Oster Gentle Paws Less Stress Dog and Cat Nail Grinder, 2 Speed (078129-600-000)

Fabulous little tool! Very easy to use on my dog without scaring him. The motor is quiet on the low speed, and a bit louder on fast speed. I start out slow, then switch to high speed when he relaxes a bit, back to slow if he gets antsy. Mind you, restlessness is a pretty good sign you have gone as far down on the nail as is reasonable to go. My dog's nails are black, so it is very easy to trim too far, even with this tool. So trim a bit, check the tip of the nail, trim a bit more if necessary. Just don't get crazy and start grinding away without checking your progress, because, like traditional clippers, it is indeed possible to "quick" your pet (make him bleed) by nicking the tip of the nail blood vessel - I haven't done it yet, but I did come close once, so I know it is possible. This is true even with use of the nail guard. So, if you just go slow and use care, this tool is ingenious. I emphasize, use care -- if you over-trim (quick) your dog or cat, you may as well throw this tool away, because once they start to fear any tool, it is next to impossible to get them to let you use it on them. On the other hand, if you really want proper short nails, remember that the vein naturally recedes with a shortened nail, and grows longer with an untrimmed nail. So just trim a bit each week, and that quick will start to recede, and you will then be able to get the nail shorter. Whatever you do, do not expect to be able to transform 1-inch nails back to Westminster show length with a single trim, with this or any tool. Like anything, just use some common sense.

I would like to begin by saying that not every dog is comfortable with this type of product. It is probably best to start them out at a young age so they get used to it.I also find it's easier with small dogs and if you have someone help you. I originally had the Pedipaws nail trimmer for my little Yorkie. It worked pretty well, but took a long time. Eventually, it broke and I purchased another one that didn't work from the beginning. After reading the other reviews for this product, I figured I would give it a try because my dog's nails were too long to clip and the quick had grown all the way to the tip of the nail. I was still a little skeptical, because this was cheaper than the original product I used. After receiving it (which took less time that expected) I tried it, with the help of my husband. My Yorkie only requires being petted while you clip her nails, because we have used this type of product for a few years on her. I was very pleased with the quality of the product and the speed. It took less than 5 minutes to trim all the nails on her front feet( and they were a lot longer than they should have been). I also like the safety guard. It has different sized holes for dogs of all sizes and it kept her long hair from getting tangled in the grinding wheel. It also is a lot quieter than its competitor as stated in the description. After telling my friend how good it worked for my dog, she brought over her little Chihuahua and we were able to clip the nails on all four of her little paws in just a few minutes. I then tried to use it on our 2 year old lab ( whom we have never used this type on product with) and he refused to sit still for even a few seconds. He didn't like the way it felt when the grinding wheel hit his nails. Which is why I stated in the beginning that you must get the dog accustom to it early. Overall, this is a higher quality product than it's competitor and I highly recommend it. There is no pain for the pet at all and it is quick without leaving sharp edges.

Similar to other reviews, this nail trimmer was not as effective as I'd hoped, possibly due to the size of my dog (90-pound blue Weimaraner). Still, nails are all pretty much the same thing (keratin), and logic would indicate that a breed's size shouldn't preclude a good trim with this thing. It's not as if a Bull Mastiff is born with titanium rods in their nail bed, and Corgis walk around with #2 recyclable plastic nubs poking out from the end of their toes. As far as I know, nails are nails.But still...With the nail trimmer you get a coarse stone grinder and a second drum for securing the grooming bands (included in the package). The grooming band is like a sandpaper pinky ring made expressly for a Goodfella named Jimmy Rough Stuff. The band slides over the drum, while the stone grinder is akin to a round lump of pumice. In my experience, the grooming bands slip off of the drum quickly, so I've dispatched of those things. The stone seems effective, but puts off a hair-on-fire odor when you're grinding merrily along. I found that it's slow going with either attachment, and have put the Oster away twice for fear that I was just doing something wrong. If you're under the impression that a few quick passes on each nail will leave your large-breed dog the envy of all neighborhood dogs, you should at least prepare yourself to be disappointed.Perhaps the mix of reviews for this product has something to do with the thickness or toughness of each dog's nail plate (casing) -- it could be that smaller breeds have a shallower casing and the Oster works through this rapidly. For my dog, this has not been the case; however, I have had great success from first clipping her nails the old-fashioned way (nail clippers) and then rounding/smoothing the cut with the Oster. This process goes relatively quickly and I'm very pleased with the results. If, however, I start with untouched nails, the Oster takes forever to have a noticeable effect.Three stars for a product that (1) appears durable and well made; (2) works very well, but only after trial and error produces the desired effect; and (3) has grooming bands that -- in my Oster package -- didn't stay on the drum.Oh, and my dog originally hated this thing, but after 4 or 5 uses, she now begrudgingly accepts it. She's still not happy, but that's probably because this product is not, say, a snack or a ball.

👍🏾