Dog Nail Clippers
Cutting Dog’s nails is one of those tasks in life that must be done but is, let’s face it, not the most enjoyable of experiences for both the dog or the human. But for the health of your dog, it must be done, and should be done frequently enough to keep your dog’s nails short.
When dogs spend a good deal of time outdoors, running on various hard surfaces, including roads, pavements and stones, their nails are gradually worn down, and they have less of a need for regular nail cutting sessions. Many dogs however spend the majority of their time on soft surfaces such as grass and carpet inside the home.
Dog’s nails can become too long and if they touch the ground constantly, they exert force back into the nail bed, creating pain for the dog and pressure on the toe joint. Longer term, this can have negative effects on the joints of the foreleg and physically alter the appearance of the dog’s foot.
So in short, however mundane and not particularly enjoyable an experience, nail cutting is vital for a happy and healthy dog. On that note…….
Let’s Go Find Some Toe Nails
We bought Resco Pro Series Nail Clippers, Pecute Dog Nail Clippers, Petpal Professional Dog Nail Clippers, Gonicc Dog Nail Clippers, Adniac Dog Nails Clippers and Iokheira Dog Nail Clippers.
Admittedly when we told all the dogs at Benafim Shelter what we needed them to test, we weren’t greeted with hugely enthusiastic faces, in fact the majority of our dogs seemed to start running in the opposite direction!
But needs must and we soon found some more willing volunteers and were able to test the 5 different nail clippers on these dogs, aged from 2 years to 11 years, with nails at different thicknesses and length.
A useful tip when cutting the nails of dog’s who are really not keen at all is to give them some nice treats or a toy filled with yummy food to distract them.
Resco Pro Series Stainless Steel Nail Clippers
The Resco Pro Series Nail Clippers are the most expensive nail clippers we bought among the six pairs. We bought the large size as the majority of our dogs at the shelter are medium to large in size.
Our initial thoughts upon opening them were, wow these are really sturdy, quite heavy and much smaller than the others in length. Does size matter with nail clippers?If you have huge hands it may be more difficult to hold these, but we found them really nice and comfortable to hold (this was after comparing our hand sizes and starting a rather strange conversation on the size of hands haha).
Back to the nail clippers! With a scissor type mechanism, the clippers are very easy to use. They are super sharp, have a good spring tension and a nice clean cut in an instant. Unlike some nail clippers, the Resco Pro Series don’t have a safety stop guard feature, so you need to know what you are doing and not cut too much of the nail.
We did also notice when testing on Black Nero that they are silent. They didn’t make the loud sound when cutting the dog’s nail as some do.
Black Nero is a Cane Corso/Labrador mix and the soppiest, kindest dog you will meet (as you can see from the photo he is super affectionate too). He was so patient and good having his nails cut, The nails were trimmed fast, quickly and safely. Great result!
The Details
Stainless Steel Blades
Measures 15.2 x 7.3 x 1.6
Available in sizes Regular and Large
Chrome and Black
Rubber Grip Handle
Double lock
Check Price on AmazonPecute Dog Nail Clippers
We tested these Pecute Dog Nail Clippers in the medium to large size on Akira who is a large dog with quite thick nails. A scissor type mechanism on nail clippers is thought to be better than the guillotine type for bigger dogs. But we wanted to check this out for ourselves.
Akira’s face says it all as she keeps a very close eye on what is being done to her nails. It can be a worrying experience for a dog having their nails cut (and for their owners too!) but she was very brave and the Pecute nail clippers cut each nail in one quick snip. There was no fuss or additional cuts needed.
We really liked the safety stop guard feature which is really helpful to ensure you don’t over cut the nail. There are also semi-circular indentations in both blades which allow you to see exactly where you’re cutting the nail. The nail file is a nice addition to smooth any sharp nail edges. There are also simple to follow instructions on how to use the nail clippers which is really helpful for novices.
The Details
Stainless Steel Blades
Comes with a Nail Fail
Measures 18 x 5 x 1 cm
Available in sizes Small and Large
Green and Black
Non-slip Silicone Handle
Comes with Security Lock
Check Price on AmazonPetpal Professional Dog Nail Clippers
We bought the large size Petpal professional nail clippers to test on our dogs as the majority of the dogs at the shelter are medium to large in size. These are scissor style nail clippers and have a sturdy feel to them. In addition they are really comfortable to hold which of course makes it a much nicer experience for us humans.
Diva really does not like having her nails cut, bless her. Her face is so trusting however, which is just adorable to see. Diva is an older girl who has really thick nails that are tough normally to cut. All in all, normally we dread cutting her nails. The good news however, is that Petpal nail clippers were really easy to use and cut straight through her nails without any problem at all. Previously we have had problems and even broken some nail clippers.
There is a metal plate behind the blades which helps ensure you don’t cut too much of the nail off in one go. One snip and the nail was cut. A big relief for Diva, a big relief for us too!
The nail clippers come with clear instructions on how to use the nail cutters which of course is super helpful.
The Details
Stainless Steel Blades
Ergonomic non-slip rubber handle
Safety Lock
Safety Spacer
Available in sizes Small and Large
Large Size Dimensions 23.37 x 12.7 x 3.3 cm
Blue and Black
Check Price on AmazonGonicc Dog Nail Clippers
Upon opening these, the first thing we noticed was they don’t feel as solid or sturdy as some of the others we tested. Perhaps a little more plastic? The scissor style clippers however are lightweight and comfortable to hold.
Pebbles is 5 years old, and these did cut through her nails with ease. They are sharp!
The non slip handles are really nicely designed with a slight curve that fits nicely in the hand. The added guard offers extra piece of mind and is a great safety feature that ensures you never cut to the quick.
A lovely extra is the nail file conveniently stored in the handle will allow you to polish desired sharpness.
Lightweight and sharp, the Gonicc dog nail clippers are reasonably priced and do the job nicely.
The Details
Stainless Steel Blades
Ergonomic non-slip rubber handle
Free Hidden Nail File
Safety Lock
Safety Spacer
20.57 x 8.64 x 2.54 cm One Size
Blue and Black
Check Price on AmazonAdniac Dog Nails Clippers
The Adniac dog nail clippers are different in design to the scissor style ones we are also testing. These are guillotine style where you stick the end of your dog’s nail in the hole and squeeze. A blade is lowered, gently slicing off the end of the nail.
It is recommended to use this type of clipper mechanism on small to medium dogs rather than large. Now this is purely based on our preference but we didn’t find these as easy to use as it wasn’t as easy to see where the blade would cut. There is of course a safety spacer but we also like to see exactly what we are doing to ensure no harm is done to the dog.
We cut Rufus’s nails with the Adniac nail clippers. Once we got started and used to the different style these did cut his nails in one go, with minimal fuss which of course is the aim. There is free nail file stored in the handle which is handy to smooth any sharp edges. A slight negative is that there is no safety lock to store them closed when not in use.
The Details
Stainless Steel Half Moon Shaped Blades
Ergonomic non-slip rubber handle
Free Hidden Nail File
Safety Spacer
21.5 x 11.6 x 2.2 cm One Size
Available in 2 colours: Blue and grey, pink and grey
Check Price on AmazonIokheira Dog Nail Clippers
The Iokheria nail clippers are one of the cheaper pairs we purchased but this doesn’t mean they aren’t up to the task at hand. These are a great pair for complete novices at cutting dogs nails. Pebbles also helped us review this pair (where are all the volunteers when we need them? hiding perhaps?).
From a human perspective the handle on these compared to others we tested isn’t as comfortable to hold. Perhaps a minor detail if you only have one dog’s nails to cut. These don’t have as much of a curve to the handle making them slightly harder to get a good firm grip on. Pebbles wasn’t interested in our hands though and just wanted to get back to playing ball.
Fortunately these Iokheria clippers did the job quickly and efficiently so she was back to playing in no time at all.
The Details
Stainless Steel Blades
Ergonomic non-slip rubber handle
Nail File
Safety Lock
Blade Block
Available in on size
Dimensions 23.37 x 12.7 x 3.3 cm
Green and white
Check Price on AmazonConclusion
Phew, We tested all 6 dog nail clippers without any dogs or humans fainting and without any accidents or false moves! What a relief.
A huge, huge, huge thank you to our dogs for being so brave and patient with us. We know this wasn’t your favourite dog product to review, but we promise you having sore paws from overgrown nails would be much worse.
The range of dog nail clippers we tested vary in price starting at £9.99 going up to £26.10 and the good thing is when it comes to testing a product, the dogs are oblivious to the costs. What matters to them of course is does the product work quickly, efficiently and without causing any pain? For us humans we were interested in of course the same things as the dogs but also whether the nail clippers are easy and comfortable to use and whether they are durable?
The nail clippers we tested were all designed for medium to larger dogs, both scissor and guillotine style. We definitely preferred the scissor style clippers, but perhaps this is because we are used to these and felt more comfortable using them? For those who are not that confident cutting their dog’s nails we would recommend purchasing nail clippers that have a safety spacer as this prevents any nasty accidents from over cutting.
We were thoroughly impressed by the Pecute professional nail clippers and so was Akira who hates having her nails cut. They worked really well, one click and cut, and despite Akira’s nails being very thick, left no sharp or jagged edges. The Petpal nail clippers we feel are also on the same par, they are easy to use, comfortable and the slightly nerdy side in us, really found the instructions easy to follow. Both great pairs of clippers for regular use and reasonably priced too.
If you are looking for a pair of nail clippers that will last and last and last then…………the creme de la creme of nail clippers are the Resco Pro Series Nail Clippers. They really are super solid, sturdy, sharp and with the amount of dogs we have to do regular nail cuts on, we need a pair that is reliable, won’t break even on the toughest of nails and that are comfortable to use.
