The Ultimate Grooming Guide for New Pet Parents
Not sure where to begin when grooming at home? Check out these helpful resources on how to groom your pup like a pro from home!
In addition to your pet food, crate, leash and treats, you will want to make sure to have the following tools on hand for taking care of your pet's coat. Different coats will need different types of maintenance, so be sure to look up your specific breed for the care they will need.
Download this Grooming Steps guide for a full step-by-step on how to groom your dog at home!
CLIPPER BLADE TYPE
Andis offers 2 different blade types:
detachable and adjustable.
Detachable Blades
Easily interchangeable to different sizes depending on your grooming needs.
Recommended use:
- full body clipping for all coat breeds.
Adjustable Blades
Uses a lever on the side of the clipper to easily adjust from 0.5mm-1.5mm for the perfect length.
Recommended use:
- full body clipping for medium to light coat breeds
- Prep work work: shaving paw pads and sanitary trims
HOW TO CHOOSE A DETACHABLE BLADE SIZE
Choosing the correct blade size will depend on what you are trying to accomplish with the clipper. For longer coat styles, it is recommended to use the blade your clipper came with (usually a #10 blade) in addition to an attachment comb to maintain a longer coat length. As a general rule of thumb, the lower the blade number, the longer the length of hair will remain.
The length of hair left behind with each blade can be seen below in both inches and mm measurements.
Prep Work
For shaved faces, feet, and sanitary areas.
#10 - 1/16" (1.5mm)
#15 - 3/64" (1.2mm)
#30 - 1/50" (0.5mm)
#40 - 1/100" (0.25)
Full Body Clipping
Choose a blade based on desired length to remain. Remember to factor in the attachment comb length in addition to the blade length.
#3/4 - 3/4" (19mm)
#5/8 - 5/8" (16mm)
#3 3/4 - 1/2" (13mm)
#4 - 3/8" (9.5mm)
#5 - 1/4" (6.3mm)
#7 - 1/8" (3.2mm)
ATTACHMENT COMBS
Attachment combs give you the versatility to trim the coat at longer lengths.
TIP: Typically pets are groomed with the growth of the coat. It is acceptable to clip in reverse (often called against the growth) but this will leave the hair shorter than clipping with the growth.
Universal Stainless-Steel Detachable Blade Combs
(use with #10, #15, #30 blade)
KNOW THESE ESSENTIAL BODY PARTS
Understanding the different parts of the body on a dog is essential to better understand various grooming styles/patterns you may learn.
It is also important to know where to use extra care in the areas that are susceptible to injury.
TIP: The tuck up area usually has a flap of skin, never clip into the flap. The skin can get caught between the teeth of the blade, always clip on the flat surface of this skin.
Covering all aspects of grooming, these videos explore everything from the basics of brushing a dog all the way to full body grooms.
PREP BASICS: LINE BRUSHING AND COMBING A DOG
Line brushing and combing are two of the most important steps of a groom, a necessity for keeping a longer coat.
PREP BASICS: TRIMMING PAW PADS, CLIPPING AND GRINDING NAILS
Clipping the paw pads as well and trimming and grinding the nails is important to the overall health of the dog.
PET TRIM: DOODLE
Grooming the Doodle or the curly coated mix doesn't have to be difficult. Learn an easy to maintain trim, that also happens to be adorable.
Don't have time for a video? Download these easy guides to reference at-home!
Maintaining your tools is important. Pick up some Cool Care 5-in-1 Spray to help disinfect and keep your blade running cool. Oil is also essential to keep your blade lubricated for smooth cutting as well as preventing rust.
Cool Care Can
Clipper Oil
Blade Care Plus Dip Jar
