Cutting your dog’s nails isn’t something that many people would consider an easy task. For that reason alone you should continue to scroll down and find out how to cut corgi’s nails.
Another reason is just that – a corgi. If you own one and know how stubborn they can be, this situation might only get worse because of that.
This is another reason to just hold your horses and scroll down for some useful information. On the other hand, if you’re planning on getting a corgi and you’re just browsing the internet for some useful information regarding your future pet, this also might be the perfect article for you.
To gather all of this information I’ve just promised to share with you, it’s highly suggestible you dedicate just a few minutes from your day to scroll down and absorb the information like a dry sponge.
Without further prolonging, let’s get right into it!
The Preparation
The first thing you need to know before diving into this article further is that you can seriously damage your pet’s paws if you don’t do this right. By cutting just a few millimeters deeper than you should, you can cut into the nerve that is placed right at the middle of every dog’s nail.
People who are aware of this and are too afraid to hurt their dog usually let the dog salons do this instead of them just to save some extra time and make sure they won’t do anything bad to their dog.
Let’s make it clear, this is nothing serious even if it does happen, but for the next couple of days or weeks (depending on how deep you actually cut the nail) your dog will probably have trouble walking or running.
More on the unwanted results of nail-cutting later, but I just wanted to give you a little heads up about this before diving into the real deal.
Now for the cutting part. The nail of the dog is constructed out of keratin. This is the same stuff that human nails are made of, so even if these two don’t feel the same to the touch it’s just because of the different amount of keratin and the actual shape of the nail.
Dogs actually have something called a “quick” which is that nerve and blood vessel bundle I was talking about earlier.
Regardless of the dog breed, you should always keep this in mind because every dog’s nails function like this.
Let’s get to the stuff you’ll need for this procedure. The first thing you need to grab is the clippers for dog nails (these are the clippers that form a circle at the end so they cut the nail all around), the second thing is your dog’s favorite treats. These will allow you to lure them into a specific position and will help you keep them calm throughout the nail-cutting.
The third and the last thing will be some kind of powdery substance that will stop the bleeding if you cut the nail too close to the blood vessel. I recommend using cornstarch as it’s the easiest one to obtain, but you can use the powder specifically made for this that can be found in some pet stores.
When you’ve gathered all of your supplies, you need to proceed with caution. If your dog sees the clippers and it doesn’t like its nails being shortened, you’ll have a rough time getting your pet into a desirable position.
The Beginning
Start off by showing your corgi one of the treats so you get their undivided attention. Remember, regardless of how smart these dogs can be, they will never resist a treat.
When they come to you, I suggest placing them on their back between your legs while you’re sitting on the floor on the couch.
By choosing this position you are making sure that your corgi won’t hop on its back and wiggle on out of there. Your legs will keep them steady and not moving as much as they otherwise would.
Another position for doing this that is very popular is to sit your corgi on a high surface and come behind it. By getting into this position you are preventing it from standing up from a sitting position and ultimately – getting away.
After that, You should bring out the nail clippers. I’ll repeat this since it’s so important – if your dog hates getting its nails trimmed, you will probably have a problem keeping it in that position when you bring out the clippers.
Try petting your dog and calming it in other ways if this happens or your corgi gets nervous for any other reason. If you’re calm, your dog will be too.
Cutting
I suggest you start easy and slow. Let your corgi get used to the sensation of the nails being clipped off so they don’t get nervous.
Begin from the front paws and make your way to the back legs. This is easier for both you and your corgi.
You shouldn’t cut your corgi’s nails any closer than two millimeters from the quick of the nail. This is the closest you should get because everything else will probably make it too uncomfortable for your dog while putting any weight on that paw.
The front paws can be cut while holding them fully extended under your dog’s head, but the back paws might be trickier.
If your corgi got used to the sensation you can probably let them stand up and lift their back legs like people do when they shoe a horse.
This is the most comfortable position for your dog and I guarantee you they will have to put some effort into escaping while one of their back legs is lifted like this.
Just remember not to lift it too high because if you do, it might hurt the hips or the joints in their legs. Corgis aren’t the best when it comes to leg movement so the range of motion might be quite limited.
I suggest you give your corgi a single treat after every nail is done so you prolong the amount of time they will voluntarily be in that position.
Special Cases
There are some cases where all of this is unneeded. The first case is when owners let their dogs do this on their own. “How does this work?” you might ask, and I’ve got the answer.
When dogs run on concrete surfaces the nails get filed down. This is natural because the concrete is much harder than the nails and the friction that occurs when corgis run on that surface is enough to carefully file the nails down.
This might be risky sometimes as your clumsy pet might break a nail or two by running on similar hard surfaces, so keep an eye on that.
Another weird situation is that you get lucky and get a dog that not only doesn’t mind that nail trimming but actually enjoys it.
I’ve talked to some people who claim they just call their corgi, it comes, sits down, and the nail trimming begins. In some scenarios, this makes sense because not all people love their nails being shortened either.
If you are this lucky, you can simply forget the big majority of what you’ve just read. All you have to remember is the two millimeters from the quick – and that’s it!
Help, I’ve Cut My Corgi’s Nail Too Short!
If this happens by accident, sadly there is nothing much you can do. The nails grow at a rate you can’t influence so it will need some time to heal.
In the meantime, do you remember the powdery substance I told you to bring every time you cut your dog’s nails? Well, it’s going to come in handy right now.
Dip the bleeding nail into the substance and make sure your corgi doesn’t lick it off. Dogs tend to lick their wounds, so their first instinct will be to actually lick it. This is due to the numbing sensation that the saliva has.
If you help them resist this instinct the corn starch will help to stop the bleeding and prevent your dog from making a mess with every step they take.
How To Cut Corgi’s Nails? – Final Thoughts
The question of how to cut corgi’s nails is not one that requires a simple answer. I hope I have provided you with every possible step there is to do this in order to make it much easier for you.
The only thing that is left to do is to let your corgi’s nails get long enough, loading yourself with a bunch of treats, patience, and high-quality nail cutters.
When you’ve acquired all of the needed items for this procedure, you just need a little bit of routine. The more you do this – the more comfortable your dog will feel while getting its nails shortened.
Remember to be careful and patient and to get the help of another person if possible. This will drastically lower the complexity of this process.
I hope you be careful and have fun because this is a perfect scenario for getting closer with your dog and enjoying some free time with them!