# Running on hard surfaces "trims" nails: Fact or Fiction?



## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

I hear this whenever I mention to someone that he needs his nails trimmed (I have this habit of critiquing my own grooming whenever I get a compliment about how nice he's groomed and taken care of).

I almost invariably get told that I should let him run and play on hard surfaces like the sidewalk or the black top on the playground. I usually don't because I've also heard doing that is bad on a dog's joints (not so great on human's either, but we can wear shoes to absorb a lot of the shock, paw pads are more for traction than shock absorbing)

So I wonder, is it really true? If so, is it true only for bigger dogs?


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## Wag_More (Jun 7, 2011)

Ive always known it to be true that dogs nails will be worn down some by walking on hard surfaces, the same as horse's and goat's hooves will be worn down some walking on rough surfaces, and rabbits teeth will be worn down some by chewing on things .. but it doesn't replace nail clipping


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## Labmom4 (Feb 1, 2011)

Fact. IMO. I almost never trim nails, and if I do, it's just one or two of the outter nails or on the back paws. My dogs run up and down our driveway when we play fetch.


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## CareBearStare (Dec 19, 2009)

I have no grass in my yard. It's just a large deck and concrete. I also live in suburbia, so the dog's get walked on pavement/concrete (  ). One is 85lbs and the other is ~28lbs. Both need to get their nails dremeled regularly or they will start 'clicking' when walking on tiled floors. So no, in my experience walking on rough surfaces doesn't keep the nails short (at least not short enough imo).


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

Truth. Only nails I make an effort to trim are dewclaws. Unless I see one of the nails is getting really obnoxious I let the blacktop wear her nails down.


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## Tofu_pup (Dec 8, 2008)

Fact.

I rarely have to trim Kaki's nail. What I don't understand is her dew claws. I can't remember the last time I trimmed them and they are at a perfect length.

The daycare I used to work in had a gigantic concrete area as our "yard". It used to be a parking lot. The dogs would wear down their nails playing on it. Dogs that really got running frequently quicked themselves. A quicked nail from the yard happened at least once a week.


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## runner (Jul 13, 2011)

So some yes and some say no. With that, do you think I should take my Wheaten Terrier out for a run, say about 1/2-1 hour on a paved surface?


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## Sparrow (Jul 17, 2011)

Truth although I can't say it's just hard surfaces. I live on a farm & my dogs are working on natural ground 90% of the time. My Great Pyranees boys never had their nails trimmed in their lives. In fact they'd clip them themselves by nibbling just a fraction from the quick. My handlers who are city dwellers who jog/run or do very long walks on a regular basis for exercise take their dogs & none of them trim nails either unless a dog has dew claws they don't maintain on their own. My collie in her advanced years has stopped trimming her dewclaws so I have to nip them now & again.

The only nails we trim on a regular basis is on our mini-mice dogs whose exercise jungle involves tough surfaces like green grass & the COUCH or bed.

I like my dogs to wear their nails down as I know they're getting enough milage to be active & healthy.


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## CareBearStare (Dec 19, 2009)

I guess I'm in the minority here. I'm probably a little crazy about nail length though, I prefer not being able to hear the nails clicking against the kitchen floor. Also, the dogs don't run much on the concrete. The walks range from 30-90min at a time, but it's a brisk walk for me/trot for the dogs. If I'm going to have them running I take them to a nearby baseball field. I don't like Pig running on hard surfaces (she's 6 months). So her flat out running is restricted to grassy areas or carpeting.


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

You could train Wally to "dig" at an emery board. It's basically a wooden plank with sandpaper-type material taped to it. I know I saw a better description of it somewhere, but I can't find it. It's something you would have to make, not buy.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Depends on the dog and the surface. "Hard" isn't the key IMO, it's how abrasive the surface is. For example, Pip is rarely walked on a leash, we go to the dog park where the well-worn trails are hard-packed dirt. It does jack-all for his nails and he needs them trimmed regularly. Maisy and Squash are walked regularly on sidewalks and paved trails, and their rear nails in particular are kept worn to a good length. I sometimes have to trim their front nails, but I can't remember the last time I trimmed their rear nails.

Now, in the winter it will change as the sidewalks get covered with snow - even with shoveling, the sidewalks are very rarely 100% clear of a thin layer of packed snow which is hard but does absolutely nothing for their nails. I like to let them get a little longer in the winter, anyway, like doggie yak trax.

But I also don't think going out and running around on the sidewalk for a couple of hours is going to be as useful as, say, walking on the same surface every day. It's the repetitive motion that wears the nails down.


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## Labmom4 (Feb 1, 2011)

I dont really encourage a lot of running or jogging on hard surfaces, because of their joints. It's more like they 'slide out' on the concrete driveway. I throw the ball just a little ways down the drive, they scramble and slide to get it and usually cut across the lawn to bring it back to me.


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## Niraya (Jun 30, 2011)

Tofu_pup said:


> What I don't understand is her dew claws. I can't remember the last time I trimmed them and they are at a perfect length.


Kaki probably chews at them to take care of them and that keeps them at length. Bella does that with hers.


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## BellaPup (Jul 7, 2007)

Does it make a difference in the replies if the dog has light or dark nails? I think that would contribute a little...? Dark nails tend to be much tougher. 

I think it would take a LOT of activity on concrete to wear Bella's nails down - I have to change the dremel sander quite often - and I'm not sure that much time/workout on concrete (stone, asphalt etc) would be good for her joints or pads.


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## MusherChic (Nov 6, 2010)

I say true. I run my sled dogs on a dirt/partial gravel trail in the fall and I never trim their nails. I actually let them grow out a bit near the end of summer so they will have some extra nail to wear down when we start fall training.
The sled dogs get trimmed in the summer and sometimes in the winter though and the pets get trimmed regularly.


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## Polywoggy (Mar 7, 2011)

I never had to trim Willow's nails until she got old, ill, and inactive. She was such a blur, a retrieving fool in her younger days, I wonder that she had any nails at all! Most of her retrieving was on hard, packed dirt trails and fields, but she got a lot of sidewalk walks too. Good girl, after all those years of not being conditioned to clipping, she's very cooperative.


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## Labmom4 (Feb 1, 2011)

Polywoggy said:


> I never had to trim Willow's nails until she got old, ill, and inactive. She was such a blur, a retrieving fool in her younger days, I wonder that she had any nails at all! Most of her retrieving was on hard, packed dirt trails and fields, but she got a lot of sidewalk walks too. Good girl, after all those years of not being conditioned to clipping, she's very cooperative.


Same with Rocky. His nails only got long in his later years. Unfortunately, he was afraid of nail trimming by that time, so I just let it go. good for Willow for letting you do it!


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## Polywoggy (Mar 7, 2011)

She will actually snooze while I do it!


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## workerant (Feb 28, 2011)

True. My 27-pound Border Collie (?) mutt hasn't needed her nails trimmed in over a year because of our daily 3-mile walks (walks! not runs.) However, you should consider your dog's overall health before undertaking a sudden fetch-on-pavement or running program.


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## runner (Jul 13, 2011)

Overall health, yes. She's a almost 10 mo. old Wheaten and seems to be fine, probably next month when the weather cools I'll start taking her out with me. It's mostly asphalt, a little concrete. Maybe for 10-15 min to start and we'll go from there.


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## waterbaby (Jan 20, 2009)

I'm surprised there are so many trues. With Sophie it hasn't been the case at all. During the peak of our exercise time, she's out for several miles (up to 4) on the road and many miles per day (up to 12) on dirt or gravel trails. I still trim her nails constantly during that time and I don't think I'm overly anal about it. I do look at her feet a lot more then to make sure they're not being damaged. ... Maybe that makes me more sensitive.


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

Hmm...interesting

Wally and I usually walk on the sidewalk. We do go on the grass, but most of the time, it's sidewalk or crossing an intersection so street pavement for a bit also. 

I will say we don't go in for nail trims too often (like today, he's going for just a bath and brushing). 

Wally does "click" when walks on the now wood floor (was vinyl) and on the tiles in the dining room, but he also clicks even after the times he had nail trims done. I can tell they've been done, though, because he paws me after - it's like he sharped them up LOL

Interesting mix of experiences. I think I have the smallest dog of anyone who responded. Seems like many have medium sized dogs. I think the smallest listed weight was 28 lbs. That's TWICE Wally's size! 

The dark nails question piqued my interest too because Wally does have dark nails.


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## TravelingKoolie (Jan 4, 2011)

I say true, depending on the dog and surface. I'm sure that the way the dog runs, how it's moving and what kind of turning it's doing makes it very situational. And like someone said, the type of nails come into play to, darker nails seem much harder. 

Traveler's nails don't get worn down and we do around 30 miles or more next to a bike a week. But, I very very rarely have him on any kind of pavement and even on the gravel bike trails I have him run in the grass next to me so they still need to be trimmed. I so wish I could have him run on hard pavement for extended periods of time, he's such a butt about nail trimming.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

I walk my 65 lb, 11 yo, LabxGSD every day for 30 min. About 15 - 20 min is on the street. He has black nails, so they require a little more careful trimming, since they aren't transparent. 

I read somewhere (no reference) that if a dog's claws click on the floor, then it will eventually mis-align their foot or leg. I take that seriously, since I've been lucky to have ancient, geriatric dogs... (no, not 11 yo, 17 yo !!! and that's my current goal). So, I do a light trim on some of his claws every week. He only needs once a month, but this way, clipping his claws is not a major issue...


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## jkliveng (Jul 7, 2011)

def true, not just hard surfaces but concrete type, not hardwood floors or anything like that. We bring Mick to tennis a lot because they always have tall fences around, and if we stay too long his will get too short and close to drawing blood.


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## Shaina (Oct 28, 2007)

For us it's not true, but while the dogs do miles and miles, I keep them on softer surfaces like packed dirt or turf, plus swimming. They aren't on concrete and such enough to wear down their nails.


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## RBark (Sep 10, 2007)




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## hast (Aug 17, 2011)

When I've been traveling Miss Mandy is with my son in Florida. They live in town and walk on asphalt 3-4 miles a day. Neither his dog nor mine ever used to need a trim while there ... here at the farm they both needed trims though. Then we changed food to Orijen and now they both need more than 3-4 mile walks on asphalt to trim their nails. Their nails are much harder with this food. (healthier?)

So I say it depends on the length of the walks and the food they're eating.


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## Lamora (Aug 16, 2011)

Seems like I am ALWAYS taking Sadie to get her nails trimmed. I hate long nails on any animal. She plays in grass and long walks? well I cant do much of those anymore, I try for a few short walks a day, but nothing to help with her nail trimming. the only dog I ever had that I didnt trim nails on was a Great Dane i had, he would dig for rocks, not small one, but large ones. Kept his nails pretty short. Other than that, up till now, I would do them myself. Now? it is worth it for me to take Sadie to someone else and have it done right and good, better than I could. But thats me


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## marsha=whitie (Dec 29, 2008)

I've never had to trim Callie or Suzi's nails, and come to think of it, I've never had to trim Bryna's, either. The only hard surface that Callie and Suzi ever go on is my parents porch, and it keeps them down. Walking Bryna on the sidewalk keeps hers down. So yes, its true.


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## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

Jubel gets walked mostly on packed dirt/mulch trails, grass, and only some concrete/asphalt and needs regular nail trimming. His nails are actually a bit long and I'm working for a dremel now to try and shorten his quicks. Though his back nails aren't that bad, his front paws are the real trouble. 

He has dark brown nails and the actually seem prone to chipping and splintering a bit versus getting worn down on hard surfaces. I've seen an increase in the splits in his nails recently, possibly from some of the equipment in our agility class, or from pulling to greet some neighbors recently and scratching his feet on the sidewalks.


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## JohnnyBandit (Sep 19, 2008)

Will hard surfaces trim a dog's nails? Absolutel! If you MOVE the dog on the surface. A slow walk is not going to do much. But if you move out with your dog, at least to trot and a run is better. 

Down here the dirt (sand) will wear dog nails as well. Just digging will keep the nails down.


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## +two (Jul 12, 2011)

hast said:


> When I've been traveling Miss Mandy is with my son in Florida. They live in town and walk on asphalt 3-4 miles a day. Neither his dog nor mine ever used to need a trim while there ... here at the farm they both needed trims though. Then we changed food to Orijen and now they both need more than 3-4 mile walks on asphalt to trim their nails. Their nails are much harder with this food. (healthier?)
> 
> So I say it depends on the length of the walks and the food they're eating.


Thats interesting! I never really considered how a food would effect nail strength, but it makes a lot of sense. 

Tyler turns into the devil reincarnate when i take out the nail trimming tools, so we don't get to do it very often. Also, the Vet refuses to do it because he becomes too frantic and its impossible, even with 3 or 4 techs helping. My solution has been to run him on hard, coarse surfaces. I think texture is key; a wooden floor won't keep them short, but an old asphalt sidewalk will. In the winter, when the sidewalks are covered in snow, his nails grow quite a bit longer than normal. 

Ozzie is good about having his nails trimmed, but I still prefer the 'natural' method of letting friction and abrasion do the work. 

So, IMO, its true. I still like to trim their nails down though.


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

JohnnyBandit said:


> Will hard surfaces trim a dog's nails? Absolutel! If you MOVE the dog on the surface. A slow walk is not going to do much. But if you move out with your dog, at least to trot and a run is better.



That's achievable. I just have to roll the ball on the sidewalk and he's running after it. So if I include some of that on the black top on the playground, I can swing that no problem.


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## Xeph (May 7, 2007)

I've not noticed that concrete keeps any of my dogs nails worn down, and we go biking almost daily


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