# Clipper recommendations



## oregonbeavermom

Hi everyone, I was hoping to get some clipper recommendations for clipping my cockapoo at home. My dog, Nicki is one and a half years old. I have tried to clip her several times now at home without much success. I Think it is because I have not found the right trimmer. I bought one clipper from Amazon and it worked fine for a few times but now is worthless. I just bought another Oster clipper from Walmart today, it said it was super Duty for heavier coats but I had a hard time with it also. I would rather Clip her at home because the last time I took her to the groomer she got a terrible cut and i could have done better myself. What is a good clipper that is reasonably priced? I am adding a picture of her so you can see what type of hair she has. It is nice and soft usually and she doesn't shed but it is hard to get a metal comb through it without pulling even when she doesn't have mats.


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## kendal

If you cant get a combe through her coat then the clippers will struggle if using a comb attachment. 


in order yo use clippers the coat needs to be brushed through and blowdried and you need to ne able to get a combe through the Coat.


what length are you trying to get. Can you give us a link to the tipe of cluppers you baught. waht blade are you using and what number of combe attachment are you trying to use.


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## Jedicrazy

Hi, whereabout are you? I'm in the Uk. I and several others I know on here have Andis clippers. This brand was recommended on Cockapoo Dog Grooming course that some of us went on. My Obi has a think coat and they are fine with it but I have to make sure he is completely tangle free and the fur blow dried before I can use them.


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## mairi1

Sorry no advice re clippers but just wanted to say that Nicki is adorable 

She has a similar coat to my dog Molly 

xxx


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## oregonbeavermom

Thank you for the replies! I am in the US (Oregon). The comb attachment is 1/2" that I was using. I do always blow dry her after her bath and even then the comb sticks a little even though she doesn't have many mats. The legs dont get as fluffy as her top even with the blow drying. Sometime she will have a tiny on on her legs or neck but I understand the clippers won't go through that. The clipper I was using yesterday was the oster super duty animal care advanced clipper. The other I was using was an andis pm-1 model pet clipper. The chest is another problem clipping as she gets very jumpy every time I do that area. Here is a picture of how she came back from the groomers last time. She was easy to take care of but I didn't care for the look









Mauri- yes Molly and Nicki do look a lot alike!


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## kendal

Was that her first hair cut. . it takes a while till you find a look you like. What was it you didn't like. 



the clippers you get that are aimed at pet owners are often rubbish. if your going to get a set of clippers you should looks on sites aimed at groomers, more exspensive but better quality. 

what kind of brush do you use on her. its good to have a veriety of brushes but in general a slicker brush is the best before you try to comb through the coat.


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## JasperBlack

Nicki is lovely! I agree that making sure they are combed thoroughly before clipping is key! I just use wahl hair clippers but jasper's coat is easy at the moment! A friend of mine has a labradoodle, he's huge and she now has proper groomers clippers that have metal comb attachments that glide through the coat easier  the plastic ones just broke and got tangled in his coat!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## oregonbeavermom

Kendal- yes the last picture was of her first professional gromming. For my preference they cut her too short and she looked so skinny, especially around her little feet and waist. The face was fine. More than anything I just didn't like the grooming experience. I felt the lady didn't want to take the time with her. Nicki was timid, she is shy anyways and the experience with all the cages and other dogs didn't help. I would rather just do it myself if possible. 

The next time I groom her I will make sure I brush her out better. I do have a slicker brush, metal combs in different sizes, also a dematting brush that has the sharp little ends on it. I use them all. She doesn't like any of them much, she is very sensitive to the slicker brush for some reason. I love the idea of the metal comb guide, the plastic ones are terrible. Also one problem I was having with the clipper is that the hair kept getting stuck in the comb attachment so I had to keep stopping to remove it so it would cut better. I don't know if this is a problem with the clipper or just something that would happen no matter what.


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## kendal

It's rare that a Cockapoo poo owner like the first hair cut their dog gets. Every groomer nips in the feet to make them look neat but for some reason a lot of owner hate it. 

It probably is you clippers that are the problem, the clippers that are aimed at pet owners are rubbish, I'm sure the companies know people will buy them, have a go then give up and go back to the groomer. So the motor is not strong enough and the blade isn't much better. 

So look as websites that are used by groomers and you will find out a bit about proper clippers.


You may also want to try googling for classes on how to groom you pet, some groomer training schools are doing one day classes for pet owners who want to groom their own dog.


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## oregonbeavermom

Kendal, thank you for the tips. I will be taking these clippers back and look for some as you suggested. 

I think I could do a good job if I just had the right tool. I am not that picky, I just would like to have it even all over and medium length so I can keep the matting problem away. I did watch a few videos so I think I have the technique down, it is just the clippers that are not cooperative!

I appreciate everyone's advice!


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## Claireyfairy

Jedicrazy said:


> Hi, whereabout are you? I'm in the Uk. I and several others I know on here have Andis clippers. This brand was recommended on Cockapoo Dog Grooming course that some of us went on. My Obi has a think coat and they are fine with it but I have to make sure he is completely tangle free and the fur blow dried before I can use them.


Hello - can you pass on the details of the course you went on? I'm interested in doing one but can't find one online (may just be my inept googling skills!)

Thanks!


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## Von

Andis clippers are usually very good quality, but as Kendal says, those aimed at the general pet market just won't be robust enough for cockerpoo coats. 

The Andis AGC line is aimed at the professional market and these clippers are very reliable. A lot of people recommend the 2 speed model, the faster speed apparently makes cutting easier. I originally bought the AGC single speed clippers, but have just upgraded to the 2 speed, as I have 2 'poos to clip. These are the ones I would recommend although they are a bit more expensive. If you don't mind the clipping taking a bit longer, then the single speed are fine.


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