Grooming for beginners

[Tillymint1]

Hi after Tilly our 20 month old blue roan cocker came back from the groomers nearly bald we have decided to have a go ourselves. (Even her whiskers were snipped off and she didn't look like a cocker at all!!).

 As she is a pet who loves agility we think we'll clip her, but leave some feathering. We bought the DVD recommended and have been looking at Andis two speed clippers. Do we need such a good pair for one dog or is it just they give a better finish? Where is best to buy them?

Also as the ironing board collapsed with Tilly's weight  we have been looking at grooming tables on EBay. But what features should we be looking for?

Finally does anyone know of any grooming courses in Lancashire for beginners? I'd really love a course where we took Tilly along and practised on her and then did a follow up session to see how we are getting on. We don't want much do we 
Thanks for your help

[jennyspin]

Hi there, I have to be honest and say that we started off by buying different "pet" clippers such as the ones that Argos sells. Unfortunitely, these tend to jam as soon as they encounter even the smallest of knots,etc. We did waste a lot of money in the early days. We eventually bought a set of Oster clippers and they are wonderful. You can get some for around the £100 mark so it isn't really worth keep shelling out on the "pet" ones that don't do the job. Where a table is concerned, if you aren't planning on showing then a basic table without wheels would be ample I would think. If Tilly doesn't fidget on the table like a couple of mine do I wouldn't say that you would need a grooming arm. On courses, do you have any agricultural colleges in your area? We have two pretty close by and both run dog grooming courses. One of them does a day course of the basics for pet people and a week course which is more advanced. Hope that helps a bit, good luck 

[BeckyD]

Hello! personally i think the andis 2 speed are a great clipper, i work for a grooming company and they would be one of the best sellers for pro groomers and pet owners alike, they are strong enough to clip through thick hair and are a nice shape to hold, plus they come with a free no.10 blade which is good for the indside of ears, stomach etc. Andis would be better than argos/pet store clippers as they really arnt up to much, not powerful enough in my opinon nor are they sharp enough to give a good finish!

generally with grooming tables it's always handy to have a control post/arm, just so your dog cant jump off the table and hurt themselves, also, it gives you a bit more freedom as you dont have to worry about holding the dog still while clipping! the seller will usually say what maximum weight the table will hold but for a spaniel you shouldnt have too many problems getting one to suit!

and as far as i kno in england a lot of colleges and even some grooming salons offer short courses for grooming so hopefully you should be able to find a course to suit, may be worth your while calling any local groomers and colleges to see if they offer a course!

[jann]

I don't know whereabouts in Lancashire you are? but Myerscough College in between Preston and Lancaster do grooming courses 

http://www.myerscough.ac.uk/?page=search&query=introductory+dog+grooming&query.x=9&query.y=


Jann   

[jennyspin]

If you know your dog well enough to trust them without using a grooming arm I wouldn't buy one. I have a friend who has been grooming for over 30 years and never uses one!

[spanielcrazy]

I agree about the clippers, by the time you've replaced a few of the cheap ones you"d be at the price of an Andis   

As far as grooming tables go, they generally come in 2 sizes, measured by the length and width of the table top. Standard size is 24" X 36", which I feel gives them a little too much room to get into mischief. I prefer the 19X30 which is a good size for a cocker, or even a springer (but if you have, or plan to get a larger dog, you'll want the bigger one)

If you're tall like me, you may want to consider an adjustable height table. Otherwise the standard height is fine.

Most of the better ones come with the grooming arm; you'll want this at least until your dog learns not to bail on you  I prefer the clamp on arms so you can put it where you want to, or not at all. SOme have a permanent hole drilled in the table for the arm, I don't care for these.

This table is very nice and a good price (and free shipping!  )

  http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRAND-NEW-DOG-PET-CAT-GROOMING-TABLE-ADJUSTABLE-ARM-/170466049522?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Dogs&hash=item27b0917df2

[Tillymint1]

Thanks so much for all the info.

The course run by Myerscough College is being held in Blackburn in September which is just down the road! So that will be really good to attend.

Good to know that its worth spending extra money on good clippers at the beginning 

I'd previously seen that grooming table on ebay so thank you for confirming that would be a good one. Tilly starts off well for grooming but soon gets fidgety so I think the grooming arm would be a good idea.

I'm a bit confused about blades and combs to go with the clippers. I read the post showing areas of the dog needing different numbers/sizes but then on the clipper website it talks about combs as well as blades, which will I need?

This forum is so helpful Thanks again

[Ninasmum]

I have the Andis 2 speed Clippers & use the 7F & 10 blade's.  Both of these blade's suffice for our grooming. 

[Saffaroo]

I'm a self taught 'groomer'  - I do pet cuts on both of mine, neither dog is shown.  I have both Oster and Andis 2 clippers, and use 15,10,7f and 8 blades - I don't use combs at all.  I do use a grooming table though with clamp on arms

[Tillymint1]

Thanks for all the advice. I'll have a go and let you know how we get on.
Thanks