Our Clumber pup is now 4 1/2 months old. I've suddenly realised in the 2 months we've had him, we've never clipped his claws, or trimmed the fur in his pads! When is the right time to do this - I know it's a daft question, but how do you know when claws and fur are too long?

I don't think trimming the fur will be problematic, but do people recommend doing the claws themselves, or am I best taking him to vets/groomers?

Thanks 

If you can hear his claws clicking on hard surfaces then they need trimming; it's probably better to get the vet to show you how much to take off then you'll be able to do it yourselves. White nails are much easier than black ones, because you can see how far the 'quick' (the sensitive part of the nail, which will hurt and bleed if you cut it) goes down the nail.

You might be better contacting his breeder for advice.

With my dachsie pups I took the tips of their nails off from a couple of weeks old to stop them scratching Mum as they fed, they were about 3 months old before I needed to trim the hair.

Many dogs hate having their feet touched so when ever they are laying by me I fiddle with their paws and go between the pads with my fingers so they get used to the sensation.

If the breed needs to go to the groomers for coat care then they will do the nails too, you may have to do it in between if the nails are not ground down by walking on hard pavements or rough surfaces.

To judge if they need doing I stand them on the grooming table and if the nail is touching the table and pushing the toe out of its natural position they then need cutting.

You need to keep the hair between the pads trimmed as it can get matted and hard again pushing pads out of their natural position.

Tbh I wouldn't take him to a vet, (a) they charge a fortune and (b) they often don't seem to know what they're doing. I've lost count of the number of snappy dogs I trim nails where I have to muzzle because the owner took them to a vet or vet nurse and they cut all the quicks and traumatised the dogs. A Clumber has probably got white nails, so you can easily do it yourself. Get a groomer to show you or do it with you watching the first time, I wouldn't charge more than £5 to just do nails, it only takes a few minutes even with a wriggly puppy. Then you can pick a time when he's quite tired and cuddly, and get him on your lap, just gently hold a paw and snip off the tip, making sure you stay away from the pinkish bit which will be the quick and will hurt and bleed if you catch it. If there's more than one of you, one person can give a 'restraining cuddle' and help hang on to spare paws while the other one trims. And of course doing it at home, you can do one foot, then give a treat and let him go and do the next foot next day and so on. Don't forget the dewclaws if he has them, normally just on front feet.

With the fur under the pads it's a similar thing - you might also want to get him used to standing or lying on a table, depending on how much generall trimming you want to do, but otherwise just check under and between his pads. Spaniels are prone to getting mud or grass seeds caught in the fluff under the feet and I often get dogs in with mud and hair packed into a hard lump, must be like walking with stones in your shoes for the dog!

Here's a helpful link about clipping dogs' nails.

Thanks for the advice folks - appointment made with dog groomer tomorrow for a first trim - hopefully I'll be able to DIY after that. And yes - she's charging a fiver!

Excellent! I'm sure she'll be happy to show you how to do it yourself. :-)

Just to add -at 4 ½ months old you might not need to trim the claws yet. A lot will depend on the surface the pup walks most on. I have two 9 month old pups and there is no way they'd need their claws done yet as they are kept short naturally. I only need to do my big dogs every few months as they have gravel and flagstones outside in the garden. The little dogs go out on grass in the garden (and all go for walks on both roads and fields) and they need theirs doing every month. So big difference. Adult claws also seem to grow much faster than pups.