Our dogs are not happy with the nail-clipping ordeal, so we figured this out. Turns out there are commercial devices available (see below), but this has worked for us for quite some time.

Our dogs already will put their front feet on anything, so it was quite easy to shape dragging their paws down the board. We do this at breakfast time once or twice a week, which maintains nice, short nails on the front toes.

Husband Ken built our nail “grinder” after I gave up on using a plain piece of plywood and fighting to keep it stable while the dog scratched. It measures about 12″ tall by whatever the width of the sandpaper is that you buy. I use a coarse sandpaper. I think he had some wood scraps with that angle on them and put it together pretty quick. I personally would like it to be a bit taller, since my dogs like to reach high. I do have to hold it stable between my legs.

If you aren’t a DIY kinda person, there is a commercial product, called a Scratch Pad, which I’ve heard good things about.

Happy scratching!