be how they handled our dogs thick nails. Harley’s in particular can take a bit of effort to cut through.
We are pleased to report that the Wagglies had no trouble at all with the job. The blade was plenty sharp and the leverage provided by the handle was more than adequate. We got a nice clean cut each and every time.
NOTE: Be careful if you are using the clippers in the orientation on the right (with your palm facing up). If you are not careful you could pinch your skin in the back of the handle like Rachael did!
Not likely a mistake that would be made again, but something to be mindful of!
Despite this little mishap, We really love the Wagglies ergonomic handle. Trust us – after 20+ nails a comfortable grip does make a difference! We also found that the cutting angle of these clippers was a big help and made an awkward job much less so!
Why MyDogLikes Wagglies Dog Nail Clippers
Lets face it, trimming your dog’s nails is not a fun experience. Thankfully, having a great pair of clippers can make all the difference in the world. Wagglies nail clippers are easy to use and do the job well. They are also very well made and features like the angled cutting tip really sets them apart from their peers.
Would you like to give these dog nail clippers a try?
Click here to purchase from Amazon
My favorite feature is the angled cutting tip! I feel like my dog’s nails grow so fast!!
I have one dog that will hide when I get the clippers, but will let me cut them when I find him. I have two others that let me clip them, but don’t really like it. I like the angled cutting, so much easier.
Bowser does well at the vet getting his nails clipped. I like that these have a built in safety guard.
I like the rubber grip handle but I love the angled tip. It looks like it would be so much easier to use. I have 3 dogs & we are a foster family so would love to win!
I take Layla to the groomer to be clipped – 15 dollars later – they are done but would love to be able to do them myself
I love this style of nail clippers but have never seen ones with an angle like that. How cool! I used to hate holding dogs for broken nails… the vet would sometimes have to cut at the nail break and I would just hold on tight and close my eyes and make this face waiting for the trim like it was going to hurt me or something.
My Dog is ok w/ nail clipping, but isn’t thrilled about it either, he constantly pulls his paw away while I try to clip his nails. I luv the angled tip!
I like the angle – it should make trimming much easier!
My dog is very cooperative but he doesn’t really like it. It’s great that there’s a how-to-guide with these clippers, that would be very useful.
We usually have their nails clipped at the groomer. My favorite feature is the UNIQUE STAINLESS STEEL RAISED TIP FOR ULTIMATE EASE.
I liked the safety these feature
Of all the things we do for our dogs (the good – the bad – and the ugly) I am terrified of clipping their nails. #sillyIknow
Two of my dogs are fine with nail clipping and two hate it. I like the way these are angled.
My baby girl, Sky tends to be vey nervous when I get out the nail trimmers! I really love the tips you gave, we are still working on her being completely comfortable. I can get at least 1 whole paw before she is done.
We always take my pup to the vet for nail trims, but these look like I could use them at home.
I really like the angled cutting tip. My pooch hates having her nails done!
Some of my dogs don’t mind theirs clipped, the others have a tizzy. I think I like the angled feature on the wagglies.
Love the safety guard for sure! We have one who doesn’t mind and another who gets a bit wacko when he sees the clipper. He loves baths so we try to do them while he plays in the shower.
I like the angled tip,and that the clippers has rubber handles.
So far, I have only got the groomer to clip my dog Victor’s nails – and they’re black. But when I had a rabbit, this would have been very useful and so would the angled tip. No angle made that next to impossible.
I like the angle of the cutter. My German shepard is a real trooper like your pups in getting her nails trimed but my yorkie has to have a blanket over her head (so she can’t see you about to clip) and it takes 2 people to clip her nails and of course she has to have hers clipped all the time because she doesn’t wear them down on the concrete like the shepard.
Annie ….. my little girl, came to me at around 1 year old. She is not crazy about having her nails cut but will allow me to do so with great encouragement.
I like the offset/angled cutting blade.
The angled cutting tip and the rubber handles. Both my dogs have long nails.
I sooo need these! ♡♡♡♡
I like the angled tip. My little girl doesn’t like her nails cut
My dog is good about getting her nails clipped. Her favorite part is treat time afterwards.
Our dog doesn’t love getting his nails clipped but is very good for my husband. He is not as good for the vet tech.
I like the built in safety guard and the angled tip. My dogs do ok with getting their nails trimmed. They don’t enjoy it so I just go slow 🙂
He doesn’t like it, but he is a trooper, and let’s us clip them. It’s just hard for me because I know it stresses him, even if it’s just a bit, and he’s getting treats for it. My favorite feature is the angled blade…so smart! I was practically upside down on the floor at one point the last time I clipped the dogs toenails…don’t ask! ? It was in an effort to try and make it less stressful for them, but I can’t remember why now. ?
I’m not sure what I like more – the padded handles or the angled tip. My dogs aren’t the best when it comes to me cutting their nails. My senior girl, Suki, who I lost two weeks ago, was probably the worst, since she had very thick, dark nails. Plus, she absolutely hated me cutting her nails and would bark and wiggle, which wasn’t good when I would just be ready to cut and it would move her paw. My deaf girl, Ran, who I lost exactly one year earlier actually never needed me to cut her nails, since she loved running back and forth along our driveway (we have gates across the drive, so the dogs are kept in the yard). She actually would grind her back nails so short that I worried she’d hit the quick (but never did). The three dogs still left are on-and-off about letting me cut their nails. I have to catch them while they are in the “mood” and usually need to do just a few nails at a time.
Omg it’s a nightmare to trim dally’s nails ,she is a miniature Doberman pincher and her nails grow very fast but I have to put her in crazy positions cause I only have one arm so sometimes I’m the one that gets trimmed lol
My four-year-old golden just lies down on her side and lets me snip away, and the one-year-old has to be held somewhere between a leg-lock and being cradled like a baby. I learned the hard way to always trim her front paws last. (Holy scratched upper arms, Batman!)
I like the angled head on the Wagglies. I have one like the red one you pictured, and it needs to either be retired or taken apart, cleaned, and greased. The blades are sticking.
i like the angle cut and the toe stopper safety. my middle child is a mess. she has to be sedated to clip her nails. sometimes i can do it with the dremel. the 1st vet she went to messed her up, she was great until i let them clip her nails 1 times and she has been a mess since.
i’ve always been too scared to clip her nails myself but i like that they have a safety guard. it makes me feel more comfortable!
I love that these look comfortable and easy to use. I trim all ofor our dogs nails at home and they are all OK with it
My Toby Tangles absolutely hates getting her nails trimmed. I like the raised stainless steel tip for a better clipping angle.
My dog hates getting his nails trimmed!! I like that the blade are very sharp, and that there is a guard because my dogs nails are all black, so it’s hard to see where to cut.
Usually have groomer cut the nails so I like the safety!
My dog doesn’t really like when her nails are clipped. I like the built in safety guard on the Wagglies nail clippers.
My dog freaks out!! Starting them young is very important. My dog was already several years old when I got him from a rescue. I like the safety feature.
My dogs really don’t like their nails clipped. I like that these have a lifetime warranty.
My dog does fine with it, but I work at a veterinary hospital so he has “professionals” clipping his nails.
My dog does fine with it, but I work at a veterinary hospital so he has “professionals” clipping his nails. I love the ergonomic handle!
My dogs hates having his nails trimmed. My favorite part of these clippers are the EASY GRIP HANDLE – Keep in control of the super sharp blades on our best dog nail clippers with a safe, easy to grip handle! There’s no need to go to a vet anymore!
They don’t like it. I like the built in safety Gaurd
The easy grip handle appeals to me since I have arthritis.
My little alien pug hates everything he has done to him; face cleaning, ear cleaning, baths, nails…everything! Annoying little mutt! I like the safety features best…the last thing I want to do is hurt my little guy. 🙂 (By the way, if you decide you don’t want your fur babies….they are so beautiful…I up for more cuddle bugs! )
I have a new (used!) rescue dog (Milo), he’s minpin and I haven’t cut his nails yet myself. I like that the Wagglies Professional Safety Dog Nail Clippers have a built-in safety guard. I get terrified when I cut the dog’s nails.
I completely understand the hesitance! The safety guard is a great reminder to be extra careful!
Our Bella fights at first but eventually calms down. I like the design of the handle. They look like they would be comfortable to use. thank you!
I like that it has a built in safety guard.
So important in a dog nail trimmer!!
The built in safety guard is what sold me!
The easy to hold handles is my favortie part.
I really love the angled cutting feature.. Thank you r for the giveaway!!
My favorite feature is the BUILT-IN SAFETY GUARD FOR EXTRA SAFETY. That is awesome!
They’re ok about it- better for the groomer than for me, though. They’re more resistant to holding still than the actual nail trim.
My 13 yo and my 1 yr old don’t like having their nails done unless they get lots of treats. I like the angle as I can’t always get the right angle.
My dogs hate it so much! I love the safety guard on these.
My favorite feature is the UNIQUE STAINLESS STEEL RAISED TIP FOR ULTIMATE EASE.
I like that they have a lifetime guarantee.
My dog doesn’t mind his nails being clipped. I like the safety guard.
I let my husband clip our dog’s nails… I always worry if I do i’ll slip or something and hurt her. 🙁 He does a great job, and our dog is really okay with it! It wasn’t always like that though. lol At first she hated it.
I like the rubber grip handle and the angled tip. I have 3 dogs and they are pretty calm when I trim their nails.
My dogs don’t like their nails clipped, so I wear the dogs out with a long hike before I clip their nails.