Taking the plunge...first home groom

[Stephanie and Ragley]

Ragley is about 6 1/2 months old and has the most beautiful, flowing, gorgeous, richly colored coat (ok- I'm a little biased). I LOVE her hair. It is safe to say I am obsessed with it. I hate even having to trim between her eyes and bringing myself to clip her bangs back a little so she can see was a difficult venture to take on. 

HOWEVER- I am sane enough to realize that for her own comfort, trimming her back a bit is a must. Summer in middle Tennessee is extremely hot and almost unbearably humid. I think she would be miserable with her long coat. It would also probably help cut back on coat maintenance required on my part. Ok, it definitely would. 

I have planned from the start to do this chore myself and so I am approaching the plate with scissors, brush, and comb in hand. I know she needs to be cleaned, dried, brushed, and combed. I have watched and rewatched youtube videos to try to help myself learn even a little bit of technique. 

I guess what I am mainly seeking is encouragement, advice, and maybe even a few pictures to help guide me on what I might like my end result to look like. For those of you who home-groom: is there anything you wish you would have known or a method you have come to like? I'll probably be spreading this chore out over a few days to ease the amount that it will test both my and Ragley's patience.

Please share your experiences! Each time I read someone's grooming story, it gives me a confidence boost and I think, "see- I CAN do this!" 

And of course it wouldn't be a complete post without a picture!

[Shanen Sadowski]

Okay, Stephanie. This is just sickeningly good for a first try! I'm so jealous :D Did you do the whole cut with scissors and NO clippers?!?  What's your secret?  How did you avoid hard edges, and how did you get it so even if you didn't use clippers/guides?

[Stephanie and Ragley]

Thank you, Shanen! I appreciate that! No clippers, I did the whole cut with thinning shears- I found them to be more tedious, but extremely forgiving. I just fluffed, then snipped, fluffed, then snipped. 

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Ragley is such a gorgeous doodle, I can understand why you don't want to clip her.  Kudos to you for learning how to do it yourself.  I don't clip my own dog so I have no first hand advice…but I do love his coat both ways...long in the winter and short in the summer. He just got his spring "do" today … a bit early but the ticks are out already.  I think the groomer does a great job but I do wish she wouldn't leave his muzzle and the hair on his cheeks so long.  There were two labradoodles there today that were curlier and they had such cute poodle puppy cuts. I asked why she couldn't do that with Finn but she said he his combination of straight and wavy hair (actually she said "cowlicks") would stick out in every direction.  And I said…and your point is? He's a doodle!  Sigh. So I keep wanting to do it myself, but I'm not sure how :) Here's a picture of a doodle who's cut I love -- I don't remember where it came from -- maybe someone on DK ??