Ok, I finally broke down and bought a battery powered dremel to trim my basenji's nails. Does anyone have a suggestion on what grit sanding bit I should use? I have 2 older basenjis and their nails get extremely thick. Right now they've gotten too long and I'm trying to shorten them a little at a time.

I've used 60 grit and 120 (I think) grit bands. Finer grit, obviously, takes longer. The best way to get the quick to recede is to dremel the end of the nail perpendicular to the ground versus at an angle. You get closer to the quick that way to push it back. If you get close enough (you can tell by a change to a leathery texture of the nail before you hit the quick) it should move back quickly that way and you can do it over the course of a few weeks. I learned this on a website, which of course I can't find the link for now. Once I find it, I'll post it here.

I do my whippets every other day with fine grit at a higher speed. Their nails grow so quickly I have to take it down that oftern or I get their quicks.

Nemo, Thanks for the advice. I have both 120 and 60 grit. Also thanks for the tip on the nail becoming leathery right before the quick. My girl's nails are really long and wicked curved. I don't know if that's because when I got her as a rescue she had spent all of her life in a wire kennel. She has what I call pigedon toes. They splay out whenever she standing on them. Anyway they are difficult to cut. I am going to have to work a little every day or two to get the short enough.