How to trim your dog's nails safely, including black nails
In short: Use dog nail clippers, take small cuts from the tip and stop a few millimetres before the pink quick. On black nails, take tiny slices and stop when a grey to pink oval shows. Keep styptic powder or cornflour ready in case a nail bleeds.
By Abu Bakar SaadatPublished 28 October 20265 min readPublisher: Saadat Rafiq
✓ Reviewed by Dr Ramin Khan, veterinarian (DVM) · 28 October 2026
IllustrationAt a glance
- You need
- Dog nail clippers, styptic powder or cornflour, treats, a non-slip mat
- Check
- Every couple of weeks (Dogs Trust)
- Stop
- A few mm before the quick (PDSA); never within 2 mm (WSU)
- If it bleeds
- Styptic powder, cornflour or cotton wool, pressed on
- Advice from
- PDSA, Dogs Trust and Washington State University vet hospital, read 28 October 2026
- Checked
- October 2026
Inside each nail is the quick, which holds blood vessels and nerves. Cutting into it hurts and bleeds (PDSA). Every step below is about finding where the quick ends and staying clear of it. If your dog is very anxious or the nails are badly overgrown, ask your vet or vet nurse to show you first.
Where to stop: which nails does your dog have?
Light or clear nails
Find the quick: it shows as a pink or red area inside the nail (PDSA).
Cut: stop a few millimetres before it (PDSA). WSU's vet hospital says never cut within 2 mm.
Black or dark nails
Find the quick: you can't see it. Shine a torch through the nail (Dogs Trust), or judge from a light nail on the same foot (PDSA).
Cut: several small slices (WSU). Stop when a grey to pink oval appears on the cut surface (WSU).
All dark, and you're unsure
Find the quick: ask your vet to show you where to cut (PDSA).
Cut: only snip off the very sharp point (Dogs Trust).
Long and overgrown
Find the quick: it grows longer with the nail.
Cut: take a little, then wait about a week for the quick to move back before the next trim (Dogs Trust).
How to trim the nails
Get your dog used to the clippers first.
Illustration Dogs Trust suggests taking a couple of weeks, or longer, before the first real trim. Let your dog sniff the clippers with treats nearby, then touch its feet and nails and reward it. Practise one stage several times a day.
Before you move on: your dog stays happy at each stage. If it looks worried, go back to a stage it was happy with (Dogs Trust).
Hold one toe at a time, firmly but gently.
Illustration Start when your dog is relaxed (PDSA). Hold the paw in a position that's comfortable for your dog and lets you see the nail, and hold one toe at a time between your thumb and forefinger (WSU).
You should see: the whole nail, clear of fur. Trim fur away if it hides the nails (Dogs Trust).
Careful: before you cut, squeeze the clippers gently on the spot. If your dog pulls away, looks anxious or yelps, the quick is there, so don't cut at that point (Dogs Trust).
Cut a small piece from the tip, from underneath.
Illustration: the cut line sits well before the pink quick Cut at about a 45-degree angle, with the cutting blade on your side rather than the dog's (WSU). Take one small cut, look at the cut surface, and decide whether to take another.
Check each nail on its own: the second and fifth toes usually need less taken off than the third and fourth (Dogs Trust).
You should see: on a light nail, the pink quick still a few millimetres beyond your cut (PDSA). On a dark nail, stop as soon as a grey to pink oval appears on the cut surface (WSU).
Don't forget the dewclaws.
Illustration Dewclaws sit higher up on the inside of the leg. They don't touch the ground, so walking never wears them down (Dogs Trust, WSU), and a neglected one can curl round into the skin (Dogs Trust). Bend it gently away from the leg to trim it (WSU).
Count them: most dogs have five nails on each front foot and four on each back foot; some also have back dewclaws (PDSA).
How to tell you're done
- Every nail on every foot is checked, dewclaws included (PDSA).
- No nail is left with a thin point that starts to curve or snags on rugs and bedding (Dogs Trust).
- No nail is bleeding. If one is, see below.
- Overgrown nails: you took only a little, and the next trim is in about a week (Dogs Trust).
If a nail bleeds
Don't panic (PDSA). Press styptic powder or a styptic pencil onto the nail (Dogs Trust), dip the nail in cornflour, or hold cotton wool on it until it stops (PDSA). Without styptic powder, WSU says bleeding may take about 5 minutes to stop. If it keeps bleeding well beyond that, call your vet. Next time, cut less from that nail.
If something goes wrong
| What happens | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Your dog pulls away or yelps when you squeeze the clippers | The quick is there (Dogs Trust) | Don't cut at that point (Dogs Trust) |
| You can't see the quick on a black nail | Normal for dark nails | Use a torch (Dogs Trust) and take several small slices (WSU) |
| Your dog gets stressed | It needs a break | Stop, give a treat and finish another day (PDSA) |
| A nail bleeds for well over 5 minutes | Bleeding usually stops in about 5 minutes without styptic powder (WSU) | Call your vet |
Questions readers ask
How often should I trim my dog's nails?
Dogs Trust says to check them every couple of weeks, and more often if your dog licks or nibbles a nail. Nails that are worn flat or don't touch the ground usually don't need clipping.
My dog's nails click on the floor. Are they too long?
Not necessarily: Dogs Trust says the sound alone doesn't mean they are too long. Look at the tip instead. A thin point that starts to curve, or nails that snag on rugs and bedding, need a trim.
Clippers or a grinder?
Both work. WSU's vet hospital calls guillotine-type clippers the easiest to use. Grinders file the nail down more slowly and are louder, so introduce them gradually (Dogs Trust).
Can I use human nail clippers or scissors?
No. PDSA says to use dog nail clippers, never scissors or human clippers, which can crush the claw and make it split.
Sources
We base our articles on the makers' official documentation.
