Andis 2 speed won't cut my doodles hair..suggestions please?

[Emily]

I bought a Professional Andis 2 speed from Petsmart. Even bought the 3/4 in clipper blade as suggested since I prefer her not to be buzzed.  I am sad to say that It will not go through her hair. The lady at the grooming salon told me to get this model for best results, but I'm disappointed. It cost a lot of money. Do I need the combs to put over top?Why won't it cut her hair?

I did try to scissor her. It took 4 hours and when I was done, I had huge blisters on my fingers which turned into big open wounds. It was awful. I never thought it would be so difficult to cut her hair. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Sally, Ditzy Mitzi & Sgt. Pepper]

You probably by now have read through the grooming group.  All the suggestions that are in it are excellent.

My preference for grooming is to bathe my dogs, thoroughly rinsing out all shampoo and conditioner.  I also use a detangler and grooming spray when working on them.  This is done after brushing and combing the hair  to get out any and all mats and tangles.   And always done before attempting any clipper use.  Clippers blades just don't work on hair that is not clean and  brushed out.  I also use a # 10 or # 30 blade under an attachment.  I have a 3/4 inch blade that works wonderfully for upkeep on a monthly basis, however, I keep my dogs coats short due to  the hot Florida climate and their love for swimming.

I also find that after four hours of grooming which is my average time as well, I am as tired as the dogs are! 

I bet you will get lots of replies, just go with what suits your needs the best.  Good Luck and hopefully no more blisters.  OW!

[Cynthia and Magic]

You will get lots of advice here.....I just wanted to say the first time I groomed Magic I sat at the computer and wrote here for help....crying and typing LOL! Now I love doing it....ok, maybe not 'love' but I do get a kick out of how well I'm doing!

This was my first post.....check it out - got lots of advice! When you have time....read through some of the grooming posts....we are not alone! (sorry about the blisters) :(

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/doodlegrooming/forum/topics/i-am-...

[Emily]

 Sally- I did bath the dog. I combed and combed. She never has had any mats or tangles. Her coat is wooley thick and thinner in spots. Right now she is downey fluffy & clean. Why won't those clippers shear off the hair? I can not make sweeps with the clippers. Right now I have to use the clippers to touch her hair then move it over and touch and touch it just doesn't seem right...I can't do the same motion that I'd use when cutting my sons hair. Am I supposed to have some comb attachment on top of the blade? I called Petsmart and they said the 3/4in was way too long to even try to cut her hair and that I was nuts.

 

Cynthia- your thread is funny. I will read all of it once I establish peace and order with all the kids and pup. 5:00 meltdowns. Ahh summer heat, I guess.

[Ivy Bates]

My thoughts on this is that if Emily is going through her coat change she could be matted closer to the skin than you think. Clippers won't go through mats, you have to go under the mat. Or sometimes I have to cut the hair to part it first so I can get under and get started. Andis 2 are good clippers. You might need a closer blade like #5.

Ivy
www.doodlestyle.com

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

Blisters. :( Yes. I get mad at myself if I forget to put tape on my fingers if I am planning some long grooming sessions. With a wooly coat, you may need to go to the Andis # 3 3/4 skip tooth blade. It is shorter than the 3/4 inch and cuts thru easier. Then you may be able to use the 3/4 inch for maintaining her coat.

When a curly coat is ready for using a clipper, it has to be straight. To get it staight, you need to brush and dry at the same time.

To start cutting with a longer style blade, you need to get a starting place to get under the coat more. You can do this with scissors. Sometimes I scissor a spot under the collar area to get this starting place.

 

For some of my doodles, when I first got them I had to keep going down a blade length until I found one that would cut. I did have to shear one of my thick wooly girls with a number 10. I can easily get the 3/4 thru her now that she is 5. It was the coat change that was the problem before. That and my lack of experience with doodle coats. 

 

PS I scissor most of my coats, so I feel your pain.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Good to know about the tape on the fingers. What kind of tape do you use? I've gotten blisters and bruises too. I've learned to be careful and stop when I need to. So what if they look funny for a few days. I've tried gloves etc. I find holding the scissors different ways, despite what you're supposed to do helps too.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I'm not sure if this applies to your case or not (i.e., I'm a DIY person not a professional), but I was having a problem with my clippers not cutting and I finally figured out that I have to have them on the slower speed.  I have the 2 speed as well and on high they just do not cut the hair.  Can't explain it, but that was the way it was.

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

I just used my andis 2 speed for the 1st time the other day and found that there is a difference between clipping my fleecy doodle and my wooly doodle.  I did Ollie (the wooly one) in short little strips because I was afraid to take too much off at first.  Once I started going, I realized that I had to press down on him more than I did with Cubbie (my fleecy doodle) in order to remove the hair.  The hair seemed to come off the easiest back near the tail and up near where his collar would be so you could try starting there to get yourself started. You have to kinda get under the hair which may require you to adjust the way you might be holding the clippers.  Initially I was just skimming over Ollie's coat and was getting frustrated.  Once I said "heck with it, if too much comes off it will grow back" I was able to relax about the length and had no problem getting the blade through the hair.  I also used my free hand to kind of keep the skin tight in the areas near where I was working with the clippers and that seemed to give my clippers better "traction".  Keep in mind that this was my first DIY grooming experience so I might be doing it "right" but it worked for me.  I just hope for both our sakes that it gets easier with practice!!

[Emily]

Amy, What number is on your metal clipper and did you use a comb on top?

 

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

I used the Oster 3F blade on my Andis 2 Speed clipper to tackle their bodies and their necks (I tried to use the next to blend the short body gradually up into the longer head hair and I think it worked out ok).  I tried using the combs on my #10 blade but that was getting me nowhere. I have been reading through the discussion posts and eventually want to get a 3 3/4 skip tooth comb that was mentioned.  I lightly took the clippers (with the #3F blade) over the top layer of hair on the upper parts of their legs so I wouldn't have to scissor cut so much.

[Emily]

Thanks Amy, I am off to the petstore to see what I can find and then will try again tomorrow.

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

hi Emily, I was just checking back to see if you have had any luck with your clippers.