# for those who grooms their babies



## bruinkoala (Aug 18, 2005)

Hi everyone, 

I'm thinking about grooming Bruno myself. The grooming cost (esp. if we get Bruno's sister) will be too expensive for me. For those who groom their own babies, do you have any advice? What type of clippers worked best for you? When Bruno goes to the groomers he gets about an inch - inch and a half cut all around. I was looking for dog clippers, but there are just too many options. Also, what does grooming day entail? Checking the ears, cutting the nails, expressing the glands? 

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Vivian


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## chris_e (Jan 16, 2006)

I use Wahl model 8552 cordless dog trimmers, which came with a whole guard set and scissors. I like the freedom of the cordless as my pups like to move around alot. Also, after dog fur is alot thicker than human hair, so after killing two sets of human trimmers I found out that you have to use pet specific trimmers. 
As far as grooming day, the first thing I do is clean out her ears with solution and wipe out with cotton balls. Then I brush Pinot out before I clip her. Some people do the bath thing before, but I don't see the point. After I clip Pinot (I clip her body really close, so I against the grain of the hair, but if you are going to leave the fur longer, go with the grain of the hair), I give her a bath where she gets expressed. After I shampoo her, I like to put a little conditioner in her feet and tail, which I don't clip, to make it easier to brush out later. After I towel dry her, I break out the hair dryer and brush her out. If I am going to clip her nails I do it either before or after I blow dry her. The nails are softer after her bath. As Pinot likes to dig on body parts in order to get our attention I also file her nails a little so she doesn't scratch. 
The whole process takes about and hour and a half, but even after the price of the clippers, shampoo, nail clippers, file, and ear cleaning solution, after the fourth cut it paid for itself. I also think it is better for Pinot to have me do it than some stranger and because I work alot it lets me spend some time with her.


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## starry (Sep 4, 2006)

I am trying to do the grooming or most of it myself too.
So far I have trimmed up her paws,legs, be-hind,a little face hair,some mats & cut nails.
I would like to keep her coat long, not too long.
Is it necessary to use clippers?







I'm scared!
Chris, what kind of solution for ears? How exactly do you clean them? I have Oticalm for ears would that work? Thx


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## chris_e (Jan 16, 2006)

> I am trying to do the grooming or most of it myself too.
> So far I have trimmed up her paws,legs, be-hind,a little face hair,some mats & cut nails.
> I would like to keep her coat long, not too long.
> Is it necessary to use clippers?
> ...



I use Chlorhexiderm. Both of my dogs have itchy ears so I had to go to vet to get this stuff. I tried to go the cheap route and get some ear solution from the pet store but my vet said it was crappy and to stop using it. As I live in Korea, I have limited access (ie. whatever the miltiary vetrinary office has at the time) and information on other ear products. 
As far as clipping, I think it is only good for shorter cuts. Scissor cuts are for longer hair I guess. I don't have the time or patience for long hair. I tried to let my Yorkie's hair grow, but it drove me crazy, and that is with a Yorkie. I can't imagine letting Malt hair grow.


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## starry (Sep 4, 2006)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=353855
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks, I know what you mean about the long hair







.
I don't comb her everyday so it may be off to clipper land soon. I have a Lhasa and definitly can't do 2 long hair dogs. Plus I have created monsters bc they loovvvee to go out for walks and our lake house on the weekends where they're out chasing waves and guarding the yard.








I get the begging eyes all day if we don't make a little dash out if we're at home.
The oticalm I got from the vet so I bet it's similar to your ear stuff. It says for cleaning.
Your dog looks great!


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## May468 (Dec 5, 2006)

If the Hair isn't silky.. I'd go with a hair cut. I keep Moppy's hair about 2 to 4 inches... His hair isn't silk, impossible to keep long. When he was younger it laid nicely, not perfect but okay.
Cotton's so far appears silky. Lay's perfectly, Her hair is longer. Doesn't knot up easily. We'll see as we go.

I use scissors to trim Moppy's hair. I used to be a hair dresser.
I brush it out away from his body.. like it's sticking out/up.. Eye ball it and cut it even all over his body. 
(it will not lay, I think his developed "gray" hair)

By cutting it even all over the body...say 4 inches long. I am not getting too close to his body. Not much chance of "cutting" Him. In harder areas. For around the thighs. I pull out the hair between two fingers, holding it and cut.. Like a hairdresser. The Feet, I comb straight out, cut an oval around foot. I like to leave Moppy a "ball" skirt... So, that when he walking away from me. I can't see his "balls." Around his head, I leave it long. Cutting his ear hair the same length as his neck hair. (Lion look) Which gets trimmed a bit for summer. 
The Hair off the back of his head has gotten long, it isn't cottony/wiry, so I've left it long. 

Tummy: I cut/shave pretty high on the chest. Right up to the 1st rib. (up - bottom to head) That way we don't have "pee" hair later. All the Hair around his Peepee is shaved with blades using a guard. I shave all the hair off the inside thighs. (if you cut too close the skin, it will razor burn.







They have thin skin, watch out for this. )

It's not a Puppy cut. He isn't nude







and he hasn't got long hair. Except on his head. 

I also take Moppy and Cotton in to be groomed. But I don't let them Trim.. just wash and sanitary cut.
Learned years ago.. One person speech pattern is different to anothers. Plus people forget. 

To me it wasn't a matter of going cheaper. It was a matter of it looking the way I wanted it. Not the way someone esle thought it should look. I was always amazed at how few people know what a maltese should look like. IF I wanted a poodle, I'd a bought one.. or cocker, or whatever. Years ago, I had a friend who groomed dogs, she taught me alot.

I learned that if you plan to do it yourself. Plan on one day a week and thats the day every week to do it.
Like house work.. wash clothes on Wednesday. Wash Dogs on thursday.. things seem to get done that way.

I have three or four different brands of People blades. That way it's easy to replace the blades. The teeth are closer to each other, than dog blades, which I think gives a cleaner cut. No valleys


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## bruinkoala (Aug 18, 2005)

> I use Wahl model 8552 cordless dog trimmers, which came with a whole guard set and scissors. I like the freedom of the cordless as my pups like to move around alot. Also, after dog fur is alot thicker than human hair, so after killing two sets of human trimmers I found out that you have to use pet specific trimmers.
> As far as grooming day, the first thing I do is clean out her ears with solution and wipe out with cotton balls. Then I brush Pinot out before I clip her. Some people do the bath thing before, but I don't see the point. After I clip Pinot (I clip her body really close, so I against the grain of the hair, but if you are going to leave the fur longer, go with the grain of the hair), I give her a bath where she gets expressed. After I shampoo her, I like to put a little conditioner in her feet and tail, which I don't clip, to make it easier to brush out later. After I towel dry her, I break out the hair dryer and brush her out. If I am going to clip her nails I do it either before or after I blow dry her. The nails are softer after her bath. As Pinot likes to dig on body parts in order to get our attention I also file her nails a little so she doesn't scratch.
> The whole process takes about and hour and a half, but even after the price of the clippers, shampoo, nail clippers, file, and ear cleaning solution, after the fourth cut it paid for itself. I also think it is better for Pinot to have me do it than some stranger and because I work alot it lets me spend some time with her.[/B]


thanks chris! i'll slowly but surely give this a shot. hopefully i can do this!!!


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## kcalbat (Mar 13, 2007)

Hello, this is long so u can make use of the scroll bar! 

I personally use the Andis Ultra Edge two speed clippers on the dogs I groom. These are great long term use clippers. The only issue is that the switch blade tends to go out. 

My manager has the Andis 2 speed, not the ultra egde version and she has NO problems with the switch blade. These are the clippers I plan on buying next. We use our clipper an average of five times a week 5 or 6 times a day, sometimes less. Just regular maintenance such as oiling, cleaning and replacing the blade drive every 3 to 6 months (this goes for any brand of clippers) keeps them in tip top shape.

Id worry more about the blades you buy because those require alot more maintenance. I like to have three of every blade because the blades heat up fast and I do not like using cool lube on them as it can wet the dogs hair if it isnt completely dry. To cool the blade you have to spray the cool lube on for about 30 seconds, then wipe down the blade, and then let the rest air dry for a minute. So for me its easier to just switch out the blades. I put the warm blades face down on a cool surface which helps it cool off faster. The new ceramic edge blades can be used longer without heating up but cannot be sharpened. When it gets dull you have to replace the ceramic part (7 to 10 a piece). Normal blades have to be sharpened regularly (about 5 or 6 dollars each). 

For sanitary shaves under the belly and under the tail the 10 is the safest blade to use. The most common blade I use to shave Shih Tzs and Maltese like dogs is the 3 3/4 blade. This leaves the coat about 3/4 of an inch which gives the dog a very puppy like appearance(not smooth but fluffy yet not LONG) it is a short cut that is EASY maintenance. The next step I use if customers like it a little longer is the 0 comb. 

I use Laube snap on combs as they are more precise. A 0 comb leaves about an inch. The length gets longer as you go up the combs A, B, C and so on. Under the combs you will want to use the 40 blade for a better cut. With that blade you dont have to go over the same spot repeatedly. A 40 can also be used to shave pads for a much closer shave but you have to be EXTREMELY careful about the angle you cut the pad hair as it nicks easily. It may be easier to use a 10 blade on the pads until you gain more experience, but it will leave alot of hair. 40s tend to break easily because they are very short blades, they can break it you tap a nail, if you drop it, or tap any object, and it commonly breaks under combs if it snags a tangle. Once it breaks do NOT use it on the pads EVER. You CAN still however use it under a comb only. 

Make sure the dogs coat is tangle free before using combs because it will snag and possibly pop off the comb exposing the 40 blade. It will also leave dents in the coat if it snags a tangle. For a better cut brush out the coat first. I usually start from back up. I shave down one back leg, then a brush the coat up in the opposite direction iot grows, then I shave back down it for a more closer and uniform look, then move to the other leg and so on. 

The most important part of using a comb to shave is scissoring! The combs (as opposed to blades like the 10, 7, 5, 4, or 3 3/4 blades) cannot take length off in certain places so you will have to scissor up REALLY well afterward. You will have to scissor up the feet and shape up the legs and the skirt. I like this because it gives the dog a more natural and solid appearance. The comb will not do this. My favorite scissor of all times are the Dubl Duc Ultra edge series. I use the 6.5 inch for detail work like this. 

Some people dont realize this but if you are going for a young puppy look on your dog, after rounding up the head really well I would trim the ears pretty short( maybe a little shorter than the beard length) Watch out for the ear leather though!!!

anyhow I hope this info helps! The next time I do a cut like that I will post a pic. Thanks very much for reading! hope there were not too many typos
Kelli


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## starry (Sep 4, 2006)

I got alot of info here from these replies!







Thanks!


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

> Hello, this is long so u can make use of the scroll bar!
> 
> I personally use the Andis Ultra Edge two speed clippers on the dogs I groom. These are great long term use clippers. The only issue is that the switch blade tends to go out.
> 
> ...


Thank you for this! I have a serious problem trimming the feet up though, hack job is a more accurate description. Do you have any photo step-by-steps on how to do this? This is for a show coat and I need to get better at trimming the feet!


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## carrie (Aug 24, 2004)

i groom massimo myself, but i don't use clippers. he doesn't like the noise they make, i've tried it a few times. the first 2 times he shook the entire time, the 3rd time he had a seizure... so no clippers for massimo. i learned to deal with the scissors. 

first i check his coat for tangles, i use a spray bottle with warm water to comb out his ears and tail since they are long.
sometimes i will give him a rough cut before i bathe him. i check his anal glands before i bathe. then i will put cotton balls in his ears and wet him down. then wash him and condition him. they i take him out and remove the cotton balls, hold him in a towel for a while to absorb excess water. trim his nails. comb him out, blow dry him and then scissor cut him hoping i get it all even. sometimes i don't get it exactly right and i'm following him around all night with scissors trimming a stray hair here and there...lol.

that's about it.









massimo in his puppy cut:


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## bruinkoala (Aug 18, 2005)

lol! i love massimo's cut... too cute!

i'm going to print out this entire thread so i can have it handy when i am ready to groom bruno. thanks everyone! lots of great information!!!


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## starry (Sep 4, 2006)

> i groom massimo myself, but i don't use clippers. he doesn't like the noise they make, i've tried it a few times. the first 2 times he shook the entire time, the 3rd time he had a seizure... so no clippers for massimo. i learned to deal with the scissors.
> 
> first i check his coat for tangles, i use a spray bottle with warm water to comb out his ears and tail since they are long.
> sometimes i will give him a rough cut before i bathe him. i check his anal glands before i bathe. then i will put cotton balls in his ears and wet him down. then wash him and condition him. they i take him out and remove the cotton balls, hold him in a towel for a while to absorb excess water. trim his nails. comb him out, blow dry him and then scissor cut him hoping i get it all even. sometimes i don't get it exactly right and i'm following him around all night with scissors trimming a stray hair here and there...lol.
> ...


 Very Nice!!!


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## dolcevita (Aug 3, 2005)

That sounds way complicated! I think I'll stick with going to a professional groomer--this thread has talked me out of trying it myself!

I love Massimo's cut. I think I'm going to print out the photo and take it to my groomer next time. Good job!


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## paris (Apr 8, 2005)

> That sounds way complicated! I think I'll stick with going to a professional groomer--this thread has talked me out of trying it myself![/B]


lol...my thoughts exactly!


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## kcalbat (Mar 13, 2007)

yea feet are very hard to get perfect. Especially with Maltese hair because it lays so flat and silky one wrong cut and well thats that! its the same for the head...its hard to get a nice round head with that type of coat without looking choppy but it can be done.

I can try and get pics of doing feet...its rare when i get a longer coated dog in but i do have a few request dogs that keep their dogs coat in great shape.... im sure there are better instructions and pics online or in a book so im gonna do some searchin ....

Yea this thread is VERY informative! I love this place I have learned so much from it.


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## luvmyfurbaby (Feb 11, 2007)

> That sounds way complicated! I think I'll stick with going to a professional groomer--this thread has talked me out of trying it myself!
> 
> I love Massimo's cut. I think I'm going to print out the photo and take it to my groomer next time. Good job![/B]


The second week I had Mia my neighbor & I experminted on poor Mia. She ended up looking looking like a lamb!!


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## Gemma (Jan 19, 2006)

wow Kelli, thanks for your post








gave me a few tips. I have only groomed Sparkey once so far. I bought this Andis Clipper with #40 blade I was so scared to use it that I first put a regular comb under the coat and then shave above it so there is no accidents. I did the hole body like that







then I bought the 5FC blade but I haven't used it yet. I think I'm scared of that one too







oh and I bought this one too for the pads. I'm scared to use it yet. could the skin get caught in it?







I bought attachment combs too , they are way too sharp and don't even go under the coat. the tips could really damage something. so that's what I got.


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## Kissi's Mom (Apr 21, 2006)

My daughter has been grooming for almost a year (FINALLY a groomer I can trust!) and she helped me give Mia her first haircut yesterday. She is 11 months old and her hair was just about to the ground but was looking pretty scraggly because she plays so rough. We took the curved scissors and cut probably 2inches (maybe a little more) off all the way around the bottom, trimmed her feet, down her legs ... when she stretches out she has a really pretty even line...kinda rounded her body out a little, trimmed her face and she really looks about 300% better!! I was amazed how easy it was once my daughter showed me how. I like Kissi done with the scissors best too...I feel like I have a little more control with them.
good luck,
Linda


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## 2maltese4me (May 8, 2006)

I've done my own grooming for yrs.....I only use scissors.....the only time I use a trimmer is on their pads....its quicker and easier for me. Not sure what kind of pointers I can give...other than it does take practice....and even then, some mistakes happen.


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## gattirenata (Jul 28, 2006)

> That sounds way complicated! I think I'll stick with going to a professional groomer--this thread has talked me out of trying it myself!
> 
> I love Massimo's cut. I think I'm going to print out the photo and take it to my groomer next time. Good job![/B]


LOL I always do that!!!!!!! 
I also loooove Massimo's cut!!!


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## MySugarBaby (Jun 28, 2006)

I love this thread. I had no idea so many people groomed their own dogs.
I have been grooming mine for years and will only take them to the groomer on occasion when I am too busy or I have a particular cut in mind that I want them to try out.
Since I have different breeds of dogs with different hair types, I do each of them differently. I have an Andis and a Wahl clipper. I like the Andis but it won't cut through my cocker's hair at all, her hair is just too thick for it. But it cuts the others' hair easily.

First I brush the dog out and get any matts, tangles or matts out. Then I bath them. I then comb them out and blowdry them until they are completely dry. After that I will cut their nails, clean out their ears. And then I will cut the hair on their pads, sometimes I do this before bathing, depends on how dirty their hair is. I use a shaver to cut the hair on the pads and as someone else mentioned you have to be careful at the angle otherwise you can knick them very easily. Then I trim up around the sanitary areas. Only use scissors for cutting around the butt area. For boys I will use a shaver with a comb the smallest comb attachement and will cut the hair up to the rib cage on the underside. You have to have a real steady hand to do the boys sanitary cut so you don't accidentaly cut them. After all that is done I will trim up the feet using scissors. For my maltese and yorkies I only use the shaver for cutting pad hair and the sanitary cut for boys. It takes me a good two hours or more to get everything done. I can be a bit of a perfectionist so it takes me a little longer to make sure I get everything just right.
Oh and one quick tip that I haven't seen anyone mention. When you are using conditioner, let it set a good 8 minutes before you rinse it off. This gives it enough time to set in and work. You would be suprised at the difference between 3 minutes and 8 minutes.


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