Hey Dave -- I want to pass on a better way I discovered to clip dogs nails...

I have done away with the conventional nail clipper and now use a Dremel with a sanding drum attachment. Initially the dog was afraid of the buzzing device, but a few sessions of touching the non-spinning part to him along with treats and training made him casual about its presence, then I got him used to the feel of sanding drum on his nails with quick touches, a little at a time. You must do the grinding with quick touches and constant movement never staying on one spot, so the dog doesn't feel any heat. If there's a spot that needs more grinding, I just keep coming back to it more frequently.

My dog now lets me do his nails without any need for holding or treats. He's completely relaxed about it, whereas if I bring out the clippers he gets nervous and wants to pull his paw away. I think the squeezing/snapping action of the conventional clippers is a lot of stress on the nail, and more likely to cause nail splits or pain if you accidentally cut to the quick (even more of a risk if the dog's nail is black and you can't see through it).