Question for those who groom their dogs at home...

We have a shihtzu....He doesn't get all fancy when we bring him to the groomer , either just a shampoo/cut or shave depneding on the season....

We are thinking of buying a clipper ourself and doing it at home ( instead of spending $60 everytime we bring him) ...


The clippers seem like a pricey investment, but will pay off in the long run I hope ...

For those of you who groom their own dogs, can you reccomend a clipper and where you bought it ( also a round about $ )


Thanks !!!!!

Re: Question for those who groom their dogs at home...

I bought an Oster A5 but I've had it for about 18 years so I couldn't tell you where I got it. Held up well and still works just as well as the first day I got it.

Re: Question for those who groom their dogs at home...

Thanks !!!

Re: Question for those who groom their dogs at home...

We bought something at Walmart a few years ago...i think it's a Wahl? We have 2 dogs that we clip all the time & then shave down in the summer...it was around $35 i think..paid for itself with the first haircut! HTH!

Re: Question for those who groom their dogs at home...

We bought a cheap one in PetCo. I believe I spent $40. It does the job. Im not really good at doing it & sometimes I make mistakes that are unflattering.
It's OK Dallas doesn't know & he's no supermodel anyway.

Re: Question for those who groom their dogs at home...

Oh wow, I don't know what the heck clippers I was looking at but they were over $200

I'll have to look again, maybe I was in the elite doggy section

Thank you everyone !

Re: Question for those who groom their dogs at home...

How do your dogs handle being buzzed by you? Bella goes to the groomer about every 6 months (probably should go more often but $$$$) I would love to do it at home, I already give her baths and trim her face all of the time, so how hard is it to do the rest?

ETA, she is a big dog, by the way...

Re: Question for those who groom their dogs at home...

Dallas doesn't seem to care at all, I think he enjoys the attention & praise. He basically stands still. After a while (30 mins) he gets bored & restless so I let him stop.

The first time Dallas looked like a sewer rat when I put the clippers down. DH was very upset with me. In a few weeks his fur grew back & all was well. It's just cosmetic, Dallas didn't know.

Re: Question for those who groom their dogs at home...

the $30 ones really aren't that great. they last for like a few grooms. i have an andis powergroom its around $130 bucks. there's a lot you have to get to actually groom your dog though. you need different blades for the length, you need clipper coolant cause they get hot real quick, you have to buy brushes and also scissors to cut their faces and paws. if your dog is like any typical shih tzu, they HATE being grooomed and are kinda pains. if your dog is great, then go for it! but i'd pick up a video or book on cutting their faces. thats the hardest part!

Re: Question for those who groom their dogs at home...

I have a Shih Tzu and my husband and I tried to groom him ourselves. We purchased the clippers, nail clipper, tootpaste, toothbrush, pads to remove the stains, etc.

We groomed him ourselves two weeks ago and let's just say I made an appt with a professional groomer for this weekend. I find that the groomers just do a better job. But we will use the supplies we purchased to hopefully maintain his puppy cut in between visits to the groomer.

Re: Question for those who groom their dogs at home...

I would love to groom my Shih tzu's at home and it would take a lot of practice but, what do you do about their anal sacs? They need to be surpressed.

Re: Question for those who groom their dogs at home...

Re: Question for those who groom their dogs at home...

I don't know much about the whole anal sac thing. People who don't need to take their dogs to the groomer don't deal with anal sacs. I never think about it? I shave my dogs "*** area" so poop won't get stuck in his fur.

Re: Question for those who groom their dogs at home...

Just googled anal sac. I watched a video & it's easy to do. I would wear gloves though.