urge to herd Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Can anyone recommend a brand of electric clippers? I want to clip both girls' coats down to about 1/2 inch or so, and I'd like to do it myself. Thanks, Ruth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsADogsLyfe Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Everyone has their preferences. I prefer Andis myself. I think they feel better in my hand, they don't get as hot as Oster. My opinion is if you are set on clipping your dogs hair (I prefer not to clip Border Collies) I would use a #3. I think it comes out looking the best and still leaves enough hair for protection. I think it tends to grow back better also than a shorter blade. I've never clipped down my Border collies though. I will shave bellies and I even give them clean feet, but I never clip their body hair. JM(very)HO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1sheepdoggal Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Hi Ruth, Not any of your WalMart type clippers are going to get through the coat for ya, but I can suggest a couple of clippers that are fairly inexpensive (compared to the industrial types I use daily) that will last you and get the job done. You can find them in several different catalogues, but I suggest looking at Pet Edge, or Ryans Pet supplies they have the best prices so far as Ive seen. My first pic would be the Wahl KM2. It goes for 119.00. You'll want to note the SPM's (strokes per minuet) and try to find one that runs no less than 3300. Thats what you'll need to get through a collies coat. My second suggestion would be Oster Turbo A5 two speed ( 135.95) It runs up to 4000 SPM but the Wahl is easier to handle, lighter, and runs smoother and quieter and requires less maintence. To leave the coat 1/2 inch you'll want a #4F blade. The skiptooth blades are for rough clipping and the "F" or fine blade will give you a better smoother clip and you stand less chance of cutting a dog with a Fine blade. Also when you order you clipper, go ahead and order one "with" the ten blade. You'll want it to do pads and sanitary clipping. Most blades are interchangable with most other clippers, so you can use a Oster blade on a Wahl clipper. So if one is less expensive than another, you can go with a less expensive one. Last I checked, a 4F blade runs about 35.00. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1sheepdoggal Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Everyone has their preferences. I prefer Andis myself. I think they feel better in my hand, they don't get as hot as Oster. My opinion is if you are set on clipping your dogs hair (I prefer not to clip Border Collies) I would use a #3. I think it comes out looking the best and still leaves enough hair for protection. I think it tends to grow back better also than a shorter blade. I've never clipped down my Border collies though. I will shave bellies and I even give them clean feet, but I never clip their body hair. JM(very)HO. Yes, I should have mentioned the Wahl doesnt run as hot as the Oster as well. Also forgot to mention to get a can of blade coolant ( Cool Lube) to keep blades cleaned and cool while clipping. Blades heat up pretty fast and ya need to check them often so you dont burn the dog. The #3 is a good choice, but Ive found that it doesnt give a uniform clip on a collies coat because there are such varying degrees of length. A #3 will leave the coat just a bit shy of an inch where it actually does clip the hair. Some places it wont touch it so you will have longer and shorter places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsADogsLyfe Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Now see Darci, I have to humbly disagree as I've found that the #3 seems to give the coat a more uniform appearance on collie type coats. Again, it's personal preference. I have an aversion to #4s for some reason. But that's just me. I tend to be a bit ocd about some grooming things. I do agree about her checking out PetEdge or Ryan's. There are also other places she could compare the price of clippers. Definitely do not go the the big chain pet stores or you'll be paying twice as much for lesser quality. A good single speed Andis or Oster clipper will go through a collie coat and cost under $100. I used those for years and had no problem with most any coats. Again. this is my preference. Not all groomers think or groom the same. It is important to get a cooling spray though if you are clipping down your dog. Otherwise you need two or more of the same blade so you can change them out when they get hot. I hope whatever you end up getting works well for you. But do remember you could probably take the dog to a groomer for far less than you can buy your own equipment, that is if you only do it once a year. Also the hair will clip more evenly and easier if the dog's coat is clean and fluff dried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted March 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Thanks, you guys! I'll do some web surfing and see what I can find. Samantha, (who will be 14 on april 6th!) overheats really easily. I've had her clipped three summers in a row and it makes a huge difference in her comfort level. We do it in late May, early June and by the time cool weather rolls around again in October she's got a full coat back. She stresses out at the groomer, so I'd prefer to do it here at home. Shonie also is more comfortable in the summer with a short coat, and she needs bathing more frequently, so she gets a 'do' as well. Thanks again, I'll report back with my results. Ruth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsADogsLyfe Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 good luck Ruth! Hope your dog feels better. I used to groom a 3 legged Border Collie. I would take her coat down but as she was missing a rear leg, I always left a bit of hair neatly clipped over her stump. She always acted like she felt much better after her clip. I know my dog's breeder used to take her male (my dog's sire) down short every year to try and help with the flea problem. He had a wide, white face like Seth, only a much shorter muzzle and a shorter wider body than Seth. He came out looking like a pit bull. I did take Seth's tail off once at a trial I was working. He had gotten tons of horrible stickers in it and they were really bothering him. I was at the top of the hill in set out and had no way to get anywhere where I could help him. So someone gave me a pair of scissors and I took his whole tail off. He looked really funny, but he sure felt better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timberviewfarm Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 You can also get these same clippers from horse/farm supply catalogs/online stores. You might be able to find them on ebay for cheaper, I got my last set of A5's off of ebay for about $65 and they are still working for heads/legs on the horses that I do clipping on!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoloRiver Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 I have a question for the groomers. Does thinning the coat out have the same effect as clipping as far as helping a dog deal with heat? Heavy use of a stripping rake (like the Mars Coat King) can lead to a thin coated dog, but the coat length is preserved. I imagine that taking off as much hair as Ruth is proposing would take hours though. I thin Solo's coat out in the summer which seems to help, but don't get very drastic about it and have never clipped his belly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsADogsLyfe Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Having coat can actually help to insulate against the heat. I lived in the desert areas of CA and ID until recently and it gets very hot there. 100+ in the summer. I would work my dogs and they would still be running around playing even when it was very hot in the summer. I have never thinned or shaved them down. Although they would lose all their undercoat naturally in the hot seasons. Now I'm in a humid climate, I'm not sure how they'll do. I will shave their belly up to their elbows and sometimes use thinning shears and go under the outer coat and thin it somewhat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted March 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 For what it's worth, I believe that in my ignorance, I let Sami run too much when she was young and frisky, and it's possible that I helped create her heat sensitivity. The first summer I had her clipped, we were having a heat wave, into the hundreds every day. We live in a mobile home and we cooked, even with fans on all through the house. I got her clipped, figuring if it didn't help I wouldn't do it again. Her normal routine at bedtime was to pant, walk, turn over again and again trying to get cooler. That night, with her new short coat, she turned around on her bed once, laid down, sighed and closed her eyes and was off to dream land. I was sold. Ruth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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