Clipping a Dog – Tools and Cuts

Keeping your dog groomed is a very important part of dog ownership. Groomers can be very expensive and the cost of simple grooming can quickly add up. Dogs that need to be groomed all year long or are dog show contestants require a tremendous amount of grooming. Fortunately, there are options available to dog owners other than dropping your dog off at a costly and time consuming groomer. The Internet offers a variety of grooming classes, and there are also many books available on the subject. Through sources such as this, dog owners can perform their own grooming and maintenance and therefore save a lot of time and money but still end up with the same results.

Grooming can be difficult without the correct tools. Clippers are one of the basic grooming tools needed. Many different brands and varieties of clippers are available, ranging from more a novice to advanced tools tailored to specific grooming needs. It is always recommended to purchase new products, as used clippers will not be as sharp and effective. Brand new clippers tend to produce less noise, cut more cleanly, and are easier to use and care for.

It is very easy to care for your dog’s clippers. Make sure that the clippers that you are using are sharpened and do not contain any rust or damaged edges. Unsharpened or damaged edges will result in a botched up clipping job and may also cause pain to the animal during the clipping process. Most clippers come with an owner’s manual that will explain to the user the proper way to care for and utilize the tools. By caring for your clippers properly, you will extend the life and effectiveness of them, which will result in more money saved by at-home grooming.

The Puppy Clip, aka “Sport’s Clip” is the basic type of cut for most breeds. This cut tends to remove larger quantities of fur, leaving your dog cooler in the summer and hotter months of the year. These cuts keep the ears and hair on the face shorter and longer fur on the tail.

Most terriers have their own cuts that are specific to their breed. These dogs usually have fuller fur on the legs and a shorter coat on the body of the animal. The Schnauzer Trim is also popular on these dogs. This resembles a beard like appearance with a more of an axe shape on the muzzle area.

Most dog shows require fancier clipping styles such as the Continental Clip or the English Saddle Clip. The Continental Clip, for example, is a popular cut for poodles. This particular clip keeps the hindquarters and neck and face short, with longer hair on the front quarters, as well as on top of the head and in a pom-pom style on the bottom of the legs and tail. This style is very similar to the English Saddle Clip. The main difference between these two cuts is that the hindquarters on the English Saddle Clip tend to hold longer fur and the back of the legs have a band of shaved fur. This cut also creates a shaved curved area on each of the animal’s flanks.