Top tips on trimming your dog’s coat

trimming a dogs hairIf you own a dog that requires continual cutting of the face and body hair, it is cost-effective to be able to do a mini trim yourself between appointments at the groomers.

Grooming facial hair can be a worrying time; a dog may sense your nervousness and often will move away or become jumpy. This can of course lead to accidents.

Be safe when trimming your dog’s hair by using the right tools. Scissors for the face and clippers for certain parts of the body can be a nightmare for both parties concerned if not used correctly.

There is no rush to complete this job, take your time, if you have just washed your dog; you need to dry him thoroughly as the blades of clippers can jam on wet hair.

Have ready a slicker brush and an assorted range of scissors, long blades are best for around the eyes and nose.

Top tips:

Take your dog out and let him relieve himself, tiring him a little will help to calm him down.

Ask another member of the family to help restrain your pet by holding his collar; this person should be able to keep your dog calm by quietly talking to him

Take hold of your dog brush; brush the fur in the direction of the growth, gently brushing fur away from the eye area. The brush separates the strands of hair, ready for cutting or clipping.

If clipping use a plastic comb attachment that is suitable for the length of hair required, place the clipper head flat on the top of the dog’s head, clip with the blade moving towards the rear of the body.

In the head area gently use the clippers at the muzzle, downwards to the floor of the mouth area. Remember this is the time you dog will get nervous, talk to him or stop to give him a treat.

Wrap your free hand around the dog’s muzzle, move it so it is facing the ceiling, place the blades so that you are able to run the blade to the throat area, this will enable you to trim the beard.

Ears- hold the straggly hairs between your fingers to avoid cutting your pet’s skin, there should be no skin above your fingers, only trim the hair above the fingers, using blunt ended scissors.

Smaller breeds of dogs can be extremely nervous; a quick trim around the eyes and nose can suffice between appointments at the groomers.

Comments

>