# Questions for the Do-it-yourself Groomers



## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

Hey, everyone.

Last weekend, I very bravely attempted to clip Jack. It went well. I couldn't achieve what the groomer does but it worked and he looks okay. Just a little scruffy.

Anyway, some questions:

How do you hold the wriggling little beast to get to his tummy? Get a helper to hold him up on his hind legs? Hang him by his ears from the grooming arm? (just kidding) I was by myself and couldn't figure it out so his tummy didn't done very well. Not that you can see it.

Legs.
clippers, then scissors? just scissors? 


Finally, scissors are sharp!!! ouch. My next grooming goal is not to cut myself. :biggrin1:


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Yes those scissors are sharp and have a sharp point!!!!! They are not easy, that is one of the reasons you get charged more for a scissor cut, it takes more skill and time. You have to train them to lift their leg, doing bits at a time at first. For myself I have trained my dogs to lay on their side so I can get at their stomach, this helps in brushing and looking for matts and I can clip around my boys other part. You will get faster and better over time. Sounds like your off to a good start.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

morriscsps said:


> Hey, everyone.
> 
> Last weekend, I very bravely attempted to clip Jack. It went well. I couldn't achieve what the groomer does but it worked and he looks okay. Just a little scruffy.
> 
> ...


As you know, Kodi is mostly long, but I do keep his belly clipped. Now I just have Michele do it, but I used to do it myself, and I would just put one arm under his front legs, lift him up so he was standing on his hind legs, and clip with the other hand. It's even easier if you can get someone else to hold him up for you)

And I agree with the "shears are sharp" comment... early in my grooming experiences, I saw blood all over Kodi's white hair and had a nervous breakdown thinking I had cut him... then I realized I had cut MYSELF, and the shears were so sharp that I didn't even feel it!:biggrin1:


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

My plan is to have Michele groom him every 3 or 4 months to fix all of my mistakes. 

Cutting myself - sheesh. One boo-boo was me snipping my thumb. The other was even dumber. I brushed the hair off of the blender side of the scissors and sliced my finger on the other side. :doh:


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

morriscsps said:


> My plan is to have Michele groom him every 3 or 4 months to fix all of my mistakes.
> 
> Cutting myself - sheesh. One boo-boo was me snipping my thumb. The other was even dumber. I brushed the hair off of the blender side of the scissors and sliced my finger on the other side. :doh:


 Och you poor thing! I have not tried clipping the belle area. But had someone show me to lay them on their side for brushing . My scissors have a ball at the end. I know I need better ones but they coast about $100.00 I want a curved pair and thinning ones. It took me over two weeks to just trim up Maddies face I am lucky her hair is naturally short so she even at almost 9mo still looks like a puppy cut.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

PetEdge.com has several inexpensive scissors under $25. I have this curved shears. http://www.petedge.com/product/Groo...e-Curved-Shears/pc/190/c/214/sc/279/51353.uts I used these on Jack's bangs.

I went to the local (human) beauty supply for the thinning/blending shears.


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## ls-indy (Apr 10, 2008)

I use clippers to get the body and top part of their legs. Then I scissor the bottom part of their legs to match up the length the clippers left the hair further up. Comb the leg hair upwards so it stands out at a right angle from their legs and scissor trim. I usually have DH hold Beau's front legs up and I use a 10 blade on him tummy being very careful around his privates.... Trim a 2" patch in front of his penis so he doesn't pee on his stomach hair. I shave his legs on the inside too. Leave a hair "wick" on his penis to direct the urine flow downward.... Hope this helps!


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

THANK YOU!!



ls-indy said:


> Comb the leg hair upwards so it stands out at a right angle from their legs and scissor trim.


That was what I was trying to do when I snipped my thumb.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

morriscsps said:


> My plan is to have Michele groom him every 3 or 4 months to fix all of my mistakes.
> 
> Cutting myself - sheesh. One boo-boo was me snipping my thumb. The other was even dumber. I brushed the hair off of the blender side of the scissors and sliced my finger on the other side. :doh:


Oooh! Twice in one session! Now that's talent!:biggrin1:

I can understand what you'd want to spread out the full trims. I don't know what she charges, but I'd think a full trim would be expensive anywhere. Since she on;t does Kodi around the edges, it's pretty cheap.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

morriscsps said:


> PetEdge.com has several inexpensive scissors under $25. I have this curved shears. http://www.petedge.com/product/Groo...e-Curved-Shears/pc/190/c/214/sc/279/51353.uts I used these on Jack's bangs.
> 
> I went to the local (human) beauty supply for the thinning/blending shears.


I got some shears from pet edge, but didn't like them. Then I asked my hairdresser, who sent me to Sally's. I really like the shears and the thinners I bought there. They are really sharp and weren't expensive.

I thought I'd faint dead away when I saw the price of the CC ones... $500 a pair!!!:faint:


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

krandall said:


> I got some shears from pet edge, but didn't like them. Then I asked my hairdresser, who sent me to Sally's. I really like the shears and the thinners I bought there. They are really sharp and weren't expensive.
> 
> I thought I'd faint dead away when I saw the price of the CC ones... $500 a pair!!!:faint:


 Oh my I would drop dead too. I'll try Sally's


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

giggle... that is where I went for the blender shears. (the evil bloodletting things!)


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

I bought my scissors from Sally's, when they wear out you can just buy a new pair.


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## O'Bluff (Jan 29, 2011)

$500 a pair! I think I'll just singe the hair off Picasso like my Granny used to do the pinfeathers on a chicken! :biggrin1:


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

O'Bluff said:


> $500 a pair! I think I'll just singe the hair off Picasso like my Granny used to do the pinfeathers on a chicken! :biggrin1:


Oh, man - if that doesn't bring back memories. Plucking chickens! And Mom doing the singe thing. Haven't thought about that in years!


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Linda its one of those unpleasent smells that never goes away!!!!!


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

My grandfather had a farm. I experienced my first camp fire with roasted hot dog ,first hay ride, first horse ride, and first gun shooting. I fell of the horse and knocked the wind out of myself, The gun had such a kick it knocked me over
He had chickens but never showed me plucking. I even had a cow girl outfit that I remember wearing. I guess all that was good memories


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Agreed, Robbie! Just reading O'Bluff's post, I could smell it in my mind!! And I still cannot buy a raw chicken that isn't already cut into parts because I can't stand to cut it up myself. I can still hear the joints pop as Mom would cut them up. 

Suzi, getting the wind knocked out was the worst - not being able to get a breath! The best smell, though, was newly cut hay. If we are lucky enough to get to Mt. in the summer during haying time, we always have to stop the car along the road so I can get a sniff...or several!


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Linda, It is so bad a few years ago some gym friends and I bought chickens from a hobby farm where they feed them no corn (changes the flavor), they free range etc. I bought 200 chickens only I paid extra to have them cut up packed by body parts and skin taken off. Later I resold the parts I don't use. I waited two days before I picked them up. It still smelled bad!!!!! It took two days to get that smell out of my nose.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

ound:


morriscsps said:


> giggle... that is where I went for the blender shears. (the evil bloodletting things!)


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## dodrop82 (May 21, 2010)

The singed feather smell isn't what damaged me...headless chickens running around is what haunts me! 
I just got my very first GOOD shears and I sooo love it. I bought a CC 7 in. (or is it a 7 1/2in.) shears for $120! I have used $15 scissors for the last 20+ years, and while they work perfectly fine for my fine coated Havs...they don't work worth a crap for my Mom's super-thick coated cockers! $15 shears gnaw their way thru a cocker coat, and your fingers are so achy by the time you're done! $120 CC shears go thru a cocker coat like butter! Love them!!!


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Stacey, Hehe, now days the hobby chicken farmers (or hippy) use these shoot things you put the neck in and pull down and you leave them there for a few minutes, its kinda assembly line. The running chickens are old school. Its all bad. Like I said I paid extra and collected them two days latter...hoping to miss it all.

A few weeks ago I bought new clippers mine were 20 yrs old, I griped about the price!!! DH reminded me after 20 yrs the price didn't really go up, what we can buy for our money has become less.LOL


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## Cailleach (Jan 30, 2010)

You people truly amuse me in the very nicest way with your antics and comments. My dogs are long coated but when I have to do a tad of necessary light trimming I use a tiny pair of scissors and lay them on my lap with their heads as my knees and their butts at my waist. I stick a small/fine tooth comb between the skin and the scissors or clippers and carefully remove whatever hair I want gone. Lots of belly rubs, snuggles and tiny treats in between the snips. The girls are the worst, nipples in the way, at least the boys have only the "lipstick" to be cautious with. My favorite clippers are the small Oster rechargeable cordless horse ear clippers...pretty cheap at I think they were $70.00 but that was years ago.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

I am so excited! all my new grooming stuff should be here any time. I placed the order last Sunday ! New blower, cute funny round table top grooming station with Arm . A cart for going to shows. Sisiors is the next although I am thinking of having a good groomer trim Zoeys feet. Maddies hair is staying at a puppy cut length she has no sign of any skin disorder but is very slow growing. Zoey on the other hand has a nice silkey long coat and so far has not had one mat and she is 5mo old. Lucky me. Maddie hates baths and Zoey sits still Poor girl I cut her nail too short it scared me to death It was the second time I ever tried Blood all over didn't have the stuff to stop the bleeding . I tried pressure and I ran cold water over the paw Now I am back to being scard to do it. I hope she doesn't remember. Although I do


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

If you have a bar of soap, you smush a wet chunk onto the nail to stop the bleeding. We had to do that a couple of times. The hubby refuses to cut the nails. He will hold the paw steady but not do the deed.


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