# Hair catching in clippers



## ophelia4789 (Nov 11, 2009)

I have started the learning process grooming my red standard. I am using Wahl Arco SE cordless clippers. When I use the guide combs my pups hair gets caught in the sides. I attempted to take off the guides and go free hand but that doesn't seem to be the best idea for a beginner. Everytime she moves, she gets a hole in her coat!

Any ideas?

Thanks,
amy


----------



## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

You are having problems for a couple reasons. First, an Arco is a great trimmer...NOT a clipper for all over clipping. Its is best suited for shaving feet, face, tail, sanitary, etc. It does not have the power to get thru a dense poodle coat..Another reason you are having issues could by your prep work. Clipping a curly coated dog requires alot of prep work before you even start clipping. You need to bathe and completely blow dry the dog while brushing the coat straight. You will not get an even trim on hair that is still curly and clumped up, and your attachments are going to get caught in the curls and tangles. 

If you want to keep her longer using attachments, clean, fluff dried (blow drying while brushing to straighten the coat) is necessary. Attachments have to feed the hair to the blade, and if there are tangles and curls, the hair will get caught before it makes it to the blades. Hair must be straight and completely tangle free...a greyhound comb must go thru the coat freely before an attachment will. 

If you dont' want your dog super long, you can use blades, rather than attachment combs...Blades are more forgiving, and you can get thru some minor tangles with a blade that an attach. will not go thru. However, you will need another clipper..

I would recommend an Andis AG Super 2 Speed, and a 3F or 4F blade to use on the body. Its going to be much easier for you to do at home, and the Arco will be of great use when shaving feet, face and tail.  

Undertaking grooming on a standard is no easy task, and its certainly not going to be cheap getting the right equipment for the task. A high velocity dryer will help you immensly in getting him dried..brushes, combs, shears, blades, etc. The nicer or fluffier you want him to look, the more work and learning you are going to have to do, so congrats on being willing to take that on!


----------

