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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS);faqs.232



The tail is moderately long, reaching to the hock, with an upward
swirl at the tip.

Coat for a Rough collie is well-fitting and abundant except on the
head and legs.  The outer coat is harsh to the touch and the under
coat is soft and furry and so close together that it is difficult to
see the skin.  The coat is very abundant on the mane and frill.  The
face or mask is smooth.  The legs are well feathered at the back but
smooth and clean on the front of the legs.  The tail is long and
bushy.  The Smooth collie has a harsh, dense, flat coat of good
texture with and abundance of undercoat.

Color -- There are four recognized colors "Sable and White",
"Tri-color", "Blue Merle" and "White".  There is no prefernce amoung
them for show purposes. "Sable and White" is predominately sable (a
fawn sable color of varying shades from light gold to dark mahogany)
with white markings usually on the chest, neck, legs, feet and the tip
of the tail.  A blaze may appear on the forface or backskull or both.
The "Tri-color" is predominantly black carrying white markings as in
the "Sable and White" and has tan shadings on and about the head and
legs.  The "Blue Merle" is a mottled or "marbled" color predominately
blue-grey and black with white markings as in the "Sable and White"
and usually has tan shadings as in the "Tri-color".  The "White" is
predominately white, preferably with sable, tri-color or blue-marle
markings.  The white markings are not a factor in judging the collie
other than individual preferences.

Size:  Dogs are from 24 to 26 inches at the shoulder and weigh 60 to
75 lbs.  Bitches are from 22 to 24 inches at the shoulder and weigh
50 to 65 lbs.  Over or undersized dogs are penalized.

Expression: Is one of the most important points in evaluating the
collie.  It is a combination of head, eye, and ear expressions.

RECOGNIZED

American Kennel Club (Rough and Smooth collie)
United Kennel Club (Scotch Collie)
Kennel Club of Great Britain (Scotch Collie)
Canadian Kennel Club
Japanese Kennel Club
and many other kennel clubs

HISTORY

Most believe the Collie evolved in the highlands of Scotland and
Northern England.  Some claim that the Collies ancestors were brought
to the British Isles by Roman concuerors in the middle of the first
century, A.D.  But it is also known that the earlist invaders, the
Stone Age nomads also brought dogs with them to what is now Southern
England.  From these decendants came a hardy, quick-witted dog that
was needed to handle sheep, cattle, goats, and pigs, and they were
undoubtedly used for hunting along with their herding duties.  English
dogs were highly prised in Italy in the 11th century.  The growth of
the wool industry in the Middle ages was aided along by dogs known as
the ban dog and the cur in 15th and 16th century England.  Not until
about the 18th century did the breeding of domestic animals begin.
The rough Collie was virtually unknown in London as late as 1860,
while a bob-tailed smooth sheep dog was more common to that area.  The
rough Collie came down from Scotland and the border countries to
farmer's markets at Birmingham, following the development of the
railroads.  The Collie most likely made his show ring debut in
December, 1860, at Birmingham, the third formal dog show at which
conformation of individual animals was judged.  They were most likely
shown in the group classified "sheepdogs" with combined different
strains of rough and smooth Collies, bob-tails, and beardies.

None of the sheepdogs were very popular at this time.  They were
generally working dogs, without pedigrees, and they were more of a
farmers dog.  They were small, weighing 25 to 45 lbs, relatively short
legged, long-backed, short necked, and had unsightly feet and legs.
Many were cow-hocked, fiddle fronted, overangulated, with a wide
variety of tails lengths including no-tails, bob-tails, half-tailed
and long-tailed dogs all occurring in the same litter.  They had much
heavier heads and had terrier like eyes.  The coats were various
lengths from smooth to extremely long and frilled, in one black and
white Scottish strain.  The color was origionally black and white or
black and tan, but sometimes grey, dull brown or mixed brindle sable
in color.

The Collie's popularity began with Queen Victoria (1837-1901), who
fell in love with the breed on visits to her Scottish retreat.  It was
then that the lowly farmers dog was elevated to a state of canine
aristocracy.  It then became more fashionable to own a Collie and show
entries rose.

One of the most important Collies, a dog named Old Cockie, became
recoginzed in 1868.  All show Collies trace back to Old Cockie Through
his sable and white grandson Charlemagne, whose pedigree shows the
only two sables: Maude, his dam, and her sire, Old Cockie.  Old Cockie
live fourteen years as a cherished and pampered companion of Mr. James
Bissell.

CHARACTERISTICS AND TEMPERAMENT

Collies are very family oriented dogs.  They love children, they are
very intelligent, quick learners, very sensitive, playful, and great
outdoors dogs.  Collies get along well with other pets.  Collies
however are not for everyone.  The do require a lot of exercise to
keep them happy and fit.  Collies are very energetic and will become
easily bored if left alone for extended periods.  They are very good
at finding things to do if they are bored, which will often include
digging, barking and other general destructive behaviors.

Collies should not be tied up or chained.  Because they are a herding
dog they are able to run up to 40 miles a day.  It is preferable to
have a large fenced yard or a large kennel area.  Collie are also
great athletes and can easliy jump a 4 or 5 foot fence when motivated
to do so.  A 6 foot fence is suggested for fencing off areas.  Collies
understand boundaries of yards well and it is advisable to walk a new
puppy around the yard twice a day for the first week, and once a day
for two following weeks to teach them the yard limits.  Collies can
become car chasers and it is advisable to stop this at the FIRST sign
of car chasing activity.

Collies make excellent obedience dogs.  The require a soft touch when
initally learning the exercise and a quick correction once they do
understand but just refuse to do the exercise.  Collies can become
stubborn and unwilling to learn anything if too much correction is
used.  They are also bright enough to figure out ways to avoid doing
exercises.  In general they are very intelligent and very sensitive
dogs.  Collies also retain many of their inheirated herding abilities
and make excellent working dogs.  Smooth collies are occasionally used
as assistance dogs for physically handi-capped people.  Collies have
also been known to be used as therapy dogs, Search and Rescue dogs,
Avalanche Dogs, Water Rescue dogs, Drug-detection dogs, and Fire
Rescue dogs.  Collies have been decorated five times for Ken-L-Ration
Hero Dogs.

Grooming is a neccessity for rough collies.  Rough coats take some
care.  A good brushing one a week will take care of many mats and
tangles and a bath every two months or so is ok.  Smooths are much
easier to care for.  They have short hair like a shepherd, but still
have the thick double coat.  Smooths seem to shed a lot because the
fur is more likely to fall out, where as in roughs, it is more likely
to tangle up into hair balls.  Collies shed about as much as any other
dog.  Their major hair loss is in the spring as the weather gets warm
and in the fall as the new winter fur comes in.  If you brush them out
then, shedding shouldn't be a big problem.  Large mats should be
removed with thinning shears if they presist behind the ears, under
the legs or around the neck.  It is also advisable to remove the fur
from the inner pads of the feet and the lower areas of the hock and
pasterns.  Those dogs with dew claws need them trimmed at least once a
month.

Collies live about 12 to 16 years on average.  Males are a bit more
rambunctous than females.  Females are usually pretty reserved.  Both
are equally acceptable for children.  All of the "Lassie's" were male
collies.  Females tend to have less coat than the males and are
slightly smaller.  Both are equally intelligent.

Collies also "think" they are also great "lap" dogs.  Get your collie
puppy from a responsible breeder and you should not have any problems.
Collies from pet stores and back yard breeders are notorious for eye
and other problems.  Get a guarantee of quality with your puppy and
don't be offended by spay/neuter contracts for pet puppies (most pet
puppies will have slight eye problems but are not serious for neutered
pets).  Pet puppies are about $250 - $400 and show dogs are usually
$500 and up.  You aren't getting a bargan at $150 or so, if the
breeder doesn't check eyes.


SPECIAL MEDICAL PROBLEMS

Collies do have eye problems.  95% of the collies have been reported
to have CEA, which is small deformities in the eye.  Almost all of
these deformities do not cause blindness and there are various
severities of CEA (Collie Eye Anomaly).  Most responsible breeders
will know and check their puppies for the problem at a veterinary
opthamoligist.  There are some dogs that are "Normal eyed" which means
they are not affected, but they may be carriers of the genes causing
CEA.  CERF -- Canine Eye Registration Foundation -- registers
"Normal-eyed" dogs.  If you just want a pet, a grade 1 or 2 CEA (and
even a grade 3) are just fine.  Grade 3 and over should never be bred.
Grades 1 and 2 are still bred and shown, but breeders are making an
effort to not breed any affected dog.  Right now it is difficult to do
with 95% affected dogs

CEA (Collie Eye Anomaly) is the most common form of eye problem found
in the collie, both rough and smooth variety.  It is also found in the
border collie, and the shetland sheepdog.  It is believed to by
controlled by a genetic cluster, or large group of genes, and thus, it
is hard to control by breeding, and ranges in severity.

There is no discrimination between sex, coat color, type of coat
(rough or smooth), or presence of the merling gene.  Usually both eyes
are affected, but not necessarily to the same degree.  Those dogs with
minor anomaly make fine pets and usually do not loose their eyesight.
Those that are more severly affected can loose their eyesight within a
few years of diagnosis if the retina is detached by a blow to the head
or else they will be born blind.  These dogs usually do not make
acceptable pets.

Contrary to popular belief, breeding two mildly affected dogs will
only result in affected puppies, ranging from severe to mild.  No
puppies from the mating will have "normal" eyes -- ( NOT affected to
ANY degree with CEA).  The only way to possibly get "normal-eyed"
puppies is to breed a non-affected dog to another non-affected dog.
Because the CEA is carried as recessive genes, a mating between two
"normal-eyed" dogs can result in puppies with CEA ranging from mild to
severe and "normal-eyed" CEA carriers.

ONLY geneotypically "normal-eyed" dogs will give an entire litter of
"normal-eyed" puppies and it is reasonable to assume that some
of these will be carriers unless neither parents are carriers.

PRA -- progressive retinal atrophy -- will result in blindness.  It is
pretty rare in the collie now, but is another thing to ask about.

Collies have VERY low rates of hip dysplasia.  Most breeders do not
check or OFA their dogs.  Collies and Boston Terriers are about equal
in the number of hip dysplasia cases.  It is still perferable to have
the dogs checked before breeding.

Collies are quite sensitive to heart-worm medication and some other
harsh chemicals.  Some tend to have skin problems.  Hot spots are
sometimes found in muggy summer months.  They have also been known to
have epilpsy.

REFERENCES

1.  Books:

The New Collie
by:  The Collie Club of America
Howell Book House Inc,
230 Park Ave
New York, NY  10169
copy right 1983
(approx. $24 )

The Collie: A Veterinary Reference for the Professional Breeder
by:  Dr. Sharon Lynn Vanderlip DVM
Biotechnicl Veterinary Consultants
P.O Box 327
Cardiff by the Sea, CA  92007
copy right 1984
(approx. $34.50)

Collie Concept
by:  Mrs. George H. "Bobbee" Roos
P.O. Box 7027
Alpine Publications, Inc.
Loveland, CO  80537
(approx. $29 )

Collie Club of America Book of Champions, Vol. I (1884-1961) (CCA)
Collie Club of America Book of Champions, Vol. II (1962-1976) (CCA)

2.  Magazines:

Collie Cues
6200 Bay View Ave.
Richmond Heights, CA  94806

Collie Review
8790 Applan Way
Los Angeles, CA  90046

3.  Breeders:

Disclaimer: These breeders have been recommended in good faith by
readers of rec.pets.dogs.  However, you are still responsible for
verifying that a particular breeder meets your needs to your
satisfaction.

Contact the Collie Club of America for breeder recommendations.


4.  Clubs:

Collie Club of America
Mr. John Honig, Secretary
72 Flagg Street
Worcester, MA  01602
  (educational materials available upon request)

Collie Club of America Bulletin
Editor:  Shirley A. Schaffer
5735 South M-76
Alger, MI  48610
(non-member subscription $30/yr)
X-Last-Updated: 1992/06/18
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs,news.answers
From: [e-mail] (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Subject: rec.pets.dogs:  Greyhounds FAQ
Sender: tittle
Organization: University of California at Irvine: ICS Dept.
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Followup-To: poster
Approved: [e-mail]

Archive-name: dogs-faq/greyhounds

This is the breed-specific FAQ for Greyhounds.  It is not posted on a
regular basis, but may be obtained via anonymous ftp at pit-manager.mit.edu
under /pub/usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/greyhounds. Or, send email to
[e-mail] with

send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/greyhounds

in the subject line, leaving the body empty.

AUTHOR

Jack Dean, 18 June 1992.

DESCRIPTION

For centuries greyhounds have been bred to hunt by outrunning their
prey. The fastest breed of dog, they can reach a top speed of 45 miles
per hour, and can average more than 30 miles per hour for distances up
to one mile. Selective breeding has given the greyhound an athlete's
body with the grace of a dancer. At the same time, the need to
anticipate the evasive maneuvers of their prey has endowed the
greyhound with a high degree of intelligence.

The Greyhound has a long neck and head, with a barely noticeable stop,
or bridge to his nose.  The ears are small and usually folded flat
back against the neck.  The ears may stand semi-erect or fully erect
when the Greyhound is attentive.

The back is long and arched.  The deep chest and narrow waist gives
the Greyhound its distinctive silhouette.  The legs are long and
powerful.  The feet are small and compact, with well knuckled toes.
The tail is long and curved .

The coat of a Greyhound is short and smooth.  Greyhounds come in an
endless variety of colors, including fawn, red, black, blue, brindle,
and all these colors broken with white.

A Greyhound typically stands between 26 and 29 inches and the
shoulder, and weighs 50 to 80 pounds. Bitches average around 10 to 15
pounds less than dogs.

The Greyhound is a very quiet and docile animal when not racing.  They
are somewhat shy in the presence of strangers, but very affectionate
to those they know and trust.

RECOGNIZED

The Greyhound is recognized by all major kennel clubs

HISTORY

Greyhounds are one of the oldest breeds of dogs.  The Greyhound is
mentioned in the Old Testament (Proverbs 30:29-31 KJV), Chaucer, and
Shakespeare (_Henry V_ and _Merry Wives of Windsor_).  A hieroglyph of
a dog, very much resembling the modern Greyhound, can be found in the
writings of ancient Egypt.

There are many differing explanations for the origin of the term
Greyhound.  One writer suggests that the original Greyhound stock was
mostly grey in color.  Another says the term derives from the Old
English grei, meaning dog, and hundr, meaning hunter.  Another
explanation is that it derives from "gre" or "gradus", meaning first
rank among dogs.  Finally, it has been suggested that the term derives
from Greyhound, since the hound reached England through the Greeks.

Greyhounds have long been associated with royalty.  In fact, from the
11th to the 14th century, English law decreed that no "mean person"
was allowed to keep a Greyhound.  Penalty for breaking this law was
death!

CHARACTERISTICS AND TEMPERAMENT

Greyhounds have a very gentle and quiet disposition.  They are very
pack oriented dogs and will quickly adopt human masters into their
"pack".  To allow different Greyhound to hunt and race together,
aggressiveness has been slowly eliminated from the breed.

Greyhounds are very tolerant of children.  Being non-aggressive, a
Greyhound will generally walk away from a worrisome child, rather than
growl or snap.  However, even the gentle Greyhound has its limits, and
should not be subjected to continuous harassment.

Although Greyhounds are the fastest breed of dog, they do achieve
their incredible speed in one all out sprint, and do not have a lot of
endurance.  A greyhound is quite content to be a "couch potato" and
spend most of the day sleeping.  Since they don't have a lot of
endurance, a Greyhound actually requires less exercise time than most
dogs.

Greyhounds are the prototypical sighthound, a group of hounds that
pursue their prey by sight rather than scent.  As with all
sighthounds, greyhounds have a very strongly developed chase instinct.
In spite of this, it is possible for Greyhounds to peacefully coexist
with other pets including cats, dogs, even rabbits.  his task will be
easier if the other pets do not run away.  Even after you've trained
the Greyhound to not chase the family indoor cat, this does not mean
that the Greyhound won't chase the neighbor's cat, or even the family
cat outdoors.

SPECIAL MEDICAL PROBLEMS

Greyhounds are very sensitive to certain medications, including
anesthesia.  Before allowing your Greyhound to undergo any surgery,
make sure that your vet is aware of the special anesthesia
requirements for greyhounds.  In particular barbituates are to be
avoided in Greyhounds.  Do not be afraid to ask questions of your vet;
not all vets are aware of a Greyhound's special anesthesia
requirements.

Flea collars, and long lasting pesticides such as Hartz Blockade, can
also be harmful or even fatal to Greyhound.  Any product which
releases flea killing chemical into the bloodstream of the dog should
be avoided.  Greyhound's livers metabolizes toxins out much slower
than other dogs of comparable size, so it is possible for harmful
concentrations of these toxins to develop.

As with other deep chested breeds, Greyhounds are prone to bloat, or
torsion.  Bloat is a life threating disease where the stomach organ
flips over.  Immediate medical attention is required to avoid death.


REFERENCES

1.  Books

2.  Breed Rescue Organizations

Greyhound Pets of America
1-800-FON-1GPA

3.  Breeders

4.  Breed Clubs

National Greyhound Association
Abilene, Kansas

----------

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Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!usenet
From: [e-mail] (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs,news.answers
Subject: rec.pets.dogs:  Health Care Issues FAQ
Supersedes: <dogs-faq/[e-mail]>
Followup-To: poster
Date: 15 Dec 1992 18:59:19 GMT
Organization: University of California at Irvine: ICS Dept.
Lines: 977
Sender: tittle
Approved: [e-mail]
Expires: 28 Jan 1993 18:59:02 GMT
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NNTP-Posting-Host: pit-manager.mit.edu
X-Last-Updated: 1992/09/26

Archive-name: dogs-faq/health-care
Version: 3.0
Last-modified: 25 September 1992

This is one (of ten) of the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Lists
for rec.pets.dogs.  It is posted on a monthly basis: updates,
additions, and corrections (including attributions) are always
welcome: send email to one of the addresses below.

The nine parts are all archived at pit-manager.mit.edu (18.172.1.27)
in the directory /pub/usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq.  The files are:
introduction, new, health-care, medical-info, training, working,
AKC-titles, misc1, misc2, and references.  To obtain the files, first
try ftp to pit-manager.mit.edu and look under that directory.  If ftp
does not work from your site, then try the mail server: send email to
[e-mail] with

send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/introduction
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/new
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/health-care
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/medical-info
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/training
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/working
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/AKC-titles
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/misc1
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/misc2
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/references

in the body of the message (leave the subject line empty).  If you
don't want all of them, include only the lines of the ones you want.
You do have to repeat the path information for each file.

Changes and additions indicated with |'s.
Canine ailments moved to Medical Information.

III.  Health Care Issues

  Prologue
  A.  In General.
  B.  Dental Care.
  C.  Trimming Nails.
  D.  Overheating.
  E.  Neutering.
  F.  Bathing.
  G.  Skin Problems.
  H.  Vaccinations.
  I.  Disease Transmission (Zoonoses).
  J.  Worms.
  K.  Pills and Dosing.
  L.  Vomiting.
  M.  Poisons.
  N.  Aging.


Prologue.

Much of the information found in this article is summarized from
Carlson & Giffin.  I would like to thank them for their informative
and accessible information.  Any mistakes made in the summaries are my
responsibility and not Carlson & Giffin's.  I believe that I am within
copyright laws by using summarizations (no direct quoting, except for
the toxic plants section), my own organization of the material, and
precise acknowledgement where relevant.
                                                   Cindy Tittle Moore

A.  In General.

Your dog cannot tell you when it feels sick.  You need to be familiar
with its normal behavior -- any sudden change may be a signal that
something is wrong.  Behavior includes physical and social behavior;
changes in either can signal trouble.

If you familiarize yourself with basic dog care issues, symptoms to
look for, and a few emergency care treatments, you can go a long way
toward keeping your dog healthy.  Never attempt to replace vet care
with your own (unless, of course, you are a vet); rather, try to be
knowledgeable enough to be able to give your vet intelligent
information about your dog's condition.

You should know some emergency care for your dog.  This is beyond the
scope of the FAQ, as you really need pictures or demonstrations.
Check a home-vet book and ask your vet about them.

There are a number of good books that cover basic care for dogs.
These include:

Miller, Harry.  _The Common Sense Book of Puppy and Dog Care_.  Bantam
Books, Third Edition (revised) (1987).  ISBN: 0-553-27789-8 (paperback).
  Includes a section on practical home care, listing major symptoms
  you should be alert for, and listing general criteria by which you can
  determine a dog's overall healthiness.  Discusses major diseases and
  problems, gives sketches on what may be wrong given certain symptoms.

Taylor, David. _You and Your Dog_.  Alfred A. Knopf, New York (1991).
ISBN:0-394-72983-8 (trade paperback).
  Taylor gives flow-chart questions to consider when deciding if
  symptoms are serious or not.  Not as comprehensive as other care
  books, but a good start in understanding what you need to look for
  when your dog seems off.  Includes illustrations of many procedures,
  such as teeth cleaning and nail trimming.  Informative discussion of
  reproductive system, grooming, and dog anatomy.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 An *excellent* resource that details all aspects of health issues for
 dogs, and one that every conscientious dog owner should have is:

 Carlson, Delbert G., DVM, and James M. Giffin, MD.  _Dog Owners's
 Home Veterinary Handbook_.  Howell Book House, Macmillan Publishing
 Company, 866 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022 USA (1980).  ISBN:
 0-87605-764-4 (hardcover).
  This comprehensive book is a complete guide to health care of dogs.
  It lets you know when you can treat the dog, or when you need to
  take it to the vet post-haste.  It lists symptoms so that you may
  inform your vet of relevant information about its condition.  The
  arrangement of the material facilitates rapid reference.
  Illustration of key procedures (pilling, taking pulse/temperature,
  etc).  Lists poisonous substances, including houseplants.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------


B.  Dental Care.

1. Hygiene

Dogs suffer from tartar buildup, just as people do.  Some dogs seem
particularly prone to tartar buildup and associated problems, others
never seem to get tartar, although most older dogs will show *some*
signs of tartar.  Untreated, tartar can cause all kinds of costly
dental problems including loss of teeth.

Make sure it gets plenty of dry and hard objects to chew and munch on.
In particular, Nylabones are most recommended for keeping teeth clean
(and may be all that some dogs need).  Dry dog food may help as well.

To prevent problems, brush your dog's teeth regularly.  Pet stores
sell dog toothbrushes and toothpaste.  Human toothpaste is not meant
for consumption and is too abrasive, so use the dog-formulated
toothpaste.  To do this successfully, you must get your dog to let you
handle its mouth.  This is, of course, easiest with puppies.  For an
older dog, you may have to work for a while before it will let you
open its mouth, look at it, and eventually brush it.

Even if your dog is not prone to tartar buildup, the occasional
brushing of its teeth helps keep your dog amenable to having its mouth
handled -- always useful.

2.  Diseases

Peridontal disease is the most common of canine dental problems.  Food
is trapped in little pockets alongside the teeth and decay.  As these
pockets become infected, the gums become soft and mushy and recede
from the teeth.  Pushing on the sides of the gums may cause pus to
rise.  The dog often has fetid breath.  This is best prevented by
keeping the teeth clean and tartar buildup down, although treatment is
possible.

Dogs do not commonly get cavities.  When they do occur, it is more
often at the root of the tooth rather than at the crown.  Cavities can
lead to root abscesses.

Abscessed roots: this often causes a swelling just below the animal's
eye.  Generally, tooth extractions are needed at this point.


C.  Trimming Nails.

Most dogs need to have nails trimmed at some point.  While the vet
will often clip them for you, many dogs need their nails trimmed more
often than that to prevent injuries and other problems associated
with overgrown nails.

A tip: Look for illustrations of dog nails.  Most dog care books will
have one.  Cardinal (a dog products vendor) provides a small poster
that illustrates not only normal nail clipping but also how to
gradually work back the length of nails that have grown too long and
is quite informative.

1.  Clipping

Use nail clippers available at pet stores.  Look for the guillotine
type (don't use the human variety, this will crush and injure your
dog's nail) and get blade replacements as the sharper the blade is the
easier this procedure is.  There is another kind that looks like
scissors with hooked tips that are also good, and may be easier to
handle (however, the blades cannot be replaced on this type).

Before cutting the nails, examine them carefully.  If the nails are
are white, the difference between the nail and the pink quick is easy
to see (use good lighting).  If the nails are dark, it will be much
harder to tell where the quick is, in which case you must take care.

If your dog resists having its nails trimmed, try trimming them while
you sit on a couch with the dog on its back in your lap.  By putting
the dog on its back, you make the nails accessible and put the dog in
a submissive position where they are less apt to fight.  As with many
things, this is easiest if you start while your dog is still a pup.