Puppy Mani-Pedi

It was another single-digit day, so I stayed in with my "pup." Her nails have gotten too long, and the fur on her feet out of control, so it was past time to do something. I used these two tools to get the job done. The Dremel was a $5 garage sale find, and the tiny clippers were $9 on-line. While I have a set of real legit grooming shears, our grooming set up is in the back porch, which is currently as warm as a meat locker. So, I opted for these tools and worked on the couch with a towel to catch the clippings.

My girl is horrible with clippers, which is why I grind her nails. One problem is that the quick of her nails are quite long because I let them go for too long. This means I have to grind a little every night. Her quicks will recede if I keep this up. She also isn't patient and I had a lot of work to do, which is why I only did her right side today. I will finish tomorrow.

I used the small battery clippers to get to the hair between her pads. I normally use curved shears and thinners to take care of the top of her feet/toes. Also, I cut back way more fur than usual so I would have better access to her nails while grinding. The end result is much choppier than normal. But by the time it grows back, her nails will be in a more manageable state.

Her back nails wear down faster than the front, so they don't need as much grinding -- but I still need for the quick to recede. She is a sporting dog who is outside a lot, and actually needs longer nails for traction. She hunts in the fall and competes in the show ring in the warmer months. Just letting them go was not an option! And even if I don't show her much, I am now addicted to having a well-groomed dog and would have to do it anyway.

When you see the right compared to the left, even with the chop-job, there's a big difference. It's definitely a DIY job anyone can do.