The feet play a very important role in safeguarding a dog’s mobility, and care should be taken to make sure they are healthy and clean. They should be checked regularly for dirt and tangled or matted hair, especially between the toe and pads, which may harbor foreign bodies (grass seeds and bits of grit or gravel). Such foreign bodies can sometimes turn into a small cyst between the toes if left in place.

As a precautionary measure, it is a good idea during your grooming sessions to keep the hair between the toes trimmed, and likewise between the pads, so as to minimize the risk of the paws harboring specks of debris. It is a good idea to give your dog a foot bath in lukewarm water to help dislodge dirt, etc., on a regular basis.

Check the bottoms of the pads, too. These can sometimes become dry and liable to crack and will benefit from the application of some pad wax or balm, which is available from your pet store.

In the winter, if salt has been put down on the road and pavements to help melt the snow, this has a very drying and cracking effect on dog’s pads. So rinse the paws upon returning from a walk and perhaps apply some pad wax to keep the pads in good condition.

1. Carefully trim the hair growing around the pads and between the individual digits of the foot.
2. A warm foot bath will dislodge any mud or grit that has worked its way between the toes.
3. Pad wax or balm can be applied to pads that are cracking or showing signs of wear and tear.
4. Nails should be clipped on a regular basis.
5. Overgrown nails distort the lie of the foot. This is bad for the dog’s stance and may cause damage.
6. This electric nail grinder has a guard on it to prevent your grinding away too much of the nail.

Nail care

Paying attention to the nails is a very important part of the grooming process for the comfort of the pet. Left unchecked, nails can grow to an uncomfortable, painful and dangerous length, making them easily caught, damaged and even ripped out (very painful!). The whole of the dog’s body is supported by the our feet, so we should make sure that the nails are a suitable length, not causing the toes to ache and disfigure and break down because the poor dog cannot put the pad down properly and squarely on the ground.

Not all dogs need the same amount of regular attention to the nails. It all depends on the shape of the foot and the amount of exercise the dog gets and whether it’s on soft ground or hard. But the vast majority do, and it is really better and safer to take a little of the nail off on a regular basis rather than a lot all in one go. This is because, as the length of the nail grows, so does the quick running through it.

Same dogs are totally indifferent to having their nails trimmed. Others dislike it with a passion. But you have to be in control, so while at your grooming table, it can be useful to have someone to help you to hold your pet if necessary. Once you have taken hold of the foot, maintain control – if the dog jerks away, it learns a bad habit – so gently continue. Keep the foot moderately low so as not to cause too much discomfort, getting your assistant to take a firm hold around the collar area if required, thus limiting flexion of the leg.

A detailed video on how to cut your dog’s nails.