# Grooming, clippers and feet?



## Sam1

Hello

Well the sad time has come where max really does need a hair cut! I really want to do it myself so I've been reading the posts to get some idea of what to buy....but I was wondering how do you do the feet?

Am I wrong in thinking I can do all of him with clippers? I've seen the ones Colin has from groomers online and think I might buy those. 
Will I need scissors too? Especially around his face?

I don't want him scalped...and want to leave about 1 1/2 inches......I may go shorter next time!

I've asked at groomers about cost and I think the clipper will pay for themselves after 4 visits!

Thanks for your advice in advance!

Sam and a shaggy max 
X


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## colpa110

Hi Sam, apart form the paws/face I use the clippers all over.

For the feet you need to cup the paw in you hand ( a bit like a blacksmith shoeing a horse) then trim around the paw in a circle - you will also carefully need to trim between the pads. For the face I primarily use thinning scissors 
and just keep snipping a bit at a time until I am happy with the result.

After clipping the rest of the body I was taught to go over it with a pair of scissors just to take of any spiky ends etc to give a smoother look.

I am by no means an expert but am always quite happy with the result - perhaps because I can control the length and look I want and I have to say I have seen a lot of cockapoo's that have been to professional groomers who look at lot worse!


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## kendal

Yeah you use scissors for the feet just to round them off and you need to cut the hair inbetween the pads on the bace of the foot thus can be done with the clippers but you need atleast a 10 blade for that. 

Remember that for clippers you need a clean dry and dematted coat espetaly if your using the comb atachments.


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## Von

Hi Sam, like Colin, I use clippers all over, apart from the face. I use scissors on the face, but I use clippers with a number ten blade to do in between the pads on the feet then scissors to trim around the edge when the dog is standing to get the teddy bear effect feet. 

You might need to get a set of clipper attachment combs so that you can cut at various lengths. I use Andis clippers, which come with a no.10 blade, and then use the combs which attach to the clipper head to get the length I want. Wahl do a decent set of combs for about £14, which is very good value. 

It is worth buying decent scissors- you will need a pair for straight cutting and a pair for thinning. Roseline do a bundle of both which you can get from Groomersonline. I made the mistake of buying cheaper thinning scissors - I might as well have thrown the money straight in the bin!

Yesterday I went for training on how to trim Meadow for her first real puppy cut, I used the number 5 comb attachment from the Wahl set over her body generally, and the number 3 for bits of her that needed to be a bit shorter. Jenna my older dog gets cut with a 3 over her body, and a 5 on her legs.

I'll attach a before and after photo of Meadow so that you can see the difference a trim makes. This is the 'before' photo...


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## Von

Here is the after photo of Meadow - for some reason I can never post more than 1 photo.
She hasn't much tummy hair as she was spayed recently and it hasn't grown through yet. Her head hair is slightly shorter than I would have liked because I made a mistake, which I certainly won't do again!

I'd trimmed her head hair, and then removed the comb from the clippers to do something else. I noticed her head hair looked a bit uneven, and without thinking I used the clippers -I FORGOT the comb guard and trimmed a bit of hair over her eye with the number 10 blade which cuts very close to the skin! I was very glad I made this mistake at the training, because I was shown how to blend it in, reassured that it would grow again quickly, and now know what to do if I make any similar mistakes!


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## janee

Your mistake made me smile as I have done the same on Libby's back leg. I had taken the comb off to do another bit and saw a bit of long hair, and went back to her leg, as I thought this is whizzing through her hair doesn't usually go through that easy, I saw the bald patch. As she is a black dog with pale skin its was very noticable for a couple of days until the hair grew a little, but its only hair and grows really quick.


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## Von

Thanks Janee, you've made me feel a lot better! I hadn't quite appreciated the advantage of Meadow's pale colouring, I'll be extra specially careful around Jenna our black 'poo, too


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## loopyloo

Von said:


> Here is the after photo of Meadow - for some reason I can never post more than 1 photo.
> She hasn't much tummy hair as she was spayed recently and it hasn't grown through yet. Her head hair is slightly shorter than I would have liked because I made a mistake, which I certainly won't do again!
> 
> I'd trimmed her head hair, and then removed the comb from the clippers to do something else. I noticed her head hair looked a bit uneven, and without thinking I used the clippers -I FORGOT the comb guard and trimmed a bit of hair over her eye with the number 10 blade which cuts very close to the skin! I was very glad I made this mistake at the training, because I was shown how to blend it in, reassured that it would grow again quickly, and now know what to do if I make any similar mistakes!


I made the same mistake but I did it when I was trimming my son's hair  I then had to go all over it really short. He was sent home from school and, even though I went to the Head and explained what had happened, he had to stay home for the rest of the week until it had grown out a bit. Head said that they'd all want really cropped hair if he let him stay at school like it. This was about 20 years ago, all the kids wear their hair like it now so he must have set a trend and all thanks to me


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## Stela12

Von said:


> Here is the after photo of Meadow - for some reason I can never post more than 1 photo.
> She hasn't much tummy hair as she was spayed recently and it hasn't grown through yet. Her head hair is slightly shorter than I would have liked because I made a mistake, which I certainly won't do again!
> 
> I'd trimmed her head hair, and then removed the comb from the clippers to do something else. I noticed her head hair looked a bit uneven, and without thinking I used the clippers -I FORGOT the comb guard and trimmed a bit of hair over her eye with the number 10 blade which cuts very close to the skin! I was very glad I made this mistake at the training, because I was shown how to blend it in, reassured that it would grow again quickly, and now know what to do if I make any similar mistakes!


You did a great job!!! Meadow is beautiful!!!


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## Sam1

Brilliant thanks everyone.....I've decided to let the groomer do it for the first time which is happening right now! And then after Christmas I'll get the items, plus I'll have a heads up on what his fur does.

Lovely picture of meadow.

I'll post a photo of max soon! So nervous! 

Sam x


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## Stela12

Waiting for the pics...I am sure he'll be very handsome!!!


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## Sam1

Here he is









We love it!


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## Von

What a handsome boy!!


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## emmelg

He looks great x


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## MillieDog

Hi Sam
Looks like lots of sound advice about grooming. These are the scissors that a lot of us use, they are expensive but very sturdy and sharp. 

http://www.groomers-online.com/product.php/1514/roseline-scissor-starter-kit

I've used cheap ones too, and they just twist.

One other thing, try and find a grooming course at a local college. You learn so much. You don't have to be a would be professional dog groomer to go on the course.


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## Sam1

Ok, thanks I'll have a look for one in my area


Sam x


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## Stela12

Great haircut!!! Very handsome boy!


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## janee

Your coat look warm, what make is it?


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## Sam1

janee said:


> Your coat look warm, what make is it?


Thanks, it is! 
I'm a rather spoilt girl, it's my birthday tomorrow (14th) and its my joint birthday and Xmas gift from a relative. We've had cold weather so it's much needed!
It's made by north face. Very cosy indeed.

Sam x


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## dekrik

Sam1 said:


> Here he is
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> We love it!


I love this look. We are getting a grooming tomorrow. Do you know what length blade was used?


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