by Cliff Stone

Very few people see clipping their dogs as an art. Instead, they tackle areas like scraggly hair on the feet to keep their pets from tracking in mud. They mostly ignore other areas. However, in an effort to get rid of undesirable hair growth, many dog owners forget that they can hurt their dogs.

Remember to pay attention to the breed of your dog when clipping his or her fir. Long haired breeds must be clipped correctly to prevent dirt from accumulating close to the skin and causing problems. Fleas, ticks, and man other parasites may also breed more easily in a poorly or improperly clipped coat.

You should also be sure to keep your pet’s nails trimmed to avoid pain in walking and breakage. An overly long mail will have a tendency to turn to the side, and may even grow to puncture the skin. Dogs with too long nails will also easily catch them on things, causing breakage and splitting.

It’s easy to accidentally hurt your dog while clipping his or her nails, since the quick in the nail’s center bleeds when cut. This is where the nerves and the blood vessels are located, and it keeps the nail alive and growing. However, if you cut the nail too short or accidentally splinter it, the exposed quick will be painful.

To cut your dog’s hair and nails, always use the sharpest clippers you can, and choose the right tools. Human nail clippers are wrong for dogs’ nails – use ones purchased at your local pet supply store instead. There are a number of great new nail clippers out there that are made to keep pain and damage to a minimum.

If you live in an area that’s cold in winter, don’t clip your dog during the cold months unless you have to. The winter can be very stressful for your dog if his coat isn’t long enough to protect him. Remember that dogs can get frostbite the same way we can.

Never cut your pet’s hair too short in the summer, either. Otherwise, you could expose her skin to the harmful rays of the sun. Dogs’ fur keeps them cooler in the summer as well as warm in the winter. A slight cut will be fine, but make sure you leave enough fur to protect your dog.

Don’t clip your dog when he or she is ill, since it can stress your pet even more. Clip only when needed to get rid of broken nails or dirty fur.

Walking your dog on concrete daily can help keep him or her healthy. This will help you wear down the nail on a gradual basis and will keep them even. That way, you and your dog don’t have to go through the clipping process.

Of course, to get the best results, you’ll want to find a professional groomer who knows the correct way to clip particular breeds.

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