I do the same thing. i love it.... my babys are small.

For all the scissors I recommend eBay until you decide what kinds of scissors you actually end up using the most. The cheapest thinning shears and stuff even at Walmart are $6 but I can get them cheaper on ebay with Buy-It-Now and free shipping.

I just bought curved shears for 7 dollars free shipping from eBay. I work as an apprentice at a groomers so I know WHAT to look for, just not wanting to pay the prices that PetEdge and other professional sites have + shipping costs. It's not really necessary to have expensive items that do virtually the same thing as an item you get off EBay will do, these people who sell on ebay get their items from probably the same type of manufacturers as other stores do at wholesale or whatever price, just don't give the super fancy purple and crazy color ones for huge price.

As I personally get more professional I might feel more inclined to pay for higher end scissors, but honestly they do exactly the same thing as what the expensive ones at work do and I don't see any difference.

Thinning shears do just that, thinning of hair. It's great for getting mats out and also for thicker hair spots you may want to thin out. It's seamless scissoring.

Curved shears are great for doing curved areas like around the front of the paw, around and side of the chest belly and rump areas, maybe the leg area, and top of head. If you feel like maneuvering in an awkward position they are good for jaw lines, too.

Blunt tip shears are good for the area around the eyes or ears that is very sensitive and easy to puncture as the dog may jerk around.

For pads I just use a regular shear, or the clippers with no extension. BE CAREFUL OF THAT as you can indeed clip the pads easily with clipper OR shears.

Thanks for explaining uses for the scissors. It is so overwhelming!! :eek:

You're welcome! I forgot to mention that Walmart had regular shears and thinning shears only. Curved shears at other places are incredibly expensive, $12 or more just for cheapos but eBay is better. Like I said, a lot of the people on eBay aren't just selling products they used, they are brand new from whatever merchandiser they get from. They do these auctions for a living from getting tons of new products from these manufacturers (or whatever) and selling them for cheaper than store prices. Most of the time they are a LOT cheaper, and for the same exact thing!

I always tend to look for cheapest + shipping. You can tell about the sellers on eBay because they will have sold hundreds or thousands of items and have a good feedback rating. A lot of times I will purchase from the Recommended Seller that comes up when I search something.

I have the first one in pink. I love it. I can groom them in the laundry room or the kitchen or where-ever. It's very portable and convenient.

Great explanations and advice - thank you!

My top tip for a grooming table is a baby changing table. Mine is an Ikea one, quite basic but the correct height, bought mine second hand so hardly cost anything. I bought it for my human babies but now the pup uses it. Im no expert though, our pup is only 4 months and I am still just brushing him and getting out the tangles. I put a handful of kibble on the table top and he munches it whilst I brush. I bought a tangle splitter and a slicker brush but dont use them, I just use a good quality pin brush.

What I would like help with is clippers. I was going to buy some Wahl clippers from Amazon or something, but wondered if anyone would like to recommend a pair. Bear in mind I am in England so I wont have the same stores to shop in as you do, but I suspect the brands are the same.

Checked this out after I saw your post and I bought it! Have had it for a couple weeks and I think it is great--I don't have any extra room in my house for a bigger grooming table and this can go on any counter or table.
I was surprised and very happy with the sturdiness of this table-heavier (in a good way) than I expected.
Thanks!!

I like the idea of the separate arm to use on a table I already have. What do those of you with separate arms think of this one?

Standard Grooming Table Arm

My father gave me a grooming table . He purchased his on Ebay, now I have it. It is like this one .. in the picture. I love it. Thr grooming arm is adustable and the table folds down .
I also am trying to learn how to groom myself. However, really do not like using scissors or sheers on my 2 girls . You have to be very careful . I already had an accident before i had the table on my shih tzu pup. I was using scissors and hurt her accidently , she needed surgery and stitches to close the cut .. :( That was several months ago.
I like clippers better, & when I do use any type of sheers or scissors I am extra cautious about it.
I am in the process of setting up a grooming station. I am going to buy plastic drawers that can fit underneath the table , and store all my supplies.
I like the small blow dryers sold on pet edge , and need to invest in some really great detangler shampoos and conditioners.
I think it is fun to groom my babies. you learn as you go, and get a feel for it. I also like the fact that I did it myself , and saved money . + it is a lot less stressful on the dogs , not to take them to any other groomer or place and have them placed in a cage ...
mscat

I have this one and LOVE IT!

PetEdge: Master Equipment Small Pet Grooming Table - Blue Top
[/QUOTE]

This is what I use, I attached it to a small desk I had and I love it. I have everything handy in the drawers of the desk.

Thank you, that's what I'll order. :thumbup:

I ended up ordering the first one in pink and I love it!! It works great for my little babies and is small so it dosen't take up a lot of space.