Clippers

• Human nail clippers work by bringing together two flat, sharp surfaces to cut through a nail. The most popular dog clippers are guillotine-style; the dog's nail fits inside the circular slot of the clipper and a sharp blade shears through it.
  
  

Strength

• Dog clippers are considerably stronger than those for humans. They can more easily cut through thicker dog nails, according to "Dog Tricks and Agility For Dummies."
  
  

Considerations

• While human clippers might work for taking the edge off the nails of very small dogs, if used on a larger dog, they could cause the nail to splinter. This could damage the nail and cause the dog pain, according to "Guide to Home Pet Grooming."