It's important to regularly clip your pet's nails to avoid them from becoming overgrown. Overgrown nails can cause pain, infection, decreased traction and injury to the pet, humans and other animals.
Most animals are sensitive to their paws being touched and held. We recommend working on getting your pet used to having their paws touched before even introducing the nail clippers. We’ll help explain how to do this below.

It’s important to slowly build upon each step and reward with treats along the way to prevent your pet from creating a negative association with the nail trimming process. The more often you handle your pet's paws and trim their nails, the more they will cooperate and willingly participate.

Below is a step-by-step guide to help you get started, but keep in mind: Every animal is an individual. Some pets may need additional steps, and some may be comfortable enough to skip some steps. Some pets may benefit from medication or professional grooming and restraint due to high levels of fear and stress. Always listen to your pet and adjust accordingly.

Clipping Nails Step-by-Step:

Use pet nail clippers and pair each step with high-value treats. Remember: If your pet stiffens or stops eating the treats, pause. If they look away or pull away, pause. You should only proceed if they are continuously taking treats. Moving through each step may take several training sessions over days or weeks, depending on your pet’s comfort level.

1. Don't move too quickly. Observe your pet’s body language as you reach for their paws. Some pets will need extra time getting used to you touching certain areas of their body. If they seem uncomfortable when you reach for their paws, you may need to first desensitize them to you approaching before you can start touching them. Start by petting their back, shoulder and upper leg before going for the ankle and paw. For an example of desensitizing the "approach", check out this video: Peanut butter + Dishwasher = Nail trim!
2. Desensitize your pet to having their paws touched. Some pets who have a negative feeling toward nail clippers or having their paws touched may need extra help to change how they feel about the nail trimming experience. While feeding your pet high-value treats, gently touch their paw for a second or two, while saying "nails," "toe beans," or your word of choice. Naming things (like "nails" when clipping the nails, "collar" when touching their collar or "up" before picking them up) can provide predictability and comfort for our pets, who otherwise could be caught off guard by those actions. Check out this video, Oh, Behave: Stress-Free Nail Trims.
3. Increase the duration of the paw touches. Repeat Step 1 but increase how long you touch each paw. If you started with one second, increase to three seconds, then five seconds then 10 seconds.
4. Add movement. Repeat Steps 1 and 2, but turn the "touch" into a stroke. Experiment with petting paws and legs, touching each individual toe pad and the nails.
5. Desensitize your pet to having their paws held. While feeding your pet high-value treats, gently grab and hold their paw for a second or two, while saying "nails" or your word of choice.
6. Increase the duration of the paw hold. Repeat Step 4, but increase how long you hold each paw. If you started with one second, increase to three seconds, then five seconds then 10 seconds.
7. Add movement and pressure. Repeat Steps 4 and 5, but add gentle pressure, lightly squeezing the paw (as if you are gripping it to trim the nails). Experiment with holding the ankles, legs and each individual toe and nail.
8. Desensitize your pet to the nail clippers. Place the clippers on the ground where your pet can see them and investigate them as they please. Reward them with treats every time they look at the clippers, approach the clippers, sniff them or touch them with their paws!
9. Interact with the nail clippers. Repeat Step 7, but while you are touching, grabbing and picking up the clippers.
10. Desensitize your pet to holding the clippers near their paws. Slowly move the clippers towards their paw. If they freeze or stop eating the treats, move the clippers away.
11. Make contact. Repeat Step 9, but this time actually touch the clippers to the paw. If they freeze or stop eating the treats, move the clippers away.
12. Hold their paw while holding the clippers. Combine Steps 6 and 9. If they freeze or stop eating the treats, move the clippers away and let go of the paw.
13. Hold their paw and touch the clippers to the nails. Combine Steps 6 and 10. If they freeze or stop eating the treats, move the clippers away and let go of the paw.
14. Clip the nails! Start small and slow. Clip one nail, pause, let go of their paw and reward with treats! Assess if your pet needs a break or if you can continue clipping more nails. If you're only able to clip one nail and then stop for the day, that's okay! You don't want to push your pet too far and create fear around nail trims. That will set you back.
15. End with lots of treats and praise! After the nail trim — whether you trimmed all paws or only one single nail — reward their bravery and cooperation with a pile of delicious treats.
16. All done! Say "All done!" or "No more!" to let your pet know that the nail trim is over. Put the nail clippers away and let your pet decompress.