# How long should dew claws be?



## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

I'm never sure how much to trim my dog's dew claws. Can someone post a photo of a properly trimmed one? Much appreciated!


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

They should be as short as you can get them. The problem with dewclaws (and the reason they are removed in many young puppies) is that they can catch on things (trees, brush, carpet, etc.) and rip out. So you want them to be as small as possible, to help prevent that. The shorter the better. You should trim them as close to the vein as you can, regularly, as they don't get worn down any when walking and get longer faster than the other nails.


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

I do worry about her catching them on things. We were playing towel tug the other night and a long thread from the towel got caught on one. I had to hold an excited dog still while DH ran to get scissors so we could cut her loose from the towel. First time anything like that has happened. Thanks. I'll keep working on them.


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## Doggysalon (Aug 20, 2010)

Trim it little by little. All dogs are different and have very short blood vessels or very long blood vessels in the nails.


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