Need advice: how do you safely trim a dog’s nails? (first time struggling)

Hey, I’m trying to trim my dog’s nails at home and I’m a bit unsure if I’m doing it right.

My dog gets really restless when I try, and it’s honestly hard to tell if I’m hurting him or just stressing him out. I know you’re supposed to avoid the “quick” (the pink part inside the nail), and I tried being careful and trimming only a little bit at a time.

But even after trimming, his nails still seem kinda long, so I’m second-guessing myself. I don’t want to cut too far and hurt him, but I also don’t want to leave them too long.

Any tips for:
– calming a dog during nail trimming?
– how to tell if you’re close to the quick?
– or alternative methods (like grinders vs clippers)?

Would really appreciate advice from people who are experienced with this 🙏