Although some dogs keep their nails worn down without help from you, your Basset Hound needs to have his nails trimmed on a regular basis. Nails that are not kept short will grow too long and become irritating and painful to the dog. A longer nail is much more prone to being pulled out if it catches on something, which can be excruciating for the dog. Being left too long can not only damage the nails, but can cause the feet to splay or spread, and nails can actually curl around and grow into a dog’s pads.