# Is there such thing as having 4 dogs, and using one clipper?????



## 4PUPS4us (Feb 24, 2009)

Hello. This is my first post here.......in hopes someone out there can help me out. I have 4 beautiful dogs...who are in serious need of a clipping. It is too expensive for us to take all dogs to the groomers (been there, done that..too many times) I've been searching for dog clippers to satisfy all of my dogs needs.....and to somehow take it easy on the wallet. I have been doing a lot of research on clippers, and they all seem to say the same thing. I believe strokes per minute make a huge difference, but I'm not sure what is an adequate spm to start at. 

I have 2 goldendoodles with very thick, long hair. (75lbs) They seem to get matted most under the arms and behind the ears. I usually cut them out with scissors. I need something for between the pads too. But mostly, I need something that will effortlessly go through their coats without having the clippers stop on me, or bog down. These two LOVE to play outside for hours on end and get nice and dirty........

I also have a cockapoo, which she gets matted very easily. Thick coat, that is kind of coarse when longer and silky smooth once clipped. 

And, my yorkie is quite easy to groom. I actually use my hubby's clippers on her and use scissors for her face. She never gets matted and has fine hair. 

Any suggestions on what to get? I was looking at the Wahl Kennel Pro Kit, Wahl contour, Oster, Andis......I do not want to buy a pair and not have them do what I need them to do. Also, I'm not sure what blades to use where on a dog. I don't want to hurt my little/big pooches! 

Thank you so much.......sorry for the lengthy story.....

4pups


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

LOL, with your crew, I think I'd invest in grooming lessons. They're all very cute BTW. Unortunately I don't have a lot of advice, my mom never used anything but the standard WAHL clippers you buy for human use on her poodles. I don't think I'd do that now, they just aren't made as well as they used to be.


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

I prefer Andis' line of clippers; Go with a Super Two Speed, or Ultra Edge. 

As far as blades, that's up to you and how long you want to leave the dogs. The #7 is the shortest you would want to go on the body. The longest blade is a 3\4HT. 

There are also Snap on Comb attachments, which attach to clipper blades, #10, #15, or #30. These leave the coat in varying lengths, with the longest being approximately 2 inches. The dog has to be thoroughly combed out though, for these to work. 

Along with clippers and blades, you will need scissors, thinning shears, brushes, combs, detangler mist, shampoos, conditioners, some kind of table to groom on, a decent dryer.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

Great list of stuff Sophie..and remember, only clip those dogs after they have had a good scrubbing and blow dry...if you clip them dirty, your blades and shears will dull up very fast, not to mention the cut will not be as even and nice as on a freshly washed and dried pet..because you have 3 curly coated dogs, brushing while blowdrying is a must, to straighten the coat..otherwise, your cut will be uneven and choppy. I can see how you cannot afford to have them all professionally done..at my salon, those four would be $260.00!! You can purchase at least half the tools you will need with that much money. Time and patience, and trial and error and you will have your pups looking great all the time.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

I have the Andis UltraEdge 2 Speed, and like it very much. It runs about $124, and will easily handle your doodles. I have 4 dogs - 3 Standard Poodles, and a Shih Tzu. I use the Andis for bodies on the Poodles, using a #4F blade, using the shears on their legs, as I like full legs. I've just ordered the #30F blade, for use under the Wahl SS clip ons, and am excited to try them. The plastic ones are crap, so I've always just scissored when I want length. 

For shaving between pads and feet (face, and base of tail), I use the cordless Wahl Arco SE clipper, that has one blade with a lever to set for a #9, #10, #30, & #40 (hmmm, maybe a #15, too! can't recall, as I only use it on #40). Anyway, I LOVE the Arco SE, as it's very lightweight, quiet, never gets hot, and so easy to use, especially for a novice (I learned how on this clipper)! They range in price from $118 to $124, depending on where you buy them. There's a pink limited edition at PetEdge for $124 right now. (I just bought two pink, one for each of my girls!) 

With your big dogs' thick coats, you'll need a HV dryer (high velocity). I have a K9 II, paid $349, but, it's worth it's weight in gold for the time you'll save, and how much better your dogs will look. It blows out tangles, too (pretty great for dust bunnies, too). Have your groomer show you how to use it, because technique is everything. I even use it to fluff dry, using one speed, and the wide hose, though some day I will get myself a stand dryer. 

For those mats under the arms and behind ears, get some EQyss Survivor - a little dab once a week, along with using a pin brush and then a steel comb, will keep them mat free. It's great, too, for dematting, using your fingers, and the steel comb. When my Poodles get loaded with those little green burrs, I rub some Survivor on, and they slide right out with the comb. I buy it at KvVet Supply, because it's $6 cheaper per bottle there, than on the EQyss website.


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## 4lilmunchkins (Feb 14, 2009)

I only have yorkies, so I can't help you with the rest of the dogs but, I do all of their grooming myself . I keep my dogs in full coat so all I really need clippers for is for tipping their ears, trimming their pads, and sanitary areas. For that I use a Wahl Arco. I do use scissors to trim up their beards and their coats. Besides clippers you will want to invest in a good grooming shampoo and conditioner. There are a few good ones out there, I've tried a lot of them and my favorites are MinkSheen, Chris Christenson and Coat Handlers.
Good luck to you!!


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## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

I just got my Andis AGC 2 speed clippers and clipped Zoey with them last week (and then did my husbands hair with them later LOL) and they are WONDERFUL! They don't slow down for anything, and they are very quiet.. so it didn't scare the heck outta Zoey like our old conair clippers do. I would recommend them 110%. They weren't too-too pricey either.. I got them for $99 on Ebay. After ordering those, clipper combs, and blades of different sizes, it came to about $150 total. It will pay for itself in less than 3 clips :-D

EDIT: Zoey is a Lhasa Apso btw.


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