To clipper the dog yourself at home, you need a good clipper, preferably one with a cooling system so that it doesn't get too hot. The dog should be cleaned and completely dried before clipping.

 

 

To get a good coat cut, it is very important that the dog's coat is completely dry. Dirty fur dulls the clipper blade and wet fur can even ruin the blade completely.

 

The quickest and easiest way to cut the coat is on a special grooming table to which the dog can be securely attached. However, it is also sufficient to place the dog on a stationary chair as long as the dog cannot jump down or wriggle around too much.

 

Shearing the dog

 

Start with a 10 mm blade and cut the hair between the foot pads first. The paw pads are clipped so that the dog carries less dirt into the house.

Shave the inside of the hind legs and the belly up to the centre. The hair under the belly is usually very fine and tangles easily.

You can now change the blade in the clipper to a 5-blade. This is used to cut the main body hair. To do this, part the fur on the body so that the machine can run along the skin without damaging it. To be on the safe side, you can practise this on your own arm beforehand.

Matted fur will fall off in large pieces as you cut. Try to cut with as much confidence as possible, then the cut will be straighter. The more insecure you are because you don't feel confident travelling along the skin, the steeper the cut will be.

Work in sections, body, legs, neck, head, face. Give the dog a short break in between if it gets too restless or the clippers get too hot.

Never use scissors to cut down heavily matted fur. It is too easy to accidentally cut into the skin.

To trim the ears, hold the ear in one hand and stroke the fur towards the tip of the ear. You can carefully cut off the overhanging hair with a small pair of scissors by holding the ear flap between your fingers.

Pick up the feet one by one to trim individual strands of fur around the toes.

Finally, you can trim the claws with claw scissors.

If you accidentally pinch the dog's skin, don't panic. Take a piece of gauze and dab it with Betadine (iodine) or alcohol and press it on the wound for a few seconds until the bleeding stops.

 

After clipping, the coat is full of itchy little hairs, so the dog needs to be brushed off again.