While I generally suggest working with a professional to trim your dog’s nails, I know that some pet parents may need to learn to trim their dogs’ nails at home. Not all tools are created equal and things like dull nail clippers or an overly loud or slow dremel can set the process up to fail before it begins. Here’s a list of my favorite nail trimming tools and why they’re important.

These clippers are my bff, all day, every day. They slice through the nail without pressure, and can shave off tiny pieces of nail at a time. I use them on all types of nails except for very curved nails or giant nails. Be sure to replace them as needed when they start to dull.

This has been my favorite Dremel for the last few years. It’s lightweight, has a great battery life, and it spins fast enough to not skip on the nail. It has a medium noise level that most dogs will need more time to become comfortable with, but the trade off for speed is well worth it.

I love using a diamond bit rather than sanding bands (sandpaper). They last forever, don’t get hot as quickly, and can get underneath really curly nails without causing injury to the toe pads. That being said, the specific diamond bit you use makes a huge difference in how well your dog will tolerate dremeling and how much nail you’ll be able to remove. If you opt not to get this particular diamond bit, I would stick with sandpaper rather than looking for something cheaper.

If you opt to use sanding bands instead of the Diamagroove, I highly recommend buying bands that have this 120 grit (1/2 in) rather than using the bands included with the Dremel. Dremels tend to come with 60 grit bands and 240 grit bands. The 60 grit is too rough and skips on the nail, while the 240 grit is too fine, and will wear out quickly without taking much nail off.

I often use my Miller’s Forge clippers for all the animals I work with, but when I do use tiny clippers, I love the angled ones to be able to get into tight spaces. They’re especially helpful in reaching the dew claws on rabbits, or between the front legs of guinea pigs.

The one weakness of the Miller’s Forge clippers is that they can’t be used on nails that are curling tightly or curling under. Unfortunately, they don’t open wide enough to fit over the nail from the outside, and they can’t get underneath the nail if there isn’t enough space. Of the nail clippers of this open scissor style, I’ve found the Safari clippers to be the sharpest and cut the cleanest, but they’re nowhere near as lovely as the Miller’s Forge and they’re louder than I would like.

Any time you’ll be trimming nails, it’s important to have styptic powder on hand in case you cut a nail too short. If you’re taking off tiny bits of nail at a time with the Miller’s Forge clippers, there won’t be as much bleeding, which makes this easier to apply. In cases where the nail is bleeding a lot, you’ll need to quickly wipe the nail with a paper towel before pressing a pinch of powder into the nail. This is an important reason to consult a professional to learn how to do this properly.

I use this small grinder as a way to slowly condition dogs to the sight, sound, and feel of a Dremel. The power of the dremel and the grit of the diamond bit are much slower to wear away the nails, but it’s a great in between step before bumping up to a louder dremel, and can be a long term dremel for smaller or softer nails (generally white nails are less dense than black nails).

I use Adaptil on a “might help/can’t hurt” basis. I’ve seen a few dogs who I’ve worked with who seemed like it really helped them, but I can’t say for sure. There’s also a diffuser available as well as scented collars. So this is very much in the optional category, but could be used as a part of a multi-pronged approach to lower levels of anxiety.

I’ve tried tons of different treads and sandpaper for my scratchboards and this one is the all around best that I’ve found. It’s self-adhesive so no glue is needed, the tread is rough enough to be efficient (more nail scratched off per scratch), and can be cut to size. I recommend using it on plastic cutting boards, rather than wood, so that its easy to peel off and replace as it wears down. For most boards you will need two strips and you can save the unused pieces for when you need to peel off and replace.

I recommend making your own scratchboard rather than buying one so that you can pick the size that works for you, and make sure the tread will work for nail trimming. I like boards that have handles so they’re easier to hold, but repurposing a plastic cutting board of your own is great too!

When I’m making scratchboards for large dogs, I love these because they’re super heavy duty. There’s no handle on them, but I haven’t found one with a handle that’s also heavy duty and affordable. Plus they come in lots of colors, and I’m a sucker for bright colors.

Other Dog Products I Love

Clicker

There are lots of clickers available and if you have one you like, great! If you don’t, and you need a suggestion, here’s the one I use.

Treat Bag

This treat bag has multiple pockets, it’s stiff which make it easy to get treats out quickly, it closes enough to still work well in the rain, doesn’t tip, and has both a waist clip and a belt.

I’ve come across so many loose dogs in my years as a mobile groomer and so often they don’t have name tags with a phone number and address. Having a microchip is a great backup for when collars come off, but whoever finds your dog likely doesn’t have a microchip scanner, and most people don’t have the free time to drive your pet to the nearest shelter or wait for an animal control officer. Having up to date phone numbers and addresses on your pet is the fastest (and cheapest) way to get them back home safely.

Chris Christensen slickers have soft cushioning and thin pins that don’t hurt the way many other slicker brushes do. They’re versatile and made for all medium and long coats, both for brushing through tangles and removing undercoat. This small size is ideal for toy sized dogs, rabbits, and cats.

And now, your dog’s favorite links - Treats! High value treats are essential when training your dog, and here are some of my suggestions for bite size and easy to feed snacks. I look for treats that are relatively soft that don’t require a lot of chewing and that are made of primarily meat or organs (high value) unless a dog has a health condition that requires me to use treats recommended by their vet. You can also use stinky cheese, lean meats, or anything that is high value for your dog and safe for them to eat.