What is a reasonable length for a dog’s nails? I have one dog that stays inside and one that stays outside. They are never on hard surfaces and do not get much wear. What is too long and too short?
When the dog’s paw is flat on the floor, the nail should be just touching the floor, too.
If the nail is curved around, or bent backwards, or if it looks like the dog is being propped up off the floor on tiny little toenail stilts, or if the dog’s feet are splayed out so as to accommodate his toenails, then they’re too long. Think of the way your fingernails look when they’re trimmed even with your fingertips, and extrapolate that to your dog’s toenails.
Also, if your dog makes a really obvious loud clicking sound when walking on a hard surface like a wood floor, then the nails are too long.
Excellent “how to cut dog’s toenails” website, many pix (and thus takes forever to load, but…)
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/dog_nails.htm