mowgliandme Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 I have been reading through the grooming forum for a while now and have a couple of (I think new) questions For a little bit of background, I have a small (10kg adult) straight haired pup, her hair is around 5 inches long right now and doesn't have any knots (but its getting very hard to keep it knot free!) and I’d like to cut it back to around 2 inches long, shortest I'd want it is 1 inch. Im not too fussed if it isnt perfectly even :) This will be my second time clipping a dog (I gave up on clipping the last dog as he was very hyper and just would not calm down, but this puppy is very calm and relaxed so I think I have a chance this time!). I have been combing her every 1-3 days, I cut her nails every 1-2 weeks, and trim her paw pad hair and around her face and eyes every few weeks too. She is very comfortable with all of this. I have wahl Italian 7 inch staight scissors, a mars coat king blade 12, slicker brush and comb so far in my grooming kit. Firstly, can this length be achieved with clippers (with comb attachments) or is scissor cutting the only option? :) I am happy to do either but I think clipping would be faster...? If I can do this with clippers, I am hoping to get the Andis AGC2 clippers, with the andis 4FC blade and comb attachments – are these the right ones for this job? Any recommendations/alternative suggestions would be soo appreciated! Thirdly, I have been grooming my puppy lying down so far, she is very calm and relaxed in this position (or is just lazy) and i think getting her to stay standing for the whole time will require more effort (which im happy to put in if needed) Are there any issues with clippering her while she lies on her side or stomach...would the skin be taught enough? I havent actually got the clippers/attachments yet, so if im dreaming please tell me :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 Your dog needs to stand to be clipped ,laying is fine for brushing but a nightmare to clip and get a decent shape. Attachments don't go on a 4 blade they go on a # 10,15,30,40 . The attachments work fine providing the cost is clean and not free ,You could use a #3 blade that would leave an inch or so BUT the final length and finish will be determined by the coat,if fine it may end up shorter in appearance as there is no bulk to fluff it up,if a nice thick coat it looks cute and fuzzy. Hand scissoring can be done , Keep in mind shorter won't mean no knots ,coats knot due to not brushing enough,using the wrong tools ,washing in crappy stuff or simply a crappy coat that mats. A good slicker brush and comb is all you need ,the coat king not really . I would suggest finding a good groomer to do this first cut and keep the shape or style Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowgliandme Posted October 11, 2016 Author Share Posted October 11, 2016 (edited) Thanks showdog :) Totally didnt realise that you couldnt use attachments on all the blades! I'll get her a bit more used to standing to be groomed first then I think the clipper comes with a #10 blade (which says it keeps hair only 1.5mm) what attachment type/size would i need with this to keep hair 1-2 inches? I would of course wash, dry and comb her before using it :) Her coat is super thick, so i think it would be cute and fuzzy, but I guess we'll see! I really do love brushing her and keeping her knot free, but i think she is hot most of the time, and I don't really want it any longer than 6 inches (personal preference) so i'm not doing it to cop out of combing her! We have been to the beach three times this week so that probably contributed to the knotiness too... I havent used the coat king much, (just slicker and comb) i only got it on recommendation from a few friends but I havent had much use for it~ Is there a particular slicker brush that you recommend? mine is just a kmart one and while it works I dont really have anything to compare it to, so probably worth upgrading that too Edited October 11, 2016 by mowgliandme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowgliandme Posted October 12, 2016 Author Share Posted October 12, 2016 Thanks showdog :) Totally didnt realise that you couldnt use attachments on all the blades! I'll get her a bit more used to standing to be groomed first then I think the clipper comes with a #10 blade (which says it keeps hair only 1.5mm) what attachment type/size would i need with this to keep hair 1-2 inches? I would of course wash, dry and comb her before using it :) Her coat is super thick, so i think it would be cute and fuzzy, but I guess we'll see! I really do love brushing her and keeping her knot free, but i think she is hot most of the time, and I don't really want it any longer than 6 inches (personal preference) so i'm not doing it to cop out of combing her! We have been to the beach three times this week so that probably contributed to the knotiness too... I havent used the coat king much, (just slicker and comb) i only got it on recommendation from a few friends but I havent had much use for it~ Is there a particular slicker brush that you recommend? mine is just a kmart one and while it works I dont really have anything to compare it to, so probably worth upgrading that too Ooops figured out that the combs have the length written on them "WAHL Stainless Steel Comb Attachment Size 8, 25mm" One more noob question! Is the length written on the comb also for if you are combing against the grain, or with the direction of the hair? Im hoping to cut in the same direction as the hair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Attachments are with the coat,they can slip off so be aware and after much use the spring will wear our. I prefer the plastic to the metal combs , It may also pay you to consider buying a #3 blade ,the key is though to do it more often as the longer thecoat the harder it is for attachment to go through so in our salon we generally skim over with a #7,5,4 to get the bulk off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowgliandme Posted October 12, 2016 Author Share Posted October 12, 2016 Thanks again for your help! :) I'll get both, i think #3 would be good for peak summer when we are camping most and the longer comb attachments for now, I'll try to organise it so that her hair can be longest and fluffiest in winter :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Thanks again for your help! :) I'll get both, i think #3 would be good for peak summer when we are camping most and the longer comb attachments for now, I'll try to organise it so that her hair can be longest and fluffiest in winter :) As a groomer my advice is don't leave it to long. We use quarter horse power clippers which breeze through the coats but the smaller the motor the longer it takes especially if using the clip on combs & you have one blade as the over heat quickly . Winter is often the worse for the over grown shaggies so your better off doing it more reguarly especially as in winter the coats often thicken up any way . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowgliandme Posted October 12, 2016 Author Share Posted October 12, 2016 Eep i'll keep that in mind too for next winter :) I dont think it will be ever much longer than 5 inches though, she does look very adorable at the moment but its probably the longest id want to maintain, and i'm keeping it as knot free as possible (combing every day if i have to!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen15 Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 (edited) What breed is she? I've got the wahl KM2 clippers. They came with combs 1-4 and I've bought 5-8. I've got blades 7F, 10, 15, 30. My recommendation, having been in your position less than 12 months ago, is to find someone to teach you. I'm very lucky to have a friend who grooms dogs. For the first 3-4 paw trims, she did them while I handled the dogs. She gave pup his first, very minor, clipping on face. After good experiences (and high value treats post grooming) I can do pup by myself with no issues. I would call him stoic when it comes to doing the full grooms LOL I do the less popular stuff first, nails, pads, lightly clip face, then onto the good things. Brushing, stripping with the mars coat king, trimming outline. My friend referred my to a book called Theory of 5. It is really useful when learning what blades, what combs, what direction etc to cut. She also had a huge book with specific instructions by breed. I photocopied the couple of pages for my dogs. I've got a westie and cocker spaniel. I don't want them clipped. My goal is a "sporting" version of a show look. So length and shape but not too long to get full of debris. I like the cockers column legs, but she was getting a mono leg in front, so I've gone for a #8 comb on a #10 blade and that keeps the length but gives a gap LOL The cocker was clipped short when I got her. My experience was that her hair knotted significantly more when it was short than it does now. There seems to be a magic length where her pits stopped trying to ball up. The cocker was good for me to practise on with the clippers as she was comfortable with being clipped. I'd do her then the pup. I brush regularly and do a full groom (clip, strip, nails, trim) every 4-6 weeks. The westie is quick under an hour, the cocker takes about two hours. She has much more clipping, particularly with the legs, but also face, ears etc then stripping out her coat and getting her shaped at the end with scissors. PS I lay them down to do their feet and the cockers legs. Then they stand to strip out their coats, trim tails, do outline. Edited October 12, 2016 by karen15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowgliandme Posted October 12, 2016 Author Share Posted October 12, 2016 What breed is she? I've got the wahl KM2 clippers. They came with combs 1-4 and I've bought 5-8. I've got blades 7F, 10, 15, 30. My recommendation, having been in your position less than 12 months ago, is to find someone to teach you. I'm very lucky to have a friend who grooms dogs. For the first 3-4 paw trims, she did them while I handled the dogs. She gave pup his first, very minor, clipping on face. After good experiences (and high value treats post grooming) I can do pup by myself with no issues. I would call him stoic when it comes to doing the full grooms LOL I do the less popular stuff first, nails, pads, lightly clip face, then onto the good things. Brushing, stripping with the mars coat king, trimming outline. My friend referred my to a book called Theory of 5. It is really useful when learning what blades, what combs, what direction etc to cut. She also had a huge book with specific instructions by breed. I photocopied the couple of pages for my dogs. I've got a westie and cocker spaniel. I don't want them clipped. My goal is a "sporting" version of a show look. So length and shape but not too long to get full of debris. I like the cockers column legs, but she was getting a mono leg in front, so I've gone for a #8 comb on a #10 blade and that keeps the length but gives a gap LOL The cocker was clipped short when I got her. My experience was that her hair knotted significantly more when it was short than it does now. There seems to be a magic length where her pits stopped trying to ball up. The cocker was good for me to practise on with the clippers as she was comfortable with being clipped. I'd do her then the pup. I brush regularly and do a full groom (clip, strip, nails, trim) every 4-6 weeks. The westie is quick under an hour, the cocker takes about two hours. She has much more clipping, particularly with the legs, but also face, ears etc then stripping out her coat and getting her shaped at the end with scissors. PS I lay them down to do their feet and the cockers legs. Then they stand to strip out their coats, trim tails, do outline. I do know a couple of groomers but I don't think i'm close enough with them for them to teach me or let me watch (grooming professionally already sounds very hectic), her breeder is happy to teach me scissor clipping (as she doesn't use clippers) which i hope to do soon :) Thanks karen15 :) I will look into that book, that sounds great! I've been watching a lot of youtube tutorials but everyone on the videos seems to be going quite short on their dogs and I couldn't figure out the right combos of attachment/blade or just blade to get the length that i wanted (until I got showdog's advice) She is a cobberdog/australian labradoodle, she really seems to love the nails/paw pads being done even more than the brushing :p (she still likes being brushed though) p.s. I bet she will be pleased she can lay down for some of it then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen15 Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 I forgot to say the other thing you probably need is thinning shears. They are great for covering up boo boos...... After some dodgy decision of my own, I have to remind myself it's only hair and will grow back LOL Rereading the length you want to keep, you'd probably be better with a higher number comb. My friend said I'd be wasting my time with a #8 comb, but it is the exact length I wanted. This is the comb number and length from the wahl combs 1#=3mm 2# =6mm 3#=10mm 4# =12mm 5#=16mm 6# =19mm 7#=22mm 8# =25mm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascalmyshadow Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 (edited) I haven't been on here for a while but just read this thread, for the look you want to achieve use a 40# blade with a Laube no 0# plastic comb over the top or a size B# over the top if you want it a bit longer, bath and fluff dry completely before clipping, always clip with the lay of the coat not against it (you only do that shaving a poodles face, feet and tail), then use your scissors to neaten up all the straggly bits and create the overall shape. Edited October 12, 2016 by Rascalmyshadow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowgliandme Posted October 13, 2016 Author Share Posted October 13, 2016 (edited) Do all of these attachments work on the andis clippers? Rascalmyshadow, when using the #B comb or #0 comb attachment, why do i need a 40# blade? Will the #10 blade make it shorter? :) is it sharper or something like that? karen 15 thinning scissors look like a miracle, I tried to trim some excess hair off her ears a while back and got such jagged looking cuts which i wish i could take back too! Also in regards to scissors...for a home groomer (only one dog), groomed probably every 2ish months, how much should I be spending on scissors? (I did once cut my own hair with a pair of scissors at home which gave me more split ends than I started with, so ended up having to get it done professionally after i found out my scissors were not of hair cutting quality!) I'd like to add thinning scissors and potentially even curved scissors to my grooming tools but the local pet shops only have the under $20 ones like this http://www.mypetwarehouse.com.au/kazoo-grooming-thinning-scissors-p-12257 which didn't look that great to me, but then when i went on clipper world, scissors are up to $100s of dollars Edited October 13, 2016 by mowgliandme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascalmyshadow Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 (edited) The Oster blades and Laube combs all work on Andis clippers, Andis are what I use for professional grooming. A 40# blade under your combs will give a better finish and make it easier to get through the coat, just make sure your dog is bone dry. Look at Wahl IT series 8inch scissors they have a nice thin blade and are easy to handle without being overly expensive (around $50) good scissors are a must. I wouldn't bother with curved scissors once you get the hang of it all you won't need them anyway. I even do poodle heads and pom poms with straights. Edited October 13, 2016 by Rascalmyshadow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pjrt Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Most professional clippers come with a 10 blade As a professional groomer relying on my equipment day in day out on all manner of coat conditions I always use a 30 blade under the wahl stainless steel attachment combs. If the attachment combs you have have metal prong teeth do not put a 40 blade under them as it will get smashed to bits! The steel attachment combs do best over a 30 but absolutely can be used over a 10 or 15 blade as well. If you have wholly plastic comb attachments then a 40 is best, a 30 will suffice. But DONT put a steel toothed attachment comb on a 40. All the teeth will smash off the blade in a nano second! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowgliandme Posted October 13, 2016 Author Share Posted October 13, 2016 Rascalmyshadow, great thats the one i have (wahl Italian series straight comb) :) Glad you told me about the steel toothed comb and 40 attachment Gruf I am looking forward to this grooming adventure and feeling more prepared now Thanks again for all your responses :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen15 Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 A question on comb + blade combinations. #10 blade cuts longer than a #30. When used with a comb is this still the case? It was noted above the higher blade number gives a better finish, so I'm wondering why that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pjrt Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 (edited) A question on comb + blade combinations. #10 blade cuts longer than a #30. When used with a comb is this still the case? It was noted above the higher blade number gives a better finish, so I'm wondering why that is. No the blade used does not change the finished length when a snap on attachment is used. The depth/size of the attachment dictates the length of coat left regardless of the blade used under it. The higher number the blade the finer the teeth, ie, the closer together they are. Used under an attachment, the closer together the teeth, the better/ smoother the finish will be. Also, because the teeth are closer together there will be less clogging of hair into the blade under the comb. The exception is never put a steel toothed snap on comb over a 40 blade! The teeth on the blade will get smashed up. To the OP, if you get the Andis clippers, they should comb with a 10 blade. Then I'd suggest just buying an individual Wahl stainless steel comb. They come standard in a tray of 8 different sizes but you can buy them individually. I'd go with the yellow or light purple one for the type of clip you want. You can use it over your 10 blade. More than adequate for one pet dog. Make sure you do you gold standard prep. Bath, blow dry, brush and comb through, then fluff the coat up backwards and then go over the dog in the direction the hair grows. Tidy up with straight scissors. Don't worry about curved scissors. It really doesn't need to be more complicated than that. Andis clippers, 10 blade, yellow or light purple snap on comb, brush, comb, scissors. Edited October 13, 2016 by Gruf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Good scissors are worth the extra expense as they can be sharpened over the years,cheap stuff is often use and throw out . You can buy good walls around the $50 mark Agrre you don't need curved or bent shanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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