Tips on Trimming Toenails,

If your pet is calm and doesn't bite, you can trim its toenails on your own. Otherwise, you may need an assistant, a towel, and a muzzle (preferably soft muzzles with velcro backs).

First, try to get your veterinarian or grooming professional to give you a demo of how to trim the nails yourself. You need to learn to look for the "quick", that is, the part of the nail that may bleed and cause pain if cut. If the toenails are white, it's easier to see the quicks or blood vessels. If the toenails are dark, a good rule of thumb is to cut the nails to a length even with the toe pads or longer.

Using a scissors type of toenail clipper or a special "guillotine" toenail clipper will be easiest, since human clippers do not generally work with dog nails. You might also try using a very coarse emery board or nail file, as the nails can be filed to a dull finish in a lot of cases. Walking the dog on concrete or other rough surfaces, especially if he scrambles along, will help wear down the toenails.