How to trim your dog's nails: Holding your dog's paw firmly in one hand, insert the nail into opening above the cutting blade and squeeze the handles together. If your dog's nails are extremely long, trim just a little off and wait a week to trim the nails again. This will allow the blood vessels to retreat back into the nail. Repeat the procedure once a week until you have reached the desired length. Important: If you cut too much and the nail starts to bleed, apply Four Paws Styptic Powder to the nail and the bleeding should stop.