The correct tools include a guillotine-style clipper or an electric nail grinder. Also a commercially available bleeding inhibitor like Kwik-Stop in case you cut too close (even the pros do this once in awhile).

Gently grasp your dog's paw, placing pressure on the pad of your dog's foot so that the nail extends. The nails shown above are too long and require trimming. Nails can be cut every four to six weeks.

When using a nail clipper, cut beyond the quick, (the area of flesh beneath the toenail). Stop clipping when you see a dark dot in the center of the cut nail. If the nail bleeds, apply a bleeding inhibitor.

An electric nail grinder uses a rotating sandpaper end to groom the nails without the danger of cutting past the quick and causing bleeding. If the dog is sensitive to noise or has long hair, (which may get wrapped up in the rotating grinder end), you may wish to use a clipper instead.

Start clipping or grinding nails early as a young puppy. Clip a nail and say "Good!" while your partner gives puppy a food treat. Couple each clip with a treat. Soon puppy will look forward to each clip. If puppy is afraid of the grinder noise, run it nearby while puppy eats. Move it closer and closer until puppy is desensitized to the noise.