first time clipping !!!

[kinnykins]

hi all,
I have just recieved my first clippers in the post, my 8 month old pup is desperate for a clip now the weather is getting really hot. I let her sniff them, I switched them on and she ran a mile !!. Ihave held her in my arms and just put them on in my other hand just buzzin away but she wont have any of it let alone clip her with them, any ideas how i can get her used to them and actually clip her ?? I hav nt used clippers before but am waiting for my d v d to arrive with hints and tips, she seems so scared, im glad i did nt take her to a groomers now.

[zoeybear]

I think you are doing the right thing. Turning them on a couple of times a day and letting her get used to the sound. Good luck.

[kinnykins]

yes i think i will just have to keep turning them on near her, I even put the to my own face to show her it was ok, imagine thestruggle at a groomers she would never trust strangers again, another reason i didn t want to take her in thefirst place, perhaps i could jut snip her oat with scissors ?? just doing the odd tidy up is difficult enough, its like trying to snip a slippers snake !!

[cory]

Hi...I must commend you for having the courage to try the grooming yourself, especially for the good of you baby. I have an 8 month old , Kali, and Mica just turned one on July 11/08. I have been grooming them myself and it has been going quite well actually. Mostly, ever time I bathe them I use a set of narrow clippers for the tips of the ears and shave a V on the outer third of the ears. I shave the backs as well. They were a little jumpy at first but now Mica seems to love the feel of the clippers on her ears and she just lays down to sleep when I do it almost like the buzzying and massaging puts her to sleep. I clip their nails and, under their tail, around their paws and shape them using a scissor cut. I think they come out looking quite cute. I scissor them at about knee length and then shape their face with a rounded look using scissors. They both have a top knot now and look very, very cute when they are all done. It really only takes me about one hour or so per dog, and probably as time goes on I figure I'll get better and better at it. When Mica was very tiny she just too jumpy so I took her to a groomer and was not happy with the results . They literally cut her face too straight and she ended up looking kind of like a Scottie dog (Scottish Terrior) which was rediculous. Also, they shingled her hair all over and layered it which I never asked for and the cost out here can range from 40 to 55 dollars which is rediculous, especially when I had to bring her back to get them to shave the tips of her ears properly after paying for the grooming. I'm going to keep trying to do the job myself, it really isn't all that difficult with yorkies because as you know they have no undercoat. Good luck with your grooming. Take care. Cory

[kinnykins]

thanks cory, im glad you try to do it yourself too. I had a pair of scissors in my set so ive just had a go with them all over !!! kinny let me with out too much wriggling iv e never cut hair before but just remembered combing and using my fingers as a straight guide, I have done it in 3 mini sessions , im impressed with the back and sides definately shorter but without that step look, perhaps iv e missed my vocation !! im gonna leave her ears as i like the big bat look, trouble is once you start u just wantto take that little bit more !! well enoughfor tonight i will have a mini tidy up of her tomorrow !!

[cory]

Originally Posted by kinnykins

thanks cory, im glad you try to do it yourself too. I had a pair of scissors in my set so ive just had a go with them all over !!! kinny let me with out too much wriggling iv e never cut hair before but just remembered combing and using my fingers as a straight guide, I have done it in 3 mini sessions , im impressed with the back and sides definately shorter but without that step look, perhaps iv e missed my vocation !! im gonna leave her ears as i like the big bat look, trouble is once you start u just wantto take that little bit more !! well enoughfor tonight i will have a mini tidy up of her tomorrow !!

Good for you for trying to clip her. It should get better with more and more experience. I bought a set of clippers that are narrow ones that I use for shaving the top third of the ears in a V shape. I also shave the inside too, and both Mica and Kali don't mind at all. The clippers are quiet ones and work really quickly. Basically I scissor cut them the rest of the way too which isn't too hard as I just keep them at knee length, clip under the tail, and around their paws, and then shape their face with a rounded look. The only problem I have really is cutting their nails as they hate it. I get my husband to give them a little treat that they really like (like a small piece of cheese) and then they don't even seem to notice me clipping the nails. I'm so worried to cut too much off and don't want the nails to bleed. They are still young, 8 and 12 months so hopefully they'll settle down with the nail clipping once they get a little older. Take care.

[yorkieusa]

Kacee is fine for the groomer, but she won't let me touch her with clippers. Whenever I get them out and turn them on, she sits up on her back end and starts waving her front paws at me as if she's saying, "Mom, I don't want you to do that."

[luvnmymax]

Originally Posted by yorkieusa

Kacee is fine for the groomer, but she won't let me touch her with clippers. Whenever I get them out and turn them on, she sits up on her back end and starts waving her front paws at me as if she's saying, "Mom, I don't want you to do that."

I get that alot from customers! They come in early to watch me groom for a little while and are absolutely amazed that their baby just sits on the table for me like a perfect angel, but won't even let mom near them with a comb! My Max wouldn't let me do his toenails, but would sit perfectly for anyone else! Sometimes they just don't want mom to do it.

[yoyo27]

I gave my first really all over clip and you know it didn't turn out that bad. Its fine for the summer and I figure by then she will be growing out and we will see if she gets better. Cali is only 8mos and she doesn't like comb she whales all the time weather or not you touch her. She hopefully will get better with age. None of the others do that so I just gave her a good trim.

[sunamand]

Omg - the exact same thing happened to my Darwin today. It was his first groome and he came out looking like a schnauzer face, and his body is really really short and layered. I'm so confused...I spoke to the groomer for about 20 mins before I left and gave very specific instructions. She now chopped the hair around his eyes and nose, and I'm afriad he'll never have the cute round beard face look anymore! How long will it take for this horrible cut to grow out, and will his face every look the same? What do I do about the eye and nose hairs once they start getting long, will they poke him in the eyes? I'm so upset about his awful haircut...

[kinnykins]

another reason to have a go myself !! Ive left kinnys facial hair just the way i want and her body neat but not shaven !! its very satisfying too just a little more trimming later after work (with the clippers buzzing in the back ground !!) and we will be done saves euros and brings us closer together ahhhhh.....

[yorkieusa]

Originally Posted by luvnmymax

I get that alot from customers! They come in early to watch me groom for a little while and are absolutely amazed that their baby just sits on the table for me like a perfect angel, but won't even let mom near them with a comb! My Max wouldn't let me do his toenails, but would sit perfectly for anyone else! Sometimes they just don't want mom to do it.

I agree. Mom's are pushovers and they know it. Kacee has gone to the same groomer since I've had her. I started immediately just taking her in to get her "cat claws" cut off so she wouldn't hang up on anything and for her to become accustomed to going there. She loves Angie. She can't wait to go see Angie (her groomer). She's very sociable.

[raine00]

, i qualified as a mature ladies/mens hairdresser (even razor cut for men lol) in 2000, but only clippered my lovely lady for the first time a month or so ago, i have always bathed her, blown dried, toe nails (don't really like this but do it, read its better after a bath, to have some -quick st0p- powder ready, and cut off the curve?) i also got my vet to show me how to do her annal glands, which saves me £27 (vet), they showed me outside, and inside- prefer inside so i know i have the right thing!!) she has never had to be held and i believe kinda shoves her bottom at me when she feels uncomfortable, she is not a whinger, and had an abcess there a good few years ago, which i didn't even know about until it nearly burst. Am not impressed with a few groomers, (rough handling an such) so decided to give myself time and do it myself, no rush, and it wasn't to bad, i was quite pleased, and clippered most, but scissored the rest, not quite sure how her head should be, so was looking for close up pictures, found some but you couldn;
't really SEE it properly, still going to have another go while we are away at our caravan, and eeeeek have just found a horrible tick on her tummy and no tick remover with me, someone recommended nail varnish, which i tried, but it doesn't appear to have worked.
Anybody got close up pictures of trimming yorkies heads? cheers,
my girl is emmi, 7 years old and an aBSOLUTE love, who has been an
AMAZING gift from GOD to me, she just loves me and loves me and ......

[kinnykins]

put vaseline all over the tick !! a good dollop !! they c.ant breathe and fall off a few hours later !! believe me it works. good for u about clipping, do girls have the glands as well as boys ?? or am i being stupid, iv e always had girl dogs and never dealt with "glands"

[raine00]

We'll not quite as good as the first, looks unfinished, bit awkward cos we're at our caravan, not home, but am getting dirty looks from her, lol
yep they allhave anal glads, these get squished when they do a pooh, (usually!) and leave there scent, all the interesting details other dogs like to know, lol tried the vaseline, but only had a small amount, will have another go when we get home, have also applied advocate which is a flea and worm liquid which should also have got rid of the tick, so far not!! thanks for your reply, raine