What Is The Correct Nail Length For A Dachshund?

10 years ago I became the proud Mommy to a beautiful red Dachshund Annie. I started immediately clipping her nails and bathing her every few days. Today I can clip her nails and bathe her with no problems at all. However my newest addition Rosie arrived in January of 2020 and I failed on doing the weekly training on nails — she will not let me touch her feet to clip her nails. So we have to make trips to the vet where she is perfect for them. Getting a lil costly so I have been researching how to train her to letting me do the job.

What is the correct nail length for a Dachshund?

As soon as your dog’s nails touch the ground and grow past the pad of your dog’s paw, it’s time to take action!

• Nails should not touch the ground when your dog is standing on level ground, AND
• You should not hear your dog’s nails on the floor when he walks.

As long as those two criteria are met, the length of your dog’s nails is acceptable.  

For maintenance, cut every two weeks. To shorten, cut every week.  Having long nails can cause your pet to walk irregularly which can lead to skeletal problems. And we all know that dachshunds don’t need any more reasons to have back trouble!

How to Cut Dog Nails That Are Too Long and Get the Correct Nail Length

A good friend of mine is a power walker and she walked 4 miles a day. Her 2 Dachshunds loved taking these walks with her – the bonus was she NEVER had to cut their nails. Well, I seriously doubt I will be walking 4 miles a day here anytime soon so I have to use other methods.

If you are trimming overgrown dog nails then you are going to need to get the quick to recede by trimming just a bit at a time. You should be cutting their nails every 1 to 2 weeks depending on how fast they grow. When you trim off just a small bit of the nail at a time at the correct angle you allow the quick to move back into the nail, this lets you get the nail a bit shorter each time you trim.

One of the reasons that cutting a dog’s nails can be so scary is because if you do it wrong (or if you do it right and they jerk) the dogs can bleed all over the place.

Some dogs act like cutting their nails is their worst nightmare.

Trimming your dog’s black nails is nerve-wracking because you can’t see the quick (the inner nerve and blood vessel that nourishes the nail). However, with the right information and tools, trimming your dog’s black nails doesn’t have to be a trial.

When trimming your dog’s black toenails, follow these guidelines:

• Go slowly
• Hold your dog’s paw firmly but gently
• Position the clippers to cut the nail from top to bottom (not side to side)
• Trim a very small length of the nail, about 1/16th of an inch

After you’ve made one trim, look at your dog’s nail head-on. If it appears whitish, you’re still in the “dead area.” It’s safe to trim a bit more into the nail.

On the left, the interior structures are shown, along with the suggested angle to remove the “roof” of the nail, while not harming the sensitive quick.

On a black claw, the interface between sensitive and insensitive nail is usually chalky and white – very easy to discern. On the right is a close-up view of the inside of the nail. On cross section, the sensitive quick will look translucent and glossy, like living flesh

Continue making very small cuts and looking at the end of your dog’s nail after each one. As you get closer to the quick, the center of the nail will appear black, and may eventually look pink right before the quick.  If you get to the pink, definitely stop!

Once you get their nails back in shape, then you can clip a little less frequently as long as they stay the correct length.

A good rule of thumb is that you should trim your dog’s nails, or have them trimmed, as often as it takes to prevent their nails from touching the ground when they’re standing.

The Best Method For Trimming Your Dachshund’s Nails

Nail File	Starting with the nail file, use EVERY SINGLE DAY for 2-3 weeks to get them used to having their feet and nails handled
Dremel – Follow ALL Directions so you don’t hurt your fur baby.	Start “sanding” nails without even turning it on. Using a low speed with it on until you can do full session.
Clicker	Each time they don’t resist use the clicker and then reward them with a small (but yummy treat).
Treats	After each short session, (maybe 30 seconds tops) give them a big reward.

Handy Tip: If your dog is resistant to even having their feet touched start without the nail fail and just reward them for letting you touch their feet without pulling away. Also, using a treat that your dog goes crazy over- helps too, the better the treat, the more willing they will be to try.

Training Your Dog to Accept Getting Their Nails Trimmed

“The big thing to remember is that even one foot or one nail a day is a big achievement when working with a dog who doesn’t like having it done. There is definitely plenty of time to work on building that trust with a dog in making this a positive and productive process, so don’t rush and stress either of yourselves out. Try to approach it as confidently as you can because your dog will pick up on any and all of the energy you put out there.”

Always make sure that the hair is pushed back on long coated/hairy footed pups. This can be done with pantyhose, or even a plastic bag and all you do is poke the nails through. This is all extremely important when using the battery operated nail filer to prevent hair, body parts, or other objects from getting caught in the parts that spin.”

Short toenails are critical to your dog’s health and soundness. Failure is not an option!

Help! My dog’s nail is bleeding!

If you end up cutting into your dog’s quick, stay calm. You’ll want to have styptic powder on hand to dip the nail into. Dipping the individual nail into styptic powder not only coagulates the blood and stops the flow, it helps creates a clog at the bottom of the vessel which will prevent bacteria from entering the blood vessel.

If your dog’s nail was cut severely short and it will not stop bleeding, contact your vet office for further direction.

In Conclusion:

If you dread it, your dog will too, so learn how to be a good actor until you succeed in believing it can be a loving experience for you both. If your dog loses patience quickly, try cutting just one nail a day.

Use all your best restraint and behavior modification tricks to get through the initial phase, whether your dog is a squirmer or a drama queen. Start on the hind feet, because the nails tend to be a little shorter and less sensitive than the front.

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