# ok , im taking the plunge !!!



## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

im buying clippers today and i will be giving dolce a very short puppy coat as i must admit that we r not doing good w his coat , he is a matted mess and we like clothes and everytime he wears clothes he matts ALOT .. so i will appreciate suggestions . 
i know i need to bathe first , condition , take out matts ... what do i do to make him more comfy... ? i dont have a grooming table so i should be doing this on top of my washing machine in the kitchen.... 

if i want short body what blade should i use? i dont want pink just very short.. oh and the face and ears? with the scissors or should i leave alone ? 
if dolce doesnt let me brush his legs usually how should i go about it ? 

am i going to need someone to help me? 

do i give him treats during ? or after ? 

how long does this usually take ? 

i need help


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## Dora's Mom (Nov 7, 2009)

uniquelovdolce said:


> im buying clippers today and i will be giving dolce a very short puppy coat as i must admit that we r not doing good w his coat , he is a matted mess and we like clothes and everytime he wears clothes he matts ALOT .. so i will appreciate suggestions .
> i know i need to bathe first , condition , take out matts ... what do i do to make him more comfy... ? i dont have a grooming table so i should be doing this on top of my washing machine in the kitchen....
> 
> if i want short body what blade should i use? i dont want pink just very short.. oh and the face and ears? with the scissors or should i leave alone ?
> ...


Sorry to hear Dolce is all matted. I like for Dora to wear clothes and she doesn't like brushing, so she is probably always going to be in a puppy cut.  If you don't have anything to help keep Dolce still it would probably be best to have a helper. I don't cut Dora myself but so I can't tell you what blade to use, but we have Dora cut to about 1 inch every 6 weeks. This works out pretty well for wearing clothes and not having to brush a lot.


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

thanks dora!


Dora's Mom said:


> Sorry to hear Dolce is all matted. I like for Dora to wear clothes and she doesn't like brushing, so she is probably always going to be in a puppy cut.  If you don't have anything to help keep Dolce still it would probably be best to have a helper. I don't cut Dora myself but so I can't tell you what blade to use, but we have Dora cut to about 1 inch every 6 weeks. This works out pretty well for wearing clothes and not having to brush a lot.


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## Dora's Mom (Nov 7, 2009)

In case it helps, here is Dora right after her December grooming. Usually I think "OMG that's kinda short!" for a couple of days but then it looks fine. B) And I like to leave her tail hair long, too. Once it got matted and had to be cut out and she really hated it.


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

dora looks adorable ! i plan to go really short on body , and legs i want them a little longer but im not sure as dolce has matts , but then again he is horrible w letting me brush his legs.


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

Haircut first, then bath. You can trim it up after Dolce is dry then. It's not a good idea to bathe a dog with mats as it locks them in and can cause them to become more tightly matted to the skin. Good luck!


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

oh ok , so i just cut thru the matts ?


Cosy said:


> Haircut first, then bath. You can trim it up after Dolce is dry then. It's not a good idea to bathe a dog with mats as it locks them in and can cause them to become more tightly matted to the skin. Good luck!


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## missiek (Jan 2, 2010)

I had to cut Triniti short this last summer because of mats. I used a size 3 on the comb for the clippers. I cut his back and tummy with the clippers and then scissored his legs, head, and face.

Just the other day, I trimmed Terra up using a size 2 on her back and belly. I am trying to grow out her topknot....and I leave her tail long and am growing out her legs. It would really be best if you could train Dolce to accept being brushed. Maybe start out just brushing for a few minutes, then treat him and let him go. And just be consistant, a little bit everyday and soon he will tolerate it. If you could afford it, even a small tabletop grooming table helps soooo much to keep them still. I love mine!

As far as the matts...cut behind them where the hair is coming out from his skin(if they are not close to the skin). If they are really close to the skin, you have to be REALLY careful not to cut his skin....if that's the case then start on small sections starting from the outside moving inward. And try to break them up as you go (if you can).

Good Luck!!


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

He lets me brush everywhere but his legs , its always a struggle . Lol but im trying ...


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

I use a 3 3/4" FC blade on L&Ps bodies which leaves the hair 1/2" long. It's the perfect length for me so it's short and fuzzy looking without showing any pink.

On their lower tummy (around the private area, not the entire stomach) I use a #10 blade, and sometimes use it in the armpit area as well.

For their bottom, I use the 3 3/4" FC blade again because I don't like the "baboon butt"! It leaves the area short enough but not so short they are bald back there. LOL

For the legs, if Dolce is matted in the legs it's easiest to go ahead and use the clippers on his legs and let it grow out after that to the length you want. In my siggy, Preston's legs are clipped with the 3 3/4" FC (London's are scissored a bit longer). After the snow is gone, I will grow Preston's legs back out. Once Dolce's mats are gone on his legs and the hair grows out you can just scissor them.

For his face, it depends on how long you want his hair. On my two, I like the top of their heads to be really short so I use the 3 3/4" FC blade. I also use it on their necks and up about 1/2 way to their chins. For the sides of the face & muzzle, I scissor using the regular grooming shears, and if anything looks choppy I use the thinning shears to blend it all together. I scissor their ears, but do use the clippers underneath their ears a little bit (on their head part, not on the ear itself).

If Dolce is really matted, you can "rough him in" first before a bath, which is where you do a quick runover with the clippers to get rid of a lot of the extra hair & mats, etc. Always remove all mats before bathing, whether it means combing them out, or cutting them out. Typically, though, you do not want to clip a dirty dog because it will dull the blades faster...so once his mats are gone, in the future you will be bathing/drying first, and then clipping.

I prefer to do the grooming on the kitchen counter, since it is at the perfect level. I just put a bath towel on the counter so they can stand comfortably. If Dolce is a real squirmer, you may need to have someone help you hold him while you brush his legs, etc. Sometimes mine are squirmy, and other times they just want to lay down the whole time. LOL

It takes me about 1hr - 1 1/2hrs to do one dog fully, which is brush, bath, clip nails, dry, and clip/scissor. As a beginner the first couple of times may take you a long time since you'll be getting used to all of the equipment, but you will get faster. I have been doing it for a year now I guess (maybe a little longer) and I've gotten a little faster, but not much. I still mess up sometimes, but I don't care, it grows back so fast. Just remember: Take a LITTLE off at a time with the scissors!


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

thanks very much for all the advice , im going to take before and after pics , and im doing this tonite  im determined to learn as i feel that dolce is the most comfortable w me 


LJSquishy said:


> I use a 3 3/4" FC blade on L&Ps bodies which leaves the hair 1/2" long. It's the perfect length for me so it's short and fuzzy looking without showing any pink.
> 
> On their lower tummy (around the private area, not the entire stomach) I use a #10 blade, and sometimes use it in the armpit area as well.
> 
> ...


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

I know you can do it! It really feels great once you get the hang of it being able to clip them on your own schedule, and not shelling out the money is nice, too!


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## mom2bijou (Oct 19, 2006)

I've never groomed myself so I have no tips for you, BUT I wanted to say GOOD LUCK!!!!!! Can't wait to see how Dolce baby comes out!!


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Liza - atta girl.:chili::chili: You're so brave. I wish I could do it but I'm too "spoiled" with my groomer living in my apt bldg. It's just too easy. :blush:


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

im going to try it ! tomm cause im too tired tonite lol


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## Johita (Jul 10, 2009)

OMG!! Good luck! I have no tips as the only thing Aolani will let me use the clippers on are his paws and butt LOL - and only if he's busy eating. I'm sure you will do a fabulous job becuase you already do a nice job trimming him. Who knows, maybe he won't mind the clippers on his legs. Can't wait to see pics!


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## yeagerbum (Apr 20, 2010)

omg good luck!!! I was also going to groom Yeager by myself today but woke up with a fever in the morning  I was so looking forward to it too!! Can't wait to see your results!!


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## cometgrrl (Dec 31, 2010)

Good luck, I can't wait to see the pictures!

I am nervous about grooming Indy myself, even though I used to groom my previous maltese, but he had very cottony, curly coat, that matted like crazy and I had to keep him very short.


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## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

I clipped Rocky myself for the first time this month. He's getting more used to the clippers. I use a 4 blade on his body and a 10 for the bottom of his paws and private area. He doesn't like his legs brushed either. I have been using a comb on him to take matts out. I need to buy thinning shears and a better comb. Lynn was kind to show me the ropes before I attempted it, so I was lucky for that! I'm feeling more comfortable and plan to do it all the time.

Good luck with Dolce...I can't wait to see his picture. :chili:


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## uniquelovdolce (Mar 10, 2010)

dianne i did !! not sure how to find the thread but maybe u can search for it ..


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