Tips on Painting Your Dog’s Nails
Yes, I’ve done it! Stella Mae (Bull Terrier) looks adorable wearing hot pink nail polish. It just makes me smile. Before reaching for your nail polish, check out these tips that will make painting your dog’s nails much easier for both of you.
Use Dog Nail Polish Only
It’s pretty important to only use dog nail polish because dogs lick their feet and have a different skin pH than people. Plus, dog nail polish is water-based, toxic-free (no nasty chemicals, such as formaldehyde and toluene), odor-free and drip-free, and dries within seconds. Hmm, maybe I should try this stuff on my toes. Also, most dog nail polishes provide a vibrant color with one coat, so no need to add additional layers. When polishing, keep nail polish from touching skin–no need for globs of polish.
You can choose between bottles of nail polish or polish pens. Personally, I’m a huge fan of polish pens. Pens don’t drip and can slide under sprigs of paw hair surrounding your dog’s nails and dry super fast. Also, you can draw dots and animal prints as well as layer colors if you want to glam it up.
White dog nails will look great in all dog nail polish colors. However, dark nails seem to absorb only certain colors. Think pastels, neon colors and anything bright. Some reputable dog nail polish manufactures offer white base coats for dark nails, so all nail polishes will pop.
RELATED: Trimming Dog Nails: Reaching for Paw
Pull Back Excessive Hair
All dogs pretty much have stray hairs poking around their nails, so it’s best to push the hair back with the thumb of your opposite hand. I’ve heard stories of people placing pieces of old pantyhose over a dog’s paw and pulling it up so dog nails pop out while holding back long hair. While that sounds good, you’ll have to hold the pantyhose in place while nails dry, and I don’t think dogs would enjoy that process.
Reward Nail Polish Sessions
Please don’t force your dog to endure nail polish sessions. You’ll end up with hot pink polish all over the place. Take a week or so to teach your dog to enjoy handling of her paws. It’ll make it much easier.
Also, ask a friend to hold a peanut butter stuffed toy in front of your dog, so she can happily lick away while you’re polishing her nails. Take frequent breaks. Only paint one to two nails. Allow them to dry for 40 seconds or so. Eventually, with lots of practice, you’ll be able to paint one paw at a time while your dog snoozes or enjoys a food stuffed toy.
Removing Dog Nail Polish
Your dog’s nail polish will chip quicker than our pedicures. Remember, your dog doesn’t wear darling little sandals to protect perfectly painted nails, so expect chips within a few days. Normally, I wait until all polish has worn off before refreshing the color or applying a new color. If you must remove your dog’s nail polish, only use acetone-free polish removers and then promptly wash your dog’s paws to remove any residue.
Pawdicures are adorable. Just keep your dog safe and make it fun!
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