How to groom a dog?

[sandypaws]

yeah right...go ahead and buy the walmart clippers... after they jam,(stop working), and you nick your cute little dog.. you will still be calling the groomer... this happends several times a year to all of us groomers..we get the call "i bought these walmart clippers and i tryed to shave my dog.........."

if you are going to do it at home and properly.. get a book AND a GOOD pair of clippers..

1 speed anidis clippers.. aprox$130..
#10blade(belly, but, under eyes) and # 4F blade (all over body and lags) $ 50
nail cuters, and KWIKSTOP $ 15
"cheap" HAIR cutting shears $50-100
book (depends on which one) $20-50

 

[chickn]

we talked about this at work the other day, a woman tried to cut a mat out of her cat, she didnt want to pay the money to have it groomed, instead she paid the vet to sew up the hole and still has a cat with matts.


but to answer the question, so your dog can see, comb all her hair above her eyes forward towards her nose and cut straight across, comb it back and see how it falls, just so she can see.

i am a dog groomer, (25yrs) but i dont play one on tv

dont waste your money on walmart clippers. i know things are expensive, get her trimmed closer and it will last longer is the only suggestion i can give.

 

[sandypaws]

play one on TV?? hahahahahah
you might catch a glimps of me on the next "groomer has it"

 

[chickn]

really? lol so then you can say you do play one on tv then

 

[TheDuckCrew]

yeah i have a cat with bad matts. he's a WONDERFUL cat and sits perfectly still as i cut them out. i have never cut him, ever. i'm planning on shaving him this summer because when he was shedding his winter coat, it got totally out of control. even with brushing him every day, he is covered in matts. shaving time! poor cat is going to be the laughing stock of the town!

but i'm interested in learning how to groom, i had wanted to be an "apprentice" at a grooming place so i bet i could pay for all the grooming supplies. for how young i am, i've got quite a stash of money (that i have earned-not from allowance, from babysitting, doing yard work for neighbors....) i've got over $600 last time i counted. and i have had a couple babysitting jobs and i get paid $20-$80 a night. yipee!! i love babysitting for the rich folks. hahaha. they pay me so much and all i do is sit and watch tv once their kids go to bed, and all the kids i watch are angels!! i love them.

 

[Kansaseq]

Having groomed for several years, and dealing with people's pets at the emergency clinic where I work,I have to agree that the Walmart clippers aren't worth the money. I bought a pair myself, thinking that for doing just my dog, they'd be fine. They didn't do a very good job, and died pretty quickly. When owners try to groom at home for the first time, they often end up cutting their pet, costing more than if they had just paid for a professional grooming (or waited for an app). If you are serious about wanting to groom your dog yourself, see if you can get someone experienced to SHOW you how to do it. It's not hard, but it is harder than it looks, especially if you want it to look decent. And let me commend you for being a good dog owner and actually brushing your dog. So many people get long haired dogs and never brush them!

 

[sandypaws]

yup.. just a glimps.. i am NOT one of the contestants,, i am just there to try to give a team some pointers on creative grooming...

AND we will be on a show soon (animal planet) called "strange animal comptitions"... or something like that????

 

[sandypaws]

duckcrew...keep saving your money.. there are grooming schools all over the country.. when you are old enough you could start a great rewarding career

 

[TheDuckCrew]

Quote:
she loves to be brushed! i take out the brush and call "cuddles!" and she comes running! the whole time i'm brushing her, she's wagging her little tail. my cat too. considering how long show shih tzu's hair is, her hair isn't long. we keep it real short, she's just a family dog. but for her, its getting long. tomorrow i'll have my mom help me and cut her eyes. then i'll start asking for some grooming stuff! they know i want to learn how to groom. they tell me that they don't want me to learn because they don't want me to be a groomer, that i could do much better. well, i want to learn anyways!

 

[mamaKate]

I have a 42 lb. Border collie/Springer Spaniel. He's miserable in the summer so he gets his first haircut in April, then about every 6 weeks til Oct. He's never seen a groomer and I've never hurt him. I use the same Wal-Mart clippers for him and my son. Rinsing or at least vacuuming first helps.