where to start?

I am trying to work up the nerve to use the grooming clippers I have bought on Ben, my Cocker Spaniel. Right now he has a "spaniel cut" which is looking a bit straggly.
The last time I took him to the groomers, she congratulated me on keeping him longer coated than most of her spaniel clients who get their dogs clipped twice a year, I was quite pleased and surprised by this, as I thought he was quite knotted and wondered what she thought about the missing patches when I had to cut out some matts!.
I would like to tidy him up between professional visits, but not sure where to start.
Do I bathe him before I cut, or just brush him first? Even if I could get the feathering on his leg thinned down a bit would be a good start.
Thanks

You should always use clippers on a very clean and very dry coat.

Brush him out first ensuring he has no matts and tangles. Then bathe him with whatever shampoo you like, make sure you rinse every last bit of shampoo out the coat. If you don't do this, it can lead to hot spots and other skin irritations.

What type of dryer do you have? Just a normal human hair dryer?

Whatever dryer you use, try and dry the coat as straight as you can and be sure it is completely dry and combed out before clipping.

A slicker brush and a metal comb would be best to comb him out.

For his furnishings I suggest you invest in a good pair of thinnning scissors. Using thinners for these parts makes it look more natural.

When using the clippers, keep the blade flat, if you know what I mean, and don't take it over him to fast. Keep on combing and combing while you're clipping to ensure you don't miss bits, and also comb in the opposite direction of the coat growth, and then clip again. You can also use the shortest length of blade to shave his pads.

Ensure you have removed all matts, knots and tangles before you start clipping, other wise it'll stick in the coat and it will end up clipper marked.

Always clip the body (I assume he has a skirt) in the direction of the coat growth and as you are coming towards the skirt, flick out with the clippers. You can also use thinners to blend the skirt into the body if you feel it needs it.

On his front chest area, below his neck, don't clip straight down the 'rosettes' (you should see what I mean). The hair in this area grows in all different directions so if you clip straight down the way it will stick out the way! So you really should clip 'around' the rosetters.

Do you intend to use a blade on it's own, if so, what size? Or do you intend to use a comb attachment (which will obviously keep the hair longer).

What type of clipper do you have?

On some clippers, the blades can become hot, keep checking your blade and if it gets too hot, stop. You could wait for it it to cool down or place the blace on a metal surface (It will absorb the heat).

Remember to shave his groin area for hygiene purposes.

If you intend to clip his head and face, be extra careful. Hold the lips tight back with your finger with your finger before clipping. However, I understand that this part can be a bit scary for first timers, so you may prefer to just leave that to the professional groomer!

Other users will probably have better advice to offer, especially those who have Cocker Spaniels!

Good luck and keep us posted as to how you get on!

I know just how your feeling Pam! I to have the same problem, just bought the clippers but am unsure how to use them

I've just booked a flight back home as my sister is a dog groomer, so she's going to book as many Lhasa Apso's in as she can for the week I'm there and I will hopefully learn something

Till then the clippers are staying in the box Sorry I cant help. You could always ask your groomer that you use to let you sit in and watch whilst she grooms him - just a thought

I can only reiterate what Westie has said. Always clip a clean dry coat for the best results. It really is down to confidence more than anything else!
Becky

Yes, it is. The more anxious you get about it, the more likely you are to make a mistake.

the only thing I can add is with the skirt I do more of a 'fall off' method than a 'flick' as it leaves a more natural finish, flicking can leave a mark and not be as blended as it could be with cockers. Just glide your clippers in the growth direction toward the skirt then as you get to the part of the ribs that are the widest take your clippers and 'fall off' the body towards the floor(keep your clippers level don't dig in) don't follow the shape of the body like you would on the dogs back and you should get a smooth sleek finish and a nice blended skirt, if you get any clipper marks anywhere don't despair, a couple of snips with thinners will erase them.

First, thanks for advice, I took the plunge and clipped Ben today .
I kept this session short as it was the first time, but it went well. The pet clippers I have are not professional, but they have different blades so I started with a large blade just to see how it went.
It really made a difference to his ears as they were rather heavy I made a couple of clipper marks near his tail but as you say they will grow in!
Westie N, thanks for advice on thinning scissors, I don't have any, but I will be buying a pair, I think if I use the thinning scissors and brush well between professional groomings that might be enough to keep him looking well and comfortable.
It was amazing the amount of hair that came off his ears alone!

Thanks for posting this as I was just wondering what to do about Rufus who is looking a wee bit shaggy.

Excellent. Glad your first time at clipping him wasn't too bad!

Regarding thinning scissors, don't spend a fortune on them. I paid around £30 (you can get ones cheaper that are just as good when you only have to use them on one dog, and of course you can get them well into hundreds of pounds!). Get a pair with very narrow spaces between the teeth (the bigger the space between the teeth, the more hair you take off - big chunks of it!).

These are the thinning scissors I use:

http://www.christiesdirect.com/prodi...?number=860065

I really like them and I use these on my Westie.

Yes, good brushing, combing and use of thinning scissors in between professional grooms will keep him tidy as most Cocker Spaniels do have very heavy coats!

Good luck with your future grooming.

If you have any more questions, remember we are all here to help you.