# Trimming black nails



## squirrel (Oct 21, 2014)

I am so grateful for the information on this forum.Ruby has nails that grow really fast,her groomer does cut them ,but she also is worried about how far down to trim.I have a pedi-paws but it's not much cop. But read one of the posts about using a Dremel,so will try that. Thank you,will also let my groomer know.:amen:


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

Yes, black nails are hard! My best advice is to just keep up on it and don't let a week go by without a tiny trim, so the quick stays short. Dremels are also good because they cauterize the nail while grinding them, so that might be your best bet.


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## Ciscley (Jul 16, 2013)

*Ditto the forum's fabulosity and using the dremel*

Desi is my only dog with solid black nails and I freaking quicked him with the tiniest trim last month. Blood everywhere immediately followed by Quickstop everywhere. Just horrible experience for both of us. :ahhhhh:

We are exclusively dremel people now with him and I highly recommend this webpage (Dober Dawn) for info about doing it. The tip for putting the paw in a pair of panty hose with just the nail sticking out is extremely useful with poodles. Don't want to get long leg hair wrapped around the dremel.


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## peepers (Apr 13, 2012)

*Black nails*

the best way to avoid cutting into the quick is to trim the nails often. After clipping Pierre's feet, I clip his nails every other day to shorten them up.


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## janet6567 (Mar 11, 2014)

My two tpoos despise having their nails cut, so I started using my dremel. It works like a charm and while they still don't like having their feet "messed with", they tolerate it. I can do both girls' feet in about 20 minutes or less.
Just be very careful not to get the dremel too close to hair on legs or their ears.


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## Ciscley (Jul 16, 2013)

peepers said:


> the best way to avoid cutting into the quick is to trim the nails often. After clipping Pierre's feet, I clip his nails every other day to shorten them up.


That's what was so horrifying about Desi. It was a regular monthly trim inbetween him getting them done at the groomer and I barely took anything off and gush! We had been just using the dremel to smooth edges post cut, but after that, dremel only.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Lou's nails grow so fast 
I've never used anything to CUT their nails, I have only used the dremel . 
At first I was terrified it made me cringe like fingernails on a chalk board... I could never imagine being able to do their nails myself. When we moved out-of-state I paid a mobile groomer about $50 bucks to to stop by on her way to a "real grooming job" and do their nails for me, ? and she was a **%^*%#^% Lou did not like this lady, neither did I.... Very rude and aggressive woman so I was like: "Fine!! that's it! I'm buying the dremel" and I called my great friend/great groomer and asked for some advice. I started by grinding almost nothing and now I grind their nails no problem, luckily Lou and Apollo are really nice about letting me "inspect" them since day one.. I check feet, teeth, ears , butts LOL throughly and they just stand there and let me, Apollo actually pushes Lou out of the way cause he wants me to do him first. ? Kinda like a momma-monkey picking fleas off her baby monkey ... Have you ever seen that on AnimalPlanet or Discovery channel ? The baby monkey loves it , so do my babies the only difference is when I'm inspecting then I do not eat whatever I find like momma-monkey ? hahahaha but it's the same idea... 

So I always inspect them worried I could find a tick or a lump, god forbid ! 

The dremel is awesome, I have never quicked them... (Hopefully never will) but I could never never CUT the nails. The dremel is the best thing ever! 

Ps. I hold the dog from behind , put the dog's head (gently not tight) under my left armpit while I do it's right foot, so nose ears face are totally away from the dremel 

I should take a picture it's hard to describe but it's the safest way, in my opinion, to keep their head away from the dremel , cause otherwise they could get curious and try to sniff the dremel all of a sudden, this way they are cuddly safe under my arm 

And back feet I just tell them to leave it alone and they know now to keep facing the other way


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

I've had dogs all my life and this is the first time I used a Dremel. It is soooo much easier with the Dremel. I can't believe it took me this long to figure that out. Some times I wonder about me.

Rick


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Dremel is the way to go!


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

PoodleRick said:


> I've had dogs all my life and this is the first time I used a Dremel. It is soooo much easier with the Dremel. I can't believe it took me this long to figure that out. Some times I wonder about me.
> 
> Rick


Ha,ha PoodleRick! Sometimes we wonder about you too,...why you're so AWESOME! lol


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## Ciscley (Jul 16, 2013)

*Good safety point*



Lou said:


> I hold the dog from behind , put the dog's head (gently not tight) under my left armpit while I do it's right foot, so nose ears face are totally away from the dremel
> 
> I should take a picture it's hard to describe but it's the safest way, in my opinion, to keep their head away from the dremel , cause otherwise they could get curious and try to sniff the dremel all of a sudden, this way they are cuddly safe under my arm


That's a really great point about holding the head away. Really it just takes a second for long poodle hair to get caught in the dremel, especially if you're using it on a higher setting and suddenly poodle hair wrapped completely around the bit. I usually have the dogs on the grooming table or in Danno's case my husband holding and petting the head end, but this sounds like a great method.


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

Indiana said:


> Ha,ha PoodleRick! Sometimes we wonder about you too,...why you're so AWESOME! lol


Thanks, that's very nice of you to say.

Rick


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

Lou said:


> Ps. I hold the dog from behind , put the dog's head (gently not tight) under my left armpit while I do it's right foot, so nose ears face are totally away from the dremel
> 
> I should take a picture it's hard to describe but it's the safest way, in my opinion, to keep their head away from the dremel , cause otherwise they could get curious and try to sniff the dremel all of a sudden, this way they are cuddly safe under my arm
> 
> And back feet I just tell them to leave it alone and they know now to keep facing the other way


That's a good way to do it. I have Penny on the grooming table in front me while Isabelle has a spoon loaded with peanut butter. Zip zip zip it's all done usually before she's done with the peanut butter. Sometimes she looks at me like "Hey, what are you doing, oh look peanut butter" lick lick lick.

Rick


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

That's so cute!! I can picture her all happy about the peanut butter  
The thing for me is that I had to do it by myself, cause Hubby was still out of town (I came down first and he still had work still at the previous state) I was kinda desperate because their nails were sooo long !! 
So this "system" is great if you don't have anyone to help. 

Here: I asked hubby to take a few photos!  Apollo is on a SIT-STAY waiting for his turn .... He always want to go first !!! LOL (ps. The dremel is upstairs do I'm holding a "pretend-invisible-dremel" haha!


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Something I learned by hard experience to my poor Poodle led to a change to always use a snood on him when I dremel. One time his ear hair became entangled when he looked down as I dremeled...awful . I was stupid, and didn't even think of the possibility. The dremel works great albeit with a caution on the ears as well as leg hair.

Don't be me .


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

I'm so sorry to hear about your awful experience with the dremel  Thx is for sharing it, it really may help a lot of people. 

I think My dremel will stop, if gets tangled, it shuts itself off immediately. I haven't gotten it tangled on the poodles, but since I don't shave Lou and Apollo's feet, it's hard to separate the hairs from the nail. And I think one time the dremel stopped for a second and then continued , Apollo didnt move or make any sound, so I don't know for sure what happened. 

I think keeping their heads ears nose away from it is very important ... They get curious sometimes and may try and get close to it and check it out. That's why I put their head under my armpit 

Also, be careful of your own nails , I've hit my nail with the dremel and it shredded the tip of my nail, cause human nails are way thinner. (At least mine are.)
Oh and watch for dust or small particles flying into your mouth (it's sucks!) and your eyes too, sometes I wear the protection glasses that came with the lawnmower


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## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

A tip to keep leg hair from getting tangled. I use a ladies trouser sock to do Racer's dewclaws. Just put a small hole & push the nail through. I've still caught in that area but it's the stocking & not leg hair. 

I think it would work well on feet that weren't shaved too Lou.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

poolann said:


> A tip to keep leg hair from getting tangled. I use a ladies trouser sock to do Racer's dewclaws. Just put a small hole & push the nail through. I've still caught in that area but it's the stocking & not leg hair.
> 
> I think it would work well on feet that weren't shaved too Lou.



Thank you, I actually have some. This is funny.... I used to put the pantyhose over my head covering my nose and mouth cause their hair made me itch terribly... It doesn't make me itch too bad anymore, but I still have the socks, I will definitely give it a try , prolly today  thank you


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## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

I'm giggling at the thought of you with hosiery on your head. I can picture you holding up a liquor store. Lol!!


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

*Lou you are so smart*

That's brilliant, Lou. About the hose over your head--wrapping a scarf around the face is not a great method because it falls down. I've been dremeling nails since before 2000 or so, and my last dog's nails did not cause dust like Oliver's do.

Since Oliver is a Toy, I can't do his paws the way you can with the Standards, so he's on my lap and his looooonngggg ear hair is right near the dremel action. The snood works great for him. Going to try the hose over the head method for me next time . Thank you!


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

I have a picture of me with the pantyhose on my face ... It deformed my nose it was really really funny. My good friend/groomer laughed but did say it was a smart idea. I used the pantyhose like a surgical-mask kind of !


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