Dog Hair Cuts

Unfortunately, going to the doggie salon for hair cuts can become rather expensive, especially if you have a pooch that needs monthly grooming and maintenance. If your dog will allow it and you feel comfortable, there is no reason you can’t at least do a basic trimming, if not all your dog hair cuts right at home.

Remember that dogs with long hair need to be trimmed on a regular basis for more than aesthetic reasons. Dog hair can easily become matted or tangled and this will mean having to cut it all off eventually. Food, dirt and other debris from outdoors can easily become stuck into the matted hair and this begins to cause hygiene problems for your dog.

Long hair that goes without grooming can also become a hazard, as they will begin to trip over it or it may fall in front of their eyes and keep them from seeing well. One of the major reasons for cutting your dog’s hair if it is long is to keep away potential parasites like fleas, ticks and even lice that can easily hide in a dog’s long coat.

How Often: This will truly depend on the length of your dog’s coat, the texture of the coat, and the style you are going for on your dog. If your dog has long hair, like a Maltese or an Afghan Hound, you will need to keep up with grooming at least once a month to every two months, unless the dog’s hair is clipped. For dogs with a curly or wire-haired coat, they can go without a cut for almost an entire season, although some dogs will vary drastically in the rate of coat growth.

Supplies you Need: Before getting started, make sure you have an unclogged, well-oiled set of dog hair clippers or trimmers, a pair of scissors for cutting hair, a hair brush and comb, a blow dryer, towels to lay on the ground, a broom and dust pan and a bag to remove the excess hair.

Steps to Giving Dog Haircuts...

Trimming a Long Coat:

1. Before you begin cutting or trimming, spend time brushing or combing the hair, depending on the texture to remove any matting or tangles. This will make the process go a lot more smoothly.
2. If you plan on keeping the dog’s hair all one length, simply decide on a length for the entire coat that needs to be cut. Usually 1-2 inches is appropriate. Use only haircutting scissors and trim around the hairline along the floor first.
3. Next, move onto the hair around the neck, legs, and muzzle. This may require cutting at an angle, especially around the face, so that the dog can see easily out of his eyes and can open the mouth without getting a mouthful of hair.
4. Before you finish up, check to ensure that the hair cut is even all over.
5. After you are finished trimming, be sure to give the dog a shampoo bath in order to remove excess hair. Blow dry the hair afterwards to check the style.
6. You will then want to brush out the coat to make sure all excess hair is removed.

Clipping a Long or Curly Coat:

1. Get started by clipping the undercarriage with a 9-10 clipper. This includes under the armpits, the belly, the crotch and the butt up to the tail.
2. Move on to a 7-8 clipper and shave the legs and paws.
3. If you have a dog where the ears, face, or top of the back needs to be shaved or clipped, go back to a 9-10 clipper and use the comb to carefully navigate around the eyes and muzzle.
4. After all dog hair cuts are finished, it is best to shampoo the dog to remove any excess hair. From here, go ahead and blow dry the dog if the weather is cold.
5. Brush the coat after giving dog hair cuts so that you can make sure the clipping has been done evenly.

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