Though knowing how to cut a dog's nails is important, just as important is checking your dog's feet regularly.

• Check their pads for thorns or broken glass. Dogs that love paddling in the sea should have their paws rinsed when they get home as dog skin is pretty sensitive to salt water.

• Always check them when they come back from their forest walks too, watch out for any signs of limping. In particular, long haired dogs tend to bring half the forest walk back home with them and you may find bits buried deep within their coat.