How to Choose the Right Dog Clipper?

This is a question that I get asked on a daily basis. As the economic climate remains in the doldrums the cost of taking your dog to a professional groomers seems increasingly difficult to justify. Especially if you have a breed that requires attention on a monthly basis or if you have a number of dogs the cost is prohibitive , consequently more and more people are taking the decision to have a go themselves. Many people especially those that don't show dogs will have little understanding of where to start in this process and the fear of making a mistake is the first hurdle to overcome. Many people think that they will make such a hash of it that they will have to keep their dog indoors until the hair has grown. Fortunately it really is a quite simple especially with the right tools for the job and simple plastic clipper guards can safely ensure that you don't make any horrendous mistakes, if you are patient and take your time I believe that anyone can groom a dog and certainly make a presentable attempt so you won't have to walk at night!

The first mistake people make is just get out the Argos catalogue and buy what they list as dog clippers , this may come as a surprise to you but Argos do not sell anything of sufficient quality to groom any dog, my advice is to avoid anything with the name Wahl on it as these are human hair clippers who have attempted to rebrand them as animal clippers. Pet hair is a lot coarser and more aggressive than human hair and this will just choke a clipper and the motor will stall and burn out. So many people make this elementary mistake spending £50-£60 on a Wahl clipper is just like pouring your money down the drain. ask yourself if your local dog grooming salon uses clippers made by Wahl or Argos? All people who are looking to clip a dog need to buy a professional machine that is robust and powerful enough to drive through a difficult coat, it really doesn't matter whether you are a professional groomer or just own one dog you need the same quality professional clippers and you just can't get away from this most important fact.

So to get something decent you will need to spend between £100-£150 to get a clipper, mostly there are two main brands Oster and And is and these have been the core two brands used for dog grooming over the last 20 years, both are American brands and they both specialise in producing powerful animal clippers. Mostly these are available in a 1 or 2 speed versions and whilst the single speeds are slightly cheaper I normally advise customers to go for a 2 speed version as these allow some flexibility on the speed range and it gives the option of dropping down to the slightly quieter slower speed when clipping around the face and ears or if you have a particularly nervous dog. Of these two brands I personally prefer the Andis dog clippers as these are slightly lighter and the barrel is more compact making them easier to handle especially if you have small hands. On the whole they do tend to be more reliable than Oster with fewer after-sales issues here at Easy Animal

Once you have made your mind up about the dog clipper the next important decision is which blade to buy? This is critical to get right as there is no point buying a high quality clipper if you then attach the wrong blade. We offer a free helpline where we advise you in which blade to use for your breed, just call us on 0800 849 8844 and we will help you with this, as we supply many professional groomers on a daily basis we have a good understanding of what you will need. Another common mistake from people that decide to try clipping their own dog is blade care. Lubricating the blades to keep them cool and cleaning and oiling a blade might seem like a pain when you have just clipped the dog but this is so important to maintain your blades and you will certainly appreciate this when you next need to use the dog clippers again.

For those with a real interest in dog grooming there are some excellent dog grooming courses available all over the country but for this who just want to jump in at the deep end please bear in mind that we are just a phone call away.