Should dogs have their nails clipped for their own well being?

Sort of a silly question but I was just wondering. I've had my new puppy for 4.5 months now and noticed his nails were getting longer. I was curious if it would be better to have his nails clipped for his own safety and wellness? Aka do they grow like human finger nails where very long ones can be easily broken and cause problems? I have no issues with him scratching me or other people really, doesn't scratch up my furniture or anything. But he does like to dig holes which I don't mind and pretty sure his nails play a part in that. So should dogs have their nails clipped for their own well being?<br />

yes - i have a dog groomer dit or your vet can do it. they should NOT have long nails

If you'd ever seen some poor dog trying to walk who's nails have curled back and are puncturing his pads, you wouldn't be asking. <br />
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Yes, dogs need their nails clipped regularly. Since your dog's nails are now too long, you'd be wise to take him to the vet and let a vet tech clip them. You can watch and learn how to correctly do it so you don't cut the quick.

Absolutely. I generally recommend they be done monthly if you're having a groomer or vet do it, weekly if you're doing it yourself.<br />
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Yes, I've seen dogs with long nails that have broken off or gotten caught in things, or worse yet grown right around and back into the pad!<br />
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Nail clipping is an important part of your dog's regular grooming routine.

Yes the nails should be groomed on a regular basis. When they get too long, even their walking can be affected. Also, if you have a breed with a *cat like foot*, such as the Doberman, the long nails can splay that tight foot. If you don't have carpeting throughout your entire house, too long of nails will allow the dog to slip and slide all over the place, especially when they come in with wet feet, instead of getting *traction* with the foot pads. Sometimes that can even cause the dog to have a fear of certain floor surfaces. So yes, keep the nails clipped or use a Dremel tool, like I do.

Would you like it your nails were long, and digging into your fingers. Use a little common sense here!

You should clip his nails about every 1 month. And yes, it's for his safety, because if his nails get to be too long, they can start to be ingrown and can hurt him badly! Also, they can start to chip and splinter and look nasty and just be plain dangerous for you and him both! If you're going to clip his nails by yourself, I would recommend using the Peticure nail trimming system. It trims your dogs nails to just the right size without hurting the cartilage inside the dogs nails. Just like if you trim your fingernails too short, you'll hurt yourself and they will become sore for a while.

Yes, it is for your dog's well being that you keep their nails trimmed. They have a long vein inside their nails that narrow down towards the tips and it is very painful to cut them too short and they will bleed. You can either take your dog to the groomers or the Vet office and have them clipped for a nominal fee- twice a month, or learn to do it on your own. If you have someone who can show you how to use a dremel to keep your dogs nails shorter, that would be ideal. Things that can happen if your dog's nails are not kept from growing too long: deformity of shape and even of the bone structure of the legs, more prone to break or split, can catch on something and cause injury, can grow back into the flesh or the pads and be extremely painful and cause infection. When it bugs a dog they can chew at their paws and that can cause problems, so YES, it's good to keep them trimmed!