we have just started to clip our own dogs.
we bought the proper dog grooming set and though we think we have done a real good job the clippers do not seem to do the job very quickly,and my dogs are getting quite fed up with this. can anyone please advise me on anything that can get the dogs cut quicker.
we just want to whizz over the dogs coat in one go,where as their coat is comming off in little bits.
something like a sheep shearer would do the trick. but where can i buy one from?
any ideas gratefully recieved

What make & type of clippers have you bought? Some clippers are better than others -the cheap "pet" clippers sold from pet stores are usually not very effective. What type of dogs are you trying to clip? Also do you bath your dogs first? Clipper blades get blunted very quickly if you use them on dirty coats. Not sure why you would want sheep shearers though - sheep have fleeces, dogs do not :-) Clippers designed for shearing sheep are very heavy duty machines - they are not designed to be used on dogs.

Jane

And carrying on from JaneS's reply - what breed do you have, and are you trying for a show or pet trim. Just a bit of info to help, it is essential to use the right size blades to get the sort of trim you want, and blades must be kept oiled to make sure they clip cleanly, and dont blunt too quickly. Let us have the info, and we will try to help.
Gwen

i have bought the proper clipers from argos by wahl.
and also have used my husbands babyliss clippers (he doesnt know this)
the breed of my dogs are lhasa apso and shihs szu (spelt wrong).
i do always bath them first and dry them before i clip them and i thought surely there has got to be a quicker way of doing this.

Hi Prettypolly, I dont know the Argos clippers, are they similar to the ones Wahl sell for hairdressing? Some of the prrsofessional range of Wahl clippers are very good, but the pet ones are not up too much. We use Babliss ones for finishing, and at shows (the rechargeable/adjustable blade sort - I buy them at the Hairdressers Wholsalers). Do you clippers come with fixed or interchangeable blades, and what size blade is it. Also are they battery or mains? Sorry for all the questions, but it does make a difference. Also, seeing what your breeds are, I presume you are doig clip-offs?
Gwen

I agree the Wahl pet clippers are not up to much & these are the ones Argos sell I'm afraid. I have the Wahl KM1 professional clippers & they are exellent but they cost considerably more than the Argos ones :-) I know someone who bought these pet clippers & found them not up to want she wanted them to do so took them back, got a full refund & then invested in a professional pair - you get what you pay for it seems :-)

Jane

Make sure the blades are oiled well with WD40 not a heavy oil as this just clogs up the blades
LIz
PS
Don't do dogs but two sons and him indoors :D

Liz,

I had a mental picture of trying to clip a Dobe :D :D :D
Dot

Hi, I used to have the Wahl clippers, they are no good, i've also got Oster Mark 2 ones, again I dont like them, the best ones ive used are the Moser Rex Clipper, bought from Diamond Edge (at Crufts), they do have a web page and also do mail order I find them very good for pet westies. Hope this helps you.

I always used to use the Oster A5s, with Oster blades. But at a grooming comp last year I say the Laube Mini Micro, and bought a set to try. They are fantastic! And I know a whole lot of pro-groomers (as opposed to show people) who have gone over onto them. They are small and lightweight, so easy to hold (especially if you have any hand problems), adjustable speed, and are 12v (with a transformer) so much safer than 240v. They fit all the usual Oster etc blades, but come complete with Wahl - I have now sold all my old Oster blades, and changed to Wahl - they are so much better!
They cost about the same as the Osters, and are designed to be self serviceing, so levers etc very easy to change yourself.
Gwen

I used to have the Oster A5s too & had terrible problems with them overheating - not a problem with my KM1 plus the Wahl blades are so much better than the Osters. Would like to try the Laube Mini Micro as I've read rave things about them recently - I'd better start saving I think :-) Are they a lot lighter than the Osters, Gwen?

Jane

Hi Jane, yes the mini micros are about half the weight of the Osters, and much slimmer and shorter. I now have 2 sets, 1 with adjustable speeds, and one fixed speed (it was cheaper, on special offer). I try to keep one with a 7F blade on, and 1 with a 10, occasionally swapping to 15 , as my supplier says the biggest cause of wear and tear on clippers is blade changing. Dont have the same problem of overheating as I did with the Osters, and they are much more manouverable.
Only disadvantage is seeing how much cheaper they are in the USA:)
Gwen

well i am now thinking of buying another set of clippers,it just seems strange to me that when my husband uses them it all comes off in one go probably because hair is finer than fur.
it just puzzles me why we have to cut the fur with scissors first then use the clippers which dont do much good at all.i just thought that there may have been an easier and quicker way.
its mainly for their body which i like pretty short just whizzing over their body sounds easy enough but it takes about 2 hours and my poor dogs get so fed up, though they do look lovely afterwards
thankyou all for your advice will let you know how i get on with a decent
pair of clippers

HiPretty Polly, if the blades are still sharp, and you oil them properly before use, it could be your technique that is causing the problem. 2 hours to clip a small dog is way, way too long:) Are you drying them thoroughly before trying to clip, as damp hair clogs and blunts the blades and makes clipping very hard? Next, how are you using them - you need to keep the blades flat to the skin. Clipping with the coat will leave a slightly longer cut, against the coat will take much more hair off. Have had a look in an Argos catalogue - the ones I saw have blade combs with them - are you trying to use them with the combs, because that could be the problem. No way you should have to cut the hair before clipping - the lenght you are taking off should not have any bearing on the length you leave on!
Gwen