Trimming your French Bulldog’s nails is an essential part of grooming your pet. Grooming a French Bulldog involves some different tasks most of which are done to keep your best friend clean, comfortable, and healthy.
One of the most important parts of the dog grooming process is nail grooming. Their nails break, crack and split from time to time just like human nails. If a Frenchie’s nails aren’t kept in check, they can cause many problems for the dog and its owner. They can also become an annoyance to your pup as they will be painful to walk on. This article looks at the different steps we need to take to properly groom a French Bulldog’s nails ensuring a safer and happier pet.
Why Is Trimming Your French Bulldog’s Nails Important?
There are several reasons for getting a French Bulldog’s nail trimmed. A dog nail trim for your Frenchie is essential for preserving the overall health and appearance of your dog’s nails.
Dog’s nails grow in two ways- the quick and the dead. The quick is the living part of the nail, while the dead portion is the outer or non-living part. The quick grows in a spiral fashion and makes the nail quite strong. That is why; completely cutting the nail can result in bleeding. It is essential to be very careful when cutting the dog’s nails, as any little mistake can cause a lot of pain and a lot of bleeding.
Painless vs. Painful: What kind of French Bulldog nail trimmer should you get?
You have to decide first if the trimmer you are going to use for nails is going to be painful or not. If you decide on the painless type, you will have to buy each nail independently with a separate attachment. This is surely a very boring, tedious, and time-consuming task. Moreover, you will end up pushing back your purchase until the next trip to the pet store.
A less painful way to file the dog’s nails is to use a trimmer.
I use the Lucky Tail Nail Trimmer shown here:
A French Bulldog nail trimmer like this is a much easier alternative to using clippers.
These trimmers have a spinning wheel that just needs to be pressed to cut off the dog’s claws. These are easier to use and cause less issues for sure.
How To Prepare Your French Bulldog For Nail Trimming?
Since the dog is man’s best friend, they need to take good care of their nails. The most common thing to do by dog owners is to visit the groomer to clip the nails.
However, it is easy to do it yourself at home. To avoid hurting your Frenchie, try to get the dog used to have its paws handled if it does not like to be handled.
Some dogs will get used to being touched in the paws and maybe fun to groom. You need to prepare a few things first. It includes a nail trimmer, clipper, Nail file, and dog treats.
Dog Treats Make Do It Yourself Nail Trimming Much Easier 
How To Determine When Trimming Your Frenchie’s Nails Is Necessary
Dog nails are made of keratin, which is the same substance our nails are made of. The only difference is that dogs’ nails grow faster and longer than ours and they are much more sensitive. Depending on the breed, a dog’s nails grow between 3 to 5 mm a month, this means you will have to trim them regularly.
Why Do Nails Matter In a French Bulldog’s Life?
Nails dogs do matter to a dog’s life. Like human’s toenails, your dog’s nails are an extension of his toes. So they’re naturally used to grip and support his body weight. In addition to that, they also protect his toes from trauma and also provide a cushion as he moves around. If your dog’s nails are long, he might slip and fall, like I did once with my dog. The nails also help dogs to pick up and hold objects. So, looking at the importance of dog nail grooming, here is how you should do it.
How To Trim and Approach Your French Bulldog’s Paws If He’s A Big Wiggler
When I first got my Frenchie I wasn’t sure how to trim a French Bulldog’s nails. After some research and some initial attempts here is what I found.
You approach your dog from the front, talk to him and reward him for good behavior with treats. Having treats close by is an essential part of the process I have discovered.
Here are some other simple recommendations on how to trim your Frenchie’s nails:
- Then you reach for one of his paws and treat him for letting you touch his foot.
- Hold the paw, tell him to stay, and reward him.
- Then you pull the claws out gently and reward him with a treat.
- Do all 4 paws and give him 5 treats. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Start with his back feet, then the front if that is ok.
- Don’t complain if you have to do it more than once a day, this is a lifetime of manners you are working on.
- If your dog is a major wiggler, you are probably working on it too quickly. This is why you have to have the treat in your hand a few steps before you reach your dog.
- You have to be confident in what you are doing.
- Reward the dog with a cookie when he behaves and then pat him.
- If you are nervous, the dog will sense this and be confused. So be calm and confident and the dog will follow your lead.
What To Do If You Make A Mistake And Cut His Nails Too Short
If you accidentally cut your dog’s nails short, he will not bleed, but it will be very painful for him. Since your dog’s nails are sensitive, his paws will be painful to walk on for a few days. If this happens, you need to apply dog nail styptic powder.
Here’s the styptic powder I keep at my house just in case:
If you don’t have any dog nail powder, you can apply regular nail polish.
To make it easy, you can use a toothpick to apply the nail polish to your dog’s nails. Allow the polish to dry completely. If you want to be precise, you can use dog grinders. You don’t want to trim your dog’s nails too short, because it will be very painful for him and he will not be able to walk properly.
Final Thoughts – How To Trim a French Bulldog’s Nails
Dog nail grooming is one of the things that pet owners will have to do for their dogs throughout their lifetime. The process can be a little daunting to some people, but it is a very essential part of dog ownership. Nail grooming is essential to the overall health of a dog’s paws. Once again, I use the Lucky Tail nail grinder as I prefer it over nail trimmers.
PS – While grooming your Frenchie’s nails is important, I have found this is the most important tool to keep them healthy.
PPS – For an in-depth article on how to properly hold your Frenchie check this out.
