Nails on dog too sharp

Question
QUESTION: Hello, I have a 7 month old male terrier mix puppy. He is neutered and current on all vet care. I groom him myself as he has a short smooth coat, very easy! I have trained him from a young pup to let me brush him, bathe him, clean his ears, clip his nails, and brush his teeth. I seem to be able to manage him very well and he seems to love the grooming too. I have a few questions however.

First, I use to have only pomeranians...but now I have one 6 year old male pom with my new terrier mix puppy. I love to groom the pom, I will clip him to about 1 1/2 inch and blow dry him and he is like alittle puff ball! I know pretty well how to groom my pom but I am alittle lost with my terrier mix pup. I know of course the basics about nails, ears, bath, and so on but I am not sure what type of brush to use on his hair. He is a short haired smooth coated puppy, like a jack russell terrier just 30 lbs! What brush do I use when I brush him? I know he doesnt need to be brushed often but I also know it helps with coat health so I want to be sure I use the right one.

Second, I clip his nails about every 3 weeks, depending on how they grow, and he works well with me. However, they are very very sharp. When I play with him I have scrapes all over my hands and arms from playing with him. I tried to file them and even got one of those grinders but that does work well, it seems to cause his nails to splinter and I dont want that to cause a problem. How do I help reduce the sharpness of his nails?

Thanks so much for your help.

ANSWER: Go Rachel,
I love to talk to confident, involved pet owners- I can tell you feel so good about your relationship with your animals and they feel it too!
You are doing everything right. A tip for your smooth coated dog is to get a rubber curry. Also a natural soft bristle brush. That's about all you need. You can curry your dog often. It will stimulate the skin, remove dead hair and he should love the massage.
As far as his nails are concerned, try using a finer sand paper on the grinder. The latest pet brand may not be the best on the market. Most pros go right for the real deal- the Dremal brand- especially if the nails are splitting. Try a slower speed and a lighter touch. Use it after you clip them or substitute it altogether. Also grinding them after a bath when they are softer helps alot as well.
keep on brushing!
a tip for your pom if you don't know already, is to trim the very tip of it's ears by following your thumb as a guide on the inside of the ear. It softens the look and gives you that adorable expression.
feel free to comeback

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the help. No I did not know about the Pom ears, I will do that. Its so cute to see my pom all fluffy, its almost like the hair takes over the pom! I will see if I can find a good grinder, I bought those tv ones and they dont work well at all. I appreciate your kind words, I try to educate myself so I can groom my pups which cuts down on maintanence costs, also its fun! I really love grooming them and I hope they love it too. I have one last question, my 7 month puppy, the terrier mix, sheds like crazy! Any helpful ideas about the shedding? I have never had a short haired dog so it seems like he sheds a large amount but I have learnt thats just the way his hair is. My pom doesnt seem to loose any hair but the terrier mix sheds like a cat, and he is mostly white with a bit of black so the hair is everywhere. Any ideas? Thanks so much.

Answer
OK, so I told you about the rubber curry- that is the tool you will need to help shed out your mixed breed. Most terriers do not shed but twice a year they drop their coats and the wire haired group need to be plucked. If you think you have a Jack Russell type mix it is known as a rough coat that needs to be pulled out around this time of year and again in the fall. But if you use that rubber curry- in and out of the tub it will help loosen the hair to wash it away. Your Pom has a completely different system going on and sheds in a different way than the mix.
If you do as I say and curry the dog regularly you will cut down on the flurry significantly, but sorry to to say it never really ends. It helps if you blow dry them after a bath too.
take care!