Cutting German Shepherd Nails (Trimming Tips For Shepherd Dogs)

Cutting German Shepherd Nails Like A Vet

Cutting The Nails Of A German Shepherd is not a difficult task, it is easy and anyone can do it. To trim your Germa shepherd nails, you need a nail clipper (preferably a guillotine type), files, grinder, styptic powder, emergency kits, and your dog’s favorite treats, then follow the steps below as you read further.

What To Know About German Shepherds And Their Nails.

German Shepherd Dogs are medium-large sized of the canine breed that belongs to the herding/ Guarding category of working dogs. They are more like security breeds, very intelligent, energetic and versatile. The German Shepherd breed was birthed in Germany to guard a shepherd's flocks.

The shepherd dogs have a lot of agility, strength, elasticity and long, elegant strides due to their physical body built. They are long around the range of between 22 and 26 inches, proportional to its height.

Over the years the shepherd dogs have been used different capacities by humans, such as guard dog, police dog, war dog, guide dog, search-and-rescue breed, explosives- and narcotics-detecting breed and show dogs.

As part of the breeding process, you must enroll your shepherd pup on frequent exercise and training sessions to keep his physical, mental body fitness normal.

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You should brush its coat once or twice a week to keep him clean and healthy. Clean and trim his nails regularly to avoid nailbed infection, cracks or splits, and other nail disorders.

The Structure Of German Shepherd Nails.

Wondered why Shepherd Dogs could herd, dig holes, defend, climb trees, grab things strongly?. Your Dog's nail is made of keratin (a hard protein-containing dead cells) which enables them to perform various hard tasks.

German Shepherd Nails like other dog breeds have a hard outer layer (shell) and a central soft cuticle (called Quick) containing tiny blood vessels and nerves.

GSD Quick is rich in blood supply and can be termed the stream that nourishes the nail. Injuring the cuticle or quick by mistake will cause a bleeding toenail and pain.

Dog nail anatomy and structures
Structure of a dog's nail

When Trimming Your Dog's Nail, it is best practice to do it carefully and avoid cutting through the quick. See How You Can Trim Without Hurting the Quick.

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Whenever your German shepherd pup stands on the floor, check the nails if they are touching the floor and also if they make clicking sounds, then know that they are overgrown and due for cutting.

Your dog's nails come in different colors mostly in relation to their skin. Most German Shepherd Dogs have black nails while some have white nails.

So if you are dealing with a black German Shepherd Dog nails, then you should be extremely careful since the quick is not easily visible compared to while dog nails.

German shepherd nails are prone to disorders, so care must be taken to ensure that they are noticed early and treated safely.

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Reasons Why German Shepherd Nails Need Trimming

It is part of your duty as a dog owner to groom your pet an help him live healthily. One way you can do that is by regularly cutting the nails of your german shepherd pup.

Here are some reasons why you should not fail to trim your pet's nails.

  • Overgrown nails can easily split causing pain and injury and also setting the ground for infection. Long nails can easily wear and tear when they are cut up on things.
  • Long nails make an unpleasant sound (noise), they can cause the dog’s foot to have abnormal alignment leading to complications as posture and weight distribution is affected.
  • Overgrown nails can cause your pup pain, restricting his movement and affecting his daily activities. Your dog may feel pain around his nails and become very lazy to participate in regular walks and exercises.
  • Untrimmed Dogs nails can lead to slipping and falling while your dog is running or walking.
  • Trimmed nails keep your German shepherd dog healthy, happy and fit.

Benefits Of Trimming Your German Shepherd Nails?.

  • Dogs with trimmed short nails are known to be healthier and happier. Short nails help your pup maintain proper hygiene.
  • Trimmed nails enable your German Shepherd walk, move, run and play freely without pain or injury.
  • Short nails help your German shepherd maintain a healthy posture by keeping the foot in correct alignment.
  • The nails are safe and will hardly cut off with things around the dog.
  • Trimming your German Shepherd nails helps you overcome the risk of splitting, injuries, bleeding and also averts secondary infection.
  • If your dog's nails are cut short, they are free to play around people without scratching them or causing injuries.

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Nail Cutting for German Shepherd is essential to keep your dog healthy and saving him from suffering the pain that could have resulted from various complications associated with long nails.

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German Shepherd Nail Trimming Guide

Anyone who carefully follows the guide below can perfectly clip the nails of German Shepherd dogs. Here is a complete guide to help you cut down your dog's nails that are too long.

Preparing For GSD Nail Clipping

You have to make preparation, gather the necessary instruments and accessories you would need to successfully trim your dog's nails. Everything you would use for this procedure should be in place and handy before you start.

Select Appropriate Nail Clippers For German Shepherd Dog

You have to make a choice of clippers suitable for the procedure. It is advisable to choose sharp trimmers and for German shepherd breed, these three clippers are best for their nail care.

German Shepherd Nail Clippers

Safari Professional Nail Trimmer
Epica Professional Nail Clipper
BOSHEL Canine Nail Clipper

READ MORE: Best Nail Trimming Tools For Your Dog

Get Ready Your First Aid Box (emergency kits)

Ensure that your first aid box is in order and in place before you begin the trimming procedure. Your emergency or first aid box should have an anti-bleeding agent like Styptic powder and others such as Hydrogen Peroxide, Rubber gloves, Gauze, Scissors, Grooming Wipes, and Towel Or Blanket.

Having these contents can help you Deal With A Bleeding Toenail in case you mistakenly injure your Dog by cutting the quick to short.

Get Ready Your Dog's Favourite Treats.

If you want to calm down a German shepherd dog and make him comply while you trim his nails, you have to feed him his favorite treats. While you are cutting the nails, you should give the dog a yummy food to enable him to be quiet for you to finish.

Food for Healthy Dog Nails That Split
Balanced Diets Can Strengthen and boost the overall health of the nails

The delicious meal you give to your pet also distracts him while you go ahead with the trimming. Remember, the main job here is to get your pup's nails clipped.

Position Your German Shepherd And Start Clipping His Nails.

Stay In A Comfortable Location: Do not stay in a dark room, lookout for a bright area where you can clearly see the nails. Sit in a comfortable position and then hold your German Shepherd firmly before you cut. It is a nice idea to allow someone to assist you in holding your pet if such a person is available.

Be sure your pup is not moving and then hold his paws firmly. Now, the next thing you have to do is to locate the quick and notice where it starts and ends, a practice that helps you not to cut through the quick which can lead to serious Toe Nail bleeding.

Begin With A Clipper To Cut Your German Shepherd Nails: Start Clipping your dog's with a suitable trimmer. Trim gradually and bit by bit and ensure you don't cut through the quick (cut below it), angulate to 45-degrees. See Image Below.

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Canine nail anatomy

Remember the cutting must begin with trimming smaller bits, avoid chopping off larger portions of the nail at once else you might injure your GSD.

If your dog is uncomfortable with the trimming process, provide him with his favorite meals, a yummy one, this will help him to comply until you get through with it.

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What If Your German Shepherd Dog Is Extremely Nervous During Nail Trimming

Some dogs are extremely scared of being trimmed and won't comply no matter the technique you apply. If you have such Dog, don't worry, just watch and pay attention to the video below and see how a vet handled a nervous dog during nail cutting.

Watch Video 


So, cut your dog's nails by applying a diligent method of trimming across all and if for the slightest mistake you cut the quick, fastly apply styptic powder to savage the bleeding and if the bleeding wouldn't stop, then here is How To Stop Severe Dog Nail Bleeding.

Some times while cutting our pet's nail, we find out that they have very soft and brittle nails. In this case, don't force the nail clipper on your dog's nails to avoid nail splitting, pain, bleeding, and injuries. All you need to do is to use another approach to trim down your pup's nails, such as filing the claws.

Finished clipping your German Shepherd Nails?

Start Filing The Claws: Once you have finished clipping, you can file the nails to smoothen the rough and equalize the edges. Nail Filing is more like giving the nails finishing touch. I would recommend you file your dog's nails instead of clipping if you notice the nails are brittle.

HELPFUL TIPS: How To Deal With Dog Toenail That Splits In The Middle

Cut Your German Shepherd Quick? Use Your First Aid Box: Since the possibility of cutting through the quick of your pup's nail can not be ruled out, besides, many might be dealing with a dark canine nail and maybe having difficulties recognizing the quick.

Keeping close your emergency box is a wise decision and should be available before the trimming is done.

German Shepherd Nails Bleeding After Cutting?

Here is what you should do!

  • Apply pressure on the affected toenail.
  • Apply Styptic powder on the injury to stop the bleeding.
  • If Bleeding persists, tightly wrap the nail after applying styptic powder.
  • Follow these Steps To Instantly Stop Nail Bleeding.
  • Bleeding Continues? Visit your vet for a solution.

Any Questions?, Please drop a comment below.

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