Since French Bulldogs are not very active outdoors their nails are unlikely to wear down on their own. Though you may think it is cute to hear your dog tap, tap, taping across the floor nail trimming is actually more than a cosmetic issue, it is important to your dogs health.
I have always been hesitant to trim my dog’s nails, afraid of accidentally cutting the quick and hurting them. All dogs have a vein called a quick inside the nail, which can bleed if cut. I’ve always had my dogs nails trimmed at the groomer or vet for this reason. I started looking into the best dog nail trimmer reviews to decide if I could handle this myself. Like so many other things I decided, I can do it, I am going to cut my Frenchies nails. Because every dog’s behavior and nails are different some research needs to be done before attempting to do any trimming at home.
Dog nail trimmers come in many different styles including Pliers-Style, Guillotine-Style, Scissor-Style, and Nail Grinders. Along with styles there are also sizes. The size of the nail trimmer should coincide with the size of the dog and since we are talking about our adorable French Bulldogs we are going to go for the best small dog nail trimmer we can find.
I found that a grinder style works best for me and my Frenchie but this article will give you some information on some of the best dog nail trimming options.
Dog Nail Trimming Tips For Taking Care Of Your Frenchie’s Nails
Here are some simple tips to make trimming your French Bulldog’s nails an easier task.
Get your Frenchie calm. It is always best to wait until your French Bulldog is in a relaxed and calm state of mind. One simple way to do this is to take your Frenchie for a walk before the trimming session. My Frenchie is usually exhausted after just one lap around the neighborhood. Having some Frenchie CBD dog treats on hand helps too.
Next you will want to spread out your French Bulldog’s feet. You will want to look for dirt and debris. Do your best to clean them off before you start trimming.
After that you will want to hold your French Bulldog in place. I do this by putting my arms and upper body over my little bat-eared friend to keep him in place. I do this while I clip his nails. When you are clipping your Frenchie’s front nails, hold your forearm over his neck to prevent him from lifting his head and squirming around. If your French Bulldog is very anxious, you might try putting him on his side to gently hold him down.
Now grab your dog nail trimmers. You will want to carefully cut off the tip of each nail at a slight angle. Clip it right before the point where your French Bulldog’s nail begins to curl.
CAUTION: You will of course want to take great care to avoid cutting the quick. The quick is the vein that runs into the nail and if you cut it accidentally, it bleeds a lot. If you do happen to accidentally cut into the quick, you will want to apply some styptic powder to stop bleeding. If you do choose to cut your Frenchie’s nails I would definitely recommend having this on hand and close by before cutting. Here’s a great option:
After you have cut your French Bulldog’s nails, use a dog nail file to smooth out edges.
What Is The Best Dog Nail Trimmer For Your Frenchie?
Let’s take a deeper look at the best dog nail trimmer options for you to safely trim your French Bulldog’s nails.
Nail Grinders – Dog Nail Grinder, 2 Speed Electronic Dog Nail Clippers
I remembered seeing a commercial for the Dog Nail Grinder. I researched these nail grinders and they mentioned that you didn’t have to worry about the clipping and cutting the quick. After watching the commercial again I ended up purchasing one. I followed their directions and held it up to Augie first to get him used to the sound. I then began grinding each nail for 5 seconds at a time as they suggest. It does take a little trial and error to get the right port and speed but once you do it is amazingly easy to trim my own Frenchie’s nails.
Click Here To Learn More About These Dog Nail Grinders
Plier Style – Miller’s Forge Dog Nail Clippers
Miller’s Forge dog nail clippers are scissor style trimmers that work similar to scissors. The blades have small indentations where you will want to position your dog’s nails for cutting. The Millers Forge nail clipper is a no frills nail trimmer that is sharp, strong and easy to use. These trimmers are actually produced by a surgical tool manufacturer which makes this a high quality product without the high price tag. Scissor style trimmers are good for larger dogs as it allows a good amount of force but they are also good for small dogs with thick nails.
Click Here To Learn More About The Miller’s Forge Dog Nail Clippers
Pros:
- Professional quality
- Ultra sharp stainless steel blades
- Non slip handles.
Cons:
- Doesn’t have a quick stop or sensor
- Lock can sometimes slide into place when you don’t want it to.
Guillotine-Style – Resco Original Deluxe Dog Nail Trimmer
The Resco Original Deluxe Dog nail trimmer was invented back in 1937 and has been manufactured right here in the USA since. These guillotine clippers work just like a guillotine. You place your dog’s nail through a hole in the trimmer and a blad lowers to slice the end of the nail off. The trimmers extremely sharp micro blades ensure your Frenchie’s nails won’t splinter or split during trimming. The best part is that Resco offers a 100% lifetime warranty and sells replacement blades for their trimmer.
Pros:
- Extremely sharp micro blades
- Replacement blades available
- Lifetime warranty
Cons:
- Doesn’t have the deluxe grip
- Blades need to be replaced
- Not good for thick, hard nails.
Click Here to learn more about these dog nail trimmers
Scissor-Style – Safari Professional Nail Trimmer
One of the best rated Scissor Style nail trimmer is the Safari Professional Nail Trimmer. These clippers are strong, sharp and durable. They feature a very sharp stainless steel double bladed cutter and the tension spring allows for a smooth cut every time. The Safari Professional Nail Trimmer is light weight with a nonslip grip handle for comfort and control and a quick stop guard for safety.
Pros:
- Super-sharp stainless-steel blades
- Rubber grips for comfort and control
- Lightweight
- Easy to handle, quick-stop guard for safety, locks for safe storage, makes a quick clean cut.
Cons:
- Thick nails may require significant force
- Guard doesn’t lock in place
- Not good for larger dogs.
The clippers are great professional quality and yet still very affordable.
Click Here To learn more about these dog nail trimmers
Nail Clipper Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Nail clippers are manual and don’t require batteries of electricity to work.
- Nail clippers are quick. It only takes a few seconds to clip your dog’s nails.
- Nail clippers are quiet compared to the buzz of nail grinders, which can sometimes frighten your Frenchie
- Nail clippers are inexpensive. They are usually very affordable.
Cons:
- Nail clippers can cut into the quick if you are not careful.
- Nail clippers can cause pinching of your dog’s nails when you squeeze the clippers.
- Nail clippers can cause some splitting or cracking of the dog’s nails.
Nail Grinders Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Nail grinders are great for dogs with thick nails.
- Nail grinders are great for dogs with clipper anxiety.
- Nail grinders make your dog’s nails smooth and round. This is great for dogs that get nails stuck in the carpet or blankets and also for those dogs that love to jump up on people.
Cons:
- Nail grinders can unfortunately still hit the quick. It is easier to avoid with a grinder.
- Nail grinders leave dust on the floor or surface when you are done.
- Nail grinders when used on the nails causes an odor. Many owners wear a mask and grind their dogs nails outside.
- Nail grinders can be fairly loud and make it scary for your pooch.
Conclusion – Best Dog Nail Trimmer
When it comes to the debate of dog nail clippers vs dog nail grinders, ultimately it comes down to how confident you are in your nail trimming abilities and about your French Bulldogs personality. I hope that this has helped to give you information to guide you in the right direction to trim your Frenchies nails on your own. I know that I am happy, and so is Augie with our Nail grinding choice. If I had known how easy it was to trim my dog’s nails I would have saved myself hundreds of dollars in grooming fees!
For more Frenchie accessories take a look here.
