New To Grooming

[hazel]

my little pup is now 4 1/2 months old and is getting quite fluffy ( she is a cav x poodle ) . I am quite keen to clip her myself , but have no experience although have done quite a lot of research .

I plan on buying some Wahl clippers and either a # 3 or # 4 blade for her body and will scissor her legs ( although not sure what length scissors to buy ...) Also not sure whether to scissor or clip the top of her head .

Do you think I should sent her to a groomer the first time or just jump right in and clip her myself ? ( and be prepared to have a wierd looking dog for a few weeks LOL )

I will try and post some photos of her.....

Hazel

[Baby Dragon]

I recently clipped my labradoodle for the first time, with the help and advice of a lot of DOLers

I would say scissor the tail, top of head, around face and legs.

Clip the body and underarms and tummy.

You could probably clip the legs if you wanted to instead of scissoring, it's up to you.

When clipping or scissoring around the toes, be careful of the skin between the toes.

Make sure when you scissor the face that the scissors are pointing away from the eyes... I found it quite tricky. You may need somebody to help hold her still while you do her face. Comb her fringe forward and scissor in a curve, don't do it straight across or it will look funny.

Anyone please correct me if any of that is wrong...

I probably shouldn't really be giving advice though, I had a funny looking labradoodle when I was done but at least his cut is practical

There are some people with a lot more experience on here who might help you out

This is my dog clipped. As you can see, don't clip the tail unless it's really matted!

I used a number 4 blade on his back, and scissored his head.

Edited September 29, 2007 by Blossom

[Dogsfevr]

Personally as a groomer i suggest you find a good one so the dog is taught manners first .

A good groomer will aslo be able to shape the dog so it has some character .

The #3 & 4 blade are fine but you will need other to do certain areas & depending on the thickness & coat texture those blades may not trim much off at all.

[BC]

I agree with showdog. Find yourself a good groomer, who, for the first few grooming sessions, can get your dog some "grooming manners" and used to what is being done. You will also get a nice shape, which you can then follow when you decide to do it yourself.

The reason I say to go to a groomer is, your dog can tell if you are nervous, and will react to that. If you accidentally injure your dog due to inexperience (not knowing danger areas of dogs, incorrect blades in certain parts of the dogs body, cutting dog with scissors etc) , it can be very hard to get a dog to cooperate again. A groomer will do this with confidence and in a much shorter time than you, which will then give your dog confidence, and will be much better behaved when it comes time for you to have a go.

You could also ask the groomer if you can watch so you can get the idea of different holds and positions, and how to shape faces and scissor legs and feet, and they can explain to you what baldes they are using and for what reasons etc etc.

Good luck

[Ari]

Yes I agree with Showdog. Find a good groomer. At least for a few times.

Personally I would never groom my dog if I didn't know what I was doing. I would want my dogs to look good.

Edited September 29, 2007 by Ari

[Poodle wrangler]

I didn't start clipping my poodle until he was about 4 years old and was lucky to have a good groomer who charged very little. He's now 6 and I've had some practice, but you should have seen the first clip I did on our standard poodle pup- I didn't even get to do his whole face . I was firm, but he was not very co-operative .

The breeder did him for me, then I got back on track. It's easier when you have a shape to follow.

She was good and had him used to clippers, brushing and combing as a pup.

She's quite wooly and definitely needs a clip .

The main areas where you can hurt the dog is clipping the face, paws, "underarms" (loose skin) and genitals. I don't think you could do much damage if you're very careful in these areas and #4 and #3 don't cut very close. You might be safer finishing with scissors.

Up to you, but if you do DIY, find a stable, non-slip surface for pup to stand on e.g. non-slip mat on washing machine and make sure they will not fall off/ jump off. Dirt will make blades blunt, so you should bath and thoroughly dry and brush/ comb pup before clipping. Longer blades (like #3) won't pass easily through knotted fur.

Good prices for scissors and blades here:

http://www.freewebs.com/clipperbladesharpe...ipperblades.htm. I find these are good for home use.

The guy who sells them is Colin on DOL: nicestmann77. Used to be a groomer, so may be able to offer some good advice, too. Was helpful to me when starting out (wasn't buying anything).

[hazel]

thanks for replies

I was following you post Blossom when you were clipping your dog .... found it very interesting !!!

But I can see the logic in having her groomed professionally first ... especially if I accidently hurt her ( I accidently hit her in the head with a tennis ball while playing fetch and she will NOT fetch that ball again !!!! )

Do you think a groomer would mind me watching ? I would kind of expect them to be reluctant as once I learn they will loose busisness !

Also .... does the dogs hair change after you clip them or will it grow back exactly the same ?

Edited September 30, 2007 by hazel

[BC]

thanks for replies

I was following you post Blossom when you were clipping your dog .... found it very interesting !!!

But I can see the logic in having her groomed professionally first ... especially if I accidently hurt her ( I accidently hit her in the head with a tennis ball while playing fetch and she will NOT fetch that ball again !!!! )

Do you think a groomer would mind me watching ? I would kind of expect them to be reluctant as once I learn they will loose busisness !

Also .... does the dogs hair change after you clip them or will it grow back exactly the same ?

I dont mind myself if clients are watching me, and if they have any questions I will happily answer them.

I would rather see a well groomed dog, regardless of whether I did it or not, and if the owner wants to have a go themselves, that is fine with me. I at least know the owner is making an effort in looking after their dog and is willing to learn.

At 4.5 months old, your dogs coat will change as it gets older anyway. Depending on the breed of dog whether clipping will change the coat as it regrows, but with my experience in clipping you x breed, it just grows back exactly the same.

[hazel]

I have booked Poppy in to be clipped in a little over a week . Seemed like a very nice lady and said that she did not mind if I stayed but that if Poppy was naughty because I was there then I might have to go , which I think is fair enough .

Will post some photos of her new trimmed self !

[Baby Dragon]

Good luck! Can't wait to see pics