Nail clipping

do many of you cut your own dog's nails? I would like to start doing harvey's he currently gets it done at the vets and it looks so easy that i could do it myself , so is it easy and are there any recommended clippers i should get? and also he's got black nails so im a bit worried i may take too much off and hurt him. The only reason i dont want to go to the vets is i need to get a taxi there and back and pay for his nails and it ends up quite an expensive journey.

Now people will differ on here but personally I like the guillotine type clippers. I just get on better with them.
Having black claws is a pain, however there is a way of checking where the quick is from the bottom of the claw. Next time you take him to the vets, ask them to show you and ask if you can have a go yourself.
The other thing I have is a drimmel with sanding attachments. If the dog is okay with the noise. You simply sand down the end of the nail. This way you stand less chance of nipping the quick. I've never cut the quick myself but if accidently catch it, the heat from the drimmel stops it from bleeding. Try both types of clippers and see which one you get on best with.

Hi,
I've never had to clip my two's nails but Alfies were looking a little long the other week for a show as i hadn't done so much path walking with him so i got my foot file out and just took them down slightly it worked a treat,I'm too much of a chicken to clip them lol !

I have used a Dremel for years and never had any problems as long as I persevere with puppies who think I am chopping their feet off! They are usually fine after a few sessions, and I only do one nail or foot to start with to get them used to it.
The advantages of a Dremel are speed, the fact that you can get closer to the quick, and you can round off any sharp edges and loose or flaky bits of nail.
I have a multi speed version so you can start slow and build up, I now use speed 14 on Deccy who has resigned himself to it nowadays!

Same as megan57collies. I prefer and use the guillotine clippers. I would also take her advice about asking the vet to show you how far back to clip if you are unsure. Then do it yourself after that.

I always have some talc on hand just in case, but it's never come to it yet and I was just the same as you.

oooo good tip. People do laugh I have flour in my first aid kit for clotting. Talc is another good one

Thanks everyone, the next time i get them done at the vets i will ask them to show me what to do, the talc tip i'll need to remember that.

I always have a small bar of unscented soap in my grooming kit, and for use in nail emergencies.
A quick poke of the nail into the soap, will stop the flow.

I have to trim Max's nails from time to time as we do very little walking on roads so they don't get worn down naturally. I use guillotine clippers & as Max has black nails I only take a small bit off at a time. I got a heavy duty nail file from my local pet shop to smooth off the edges.

i use a pair that look like sissors found them easy to use, mine have got black nails i take asmall bit of at a time then re after 2 weeks as the quick wilmove back up the nail never had any problems.