Obviously, you can\u2019t trim your Lab\u2019s nails every day, so part of the issue of acclimating your puppy or adult to nail clipping is that it\u2019s hard to get in practice time. Depending on how quickly your Labrador\u2019s nails grow, nail trimming could be a chore that\u2019s necessary every three to four weeks or every couple of months. Also, in the early stages of nail trimming, you\u2019re dealing with a wiggly puppy or possibly a very apprehensive adult dog, so you don\u2019t want to make a mistake.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t make a big deal out of the event – treat it casually. If you say, \u201cOh, you poor dear,\u201d when your Lab puppy cries and tries to wriggle from your grasp, you\u2019ve just confirmed to him that he should be trying to escape. Rather than confirm his suspicions, exude confidence by speaking and acting as if nail trimming is no big deal.<\/p>\n

You want to ease your Labrador into the event gradually. A way to solve the problem is through nail taps. When your Labrador is fairly settled, gently hold a paw and tap a nail lightly with the clippers. Don\u2019t cut the nail yet. Give him a treat and praise him. Tap another nail lightly. Give him a treat and praise him again. This is a fun thing to do. Try to tap the nails on one paw at a session and then maybe two paws.<\/p>\n

If after several days of the toe-tapping \u201cgame\u201d your Lab is tolerating this touching exercise well, try to hold one of his paws a little longer. Don\u2019t get in an argument about it, but work on a getting a slightly longer \u201chold\u201d. Treat for good behavior and praise him. While you\u2019re working on extending the light hold to a finger paw grip, work to increase the toenail tap to a slight \u201cgrasp\u201d with the clippers, as if you were trying to find the right place to trim the nail. Go from nail to nails and remember to praise and treat him for being a good boy.<\/p>\n

Making the Actual Clip<\/h3>\n

Once your Labrador Retriever is comfortable with you holding his nails and the pressure of the nail clippers, trim a nail! If you\u2019ve got a yellow Lab, you may have clear nails where you can actually see the pink-colored \u201cquick\u201d, which is the blood supply of the nail.<\/p>\n

To make the cut, hold the nail so you can see the side of it clearly. Place the clipper so that it is nearly to the tip of the quick. It is better to err on the side of making too little of a cut and trimming the nail a second time (or filing it) than to cut into the quick (it\u2019s a bloody mess, literally) or to get too close to the quick (some dogs are very sensitive and will react to a \u201cnear\u201d quick).<\/p>\n

If this trim goes well, continue with another nail or go back to holding the paw and simply \u201cgrasp\u201d the other nails. Reward your Labrador! He did really well. With puppies and adults, it\u2019s okay to trim one nail a day (if you can remember which nail you did) or one paw a day until the Labrador gets comfortable with nail trimming.<\/p>\n

Remember, it\u2019s all about building positive, good experiences. If you don\u2019t quick him and he gets lots of treats and attention for being still, it won\u2019t be too long before he will tolerate nail trimming quite well.<\/p>\n

The Dreaded Black Toenail<\/h3>\n

Most Labrador Retrievers don\u2019t have clear nails. They have solid black or mostly black nails. This is truly a challenge. You can\u2019t possibly see where the quick ends. There is a trick, however.<\/p>\n

Turn your Labrador\u2019s paw over so you can see the bottom of the nail. If you look closely, you will see an oval-shaped structure. This oval indicates where the quick is. To trim the black nail, look for this oval and make your cut slightly past it toward the nail tip. Once you have one nail cut, you can usually turn the paw back over and trim the same amount from each of the remaining nails.<\/p>\n

When it comes to choosing nail clippers, look for a sharp, sturdy clipper that cuts the nail cleanly (a dull blade will crush the nail) in a scissors-like motion. Puppies can get by with a medium-weight nail clipper, but the adult Labrador has such thick, tough nails, you’ll eventually need to invest in the best, heavy-duty clipper you can find.\u00a0 Nail trimmers can sometimes leave jagged, sharp edges. To smooth out rough nail edges, you can use a sturdy nail file or a grinder that is made expressly for trimming and smoothing nails.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"