How To Properly Use Dog Hair Clippers to Ensure A Stress-Free Experience
For many dogs, the “long hair, don’t care” mantra won’t cut it. Poor grooming leads to tangling, knotting, or matting of the hair. Even a small tangle can already cause significant discomfort for your pooches! Regular grooming also helps vets to spot a brewing skin condition.
While dog salons and vet clinics can pamper your furbabies, you can also do some tasks, including learning how to use dog clippers. This skill comes in handy when:
- You don’t have the time to visit or cannot get a schedule with clinics or salons.
- Your dog gets stressed whenever they see strangers.
- Your budget isn’t enough for a professional dog-grooming session.
Are you ready to learn? Let’s begin!
Use the right tools
Although you need brushes and combs, the star of any hair cutting activity is the pet clipper.
What are the best pet grooming clippers? Here are the features to remember:
- Ergonomic - The right pet clipper must be comfortable to hold for extended periods and provide an excellent grip. It should be easy to maneuver as you cut the hair in challenging areas, such as the legs.
- Motor - A pet clipper can have a rotary, magnetic, or pivot motor. Of the three, the rotary-type tool is the most expensive, but it’s also the most versatile since it works among different kinds of hair. The magnetic motor needs the least maintenance but is ideal for dogs with a smooth and fine coat. The pivot motor works best on matted or coarse hair.
- Speed - The clipper’s speed may be single, which is excellent for beginners, or variable for those with various dog breeds.
Hair clippers also need blades, and they differ in sizes and designs. Some are skip-toothed, which have wider gaps in between, or fine-toothed. The first one is better for coarse, curly, and matted hair. Meanwhile, sizes come in different numbers. The higher they are, the finer the cut they produce.
If you want to know where to buy pet clippers, you can spare yourself the hassle by getting them online. Hero Pet Supplies offer:
- Wahl U-Clip 10-Piece Pet Clipper Kit - The kit includes four guide combs and a magnetic motor. It also has a 7,200 spm (strokes per minute), which means it can cut fast and handle tough coats.
- MBG2 Pro Pet Clipper - It’s a pet clipper that features different-sized blades, making this perfect for multi-dog households.
- Proclip AGC Super 2-Speed Clipper - This one is a versatile dog hair clipper. It comes with two options for speed, and its blades can also work with the Oster A5 model.
- Easy Clip Whisper Clipper Kit - Get this when you have a sensitive and fussy dog. It’s one of the quietest models in the market.
Groom your dog according to the type of their coat
Choosing pet hair clippers also depends on the dog’s coat, which falls into two categories:
- Single coat
- Double coat
A double-coated dog grows an undercoat, which is the closest to its body, and ground hair, which you see often. Both coats can have different textures and lengths, with undercoats often shorter.
The quality of the coat can also vary:
- Wiry coats - Also known as “broken coats,” these are rough and brittle hair strands that are the most prone to mangling. Many terrier dogs have this hair type.
- Smooth coats - These are the ones that are silky to touch. The strands are usually short and grow closer to the body. Dogs with such hair quality include Great Danes and Dalmatians.
- Long coats - A dog’s hair may be a long coat when it is over an inch longer than a short coat. It may be rough, silky, smooth, or coarse. Breeds with this hair come in different sizes, from the small Maltese to the gigantic Afghan hound.
- Curly coats - Curly coats, which you can find in poodles, are usually soft, but they can also be thick.
Knowing the coat of your dog is essential, because not all dogs may need a regular shave. Take, for example, double-coated dogs.
It may be unwise to clip all the undercoat hairs all the time since the process doesn't prevent shedding. The quality of the new growth may also differ from their old coat. Often, it becomes coarser or rougher.
This coat also helps dogs regulate their body temperature as the season changes. However, double-coated pooches may need a good shave somewhere in the belly during summer. This way, they can feel cooler when they sleep or lie down on surfaces.
A smooth coat may have finer or thinner hair strands, which means the ideal clipper blade should have a fine-toothed comb. Meanwhile, grooming or shaving a terrier may involve removing the stray hairs first.
Create a relaxing atmosphere
It’s not enough to know how to use dog clippers. You also need to learn how to create a relaxing atmosphere during grooming sessions.
Like in humans, stress can have profound adverse effects on a dog's health. At the outset, they may sprint away at the sight or sound of the clipper. They may move a lot, increasing the risk of injury and incorrect shaving.
They may also lose their appetite or spend more time alone. Some may become more aggressive or experience behavioral issues, while others may struggle to get an enjoyable sleep.
How do you create the right atmosphere during grooming? Here are some tips:
- Use a silent hair clipper.
- Allow the dog to explore the grooming space first.
- Play with your dog before a grooming session to help it release any pent-up energy.
- Have its treats nearby and reward the dog for its exemplary behavior.
Don’t rush
A significant part of learning how to use dog clippers correctly is taking your time, because:
- Some parts of the dog may be more challenging to shave, such as the belly or the legs.
- You may need to change the blades a couple of times while grooming.
- You don’t want to stress yourself and the dog.
- Some dogs are impatient. You need to be ready to pause and reset your sessions throughout the day.
- There’s little room for mistakes.
Clipping in the right direction
Before you even turn the clipper on, check the dog's hair for any sign of matting, broken coat, or knotting. You may have to untangle the strands or remove the stray ones.
You also have to assess the texture and length of the hair. These factors will determine the ideal blade number.
Most of all, when learning how to use dog clippers, you must observe the direction of hair growth. Clipping against the grain may increase the chances of skin injuries, such as cuts and ingrown hair.
Clipping your dog’s hair can be nerve-racking, but these tips will help you feel more confident quickly. When you need an extra ounce of self-esteem, just remember, personally grooming your dog is another opportunity to bond with your pet.
