DIY groomers (or pros)

15 years ago

I planned to groom our wheaten terrier myself, but had the groomer who works at my vet's office do it for the first time. I was surprised to find horizontal clipper marks on her sides and legs, so her fur looks sort of "choppy".

I have read that you must use very sharp clippers for wheatens, and that a blade that works fine on a dog with coarser fur (like a poodle) can leave tracks on dogs with soft fur (like cocker spaniels, wheatens, etc). Also found this info posted elsewhere:

"With a lower power motor you will have the blade cutting more slowly so if you pull thru the coat quickly- it will leave "steps" or "tracking". Another thing could be the clipper's moving parts being worn out- if the clipper is new you need to look at the manual or approach a sharpening co. to ask them how to service your particular model or just have them do it. Another possibility is that the blades you are using might be dull or the tension could be off- again- an honest sharpener could consult you on this."

When I shopped for clippers, I didn't find the fancy Andis and Oster clippers that most grooming sites recommend - the stores around here just stock very basic, low-end clippers. Obviously, I would rather spend less if basic clippers will do the job, but I don't want to buy basic $30 clippers, only to find that I have to upgrade to the $200 clippers.

Those of you who groom your dogs, what do you use? Would I regret buying inexpensive clippers, or will they be fine since I am only grooming one dog? This is the kind of thing I don't like buying online, because I like to touch and feel it first, but if I have to, then I have to.

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Comments (7)

annzgw
15 years ago
Definitely sounds like the vet groomer didn't have the right equipment, or doesn't know how to groom the breed.

Hopefully groomingal will see your post and give her advice but as a 'home groomer' I've used both the andis and oster clippers and liked them both but I found the andis a much quieter clipper. Noise level may vary among the models........I'm not sure.

You don't need the largest, nicest clipper made, just one large enough that allows you a choice of clipper blades. For my poodles I found I had 3 favorite blades.........two for the body and one for the feet. One of my poodles had much finer fur and I couldn't use the same blades that I used on the other dog.

I always bought my clippers and blades on line. Below is a site I've ordered from but you'll want to price shop. Drsfostersmith.com also carries clippers.

Here is a link that might be useful: clippers
hald
15 years ago
I have terriers too. I've had 3 3esties. Currently have 1 westie, one mixed terrier and a Schipperke.

I've had 2 sets of the expensive Oster clippers and one set of the Andres clippers. I tried several blade sets for the Oster clippers. The Oster and Andre would not cut worth a !xx!. And the Oster became so hot it was dangerous (this alone was severe enough I wrote a complaint letter to the company). Their expensive spray blade cooler was little help. Freshly bathed terrier and Schpperke hair is fluffy and passes right through the blades without being cut at all.

I gave the Oster and Andre clippers to friends. They had the same experience on a retriever mix and a border collie mix.

I use Wahl clippers, the same kind I use for barbering the family and trimming my beard. A set cost about $30 but you can find them on sale for around $20. I know others will strongly disagree, but the Oster and Andre clippers were a total waste of time and money.
-hald
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freezetag
Original Author
15 years ago
Wow, hald - I was worried about wasting money on cheap clippers, but I would be really ticked to buy expensive clippers that didn't do the job! Glad you found something that works for your pups.

My neighbor has a professional groomer (her aunt) staying with her for a couple weeks - she's moving out of state and is between houses. I didn't want to, but maybe I will ask her (was worried of offending her by asking her for advice so I can DIY). Seems like it will be hard to know what's best without trying a few different clipper brands / blades.
petuniapig
15 years ago
I have bought several cheap $20.00 to $40.00 clippers that cut one time and were no good after. I bought a oster A5 single speed clipper about 20 years ago and they are still going strong. Just have to get the blades sharpened now and then or replace them. Much cheaper in the long run that those "cheap" clipper sets
GammyT
15 years ago
Freezetag, go to Walmart and buy the cheap human clippers. They work great and last longer than the expensive ones.

The groomer at your vets office obviously didn't know what they were doing. You won't either at first but warm weather is coming and mistakes can be fixed with a buzz cut. LOL
dobesrule
15 years ago
Get a pair of Andis two speed clippers, should run you about $120 or so. The coat texture of a Wheaton is very different from a hard coated Terrier like a Westie or a Wire Fox for example and the texture of a puppy coat is going to be different from an adult. Also invest in a good pair of scissors, ideally you will want curved and straight pairs. For use on one dog you can probably find something in the $60-75 dollar range. I know this sounds like a lot but if you want the pup to really look nice then you have to use good eqipment. I use scissors at work that cost hundreds of dollars. A Wheaton trim is hard to do and even harder to do and not leave chop marks. It takes a lot of time and practice to master it but hey if you mess up it groes back. try looking up Jodi Murphy on the web. She is a groomer that does a great series of DVD's of different breeds and she has a show and pet DVD of Wheaton's to walk you thru it. The breed parent club may have a booklet available too of how to groom them or a section on their website.

Lisa
hald
15 years ago
I agree with Doberule's comments, except try the cheap ones first. Your Wheaton coat is definitely very different from my westie's and my other two dogs. I have not tried Andres clippers. But, for the price of the Andres you can buy 6 sets of the Wahls, they're used in hair salons across the US, and they're American.

DIY groomers (or pros)

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annzgw

hald

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freezetag
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annzgw

hald

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petuniapig

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hald

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