Clipping own dog?

[MagicMelon]

We've got a 5 month old labradoodle and she's so scruffy! After her bath a minute ago Im thinking she could maybe benefit from being clipped/trimmed (whatever you call it with a dog). I can take her to a local dog grooming place but Im thinking long term it may be cheaper and easier to DIY?? I clip my own horses so am hoping its pretty easy to do a dog? Please could anyone advise?? Im looking for a general all over clip - none of the silly poodle pompoms

If its an idea worth trying - what clippers are best for this type?

 

[LBF]

I have been known to clip mine (Not that there is much hair in the first place!)

I have a pair of cordless liveryman clippers (which I used to use on horses face/legs to trim) and also some more substantial wahl ones for dogs/cattle etc.

I watched a few videos on YouTube about clipping and so clipped with the hair rather than against it. However, I imagine that with a labradoodle it would be better to clip against to get a closer finish.

Also, word of caution very much like horses, it's something they get used too and I imagine it's a very strange/scary sensation at first so see how she goes but being a labradoodle she'll probably be lying on her back enjoy the 'massage'! Good luck!

**Also I'm sure a local groomer would be happy to give some advice or even assist in the first instance, charged @ their normal rate?

 

[PorkChop]

I used to clip our cocker spaniel myself, everything off I did the clip with my mains horse clippers, no problem

 

[AdorableAlice]

I did it with a set of horse clippers, old lab x collie who was getting hot and bothered.

That poor dog did not go out for weeks, he looked like he had been through a shredder, I never lived it down and my husband made a cardigan for the dog out of an old jumper.

 

[lizness]

I do my spaniel with my horse clippers. Bit shorter than ideal but alright. Does the job! However I assume he has wool like hair?

 

[PucciNPoni]

Please consider all angles when deciding to groom your own dog. I mean this sincerely, not in a catty way.

If you do decide to DIY, get some training. Understand how to handle the equipment AND dog FOR grooming, which is different from being a playful loving owner at times. I don't mean that grooming a dog you have to be horrible, but you have to be committed to the task....firm but fair. Doodles are pretty sensitive creatures and are clever enough to work out how to evade something pretty quick. In my experience of grooming, many people try and then give up after one or two sessions - but the damage has been done. Sometimes the damage is a few stitches. Sometimes its a dog who has become frightened of grooming. Then what is left is a dog who at extreme case won't be groomed without sedation.

Commit to having a safe environment in which to do the job. Doesn't mean you have to shell out thousands, but good equipment does cost a rather lot. You will find yourself really frustrated with cheap clippers which don't last. Horse clippers IMO is a no-no. I know, lots of people on here use them blah blah blah. If you're happy with it looking rubbishy and are willing to risk, injury (horse clipper teeth tend to be happy to grab delicate areas on a dog), then go for it.

Having said all that, I know plenty of dog owners who do a damned good job of DIY grooming. But they've done all the above.

On the flip side, I saw the saddest thing come in to work this week, and I'm going to some how try rectify it over the next several months. Poor little dog who came in completely matted and crap stuck to it's backside where it couldn't poo because the hair was blocking the way. The owner told me that she'd bought clippers and comb attachments and furminators. This scares the beejeesus out of me because it was LHASA, and unless the coat was prepared perfectly, comb attachments won't work other than to tug and annoy the dog. And furminators have absolutely no business on a non-moulting breed of dog. So the dog has been rejected by other groomers because this lady decided she wanted to have a go to save money. She ended up with a massive vet bill and looks forward to months/years of behaviour modification from me and a behaviourist. Simply because this owner did not spend the time on learning what was correct for her breed of dog. It isn't rocket science, but it's not just something one should "wing" either.

Good luck

 

[Tarbs]

We've got a cockapoo and I trim him and our yorkie with scissors. Neither are keen on clippers. I did the yorkie a little too short last week. She looks like the meerkat from the tv ad now but it'll grow soon enough!

 

[Bosworth]

I have a bedlington, for his first clip I went to someone who has bedlingtons and she clipped him, while explaining carefully how she was doing it and letting me help in places. She then painstakingly detailed every blade I needed, and exactly where I needed to use each size blade and gave me that to take away. She advised me on clipper makes and which blades I needed to buy. I then took Floddy back 8 weeks later and again i helped her trim him, using my own kit. she guided me closely and finished him off so he looked perfect. I then trimmed him myself for the next 10 months, then for Crufts I did the basic trim, his body, his ears, his feet and his chest and took him to my friend to help me with the detail. 2 years down the line I can do a decent bedlington trim. Its not perfect but competent, and with every trim I get better, and would be confident in turning out someone elses Bedlinton.

I am helping my OH's mother trim her cockerpoo, and can advise on clippers and blades and although I had never trimmed a cockerpoo I can do a reasonable job on neatening him up and blending him in.

Find yourself an expert and watch and listen. It can be done, you need to be gentle and careful. Flodden has been trimmed since he was a puppy, I break his grooming sessions down into weekly sessions, feet one week, nails another, internal ears another, full body trim another. That way Floddy is relaxed and not being put under a 4 hour groom, which is what it takes for a professional to do him. He will put up with a 4 hour session, I just give him play breaks thoughout.

 

[PingPongPony]

I do my dog myself. She is a mini poodle. It did take her a few sessions to get used to it, especially the face and the paws, she hates her legs being done. But she is now very well behaved, will sit still with no need to be held or tied up, so I can just do it all myself now with no help. I did however buy good dog clippers, and I have bought tons of dvds and watched them all. I don't think she looks that bad!
From looking like this:

to this:

 

[PucciNPoni]

Yes, PingPongPony and Bosworth show good examples of dog owners doing a great DIY job.

Bosworth, can you remember how much you shelled out for your grooming kit? It's probably more than a labradoodle owner will need to spend (more blades and scissors), but might give a rough idea.

To me it's not the clip itself which is important in DIY grooming (unless of course you're going to show, but with a doodle that's not on the cards) but the handling. At some point down the road the owner might decide that DIY is not for them, and then finding someone to tackle the job of a large dog with bad grooming manners might be difficult.

 

[Bosworth]

Oster A5 clippers £125 ( would probably buy Andis in future)

small battery clippers for ears and toes £25

4 different blades @ £25 a set

Ear forceps £2

Longs blade scissors £65 ( very very important to get decent scissors and get them fitted)

Small round ended scissors £3

Nail grinder £15

Double ended metal comb £3

Wire toothed grooming brush £4



That would be my basic kit I think. I also have a grooming table, I have doubled up on all my blades, have added more blades for different clips. I only have a couple of pairs of scissors and would probably need another couple of different styles of scissors to help me blend. I also have a dog hair dryer, not a professional one, but one which blows colder than a normal human one.

 

[PucciNPoni]

So you spent mid range money on decent kit, but still a fairly good size starter kit. People often think cheapo argos clipper kits are all you need. Its rewarding to learn to groom your own dog (and hats off, beddies are tricky to get right). But the reward isn't financial at first!

 

[Spudlet]

To be honest, I find my cheap Argos clippers quite adequate for shaving Henry in the summer. I can't say how they'd do with a doodle coat, but for a spangle they are fine. Obviously he would never ever pass muster in the show ring but he wouldn't anyway. In any case I don't want him to and nor do I really care if people thinks he looks rubbish - although I do get compliments on his clip, although admittedly not from many groomers! I just want the excess fur off for the sake of his comfort.

I've never found handling him to be an issue either, but then I don't take much nonsense generally, so it is just an extension of that general attitude. He stands, he gets shaved, that's all there is to it as far as he is concerned If he had freaked out, we would have worked up until his confidence was built up. There would have certainly been no pandering to any silliness though.

I personally find horse clippers too large and unwieldy for this job, smaller ones are better.

Henry looks (and smells) much prettier after he's been to the groomers because of course they are much more skilled than I am, but to be honest, that lasts for about five minutes or until he finds some mud, whichever comes sooner. He's off to the groomer next week in fact and I know he will look lovely, but I also know that once I get my clippers back form being serviced, I'll be back to DIY again - it just works for us.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

We've got a 5 month old labradoodle and she's so scruffy! After her bath a minute ago Im thinking she could maybe benefit from being clipped/trimmed (whatever you call it with a dog). I can take her to a local dog grooming place but Im thinking long term it may be cheaper and easier to DIY?? I clip my own horses so am hoping its pretty easy to do a dog? Please could anyone advise?? Im looking for a general all over clip - none of the silly poodle pompoms

If its an idea worth trying - what clippers are best for this type?

We do our Inuit every 2 months . Once a year we take him to salon, but they never chipped enough off,so We do it and dog loves it . We brought rec clippers which work really well. We shave his 4 inch hair down to 1 inch and clip his belly completely short. its looked a bit rough for a few days until tram lines gone


Don't use standard horse clippers, they cannot cope with soft fluffy fur and get bunged up or wont clip. ( we tried and failed then splashed out on below ones)
These are the best professional clippers for dogs, you will prob need blades 10 and 9. These were rec to us and we are very happy with them

 

[MagicMelon]

Thanks guys, wow what a lot to think about then! There was me thinking it'd be so simple - just bang on a set of blades and off we go! I definately know I'd have to take it slowly with her to get her used to it, but to be honest she's such a sweetie I think she'll be ok. She's already used to being bathed regularly and stands stock still for that. I just want to tidy her up, she looks seriously scruffy, the hair goes a bit dreadlocky especially after she's been out in the rain. I do brush her often but even then she looks good for only hours. She does end up with twigs and stuff stuck in her coat which drives her nuts so its for her comfort.

One other thing I wondered - if I did have a go (or if I did get a pro to do it which I certainly would the first time or first few, to get her used to it), then if I didnt like what she looked like could we just leave her to go scruffy again or does it mess with their coat so you have to keep going forever more?

 

[PucciNPoni]

These are the best professional clippers for dogs, you will prob need blades 10 and 9. These were rec to us and we are very happy with them

QUOTE]

Who says those are the best clippers? that's a matter of opinion. I happen to prefer Laube.

And a 10 and a 9 are SHORT SHORT SHORT! If the OP is wanting her dog balded, then even then I wouldn't go shorter than a 7F. 3mm (which is what 7F leaves) is mighty short as it is.

 

[PingPongPony]

You can just leave her her to go fluffy again, it doesn't affect the coat

 

[PucciNPoni]

deleted

 

[PucciNPoni]

Thanks guys, wow what a lot to think about then! There was me thinking it'd be so simple - just bang on a set of blades and off we go! I definately know I'd have to take it slowly with her to get her used to it, but to be honest she's such a sweetie I think she'll be ok. She's already used to being bathed regularly and stands stock still for that. I just want to tidy her up, she looks seriously scruffy, the hair goes a bit dreadlocky especially after she's been out in the rain. I do brush her often but even then she looks good for only hours. She does end up with twigs and stuff stuck in her coat which drives her nuts so its for her comfort.

One other thing I wondered - if I did have a go (or if I did get a pro to do it which I certainly would the first time or first few, to get her used to it), then if I didnt like what she looked like could we just leave her to go scruffy again or does it mess with their coat so you have to keep going forever more?

I would suggest getting a pro to do it the first few times - she will have a better understanding of what's expected.

On most labradoodles the coats tend to be reasonably adept at being clipped so don't worry to much. You can let it go scruffy, just try not to let it get matted or you'll possibly have an unhappy dog for grooming, and make a harder job for yourself and your equipment.

The other thing you need to learn to do if you're going to DIY is to pluck ears and trim nails. Yes, you can have your vet/groomer do that if you wish. But you may as well have a go there too. In my opinion, that's easier to learn than the actual grooming bit.

 

[PingPongPony]

I would suggest getting a pro to do it the first few times - she will have a better understanding of what's expected.

On most labradoodles the coats tend to be reasonably adept at being clipped so don't worry to much. You can let it go scruffy, just try not to let it get matted or you'll possibly have an unhappy dog for grooming, and make a harder job for yourself and your equipment.

The other thing you need to learn to do if you're going to DIY is to pluck ears and trim nails. Yes, you can have your vet/groomer do that if you wish. But you may as well have a go there too. In my opinion, that's easier to learn than the actual grooming bit.

We have to do that with our poodle too, as in pluck ears (and clip nails). Otherwise the hair starts creating a little ball of fluff and is sort of like a plug. It can lead to infections etc. It's not very hard, but dog won't like it very much!

 

[PucciNPoni]

To be honest, I find my cheap Argos clippers quite adequate for shaving Henry in the summer. I can't say how they'd do with a doodle coat, but for a spangle they are fine. Obviously he would never ever pass muster in the show ring but he wouldn't anyway. In any case I don't want him to and nor do I really care if people thinks he looks rubbish - although I do get compliments on his clip, although admittedly not from many groomers! I just want the excess fur off for the sake of his comfort.

I've never found handling him to be an issue either, but then I don't take much nonsense generally, so it is just an extension of that general attitude. He stands, he gets shaved, that's all there is to it as far as he is concerned If he had freaked out, we would have worked up until his confidence was built up. There would have certainly been no pandering to any silliness though.

I personally find horse clippers too large and unwieldy for this job, smaller ones are better.

Henry looks (and smells) much prettier after he's been to the groomers because of course they are much more skilled than I am, but to be honest, that lasts for about five minutes or until he finds some mud, whichever comes sooner. He's off to the groomer next week in fact and I know he will look lovely, but I also know that once I get my clippers back form being serviced, I'll be back to DIY again - it just works for us.

If you stay current with your grooming, cheaper clippers will work fine. But you've got to have the coat clean and well prepared. And doodles can have a lot more hair, on a bigger body. So I still think a better clipper is the way to go.

As for your handling - fair enough you're good at keeping him right. Did you start him off as a pup or was he an adult dog when you got him? It makes a lot of difference, whether a dog's first experiences have been good from the start or if they were ropey.



I do find it a lot harder grooming dogs which were done first by their owners who were hopeful about DIY. I have a huge bin full of cheap clippers handed in to me by people who thought they would have a go... some people give it a try and give themselves a fright when they've accidently nicked something.



My biggest tip to people who wish to save money on grooming (other than buy a non-grooming breed ) is to buy a good brush, a good comb, and get really good at using them. Many coated breeds CAN go 3 months in between trims IF they're well maintained at home. However, I nearly always have to get people in 4 / 6 / 8 week intervals simply because they do not understand about brushing.

 

[meandmyself]

I do my own dogs (two yorkies and two CKCS). They're all good to do, a part from the youngest Yorkie's legs. (He's a sensitive soul and I caught him once with scissors trying to get chewing gum out of his fur.)

I have a set of Wahl clippers but can't remember what blade I have in them at the moment.

 

[PucciNPoni]

I do my own dogs (two yorkies and two CKCS). They're all good to do, a part from the youngest Yorkie's legs. (He's a sensitive soul and I caught him once with scissors trying to get chewing gum out of his fur.)

I have a set of Wahl clippers but can't remember what blade I have in them at the moment.

ahh, yorkies tend to be fidgets over their legs at the best of times!