Do you groom your own dog or pay someone to do it?

[Maddy McCall]

I have always paid someone to groom Lucinda, my schnauzer. The first groomer did a pretty good job, but Lucinda came home afraid to be held and with fleas. So I changed groomers--to a Petsmart groomer. The Petsmart groomer did a shoddy job on Lucinda.

Every time I have her groomed, it's 30 to 35 dollars. I am considering buying a set of clippers and grooming her myself.

Anyone have any advice on a good set of clippers? Even if I spend $100 on a set of clippers, I'll save money in the long run.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. My neighbor is a groomer so she does my dog

and he and I both agree it's better that way..:D

[Maddy McCall]

4. Wish I had a neighbor who would groom Lucinda...

You're lucky!

[tedoll78]

2. I groom my own.

He's a big dog - an akita - so many places won't take him.

Today, he got a luxurious bath, followed by a thorough 2-hour brushing session. The bath loosened soooo much fur!

Then, he got doggie cologne, and he'll be wearing a brand-new Electoral Blue dog collar for Election Day! :)

[Maddy McCall]

6. I always wash her and brush her myself...but I have never clippered her.

That's what kind of scares me. But it can't be that difficult to do. I have found some good guides on the internet...I really think I can do it.

Love the collar idea. :-)

[tedoll78]

9. Thanks!

Yeah, Jake's gotten very used to the clippers. I just cover his ears before I do it, since he doesn't like the sound of the clippers in action. It's easier than you might think!
edit: of course, it helps to have a second person..

[frylock]

3. i thought that was another euphemism for uhhhhhhh, you know..

kinda like killing a kitten. Because if it is, I groom my own dog. w00f!

[Cleopatra2a]

5. I've done both

I'm not very good with the clippers, so I usually take them to a groomer. You have to find someone you can trust with your pet. We usually pay about 15 for just a shampoo and 25 for grooming. I have 2 Pekingese. I bought a set of Wahl clippers.

[Maddy McCall]

7. I tried some wahl clippers, but they had a hard time getting through...

her fur. The clippers I have been looking at cost about $150. Ebay has some for cheaper, though.

[CAcyclist]

10. Osters

My favorites are Osters, although the lady who sharpens my blades likes Andis best. Don't get wahls. Don't buy used ones unless you're sure you can send them back if they don't work. If a set of clippers has been dropped, sometimes the blades won't seat well even if it still runs.

There's some good books on clipping dogs - I'd just go to the library to save money. If you want the same type of clip the groomer does, it'll probably take you a while to get there, but if you just want an allover trim, you can learn to do that yourself.

[Nite Owl]

8. I do them myself most of the time.

My big boy who passed three years ago, a Standard Poodle, was great and seemed to enjoy the whole thing but it took me a long time and his legs would get shakey so I took him to the groomer. Now I have two, my mom's toy poodle and an American Eskimo who has more hair than any dog I'v known. I do them both. The little one gets clipped and she's a good girl. Seems to like it a lot more than my having to leave her. I just use a clippers from Kmart that my son had when his girlfriend used to buzz his head. They were about $25 bucks. He just gets brushed and brushed and brushed. Got enough hair to make another whole dog from him. I find it much easier on them to do it myself.

[Maddy McCall]

11. Thanks for giving me self confidence...

Hearing that you guys can do it...well, I can at least try it. :-)

[DrZeeLit]

12. I have a Coton de Tulear, and...

...that means LONG white hair (not fur).
Cotons look like shrunk English sheepdogs -- all white, about 10 pounds.

Well, for 3 years, I was awesome. On it like a duck on a bug. He needs to be brushed every day, and checked especially for knots and mats. We drove across country, and he loved it, but curled up and slept quite a lot and I didn't do the grooming much. YIKES! Mat city! I was freaked out.

Many Coton owners do the grooming and I learned a lot by joining a Yahoo users group -- a good idea for dog owners. Lots of shared tips.

I also learned that it might not "kill" me to have my little darling cut back to puppy cut and see what transpires, since that major mat was not coming out without a battle.

So we went to the puppy cut and he's very cute. I found a terrific groomer and haven't needed to return all summer. My first appointment is Nov 11 and his hair is still shorter than a full lenght Coton coat. I am considering keeping it this length. No mats, easier on moi. Still, I'd be going to groomer, but maybe every other month.

For dog (and grooming/shampoo/scissors) supplies, try the Cherrybrook catalog, and they are online.

Good luck!
Oh and here's my darling Casou, with full coat last Christmas:

[Maddy McCall]

13. What a precious dog!

I will try the catalog you suggested. Thanks!

[DrZeeLit]

16. Yes, he is! Oh and...

...do find a group online to swap "tips" if you want to do your own grooming.

Like I said, I found a Coton de Tulear group on Yahoo and now have a bunch of friends who own these dogs. Everyone is so kind and helpful.

I'll bet you can find a group for your Schnauzer (sp?).

Good luck.

[China_cat]

14. Andis, hands down.

Osters are ok but the blades dull fairly quickly.

I used to do my dogs myself (Bouviers) but can't anymore because of my physical condition so my husband keeps them combed out and we get them shaved down once a year. It's drastic, but it isn't like they need to be kept in a show coat.

There's only about 2 groomers in this area who do a decent job on Bouviers and I don't like one of them.

[qnr]

15. Do it myself,

Wash, comb, clip, etc - with help in some areas from the wife. Except the toenail bit, that she does alone. I always worry about clipping too deep and hurting them. Between the two of them (1 now) they were about 250 pounds, so I don't think most groomers would like to do them anyway.

[short bus president]

17. my dogs groom themselves

for the most part. Althea, the older bulldog, needs her nose-wrinkle cleaned out on occassion. I'm hoping Stangle, the younger bulldog, will acquire a taste for nose-wrinkle gook at some point after he loses his puppy breath.