# It had to happen sometime..



## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

Well. I totally and completely screwed up Zoey's hair cut tonight. It's awful. I was trying out one of my new blades and I was happily cutting along 'with the grain', and it looked pretty good. Then I decided it wasn't quite smooth enough, there were some spots longer than others but the clipper wouldn't cut them because the hair was laying down. 

Now... when this happened before, when I was using clipper combs attached to the blade, I could go against the grain and it wouldn't cut it any differently. Doing this with just the blade? Bad idea. It immediately took a huge chunk out of her fur, and just as I did it, I remembered someone on here telling me that cutting against the grain would cut it twice as short. So she had this huge chunk missing out of her back. I decided, maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I just cut it all that length so at least it's uniform.. so now all her hair is super short.. 1/4 " or less.  and she's got all these odd swirls on her butt and chest where the hair meets up with other hairs going a different direction. It sure looks funny. I'm not even sure I'm going to take a picture. It's really embarrassing to have screwed it up so bad. :-/ At least it's smooth... 

I just have to keep telling myself "It will grow back!".. In a month.. she'll be fuzzy again. My husband just laughed when he got home and kept saying "WHAT happened again!?"


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

I am glad you mentioned about cutting against the hair. I did not want to clip Remmy right down but his coat was getting so long. I clipped him with a number five blade and it did not come out that smooth. I had heard about cutting against the hair but did not know they meant with a comb on.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

Luckily I had not gotten around to it before I read this.

I will wait till the warmer weather when I usually take everyone down short for the summer. Thanks.


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## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

Glad I could help 

My husband convinced me to take some pictures to remember it by.. so I might as well post them.. :-/


She actually looks pretty good in this picture.. though with a huge head and bald.. it's smooth









But in this one you can see the twirly things on her chest.. shes got them on her butt and legs too. :-/ It's where hairs going different directions meet,


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

Yowza..that is short. LOL Hey, chalk it up to a learned experience, and its just hair, like you said it will grow back in no time. You got it right..reversing a blade will cut 2 steps shorter (a 4F reverse will become a 7F with the grain)but an attachment will cut mostly the same length, depending on the coat. With a drop coat (your pup) any time you reverse a blade or attachment, its going to go shorter. On curly poodle type coats, an attachment will pretty much be the same length forward and backward. 

Your dog is so cute no matter how long or short. She's still cute as a button.


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

Lol, I love the photos. Zoey looks completely UNFAZED, though! I think she might like the look  On the upside, her fur looks really, really smooth and silky!


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## BeegalBabe (Feb 11, 2010)

Ha, not so bad in the scheme of things. Could be MUCH worse!


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## kazuldra (Jan 4, 2010)

I read the title of your post and grimaced. I was afraid for your babies that there may have been an injury incident. I was relieved that there wasn't!

But, Zoey still looks REALLY cute! Her coat is so shiny and smooth in the pics.

And everyone messes up sometimes. I was working on a smooth-coated chihuahua one time (the owners insisted on shaving for some crazy reason, I think it was skin issues). I used a #10 on the body, and then switched to a #40 on the pads. right after working on the feet, probably while clipping toenails, I noticed a high spot on the dog's side, a tiny little bit I'd missed earlier. Well, I picked up the clippers and zooped it right off....with the #40 still on the clippers 

_For those people reading this who don't groom, a #40 blade is also used in Vet's offices for surgery prep._ There was a triangle with all sides at least 1 inch long of _*bare *_chihuahua skin on the poor dog's side. It was glaringly obvious to me, it shined like a beacon and made me cuss. I told my manager and she said to TRY and blend it with thinners (lol, as if) and then grind the pup's nails for no extra charge, which I did. I then got the dubious honor of calling the customer and letting them know, "Hey, this is Jodi down at ___. Yeah, your baby is ready...but I have to tell you I made a little mistake....NO no...he's fine. He wasn't hurt, there's just a patch of fur that's shorter on his side. I'm very sorry, and you received a free nail grinding today." On the bright side, the owner's were very cool and said that they could hardly notice it.

_Sorry about the length, but I hope the story was encouraging _


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## flyingduster (Dec 10, 2009)

hahahaha!! Ohh, she's still cute!

Now, for future reference when hair isn't cutting smoothly, get your comb out and comb all the hair up/backwards. Heck, just use your hand if need be! Rub their hair up backwards, and clip it down again (WITH the grain), rub/comb it up, and clip it down. You'll get all the scragglies that way without cutting too short


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## GroovyGroomer777 (Aug 21, 2008)

Omg Bink! I just found this thread!! You "skinned" her!! lol! 
I still think you rock and are a great DIY groomer!


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## !dogbreeds (Feb 5, 2010)

hi
maggi seems to be having daily and i don't think othr dog bath daily.does he?


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## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

LOL Groovy, I really did. I have someone coming over on Friday with their dog for me to groom, I'm thinking I'll just hide Zoey while they are here so as not to worry them.  




!dogbreeds said:


> hi
> maggi seems to be having daily and i don't think othr dog bath daily.does he?


What??

Are you asking about their baths? They aren't bathed daily no. Once a week.


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## BooLette (Jul 11, 2009)

Teehee! I think she looks adorable! I love how in the one picture Maggie is standing in the background like, 'What happened to Zoey? Do I look like that?'


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## echo8287 (Jul 5, 2007)

Don't feel alone. I've been cutting my dogs and my daughter's dogs for years. The other day I did a great job on my 2 Schnauzers and her male Schnauzer. Then I started on her Yorkie, got a little carried away and messed her head up. My daughter wasn't too upset, but I did kinda screw up on that one. It will grow out in a month or so and be back to normal. So it can happen to anyone, David


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