There’s many different kind of dog nail clippers you can find on the market. So how to choose the right one for your dog? Generally speaking, the size of your dog and his nails will determine the size of nail trimmer to use. Additionally, for every size of nail there is more than one style or model of clippers to choose from. To narrow your search, after you have determined the size you need, it is important to consider what style best fits your hand and which will be better for your dog’s disposition.

Whatever style you choose, you should always have some styptic powder on hand. Styptic powder contains an antihemorrhagic component that contracts tissue and seals injured blood vessels within seconds. A bleeding nail is not a medical emergency but can be scary and messy if you don’t have the proper product to stop the bleeding. If you find yourself in this unfortunate situation, pack cornstarch on the tip of the nail and hold it for a couple of minutes.

Guillotine Nail Clippers

Guillotine nail clippers have an opening into which you place the dog’s nail. When you squeeze the handle, a single sharp blade closes the opening and clips the nail.

Pros: The design of the clippers makes it easy to find the right angle to cut because the blades are at the same level as the bottom part. The design also makes it easy to go through thick nails without much effort.
Cons: The clippers come in different sizes, but because the nail has to go through a hole, in our opinion, it makes it harder to have good visibility —a task made even more difficult when the dog has long hair or small paws.

Scissor-Shaped Nail Clippers

Scissor-shaped nail clippers look like a small pair of regular scissors with a semicircle-shaped opening on the blade where the nail rests.

Pros: They are very comfortable to handle because they function just like a regular pair of scissors. They most commonly come in a small size and are very safe to use on small claws without much hassle. They are perfect for small breeds and don’t look scary, which in turn will keep you more calm.
Cons: They aren’t the best option for large dogs or dogs with very strong nails.

Pliers-Shaped Trimmers

This type of trimmer is many dog owners’ favorite because it is easy to use, it comes in different sizes, and most of them have a safety stop to avoid cutting the nail too short.

Electric Grinders

Electric grinders are great for dogs that have been trained since a young age to tolerate their paws being handled a lot. The dog will tolerate the vibration of the grinder against the nail only if he feels your confidence and trusts you. Electric grinders
are a great finishing tool to smooth the edges of the nails, especially in dogs with skin problems that scratch themselves often and if the nail has grown too long and needs to be shortened a bit. Once the nail is short, the regular use of the grinder will cut a great deal of the time needed to maintain the nail length.

Nail Files

Nail files for dogs are similar to the human counterpart and are usually built of a much stronger material with a more comfortable handle.

Any nail clipping method will leave the edges of the nails very sharp, making it dangerous not only to a new pair of stockings but could turn a happy welcome dance into a scratching match. Filing the nails after they have been clipped will round off the edges, making it safer for both dogs and humans.

Pros: They are good to smooth out the edges after clipping.

Cons: If the dog doesn’t like to get his nails trimmed and filing is the only alternative, it will take a long time to file a long nail to the desired length.

A video about trimming the nails of your dog, using guillotine nail clippers, and electric grinders.