# Nail clipper suggestions



## GoldLexus (Jan 31, 2011)

I plan on trimming my goldens nails myself. What type of nail clipper is best? Scissor or guillotine? Brand suggestions?
Thanks!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Bumping up


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## BriGuy (Aug 31, 2010)

We use the orange handle Miller's Forge clipper, which is a plier type cutter. It works well for the dogs, our cats, and even our guinea pigs.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

I like the red handled millers forge - buy several at a time, so I never have to worry about needing sharp ones and having to find them...no other brand works as well for me and they are super cheap!!


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

Hard to explain but the guillotine style needs to be held kinda backwards then the way you'd feel would be the logical way. The reason is the handle with the blade changes angle as you cut and therefore can crack the nail as you cut. I never recommend that style. I only use the scissor style as I've seen or heard the nail cracking form that style. 

Plus, the guillotine ones get dull fairly quickly and the scissor style I've had for over 15 years and still work great.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I like the scissors kind. I agree with the above that I feel like they don't go dull as fast as the guillotine type. 

I don't really think anymore that brand matters. 

I gave one of my sisters my millers forge brand clippers - and I lost my usual pair (bamboo 3 in 1). Personally speaking, preferred the bamboo over the millers forge because it was lighter (plastic handles). 

I picked up a different brand of clippers (I don't actually know what brand other than they were about $7) that looked close to the bamboo clippers which aren't for sale anymore. And so far they are OK?

I clip nails every week so will be interesting to see if they stay sharp. The bamboo clippers (wherever they are in my dog stuff) stayed sharp for 5+ years. That was weekly clippings with 2 dogs.


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## Max Volt (Oct 18, 2015)

I don't understand this question. I have had a healthy and thriving retriever for nine and a half years and I have never clipped his nails. Maybe because I walk him for one hour in the morning and for half an hour in the evening every day, his nails keep to a healthy length on their own.


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## GoldLexus (Jan 31, 2011)

Max Volt said:


> I don't understand this question. I have had a healthy and thriving retriever for nine and a half years and I have never clipped his nails. Maybe because I walk him for one hour in the morning and for half an hour in the evening every day, his nails keep to a healthy length on their own.


I have 2 goldens on has carpal Hyper flexation in both paws and can not go for walks anymore. We must keep her nails short but taking her someplace to have them done just isn't an option. It causes too much pain. We also have a golden puppy... I will do her nails in the winter because walks will be limited due to weather and darkness (I have night blindness so pretty much stay in once daylight is gone). During the summer her nails will need to be done less.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Max Volt said:


> I don't understand this question. I have had a healthy and thriving retriever for nine and a half years and I have never clipped his nails. Maybe because I walk him for one hour in the morning and for half an hour in the evening every day, his nails keep to a healthy length on their own.


Speaking for myself as to why I trim nails every week - if I am trotting my dog up and down a mat in front of a judge - I don't want the judge hearing the click-clack of nails. When standing, the nails do not touch the ground. 

When I trim nails, I'm only nipping the ends and removing new growth. Ideally, you don't want to be taking chunks off. I think it's more likely to hurt the dog. It also is more likely going to lead to bleeding. 

With puppies like mine who likely will not be in the ring for months - it's a good idea to trim the nails on a weekly basis to get them used to it.


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## jenherrin (Apr 15, 2018)

Another clipper is the Zen clipper: https://www.zenclipper.com/
I haven't tried it, though, but I'm contemplating ordering it, as I've read positive reviews about it on various pet sites. (I think it was originally developed for cats.) Anyone here tried it?

There's also the grinder (Dremel) option. I have a cheap Pedipaws that I bought years ago, but I wasn't patient enough to get that dog used to it. However, I found it in a packed-away box of dog stuff when I got a puppy this summer and pulled it out to try on him. It actually works pretty well, so I'm sure an actual Dremel would work even better.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Max Volt said:


> I don't understand this question. I have had a healthy and thriving retriever for nine and a half years and I have never clipped his nails. Maybe because I walk him for one hour in the morning and for half an hour in the evening every day, his nails keep to a healthy length on their own.


The nails are the foundation of the dog. If they are too long, the toes splay and the carpal (wrist) can be affected. Once that happens, the knees and elbows, hips can all be affected. 

A healthy length is one you cannot hear tap tap tapping on hardwood floor when the dog is walking. 

Like Kate said, weekly nail cuts are really just taking tiny amounts off, my dogs get a tremendous amount of exercise too but still need a weekly tip removal so that the vessel that feeds the nail doesn't grow into the nail rather than stay up out of the way.


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

jenherrin said:


> Another clipper is the Zen clipper: https://www.zenclipper.com/
> I haven't tried it, though, but I'm contemplating ordering it, as I've read positive reviews about it on various pet sites. (I think it was originally developed for cats.) Anyone here tried it?
> 
> There's also the grinder (Dremel) option. I have a cheap Pedipaws that I bought years ago, but I wasn't patient enough to get that dog used to it. However, I found it in a packed-away box of dog stuff when I got a puppy this summer and pulled it out to try on him. It actually works pretty well, so I'm sure an actual Dremel would work even better.



I would never ever use a regular dremel on a dog, especially with long hair. If the long hair gets caught in it it will just rip the hair our and good luck with that plus the dog trusting you ever again. The Oster Nail grinders and good ones for dogs have a sensor that if there is anything restricting the grinder from spinning (any resistance) it stops on its own and protects the dog. Not to mention the issues if you donn't know how to grind properly.


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## Goldens&Friesians (May 31, 2014)

Prism Goldens said:


> The nails are the foundation of the dog. If they are too long, the toes splay and the carpal (wrist) can be affected. Once that happens, the knees and elbows, hips can all be affected.
> 
> A healthy length is one you cannot hear tap tap tapping on hardwood floor when the dog is walking.
> 
> Like Kate said, weekly nail cuts are really just taking tiny amounts off, my dogs get a tremendous amount of exercise too but still need a weekly tip removal so that the vessel that feeds the nail doesn't grow into the nail rather than stay up out of the way.


YES! THIS! So true. I also trim nails weekly. My dog gets tons of exercise (3 mile run/walks with me, up to 15 miles through the woods and/or along the roads (she's trained to heel by my horse and we only ride quiet country roads) and all over when I ride my horses and she still needs the tips trimmed off. I also use the millers forge orange handle scissor style clipper. I'm a professional dog groomer and mine has stayed sharp for 8 years doing about 4-5 dogs everyday-in fact the only reason I got a new one a couple years ago was because the spring in the handle popped out and I lost it. 
I also follow up my nail trims with a dremmel just to make everything smooth and nice looking.


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## Goldens&Friesians (May 31, 2014)

Maggie's Voice, I think she means an actual dog dremmel, not like a wood working dremmel. Dremmel brand makes dog nail grinders called dremmels-that's what I have. Yes you do have to be careful of long hair, but I keep my golden's foot hair trimmed and tidy and the feathering can be held against the leg out of they way. Where it really gets interesting is trying to groom my full drop coat (hair to the floor) shih-tzu clients and dremmel their nails-thats a lot of hair to keep out of the way! Lets just say if the shih-tzu isn't going to be really good and sit perfectly still, they don't get a dremmel! Lol!


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

Goldens&Friesians... I'm aware of that but there are plenty of people that use regular Dremels. No way to know if they know or not, plus that is just information for other people as well.


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## Barlosh (Sep 1, 2018)

Pedi Paws is a gentle dremel and works well plus if you do nip a quick its cauterised and doesn't bleed. I have a guillotine clipper too but had rarely used it on my big dogs as they were walked on paving as well as grass and their weight filed their nails themselves.


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