Incentive to Learn To Groom!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Well, Sophie needed a bath.  It is Therapy Visit Day and if we were going it was a must.  I've been thinking now for a couple weeks that she needed clipped as well and had just been putting it off.  Well, this morning I was getting ready to give her a bath so we started by brushing her out.  That turned into well just let me trim up her face and eyes.  Then, well to make a long story short I thought I'll just run the clippers through her.  One hour and 44 mins later, she was brushed out, clipped, trimmed up, bathed, complete with the leave in lemon conditioner and her face has been combed out and dried.  I will now let her air dry a little bit while I do my chores and then finish her off in time for our Therapy appointment at 1:00.  Being able to keep her at a manageable length rather then letting her grow out so much between groomings because of cost makes life so much simpler.  I highly recommend giving it a shot if you haven't tried it yet!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

hehe that photo looks like it is 30 years old!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

pretty similar.  Mine has two speeds and I use it on the normal (vs. high) speed as on high it doesn't cut.  I use a set of guards that fit over the end of the blade.  They come in different lengths.  I normally use the 3/4" on my girls and only go in one direction (from neck to tail).  If you then go from tail to head you should get closer to a 3/4" smoother cut.  More like the smoothness of GracieDoodle vs. Sophie's more "unkept" look.  I just go down the legs as well, not up.    Then I use scissors on the head, face and ears.  The biggest tip to to have all the mats out first.  If you have mats, the guards are going to constantly get stuck.  You also have to stop and clear them of any hair that is stuck, and not try and go in too long a strip at one time.

[Jena ~ Dublin]

Thank you so much for the tip.  I had no idea how to trim, I just started knowing they needed their summer cut!  Dublin has MEGA eye lashes, do you "trim" those or do you leave them?

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Sophies eyelashes in particular were so long, then the last time I took her to the groomers after specifically asking her not to she cut one off ..... one of the reasons I started doing it myself.  Now, I don't obsess over her eyelashes and occasionally get one caught in the scissors but they are probably an inch or longer now.  It is amazing how many people have heard about doodle eyelashes and are looking for them when they meet her.

[Jena ~ Dublin]

Yeah Allyson!  Yes, fences mini-vacations horray....see the joys our Doodles bring us!!!!!  I bought a Oster Ultra Edge Dog Trimmer. It came with the #10 blade.  I purchased the #5 blade and guides which were extra. I purchased them at Petsmart.  You can order them online too, Amazon and such if you aren't in a hurry. I was geared towards them via Kemp from DoodleCountry.com.  He was REALLY helpful in letting me know what he thought would be good.  I emailed him a few pictures of Dublin and he sent back an email pretty quickly.  It was wonderful.  I don't work, nor do I know Kemp personally, I am just saying, he was great!!!!!