No breed of dog enjoys the experience of having their nails trimmed, your Frenchie is no different. Because of irrational fear of causing pain or discomfort to their French bulldogs, some owners avoid trimming their dogs’ claws or nails too. So it’s important to know How to look after a French Bulldog’s nails.
If the experience of trimming your Frenchies nails makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t worry, you’re not alone, there’s nothing wrong, pet owners are naturally over protective. You’re not a bad person, nor are you neglecting your dog.
We’ve put together this article to explain the importance of nail trimming for dogs especially for French bulldogs, and hopefully we can make the entire experience more comfortable for both of you.
What are the practice and following some simple tips you should be able to easily and comfortably trim your Frenchie’s nails in a way that is good for both of you?
Why trimming your Frenchies nails is important?
It’s important to remember that not trimming your French bulldog’s nails could eventually cause more pain and discomfort then the act of trimming them to start with.
#1 Neatly trimmed nails are more comfortable
We know french bulldogs can grow long nails, and one of the primary reasons that you need to keep them neatly trimmed is comfort levels.
You can’t compare their nails to those other dogs, when you’re looking at your Frenchie look at the size of their arm and their paw, and then compare this to the length of the nail you’ll quickly see that they have really long nails.
If you leave these to grow too long, it may reach a point where they arch. When a dog’s nail takes this shape, you’ll hear a scraping or tapping noise on the ground when they’re walking. This is not a healthy noise, a clear sign the nails need to be trimmed.
#2 Learn to trim French Bulldog nails at intervals
If you get into the habit of regularly trimming or cutting your Frenchies claws or nails, this will prevent them from becoming too long and strong. Maintaining a consistent schedule and trimming them to specific point at regular intervals, it will help maintain a healthy nail length for your dog.
If you don’t have the time or tools to do this yourself, you could take them to an experienced groomer and pay them to handle the nail trimming task for you.
However, getting your Frenchie comfortable having their nails trimmed is an excellent opportunity to bond with your dog, as they learn to trust you, and this is an important step in building a healthy relationship.
The vast majority of French bulldog owners that I know trim their own dog’s nails, as don’t trust groomers to be as gentle with their dogs as they would like.
However, if you are truly uncomfortable with tackling the task yourself, it may be advisable for both your stress levels and those of your dog to assign it to a professional groomer.
These groomers trim dog’s nails every day of the week, and they’ll be more than capable of handling the task in a professional and caring manner. What do you do with yourself or get it done by a professional the most important thing is to get them regularly treatment at specific intervals
#3 Trimmed nails are healthier
Regardless of what you might think and neatly trim instead of nails will help keep your dog’s paws healthier and make walking much more comfortable.
Regular trimming will help prevent your Frenchie from getting injured, especially as this breed of dog likes to play. if they’re running and jumping and playing with longer nails, there’s a chance that the nail will get caught accidentally in something and result in them sustaining an injury
What is the best way to trim a French Bulldog’s nails?
The first thing I need to tell you is that nail trimming, especially in French bulldogs, isn’t rocket science.
Despite what you may think it’s neither a feat of engineering nor a surgical treatment, it doesn’t require any specific skillset, professional or technical knowledge all you need is a level of patience and a safe location to perform the task.
Once your Frenchie is comfortable you can trim their nails anywhere in your home all you need is a few helpful tools.
The first thing you need is your dog’s favorite treat has bribing them or certainly makes the entire process easier. Make sure that you praise them and take your time giving them treats and intervals throughout the process to ensure that they remain comfortable.
Your French bulldog becoming comfortable with a nail care routine is all down to trust it’s vital that you treat them gently and try your best not to hurt them.
Obviously, most dog owners would never intentionally hurt them, however if you’re not paying care and attention you might unintentionally cause injury.
The easiest way to trim any dog’s nails is to take a little at a time this will allow you to judge the process correctly and ensure that you’ll never accidentally cut them too deep.
An expert’s guide to getting your Frenchie comfortable with Nail trimming
That I have trimmed my Frenchies nails frequently doesn’t make me an expert. I approached a friend of mine. She has a chain of doggie daycare centers and has overseen thousands of different dog nails down to the years.
I asked her simple tips to design a basic routine to help your Frenchie become more comfortable with the process of nail trimming.
Her advice was to trim nails when they’re young this might the fact that it takes puppies a little longer to get used to the process if you’re positive and gentle and offered treats and praise as your dog gets older it’ll just become second nature.
Day one: present the nail trimmer or grinder to your puppy let them see it and sniff it offering them praise and a treat
Day two: touch each nail with the grinder or nail clipper
Day three: Touch the nail trimmer teach Paul and squeeze the clipper for the puppy gets familiar with the sound if you’re using a grinder turn it on so the puppy can feel what the vibration is like but don’t actually trim any nail once again after the brace and treat
Day four: once again while offering praise and treats present the grinder or clipper to your puppy and touch it to their paws
Day five: this is the most important step you need to try trimming just the smallest tip from on your dog’s front paw. Remember, only try trimming one nail while presenting your puppy with additional praise and treats if they let you do it. You should repeat this process every day until they are comfortable with it and don’t seem to offer any resistance.
Day six: if he is happy with the process, try trimming the tip from two more nails.
Day Seven: finally once you’ve introduced your puppy to your nail trimmer or grinder continue the whole process of trimming additional nails every day once you have them completed continue to practice at regular intervals offering your puppy as much praise and the occasional treat to help them understand the process will not hurt them that’s actually quite rewarding
Here are some tips if you are working with an older French Bulldog
sometimes owners may not bed their French bulldogs to the practice of nail trimming from a young age if this is the case here are some tips you can follow:
#1. Hold your dog’s Paw gently but firmly, pleasing your thumb on the pad of one toe and your forefinger on top of the toe just above the nail. Make sure that none of your dog’s fur is in the way.
#2. Pushing your thumb slightly upwards and backward on the pad while your forefinger forward will help gently extend your dog’s nail.
#3 Start by clipping just the tip of the nail straight across as possible ensure you include the declaws that you’ll find on the inner side of your Frenchie’s Paw
#4 just passed the curve of your Frenchie’s nail. There’s an area that is usually pink and color as it contains blood vessels. Never clip to this point, as nicking here could cause bleeding and pain. If your dog has dark nails, this can be identified by what seems to be a chalky white ring.
Additional information to help
If you search, you can find nail trimmers that have been specifically designed for French bulldogs. Please have a built-in backstop that helps prevent you from causing injury to your friend’s bulldog by cutting too deep and nicking the nail quick.
Unfortunately, some French bulldogs have very sensitive nails and when you’re trimming them, you may still cause them discomfort or pain. Try not to worry, take a deep breath, and don’t panic.
If you do accidentally nick that quick you can do some first aid by adding some septic powder and stop the bleeding.
Remember that practice makes perfect the early year you trim your Frenchie’s nails the better one thing is for certain: if you leave them overgrown you’re not doing your companion any favors.
