Disclaimer: Our content is always reviewed and approved by a professional veterinarian. However, we recommend always reaching out to your dog's vet for any advice regarding your pup.
Dogs love to chew on things.
Sometimes they’ll chew on a bone, sometimes they’ll chew on the furniture, and other times they’ll bite their nails.
There are many reasons why your dog may be biting his nails, from anxiety to boredom.
We have compiled a list of all the possible causes for this behavior so you can figure out what’s going on with your pup!
Why Dogs Bite Their Nails
Our pups use their paws and nails for virtually everything. Because of this, the paws are a body part that requires frequent love and attention.
If your dog is biting his nails compulsively, it’s a sign that something is wrong, and you should do a quick paw check.
But before we get into that, let’s take a look at the main possible reasons why your dog is biting his nails.
Grooming
A pretty straightforward answer: your dog may just be grooming himself.
It’s normal to find your dog biting his nails or licking his paws occasionally as part of his grooming routine.
You only need to step in if this behavior becomes obsessive and you constantly find your dog munching on his nails.
If this is the case, it could be that his nails are too long and have become uncomfortable and, maybe even, painful.
You’ll need to take your pup to the groomer’s and get those nails taken care of when you get the chance.
Anxiety
Think about it for a second. Nail-biting is very common in humans too, and it is usually a sign of anxiety.
In dogs, it’s no different. It could very well mean you have an anxious dog.
Some dogs are more anxious than others, and it’s something you can help your pup with if you understand what causes his anxiety.
There are two main types of anxiety your furry friend could be suffering from. These are separation anxiety and situational anxiety.
Let’s go deeper into both.
Separation anxiety is caused by a dog being separated from his owner/owners. It’s the worst kind of anxiety because it’s the hardest to treat.
Getting rid of this kind of anxiety usually involves training and/or calming supplements.
Situational anxiety is caused by a particular situation or environment that your dog finds uncomfortable.
Some common causes of situational anxiety are fireworks and car trips. A lot of dogs hate these things.
Anything can cause situational anxiety, though. It’s just a matter of paying attention to your dog and identifying the situations or environments that make him anxious.
A vet can help you deal with your pup’s anxiety and even prescribe some calming supplements that help keep your dog calm when he’s about to face his fears.
Boredom
Being bored is so boring!
If your pup spends a lot of time alone or if you’re too busy to pay attention to him even when you are at home, your furry friend will for sure become bored.
You’re his whole world, and without you, he has nothing to do – Boring!
But why does boredom lead your dog to bite his nails?
If your pup is bored, he will find things to do, whether you like it or not – and trust me, you won’t like it…
Boredom usually leads to destructive behaviors like eating your trash, destroying pillows or his own bed, and basically making a mess everywhere. It can also manifest itself in less destructive behaviors like paw licking or nail-biting.
If you think your dog is biting his nails out of boredom, there are a lot of things you can do to keep him entertained, even when you’re not at home.
Allergies
The mother of skin issues.
Allergies are responsible for many unwanted behaviors like paw licking, nail-biting, scratching, and obsessive head shaking (due to ear infections caused by allergies).
And worst of all, they are a pain to treat.
Allergies cause so much itch that your dog may be biting his nails or chewing his paws to try and relieve the itch.
If you examine your pup’s paws and he is suffering from allergies, you will probably find redness and flakiness on the skin around the paws. If you do, you need to take your dog to the vet to determine the cause of the allergies.
Broken Nail
The final reason is a broken nail.
These cause pain and discomfort to your pup, and he may lick his paw or bite his nail to ease the pain.
Dogs can get broken nails often. This is because, again, they use their paws for everything. A nail can break if it gets caught in something, or if your pup is running, jumping, or exerting himself in any way.
Now, it’s easy to find out if this is the reason for the nail-biting behavior. A broken nail will bleed, so you’ll find blood on the floor as your pup walks or on the carpet where he was laying down.
If your furry friend breaks a nail, he will need to be seen by a vet as soon as possible. An injury like this needs to be treated, or it can lead to an infection.
Just keep in mind that a broken nail hurts, so your dog will not let you examine his paw. Leave that to a vet.
How to Stop Your Dog From Biting His Nails
You can’t stop something when you don’t know the reason why it’s happening in the first place, right?
Right! So the first step in getting your dog to stop biting his nails is to figure out the reason for this behavior.
Each possible culprit has its own treatment and solution. So a vet will need to be consulted to help stop your dog from biting his nails.
What you can do on your end is make sure your dog is properly groomed at all times, his nails are frequently trimmed, and his paws are constantly clean.
This will help eliminate the chances of nail-biting due to overgrown nails. Also, the frequent examination of your dog’s paws will allow you to find any issues related to broken or chipped nails.
Closing Thoughts
Nail-biting is an obnoxious behavior, for sure. And it’s a behavior that, most times, signifies something is wrong, and your dog needs your attention.
It could be resolved by something as simple as ensuring your dog is groomed at all times, or it could require a visit to the vet and some course of treatment.
Either way, don’t worry, it’s treatable, and your dog will stop biting his nails eventually.
