home grooming questions

[bellaratamaltese]

If you think about it - shelling out the money for a good pair of clippers will pay for itself in just a few grooming jobs. I'm like Cindy - I can't NOT chicken leg them so i just leave the leg hair long and use a 4f or 5f blade on the body (no comb) and scissor the feet and face like I want. Definitely nowhere near good at it but I can get them looking passable :P

So go for the clippers!

[Grace'sMom]

I'd say definitely get a GOOD set... Go to a grooming supply store if you have one near you.

Right now we use a fair one... But saving up for a really good clipper and set of blades.

You also need a good pair of grooming scissors (we use a regular hair sheer and one with "teeth")....

But like Stacy said - the money you spend on grooming, you can buy a great set of clippers and they easily pay for themselves in a few months.

[shellbeme]

Thanks guys, I talked with DH about it today and he is supportive of me getting a nice set, I am thinking of getting it from petedge, though, it will have to wait a month or two. We have also decided I can get a nice set of shears, there is one from pet edge I really like for around $100.

I groomed Tucker today with what I have, not only did it take for ever but we had to keep stopping to clean out the clippers and after a while to let them cool down. There was quite a bit I ended up having to cut with shears, but we got the job done. I'll be glad when we can get the other things to make it easier

I will shop around in the meantime and check out amazon too.

[jmm]

To cheat on the legs I "rough" them out with a snap on comb and 30 or 40 blade. Then I scissor them up. It gets the bulk of the hair off before you start scissoring.

[Ladysmom]

Originally Posted by jmm

To cheat on the legs I "rough" them out with a snap on comb and 30 or 40 blade. Then I scissor them up. It gets the bulk of the hair off before you start scissoring.

I learned that great trick from you years ago and it really helped with Lady's puppy cut!

To the OP, I bought Oster A5 clippers from PetEdge more than ten years ago and it was a great investment. They came with a #10 blade and I added a #40 (for under the combs) and a 4F.

[hoaloha]

Shelley, I have the Wahl Bravura cordless clipper with 4-in-1 blade. When I got it from Pet Edge, they also offered the stainless steel comb set for free as a gift. I HIGHLY recommend getting a metal comb set no matter what type of clippers you get. They work great!

[cyndrae]

Originally Posted by shellbeme

Cindy, wow I did not realize that on doggie clippers it was a matter of the blade that sure clears up a lot for me :-) other than the ones you listed do you have any other suggestions for lengths to have on hand?

I welcome any further feedback as well! :-)

These are the only ones I have and there is a a short one that came with the clippers I used on the underside.

I also have a smaller clipper that I use on the hairs on the bottom of their feet.
I am in no way an expert I have just learnt from ALL of my mistakes.

All the horror stories I have heard there was never a thought of taking them anywhere for grooming.

OK OK
I have to admit I take them to the Vet for nail trims. I feel guilt I don't do them myself but they act like I am breaking their legs when I do it.

[shellbeme]

I think DH might actually order this for me for valentines day, I can't be too sure but, who else but one of us would be excited about the thought! Ha!

[Leanne]

Shelly, I too have begun the grooming adventure. I have been grooming Maya at home since she came into our world last May as a rescue. I had zero past grooming experience to go on. We started by having to shave her down due to mats. Keep in mind I am grooming both a shih-tzu mix and a maltese so I try to find tools that will do double duty and be the most economical.....tools can be so expensive. That being said I have also found out that cheaper has not been better for me. I have had to toss many sub-par tools that just did not pass the muster. Sorry if this gets long....I have discovered a lot of things in the last months

I purchased the Andis Ultra edge from pet edge. It comes with a 10 blade and they will send you a 7 blade as a bonus right now. It is a 2 speed clipper which is great for clipping the belly/hygiene bottom areas at a lower speed.

For belly/hygiene I use the 10 blade slow speed (very close clip) and a 10 for the bottom paws at high speed.

For under the rib/underarm area I use the 7 blade. It keeps this hair manageable in the areas that Maya is prone to matting. This blends nicely into the belly area.

I also purchased (2) 4 blades for a longer cut on my shih-tzu. I got 2 blades because no matter what type of oil you use the clipper blade will become to hot to use. After 5 minutes or by section I trade out to the cool blade. I may try this blade on Maya come summer if it gets to hot for her. I also use the andis cool blade spray that helps to keep them lubricated and disinfected between uses. BTW I am using the clipper weekly for maintenance on paws and belly's and full grooms about 3-6 weeks depending on coat growth.

The rest of Maya's coat I am scissor cutting because we are trying to grow her coat out which is now about 4 inches long. Pet edge also has some nice shear sets by master groomer. I found them to be the most economical and have held up well with weekly use. Many expensive shears can cost $ 70 on up to $100s a piece. I think that if you keep them maintained/sharpened the master grooming series is a very good value.

The scissors that I find I use the most are the short thinning/blending shears, a short 5 inch curved/blunt shear and the short 6 inch straight/blunt shear. My set came with the 8 inch shear that I do not use much, but may come in handy to get a straight line when the coat is long. These have worked well with both dogs and styles. The curved shears work very well if you are to maintain a rounded face.

Sorry this has gone so long but I hope it helps you make your decisions. We are all a work in progress in this house but with time I have been improving with my skills every week along with the dogs sincere patience with me!

[hempsteadjb]

I purchased the Wahl Bravura cordless clipper with 4-in-1 blade. When I got it from Pet Edge, it came with the stainless steel comb set for free. I have had horrible experiences with groomers since I adopted my little Tater Tot...he is never matted and they shaved him like a poodle and told me it was because he was matted. I am not really good at grooming but I try to keep him touched up and I have had better luck with Pet Smart than private groomers and I stay and watch. Good Luck, I did order the grooming videos recommended here on the forum...also, I watch a lot of you tube grooming videos.