A "Do It Yourself" Grooming Question

[ndolehan]

H and I are thinking of getting clippers for the dogs and giving them a hair cut. Jasper has been "shaved" before.

We also want to give them baths, so, so I shave/groom them first and then give them a bath? Or bath first?

I'm going to guess bath after to get off the loose hair....but, still not 100% sure.

And I shave them "against" the direction fur is growing, correct? Like the way H shaves his face?

I have no idea if I should be doing this. It's probably going to look awful. But hey, if it's a bad hair cut no one has to see it but H and I! I plan on keeping it a bit long and H is going to help keep them as still as possible so everyone stays safe!

Do you think this is a good idea? Or should I just drop it? It's getting warm and I want them to be comfy!

[raspberry]

We shave our cocker ourselves because we like him short all over and it doesn't have to be perfect.

Bathing and drying them first will save your clipper blades some, dirty hair will dull them faster. Ours just lies on the floor and practically falls asleep while we shave him. Yes we shave against the fur growth except for his ears - we shave down his ears and use scissors at the bottom.

Don't forget to do all the extras groomers do... nail trims, check their anal sacs, and clean out their ears.

[ndolehan]

So - just read the instructions/did some research. Each different guide/blade has says weather to go with or without the fur direction. It says to give them a bath first because it's the dirt etc. that dulls the blade.

SO! With that being said - H and I are off to our first grooming day! I'll post before/after pics if you guys promise not to laugh at how bad the dogs' hair cuts will be!

[midnightmare81]

Hopefully its not too late, but never go against the grain of the hair unless your dog is so matted you cannot get under the mats safely with the blade going with the grain. Cutting against the grain puts a dog more at risk for getting cut by the extra skin going into the blade. We usually shave down before the bath to get excess hair off and cut drying time. We do this even more often when a dog is matted. Mats will tighten when wet, and cause them to get closer to the skin unless you have a high powered dryer as used in shops to blow them off the coat.

Double coated dogs should not be shaved unless absolutely necessary. As PP said, their coats act as insulation against both hot and cold, and when shaved, you risk the hair growing back improperly or not at all...