shineillusion help with grooming

[Barbrae]

Hi there,

I have a tibetan terrier who is just the best dog ever!!! He gets VERY matted however, even though I try to be good with keeping him brushed. We had him to the groomer today and I asked he get a puppy cut which looks nice. Now, my question - DO you know if this would be possible for me to upkeep myself? Can you recommend a company or website with excellent products for grooming? Do yo know of any websites, videos or books that would offer advice on doing puppy cuts?

Thanks a bunch!

[Shineillusion]

You can keep it up at home, but some of the equipment you'll need is going to be a bit expensive.

The first thing I'd suggest is calling the groomer and ask if he/she would be willing to teach you what you need to know. Offer to pay them for their time, of course. The groomer can then not only show you what equipment you need to purchase, but show you the proper way to use them. You can't just pick up a clipper and have-at-it. It won't look very good, and you could possible injure your dog.

Bare minimum, you'll need a professional quality clipper, which can be purchased for around $100 for a single speed. Two speed clippers cost more, but for grooming your own pet, you don't probably need the power those clippers provide.

You'll also need an assortment of blades and possibly guard combs, depending on how long you want to leave the hair. The higher the number on the blade, the shorter the cut will be. For a lot of puppy clips, I use a #3 on the body, a #10 on the tummy, armpits, and sanitary area. I use a #5 on the inside of the legs, as this area is more prone to matting, so getting a bit closer there helps prevent matting. Blades will run in the neighborhood of $20-$30 each. Guard combs are used over a #30 or #40 blade, and leave more length, depending on which comb you select.

You'll also need good scissors. I'd suggest a 7 inch straight and a 4 inch blunt tip for ears, between the pads, and around the eyes. I'd also get a pair of thinning scissors for removing mats and trimming the area between the eyes.

Remember, blades and scissors will cut skin as easily as they cut hair. It's important to learn how to use them correctly. Blades will also burn if they get too hot or if you use them incorrectly.

Other basic grooming equipment:
A greyhound comb, coarse/medium teeth
soft slicker brush
hemostats or tweezer for pulling ear hair
ear powder
ear cleaner
nail trimmer or Dremel grinder
styptic powder to stop bleeding if you quick a nail
shampoo and conditioner. It's ok to use human shampoo, but it's VERY important to rinse, rinse, rinse. Shampoo residue will make your dog itch and causes flaking and dryness.
blade wash
Kool Lube
clipper oil; clippers usually come with a little tube of this. It's used on the blades after you clean them in blade wash, and keeps them running smoothly. It also helps prevent rust. You can also use sewing machine oil.

There are several catalog companies that offer everything you need at decent prices. Ryans and Pet Edge are the ones a lot of groomers use. Both have on line sites, and also take phone orders.

Again, I'd strongly recommend asking a groomer to give you a few lessons in how to use all this equipment. If you offer to pay, and they say that's not necessary, take cookies, LOL. Take cookies anyway. We groomers like it when someone shows us they appreciate our help.

As for books on how to groom your own dog; check at your library and see if they have something that will help you. There are books you can purchase, but they also tend to be expensive, and usually cover all breed grooming, rather than just one breed.

[puttin510]

Its more expensive to pay a groomer to do it every 6 weeks so go get yourself your equipment. I love www.petedge.com I am always buying things from them.