Nail length?

[Dekka]

I think some people make their dog's nails too short I think they have nails for a reason. Likely it doesn't matter unless your dog races, courses or does agility. But its interesting that people who do running events are more likely to have longer nails on their dogs than those say in the confo ring.

 

[SizzleDog]

I think it depends on the dog too - I keep mine extra short, because any longer and they start to skitter around and fall. Ronin is actually recovering from a bad fall he had because his nails were "too long" - even though most people here would consider them "just fine."

Like everything, the owner knows what the dog's best length is. Based on what Mandy said though I don't like seeing nails any longer than what the sport vet recommends unless there's specific reason for it. (i.e. a coursing hound)

 

[Dekka]

It will also depend on surface. A really hard surface no nails are better. But on softer turf, wet grass etc pads alone just done cut it. Then they need cleats lol.

 

[Sit Stay]

That's about where I keep Quinn's, maybe just a tad shorter even. I don't keep her nails super short - I never try and get too close to the quick as I don't want to clip it and send her 5 steps backwards in her training (she's just recently got to the point where I can grab her feet and clip her nails in one quick go - I no longer have to do any desensitizing or clicker work beforehand), so instead I just take a little bit off quite frequently. She also has pretty long quicks so I wouldn't be able to go much shorter if I wanted to.

 

[Danefied]

I think some people make their dog's nails too short I think they have nails for a reason. Likely it doesn't matter unless your dog races, courses or does agility. But its interesting that people who do running events are more likely to have longer nails on their dogs than those say in the confo ring.

I see FAR more "too long" nails than I do "too short". And health-wise, I think its better to err on the side of too short than too long (using a dremel and not making it painful for the dog obviously).

 

[Dekka]

I agree, I was more talking about people who do look after their dog's nails. I clip vs dremel. I just don't have the time to desensitize them too it (and most of them see the dremel as some demonic device of evil, and I haven't even tried to get near them with it) I clip a couple of times a week and my dog's nails are quite long as that is where the quick wants to be.

Their gait is good, their traction in fantastic... just sayin that nails that are longish (even to the point of touching, but not pushing on the toes when trotting) are not the evil that some people (not pointing fingers here in chaz.. my experience with this has been irl) make it out to be.

 

[Michiyo-Fir]

I think that length looks perfectly fine to me. Nia has about 8 black nails and 2 white ones and we either dremel, or let her run around in the tennis courts with rougher ground outside to wear them down a bit. They've never been super short but they are about 1/4 shorter than the picture you have. She rarely clicks when she walks but she clicks when she runs on hard wood.

 

[AllieMackie]

Finn's are kept about the length of the OP's paw photo. Long enough for traction at the park/in the yard when he runs, but short enough that they don't touch the floors in the house when he walks.

 

[noludoru]

About that... Maybe a bit less. She said that you should dremel up a bit from under then a little off the top (basically when he's standing just go in straight from the front) and all around the sides which will expose the quick a bit more so it recedes faster.

That's been my experience as well. Dremeling the nail vertically (if he's standing) and then taking off a ton at the sides and such. I've had a lot of luck with this.

I'm honestly surprised more people didn't think they should be shorter!

I think they should be, as well. Short nails are my preference. Middie's are far too long right now - a bit longer than his and clicking when he trots.

 

[Meatos]

I'm honestly surprised more people didn't think they should be shorter!
I'll have to post what the danes and the other mutt's feet look like for comparison.

Oh, and the dremel is the ONLY way to go to get short nails (IMNSHO). Clippers just hurt too much especially on bigger dogs, I think they pinch the quick even if you're not close to it. And with nails that black, you can't tell if you're close to the quick anyway.

Thank you everyone for your input!!
I'll post update pics as I get his nails ground down

Clippers are brutal on bigger dogs...the nails are so thick. Scarlett's nails are about as thick as my pinky finger. I can't imagine what it must feel like to get those clipped. So glad I switched to the dremel. I agree that it's the only way to get any dog's nails short, especially if they are on the longer side, and black!

I'm not sure where I stand on dogs needing nails for traction and the such...haven't looked into it. I would imagine that dogs who have long nails to the point of being splay-footed (even a little bit) would have more trouble running and playing than a dog with "too short" nails, all being relative. I love a tight, cat-like foot on a dog.

There was a dane on our other forum with horribly long nails to the point where the nails seem to have deformed the foot to a degree (I'm not sure if the OP ever narrowed down a cause for the deformed foot but the nails were awful). Don't even want to come close to doing that!!

I think the heavier the breed, the shorter the nail should be. But having said that, I think all dogs should have short nails. JMO!!!

 

[RD]

I like that length on my dogs. Both of them have hare-type feet and they USE their nails when they move quickly.

I don't like nails too short OR too long, but I don't show my dogs and their nails have never gotten in the way of doing sports.