Will a dogs nails hurt when scratching?

I take my dog to the vet and when i do i always have her nails trimmed which is about three times a year. I also take her to the groomers to get them trimmed. I noticed my dog crying when she scratches her ear but I was wondering could it be her nails hurting her cause they have gotten long. I am taking her to the groomers today to get fully bathed and everything. then the vets tomorrow for some vacinnes and possibly have her ear checked. just curious either way im having them checked tomorrow.

Well it shouldn't hurt, as long as they dont scatch anything to hard.. but make sure regulary they have nothink stuck under their nails e.g.splinters as this can be really painfull just like with humans.. and its really good you get them trimmed 3 times a year, definately

Nails do not hurt unless cut too short. Most likely it's the ears. Although my racing champion once tore a nail completely off coming out of the starting box, won the race, and never showed any signs of pain, just bled all over. Ouch, I know when I tear a nail it hurts!

If your dog's scratching hard enough, of course it would hurt. She'll make her ears bleed if you allow it to continue. What you should be concerned about is WHY she's scratching her ears. Yes, the vet needs to check them because if she's got an ear infection, it would explain the scratching. (And they're incredibly painful!)