How to Use Guillotine Dog Nail Clippers in An Easy Step-by-step Guide?

How to use guillotine dog nail clippers? Have you ever had to complete a task that you absolutely HATED? like cleaning the rim of the toilet bowl?

I used to feel that way about trimming my dogs’ nails. With my small dogs now, I’ve started using what I think are the best small dog nail clippers.

But I had been using clippers in the guillotine fashion for many years. Using guillotine dog nail clippers is demonstrated in this article.

Let’s get started with today’s lesson on using a guillotine nail clipper to trim your dog’s nails.

How to Clip Your Dog’s Nails With Guillotine Clipper?

Get Your Dog Used to the Guillotine Clipper

Get your dog used to the intimidating-looking guillotine nail clipper before you even consider trimming his nails.

Simply sit next to your dog to start handling his paws, rewarding him with treats as you go.

Then, with lots of treats and positive reinforcement, progress to showing your dog the clippers, letting him sniff them, and finally squeezing them (without clipping any nails).

This is a slow process that could take a week (or two, if your dog is anxious). Do not proceed until your dog is at ease using the clippers.

Clip Away!

You can begin clipping once your dog is at ease and calm around the guillotine clippers.

Trim only the smallest bit of your dog’s nail at first. Starting small ensures success and greatly reduces the likelihood of hitting the bullseye right away. Cutting the quick, which is a vein that runs through your dog’s nail, can be painful and result in bleeding.

Dogs with light colored nails make it simple to avoid the quick because you can see it inside the nail. It’s more difficult to train dogs with darker nails.

To start, just take a very small piece of the nail and cut it. The quick will start to shrink back after you get into the habit of trimming your dog’s nails, making it simpler to remove more nail.

While facing your dog, position the solid plate of the nail cutter around its nail. Cut down in one swift, powerful motion. Then proceed to the following nail!

Load on the Praise!

Give yourself lots of treats and congratulations after your first successful nail-trimming session. Make sure your dog has a great time doing this!

File Down Nail Edges

To prevent your dog’s nails from getting tangled in clothing, bedding, or toys, use a nail file or dog nail grinder to trim their nails. Avoid skipping this step because snagged nails can tear and cause excruciating pain!

How Often Should I Cut My Dog’s Nails?

Numerous variables affect how often to trim nails.

First of all, some dogs’ nails grow very quickly. I trim Sophie’s nails every two weeks because she is one of those dogs.

However, the typical dog can usually wait about a month between nail trimmings, especially if they go for frequent walks.

It can help to keep nails filed down to walk your dog on surfaces with more grit, like sidewalks.

The length of your dog’s nails at the beginning is the other factor.

Ginger’s nails were so long when we first picked her up at the shelter that they had started to curl under.

When you have extremely long nails to begin with, you must perform multiple nail trims more frequently because each one can only remove a small portion of the total length.

You can typically switch to a monthly schedule once the nail has reached the appropriate length.

How to Hold Dog Nail Clippers?

Nail clippers used for guillotine cutting and bypass cutting are held slightly differently. Bypass clippers that have not been sprung are held in place with the fingers, just like scissors. Sprung bypass clippers are held in the palm of the hand, on the undersides of the four opposing fingers and the fleshy portion of the thumb. The clippers are held horizontally with both varieties of bypass clippers so that the cutting blades cut the top and bottom of the nail rather than the side to side.

Similar to sprung bypass clippers, guillotine clippers are held in the palm and closed by squeezing the undersides of the four fingers together. However, you must approach the nail differently. Once more, the nail should be cut from bottom to top rather than from side to side. The guillotine clippers must be held vertically, upright, and perpendicular to the nail in order for the blade to cross from bottom to top rather than crush the nail side to side.

What is the Guard for on Dog Nail Clippers?

A guard is included with some dog nail clippers. This is typically a rotating or sliding piece of metal or plastic that is located directly opposite the cutting blade. In the event that your dog moves, a guard on the nail clippers will stop you from cutting too much nail. Additionally, it encourages you to make several small cuts rather than one large one that might hurt your dog. In the event that a significant cut is necessary, most guards can be moved out of the way.

How to Sharpen Guillotine Dog Nail Clippers?

Sharp clippers will be easier to use and less likely to harm your dog’s nails because most people don’t take good care of their nail clippers.

The blade of your guillotine nail clippers will typically need to be removed for access. You’ll also require a specialized sharpening rod. The shape of this sharpening tool fits into the curve of the nail clippers. It is long, thin, and rounded. Diamonds or other sharpening agents are used in the coating on the rod.

Your nail clipper blade’s metal has been filed at an angle, as you can see if you look at it closely. Along the blade’s length, this creates a cutting point. Rub your sharpening tool along the edge of the blade back and forth to sharpen. You want to rub your rod at the same angle as the cutting surface because if it’s too horizontal, you’ll further blunt the blade.

How to Tell If Your Dog’s Nails Need Clipping?

It might be worthwhile to first determine whether your dog’s nails need to be trimmed before using guillotine dog nail clippers to trim them. Generally speaking, dogs don’t require routine nail trimming, especially if they exercise on hard surfaces. However, people who always walk on grass or have particularly strong nails might need to get their nails cut frequently. Additionally, dogs that are getting older are more likely to require nail trimming.

If your dog’s nails are white, you can use the pink “quick” to determine whether they need to be trimmed. The claw’s tip should extend about 2 millimeters past the quick’s tip. If your dog has darker nails, you will need to carefully examine the underside of the nail to determine if there is too much hard nail past the soft area where the quick is. Our article on how to clip your dog’s nails has further information.

How Short Should You Cut Your Dog’s Nails?

Nails should be just slightly apart from the ground, just a tiny bit so your dog can “grab” the ground with its paws and nails when it needs extra traction doing activities like running and digging.

It resembles Goldilocks and the Three Bears in some ways. Too short is bad for them and it’s not just if you avoid hitting quickly. Their capacity to run and climb may be compromised due to possible blood and nerve damage. Of course, going on for too long is also undesirable. They might split and crack, harming your dog and your credit card in ways that only veterinarians could understand.

Even if you don’t hit fast, cutting your pet’s nails too short can still cause damage to its blood and nerve supply, limiting its range of motion and slowing its pace. Additionally, if you let your nails grow too long, they may rip and tear, exposing the quick, or grow back into your paw. Another issue might be the nail splitting; it might catch on something and send you back to the veterinarian’s office, where he is grinning but your dog and your wallet aren’t.

You can file your dog’s nails rather than clip them if you, or your dog, is afraid of clippers.

Your dog’s nails are growing longer, but you don’t have time to take him to get groomed. By doing it yourself, you could save a ton of time and money. There are three tools to choose from:

The Guillotine. (gulp) If you aren’t Marie Antionette, don’t panic; this is simply one of the best tools for clipping your dog’s nails. If you have a large dog, though, his nails might not fit in the typical Guillotine.

The Scissors or Miller’s Forge Nail Clippers Because the nails fit, these might be more effective for larger dogs.

The Grinder. Does not sound too good, however they are the safest but take a lot more time and your dog might not like them.

Here’s a great guide on how to trim the nails of a newborn puppy, and I may cover the others in a future article, but let’s focus on using the Guillotine nail clippers today. There is a proper way that can be completed quickly and painlessly, and there is a wrong way that will hurt your dog.

What is a Guillotine Nail Clipper?

Your dog’s nail sticks through a stationary loop on the guillotine nail clipper before a blade, as the name suggests, crosses and cuts through the nail.

After you have clipped the nail, the guillotine trimmer’s handle, which is spring-loaded, automatically draws the blade back.

This nail trimmer’s replacement of the blade rather than the entire clipper is another special feature.

• Guillotine Nail Clipper Pros and Cons

The guillotine style nail trimmer has advantages and disadvantages to take into account, as with most things.

Pros

• Easier to use for people who have arthritis
• Can be used on any size dog
• Replaceable blade
• Durable

Cons

• Isn’t the best for dewclaws
• If the blade isn’t sharp, the clipper may tear the nail more than cut it
• Can be hard to use on super thick nails

Alternative Nail Clipping Options

Plier Style Nail Trimmer

The name says it all.

They resemble a pair of pliers but have blades for cutting nails in place of the typical top.

As a result of the double blades, these are good for thick nails and dewclaws.

Since my hands are smaller than most people’s, I prefer the way these feel to the guillotine style.

Dremel Style

The Dremel is an electric filing device that grinds down the nail.

One of those things you love and hate, this tool.

While some dogs freak out when their nails are touched, others prefer it to the traditional nail trimmer’s cutting motion.

The nice thing about the Dremel is that it files down the sharp edges so your dog’s nails won’t feel like barbed wire when they jump on you after a nail trim.

See our article on the uses, advantages, and disadvantages of grinding dog nails for more information on the Dremel.

Oh No, I Cut My Dog’s Quick!

The use of guillotine dog nail clippers is thus explained. They offer a clean, straight cut and work well for medium-sized dogs, but they can be a little more challenging to use. However, because the blade is simpler to sharpen than with bypass clippers, you can use the same clippers for many years, saving both money and the environment! It is best to consult your vet team if you are having trouble trimming your dog’s nails or are unsure if they need to be trimmed.

FAQs

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