# Nail Trimming and Grooming--Thoughts?



## usually lurking (Apr 21, 2017)

There's absolutely no reason you can't do his nails yourself, even without someone else helping. A dremel is much easier than nail clippers, and you are far less likely to hit the quick.This one works well: https://www.chewy.com/dremel-7300-p...MIiJyAvvX14QIV4__jBx2MOgJPEAQYASABEgJmSvD_BwE

I find that most groomers do not groom Goldens properly. You can do it on your own, if you are so inclined and it isn't too hard. Here's a tutorial to get you started: https://www.grca.org/about-the-breed/articles/grooming-your-golden-joanne-lastoka/

There are MANY threads on this forum about grooming that you can also use as a resource.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

If it helps....

The nail pic shows what my dogs nails look like when I've trimmed them. 

The part that gets trimmed is the "dark" nail. The lighter/pinkish part is your WARNING sign that you are getting close to the quick. 

If you are using clippers, remember you are not pruning branches on a tree. You are delicately carving, if anything. Just nipping the ends. That's all you need to do to. And look at the bottoms of the nails. If you see pinkish coloring like what you see in the pic, that means if you cut any shorter - you'll get a bleed. 

If the dogs bleed when you are nipping the ends and you miscalculated - it's not the end of the world. You probably do not have to even use anything to stop the bleeding. 


The other pic(s) = a partially groomed pup about the same age as yours (10 months old). And I'll tell you what I trimmed before those pics and what I trimmed after. And what will need to be trimmed down the road.

For these pics - I trimmed his ears (I trimmed the edge and thinned out the fuzz on the outside of his ears), feet (trimmed around the pads and shaped just slightly for that cat like paw though you can't see very well in the pics), and his tail (trimmed the length). 

After these pics - I finished the ears (thinned the bulk under/behind the ears), and thinned out the ear/neckline. He also got a bath and blow out - and was shown like that. The tuft of fur on his back was smoothed out when I bathed and blew him out. 

Future trimming specs - he will need the front leg feathers neatened up. They will absolutely grow out longer than they are right now. Same thing with his hocks.



^^^^ That might sound like a lot of trimming and have you thinking you need a pro groomer to do this, but I'll be honest - I was sitting in our driveway and had to grab my ringside bag to do some quick burr-removal with my Bertie (who wasn't shown, so was not groomed). My ringside bag has just a handful of things in there, including a pair of cheap Con-Air shears ($9 grooming shears). I did a full groom sitting there in the driveway (ears, feet, tail). There's some things you can't do with straight edge shears (cutting the fluff on the outside of the ears or under the ears, thinning out the neck/chest, etc), but basics you don't have to fuss.


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