Best Part of Self Grooming!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I like many I've seen here were terrified to think about doing my own grooming.  However, after several disappointing grooming visit (and we never ended up shaved down), I just decided the only way I was going to get what I wanted and be able to afford to keep them looking nice was to learn to do it myself.  I will never forget the first time I took the clippers to Sophie.  I was so terrified, right up until I made that first cut down her back.  It was like, wow, that was easy, ooh, look how pretty she looks.  She was almost two years old and had never really been clipped with the scissors.  Her hair was very long and shaggy wavey, but was sort of dry looking on the rump area.  As soon as I took that first pass I knew that I could do this.  Now, 4 years later I've been doing my own grooming ever since.  The best part about doing your own grooming is if you decide they need a little trim you can just do it.  You don't have to wait for their appointment or call for an extra appointment.  You just get out the clippers and go to town.  I did this yesterday with AnnaBelle.  She was looking a little straggly as she has been going through the coat change and her hair on her back was just getting a little dry looking.  Sort of like when we have split ends, we just need a little trim up.  So, we got out the clippers and I just trimmed up her head and neck and the top and sides of her body and her rump.  We blended it all in as best we could and we were finished in less time than it took Mike and Lucy to go for a walk.  Does she look perfect and professionally groomed, no, but I think she still looks adorable, lol.  She is still really long, almost 3 inches on her back.  It took some of the shaggy out of her back and sides but I think once she has a bath that will come back.  

[Helga, Nimbus, Sierra, Clooney]

Looks like Nimbus except for the tail :-)

[christine imrey]

Great job! What number blades did you use? I'm still trying to figure out if I need clippers if I want to keep Ollie shaggy.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I can't tell too much about Ollie's coat from your profile pic and didn't see any others on your page.  I will say though that unless he is really thick and curly as long as you keep him brushed/combed out it really isn't that hard to use the clippers.  I had a 1-1/4" comb attachment on my clippers and I just ran it from head to tail.  This left her almost 3" long.  If I had run it back from tail to her head it would have taken it a lot shorter.  I personally think it is a lot harder to do it with just scissors and think it would take a lot longer.  

[Stephanie and Ragley]

Thank you for this because I get SO confused with the comb lengths versus end result coat length. So you can get a longer coat cut with clippers even if the guide combs say a shorter measurement?

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

That is the experience that I've had yes.