Clipping a dog

Dee I do my cockers. I was spending a fortune at the groomers so I bought a clippers and a few blades at the pet expo 2 years ago. The trick to using the clippers to get a neat trim is to go with the grain of the hair. By that, I mean you clip from head down to tail, chin down to paws, and under the tail down to the paws. The belly is from chest towards the vital bits!! The length of the blade is also vital. I use a shorter one on the cockers ears and paws. I have an oster or is it oyster one and its great. You cant cut the dog with it but keep an eye on the blades as they can become very hot. I dont do around the face or bum with it as they are too sensitive. But both Alfie and Lucy tend to conk out when I'm doing it. Must be like a buzzing massage for them:-) . My only tip is get a good clippers. It will last you years and years and especially for thick coats. The cheap ones burn out.

I've got an old pair of Wahl clippers, which I've had donkeys years but they still do the job! You really do need ones specially for dogs, they're quite different to human ones in regards to blades and safety features, they're also much quieter than human ones, so won't frighten the dog as much. You can always buy a second hand pair off eBay or something and then sell them on if you're not getting the use out of them

I get my stuff from Christies Direct. Its based in Antrim and I paid 150 for mine 2 years ago.

It should be back in about 3 to 4 months. Next time tell your groomer that you most definitely do not want your dog shaved down completely. Tell her you only want a tidy with the face and head shaved, bum shaved and inside back legs shaved plus inside the ears shaved. If you look after the coat well then this is all you should need doing. I would recommend buying a Furminator for keeping down the dander. You can buy one of these on eBay for about 17 euro or buy one in Ireland for 40 to 50 euro.