How do I use the guillotine-style toenail clippers? How much of the nail do I stick in?

If the dog has clear nails, then it is easy to so where the quick is. However, if the nail is dark it is a little tougher. On the underside of the nail, there will be a hollow part, then it will come to a ';v'; and be solid (this is also where the nail will start to curve down). It is safe to trim up to that point.How do I use the guillotine-style toenail clippers? How much of the nail do I stick in?
If your dog has black nails, you need to be very very careful using the clippers. I suggest you take just a little off of each nail, maybe a quarter of an inch or so. You do not want to cut the cuticle because that would be bloody and painful to the dog, and you will have heck to pay ever getting those clippers close to your dog again!


If your dog has white nails (or a combination of black and white nails) you are in luck! You should be able to see the cuticle through the white nails and you would cut between one fourth and one half inch from there.


If you are cutting blind though, know that the cuticle will retract with each correct cutting. What this means is that if you will cut your dog's nails on a regular basis, say weekly, you will eventually get the nails to the desired length.


The desired length for dogs by the way is when the dog is standing, the nails are just above or right at ground or floor level without the toes being lifted by them.


Kudos to you for taking responsibility for cutting your dog's nails!How do I use the guillotine-style toenail clippers? How much of the nail do I stick in?
You should get the other style of nail clippers.
You stick the nail in and clip. Just like it looks. Here's a few tips for you:





If your dog has light colored nails, you should be able to see the fleshy quick through the top of the nail. Do not cut into that, as it hurts, and bleeds pretty profusely. For dark nails, you may need to look underneath to find the quick. As long as you're cutting outside that area, it just dead nail, and won't hurt.





You may want to get a metal nail file as well, since some nail clippers will leave rough edges that can get caught on carpets and bedding, and are unpleasant for you and the dog.





If you're having trouble placing the cut, you may want to get someone more experienced to show you how, a vet tech at your vet's office will no doubt know how to clip nails like an expert, and probably won't charge you for the lesson.
depends where the quick is in then toenail.
I generally clean my toenails before i cut them to give me an outline on where to cut, and remember, try not to cut on an angle to prevent ingrowns ...
if you have a dog with dark nails just do the tip, maybe about 1/8 of an inch or just a hai more. otherwise if you have a dog with light colored nails just get him/her into a place with good lighting and look for the pink vein that is in the nail and cut enough to just barely miss the vein. also there are some cheap scissor type clippers that have little guards on them to keep you from cutting too much.