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We shave Riley all the time (schnauzer rescue mix). Can't say I would recommend the brand of shaver we have - we need to find a better one.
The most difficult parts to shave are inside his legs and his belly. The skin is very sensitive and razor burn occurs easily. We try to trip those area. Also use a scissor on his feet and most of his face.
Last edited by Jkgourmet; 09-27-2011 at 03:00 PM..
its easy once you get the feel for it firstly...
you need to be very carefull around the underarm/pit area, the tight skin around the back legs, the legs themselves and under the tail for obvious reasons, i do suggest using a guid comb untill you get a feel for it.
tip: INVEST in good clippers, human clippers are not built for dogs, and the ones you get at walmart and the likes (usually manufactured by whal) are not meant for any kind of real work...belive me, avoid them, your hand will thank you (they get HOT both the blade and the motor and dont stay sharp)
tip 2: invest in good blades, keep them clean and keep them sharp this means also purchasing a blade wash...head to the human beauty wholesale type stores and pick up a bottle of blade wash, the stuff made for salons and for pet groomers is the same stuff but tends to be cheaper for the human form.
if your doing any kind of detail work i also suggest buying a can of clipper cool (its an areosol spray) its a lubricant and hlps keep the blades form getting hot and also helps keep them in good shape.
even the best blades dull...replace every 6 months for general pet grooming, if your doing multiple dogs or a "tough" ccoat (wirey or poodle types) or larger dogs, go every 3 months to new blades...you can have blades sharpend too!
Andis is a great brand AGC, AG2 and the AG all get good reveiws the AGR is excelent (cordless) but youll pay a little more for it!
Oster, look for the A-5's.... (most vets use oster!) you dont realy need multi speed for pet grooming
Whal makes some good ones if you grade up and dont fall for the walmart "grooming kits" look into the arco and the switchblade. i have the arco (its cordless) its GREAT for a small dog, but being cordles syou gotta keep the spare battery charged if your doing more than one small dog.
the switchblade gets great reveiws!
i love my whal arco, but plan to add an Oster A-5 and an Oster finnish trimmer to my collection, with a small dog if you plan on doing any face trimming i do suggest the oster finnish trimmer too, its a great little blade prefect for around the eyes and between the toes.
i got mine from king wholesale pet (open to the public online just do a goodle search) they seem to have the best prices overall.
another tip...BATH AND DRY the dog first...never clip a dog that hasnt been groomed a maximum of 12 hours prior, the oils and dirt in the coat will destroy your clipper blades alot quicker. youll also get a nicer result when clipping a clean coat.
since your not fussy about trimming anything fancy, just doing a geneal pet clip its generally a comb of your liking over the entire body and then a little closer around the face, under the tail (sanitary trim) and the paw pads...once you get the hang of it a simple trim in 1 lenght all over shouldnt take very long on a 12 lb dog...
the first few tries may come out a little less than even, but your dog realy wont care...they dont look in the mirror and htink oh my god what did she do! so dont worry about it, practice makes perfect!
I do the dogs in the rescue all the time. The biggest advice I can give, is get good clippers!! Granted, you won't deal with the messes I do - fur matted so badly it rips the skin, burrs and ticks every place, covered in mud and I don't even want to know what else - but even just routine grooming will wear down the cheapies from WalMart FAST. I bought the Wahl 'for thicker fur' or whatever they claim from WalMart. What, like $60 or something? - when we took in two cocker boys. OMG...............What a nightmare. They were both so very matted and their fur was so thick. It took me about four days to get them trimmed down. And when I do it, I don't use the guides. I shave them naked and start from scratch. By the time I was done with them, those clippers were garbage. I figured I just wore them out on their coats, so I bought a new set since we've got a 5 pound poodle. Figured I'd use them on him. Nope. They wore out after a few cuts. And like Foxy said, they get VERY hot VERY fast. And if they're hot in my hand, just imagine what it feels like against their skin. I hate those things. I use them just a very short while at a time and then go back the next day, and I do as much as I can with just scissors. My little Gizmo would certainly get laughed off an AKC ring with the hair cuts mommy gives him (I made him look like a goat the first time!!) but he's comfy and not matted and his fur stays nice and short all summer long. It doesn't matter to me if he's a 'show cut' type of boy, as long as he's comfortable. I say go for it. You'll get better as time goes by. The fur always grows back. It's no biggie!
If you buy good clippers and good blades you can get your blades sharpened. We have a feed store here that will send them off for you. My trainer (horse) clips horses a lot for $$$ and sends her blades out regularly. The clippers she uses would be pros the same ones the dog groomers use.
BTW, since we don't really get wild and wooly winters down here a lot of show people will clip in the fall and just blanket and turn out.
the horse clippers tend to be larger than the dog clippers but your right, you can get the blades sharpend..however for the average pet owners grooming needs its typically cheaper to replace the blade than it is to send it off for sharpening...
as a side note...i prefer ceramic blades, more expensive but stay cooler and stay sharp longer.
I shaved my dog once and it took me awhile to get up the nerve to do it.. I was very afraid of hurting him. Watch as much videos on grooming as possible. A grooming place suggested I get a grooming book to look at. I also would suggest if you can find a groomer that is willing to give you tips on grooming ask. I was told by the groomer to be careful with the armpit area and the loose skin, around anus and genitals. Also around face. They may have said not to shave the face. You have to be very careful about not getting near their mouth and eyes. Dogs have a dew?claw on their paws.You must be careful about that. I used an Andis, (is purple) that was around $55-60 .I got mine at Amazon. I read the reviews and it said didn't get as hot as some others. I suggest you read the reviews and probably buy one that cost at least $50 or more. I was told by a salesclerk that any decent ones are going to cost over $100. Whether she was giving me good info or just trying to make a sale, I do not know. If you shave your dog yourself, make sure you have patience and take your time so as to avoid hurting your dog. That is of the utmost importance. If I had the money I would prefer a groomer did it.
I have some regular Wahl pet clippers from Walmart.
For years I shaved (puppy clip or shorter) the wrong direction, with fur laying down.
It worked but now that I shave against it the shaver works much better..
My poor peke has a straggly coat that looks better short.
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