The Groom Professional Nail Clipper is a plain, solid pair of clippers -- toughened stainless steel, a guard so you cannot take off more than you meant to, and a lock for when they are in a drawer.

Key Features

• Toughened stainless steel: Holds an edge, which matters because a blunt clipper crushes a nail instead of cutting it
• Removable guard: Stops you cutting too far in one go, and comes off once you are confident
• Safety lock: Holds them closed in storage
• Easy-grip handles: Rubber, so they do not slip when you are concentrating
• Two sizes: Small at 20 x 9 x 1.8cm, large at 25 x 9.4 x 1.8cm
• Choose by nail: Pick the size by nail thickness rather than by the dog's weight

How To Cut A Nail Without Hurting Anything

• Find the quick first. On a pale nail it is the pink line inside; on a black nail you cannot see it, so take very thin slices and stop as soon as the cut surface shows a grey or pink dot.
• Little and often beats a big trim. Every week or two keeps the quick receding; leave it months and the quick grows out with the nail, so there is less you can safely remove.
• Cut at a slight angle following the natural shape, and do not forget the dew claws.
• Have styptic powder or a clotting pencil in the drawer before you start. A caught quick bleeds a great deal and the dog will remember it.
• If the nails click on a hard floor, they are too long.

Why It Matters

Overgrown nails are not a cosmetic issue. A nail long enough to touch the ground pushes the toe up and changes how the dog stands, which loads the joints wrongly and is genuinely painful over time. In the worst cases a nail curls round and grows into the pad.

Who Makes It

Groom Professional launched in 2009 on the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland and is sold through the grooming trade supplier Christies Direct. The range was built for working salons rather than for the bathroom cupboard, which is why so much of it comes as a concentrate and in four-litre sizes. Groom Professional say the products are manufactured in the UK.

Good To Know

• This one is out of stock at the moment, so the page is here for reference while we wait on the next delivery.
• Blunt clippers are the usual cause of a bad experience -- they split and crush the nail. Replace them rather than pushing harder.
• A dog that is frightened of nail clipping is better off at a vet or groomer, or being taught slowly with treats over weeks. Forcing it makes the next time worse.
• A nail that is already bleeding, or a pad with a nail grown into it, is a vet job.
• Not a toy. Keep it out of reach of pets and children when you are not using it.