Toenails.

I took Guinness for a 6km run last night, and while he was running, I could hear the tap, tap, tap of his toenails hitting the footpath.

Although it’s not likely to cause a dog a great deal of pain, it may be uncomfortable for him to run with longish nails. Repeated pressure on the toenail as it hits the ground could easily take the pleasure out of a run for your dog.

Fortunately, Guinness is very easy to handle when it comes to giving him a manicure.

If your dog has white nails, it’s easy to see how far you can trim them. Just don’t cut the pink “quick”.

Guinness has black toenails, and they’re a little trickier. Just nibble away enough so that the nails aren’t hitting the ground any more.

If you have trouble trimming your dog’s toenails, your vet or your local grooming parlour would be only too happy to help.