Trim your Dog’s Nails with Confidence

Nail care is one of those things that gets quietly set aside — and then set aside again — until it feels bigger than it probably needs to be. The good news is that it’s a learnable thing, for you and for your dog, and the path there is usually more incremental than dramatic.

Veterinarian Dr. Julia Steinke and certified behavior consultant Kim Silver are offering a seminar that covers both sides of what makes nail care work. Dr. Steinke will walk through paw and nail anatomy, what healthy nails actually look like, and the conditions that affect your dog’s comfort, mobility, and willingness to participate in handling. Kim Silver will introduce cooperative care — the training framework that shifts a dog from something being done to them toward something they can engage with. Between them, they’ll cover the full toolkit: scratch boards, manual filing, clippers, and rotary tools, along with how to work with your veterinarian or groomer as partners in the process.

The seminar also makes space for the more complicated cases. Fear, anxiety, and pain all shape how a dog responds to handling, and behavioral medications have a legitimate role in some nail care plans. Knowing which piece of the puzzle you’re working with changes the approach.

Whether your dog is reasonably cooperative or has strong opinions about the whole subject, successful nail care is rarely about the trim itself — it’s about the small steps that make the trim possible.

• Attend in-person (no dogs)
• Online.

In-person slots fill quickly. Secure your space.