Keeping nails trimmed is important to your pet's health and well-being.

Overgrown nails will drag on the ground and make walking or running uncomfortable for your pet. As your pet tries to compensate for too-long nails, he will lean back on his pasterns -- something like a human being forced to walk on our heels with our toes in the air. This can cause pain and problems further up the leg and back.

How long?
The ideal length for a dog's nail is barely touching the ground when the dog is standing still, says Val Penstone, Director of Grooming for Best Friends Pet Resorts and Salons.

A dog that exercises a lot on hard ground will wear down his own nails. However, most pets spend a good deal of time on carpeted floors and grassy lawns. With little friction on their feet, nails grow long.

For most pets, Penstone says, it requires monthly attention to keep nails this length. If you hear a clicking or scratching noise as your pet walks across hard flooring, you know it's time to get out the nail clippers!

If you don't feel comfortable handling the task, be sure to schedule regular visits with a professional groomer.

How to do it?
If you do want to take on the task of nail clipping at home, here are some things you need to know:

Dog's nails have a quick, containing a nerve and blood vessel that runs down the middle of the nail. In dog's with white or light nails, the quick is easy to identify, but it is almost impossible to see in dogs with dark nails. Cutting the quick will cause pain and bleeding.

To keep nails short, without cutting into the quick:

• Teach your pet to stand still when you are trimming his nails.
• Use only specially made dog nail clippers. Never use scissors!
• Cut only a little bit of the nail at a time.
• Angle your clippers so they are farther in at the top of the nail and angled out at the bottom.

It's a good idea to have a septic pencil or some cornstarch handy to stop the flow of blood just in case you nick the quick.

Regular clipping seems to keep the quick from growing down the nail, making it is less likely to bleed when trimmed. However, if your pet's nails haven't been trimmed in a long time, the quick may have grown down the nail, preventing you from cutting off a large amount. Problem nails may have to be filed or ground, removing only a fraction at a time. The good news is, the quick will recede as nails are kept short.

While some dogs don't seem to mind having their nails trimmed, others will squirm, whine and even growl or bite. If your pet refuses to cooperate, it may be better to put your pet into the hands of a professional groomer.