TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL PET CLIPPING

Grooming your dog doesn't have to be a complicated process. A little information about the use of clipper blades will make the job easier and make your groomed dog look more professional.

CLICK HERE to view all of our Andis Clipper Blades

• Different clippers are designed to clip different types of hair-coats. Heavily coated breeds or dogs whose coat is matted or heavily tangled require stronger, better quality clippers than light coated breeds.
• The faster a blade moves, the easier and faster it will cut. Better quality clippers have faster motors.
• How fast a blade moves is dictated by the quality and strength of the motor in the clippers as well as how well you lubricate the blade while you clip. Kool Lube lubricates your blade as you clip to keep its movement free and unimpeded.
• When a blade is moving, friction creates heat which makes the blade get hot. Test the blade against your cheek or the inside of your forearm (like a baby bottle) to be sure it isn't uncomfortably hot for your pet. Kool Lube keeps your blade cool.
• Different blades leave different lengths of hair. The lower the blade number, the longer the hair ie: a #4F blade leaves 5/8" of hair and a #10 leaves only 1/16" of hair. ie: The #10 is used for smooth or summer cuts, the #4F for "fuzzy" cuts.
• Skip Tooth blades cut faster through dense, matted hair, but their clip is rough and not attractive. Use a skip tooth blade for the first pass "rough in" and then smooth your grooming with a full tooth blade.
• Smooth faces, feet, the pads of the feet, groin and tummy areas and anal areas can usually be clipped very close with a #10, #15, or lightly with a #30 or #40 blade to clean them of hair.
• Never clip a dirty dog. Dirt and products such as flea powders destroy the cutting surface of your blade.
• Never clip a wet dog. It's too hard to get through the coat.
• Clipping AGAINST the hair growth pattern leaves shorter hair than clipping WITH the hair growth
• Store your blade clean, coated with Kool Lube, wrapped in a paper towel and enclosed in a plastic, air-tight baggie to prevent corrosion from humidity on the cutting surfaces.

Below are some suggestions for which blades to use on what type of dog.

Official Andis Blade Guide
All Breeds & Mixed Breeds
Sanitary prep Pads Slightly Matted Very Matted Very Heavy Coats Legs Feet (except Poodles)	#10 #15 #5 & #5FC #7 & #7FC #7 or #T-84 guard or scissor scissor
Airedale Terrier
Body, sides & tail Head, throat Ears Underbody	#7 or #5 #9 or #7 & #7FC #10 or #15 scissors
Bearded Collie
Puppy Trim - Body	#3¾ & #3¾FC or 1¼¨ guard
Bedington Terrier
Body Head, ears, tail	#5 & #5FC #10 or #15
Bichon Frise
Plush look - Body Pet Trim, Short - Body	#3¾ & #3¾FC #4 & #4FC or #5 & #5FC
Bouvier Des Flandres
Body, sides Legs, underbody, face Cheeks & Throat	#3¾ or 1¨ guard scissors or 1½" guard #4
Briard
Puppy Trim - Body Face, legs, underbody	1" guard scissors or 1½" guard
Cairn Terrier
Head, face, legs, underbody Body Ears	scissors #4 or #3¾ #10 or #15
Cats
Very Matted Some Matting	#10 #7FC
Cocker Spaniel
Body, sides, back, tail Face, ears, throat, head Underbody, feet, legs	#7 & #7FC or #5 & #5FC #10 or #15 scissors
Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Body, sides, back Head, tail, feet Legs, underbody Top of ears	#4 scissors scissors #10 or #15
English Cocker Spaniel
Body, back, sides Front of forelegs Head, neck, ears, face Underbody, legs	#7 & #7FC #7 & #7FC #15 scissors
English Setter
Body, sides, back Head Top of Ears Underbody, tail, legs	#7 & #7FC or #5 & #5FC #9 #10 or #15 scissors
English Springer Spaniel
Body, sides, back, tail Head, neck, ear tops, throat Underbody & legs	#7 & #7FC or #5 & #5FC #10 scissors
Irish Setter
Body, sides, back Head, ears, throat Underbody, tail, legs	#7 & #7FC or #5 & #5FC #10 scissors
Irish Terrier
Body, Sides, Back and Tail Head, Ears, throat	#5, #10
Kerry Blue Terrier
Body, sides, back, tail Neck, ears Head	#4 & #4FC or #3¾ & #3¾FC #10 or #15 #8½
Lakeland Terrier
Body, sides, back, tail Head Neck, Ears	#4 or #5 #8½ #10
Lhasa Apso & Maltese
Puppy Trim Shorter Pet Trim Head, face, tail, underbody	#3¾ & #3¾FC #5 & #5FC or #4 & #4FC scissors
Old English Sheepdog
Puppy Trim Shorter Pet Trim Head, face	1¼ guard #4 & #4FC or #3¾ & #3¾FC scissors
Pekingese
Short Pet Trim - Body	#5 & #5FC or #4 & #4FC or #3¾ & #3¾FC
Poodle
Face, feet, base of tail Body Top knot, tail piece	#10 or #15 #7 & #7FC or #5 & #5FC, or #4 & #4FC or #3¾ & #3¾FC scissors
Portuguese Water Dog
Body Shorter Pet Trim Head, tail	#3¾ & #3¾FC #4 & #4FC scissors
Schnauzer
Body, back, sides Legs, underbody Head, ears, cheeks	#7 & #7FC scissors #10
Scottish Terrier & Sealyham Terrier
Body, back, sides of face Ears, thoat Top of head Tail	#5 or #4 #10 #8½ #3¾ & #3¾FC
Shih Tzu
Puppy Trim Shorter Pet Trim Head, tail & ears	#3¾ & #3¾FC #4 & #4FC scissors
Silky Terrier
Puppy Trim Shorter Pet Trim Head, underbody Ears	#3¾ & #3¾FC #4 & #4FC scissor #10
Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier
Body, tail Shorter Pet Trim (body, throat) Legs, underbody Head, ears	#3¾ & #3¾FC #4 & #4FC scissor scissor
Welsh Terrier
Body, back, sides, tail Head, ears, throat	#5 #10
West Highland White Terrier
Body, back & sides Head, tail, underbody Ear tips	#4 or #3¾ scissor #10 or #15
Yorkshire Terrier
Puppy Trim Shorter Pet Trim Face, head Ears	#3¾ & #3¾FC #4 & #4FC scissor #10

 

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