Clipping your Golden Retriever’s nails is critical to the health of her joints. Nails allowed to grow too long will cause a dog to walk with an unnatural gait, which stresses the joints all the way up the leg. Nails that are too long also tend to get caught on things and break, which is extremely painful for your Golden Retriever. And don’t forget the dewclaw! It’s very prone to getting caught and tearing.
The nails is made up of the hard material on the outside (keratin) and the fleshy, pink quick on the inside. Using a scissor-style nail clipper, nip off the end of the nail, making sure you do not nick the quick. If you own a Golden mix, and her nails are black, you will not be able to see the location of the quick. If you turn her paw over, however you will see an indentation leading from the tip back to the quick.
If you do happen to clip the quick, you can stop the bleeding with styptic powder or, in a pinch, some flour. Pack the end of the nail with the styptic powder until it stops bleeding, and then keep her quiet for a while so the nail doesn’t start bleeding again. Put her in her crate or confine her to an uncarpeted room, such as the kitchen, for a little while.
If you are using a clicker, put the treat under your thumb, on top of the clicker. Begin by holding her tiny paw and tapping the end of her nail. Each time she is non-reactive, she gets a mark and a reward. When she is regularly non-reactive to tapping the ends of her nails, begin introducing the clipper, nipping just a tiny bit off the end of the nail. Again, mark and reward for non-reactive behavior.
Many dogs are reluctant to have their feet touched, which makes clipping nails a bit of a challenge. This can be particularly true of rescues, because there may be a previous paw injury you don’t know about. You will need to slowly accustom your rescued Golden Retriever to having her feet touched before you can begin trying to trim her nails. It may take a while for her to learn to trust you, and you may have to take her to the veterinary clinic or a groomer a few times before you have established enough of a bond for you to clip her nails.
If you are at all unsure about clipping your Golden Retriever’s nails, it is highly recommended for getting a lesson from a professional groomer or your veterinary technician. If you are still not comfortable after this, most veterinary clinics trim nails for a nominal fee.