Learning to trim & groom properly myself !

[NoProblem123]

I have 2 fluffy puppies who will need regular hair cuts and grooming sessions.

I always sent my last dog to professional groomers, but 2 is going to be expensive. I’m happy to pay as it’s essential care, but is it actually possible to learn how to do it myself off YouTube videos ?

I have already priced up the equipment they use, but am I underestimating the knowledge involved ?

There are loads of courses advertised online, but I have no idea how you go about finding out which ones are good ones.

They seem quite expensive (clearly aimed at professionals, not home groomers, who need only a subset of the skills they teach)

I've done some trimming (with dog grooming scissors) of my pup around the face and under chin, chest and front paws which I watched a video for as I was nervous going around her eyes but it was fine with distraction. However, she was not happy to let me do back paws, tail and anywhere near bottom so for now I think I'll let the professional do it. Perhaps when she's been groomed a few more times and is used to it I'll consider it.

I definitely think you can learn to do it via videos, the main thing is getting the puppies used to being handled so they'll happily let you do all the fiddly areas and having confidence in yourself. You will definitely save money after the initial outlay of table, decent clippers and scissors and if you practice you'll soon be good at it.

A decent grooming course will set you back a good chunk of money.

Personally it's not something I would teach myself via YouTube as there are a lot of intricacies involved - it's not just technique, you need to learn about things like body language too, or you could end up with a nasty bite.

I would also not want to get injured, so you'd need to make sure the dog can be safely secured somewhere, that you don't need to lift the dog (as many dislike this) and that you don't hurt yourself trying to grab the dog if it panics or gets distracted.

There is a reason dog groomers are so popular - doing a trim yourself at home is nowhere near comparable to letting a professional do it for you!

When I acquired my spaniel, over several sessions my friendly neighbourhood groomer showed me what to do with him. Usual hourly rate but she taught me. Buy decent scissors (mine were roughly £15 a pair) and Wahl clippers if you feel you need them. I have recovered what I spent dozens of times over and I can take as long as I like and break up the sessions.

A show judge taught me how to groom 2 standard Schnauzers and I now groom our giant. We drove 90 mins over a few months. The lady took no prisoners so I was told if it wasn't up to scratch. My grooming is now up to show standard but its more than satisfactory.
The cost was what inspired me. What kind of dog?

@Spanielsarepainless

When I acquired my spaniel, over several sessions my friendly neighbourhood groomer showed me what to do with him. Usual hourly rate but she taught me. Buy decent scissors (mine were roughly £15 a pair) and Wahl clippers if you feel you need them. I have recovered what I spent dozens of times over and I can take as long as I like and break up the sessions.

Me too. Another spaniel. I was 'forced' to learn during the worst of the pandemic but am so glad I did.

Grooming your own dog is a brilliant opportunity to work with them on handling and check them over for issues. More so because, as their owner, you learn every single aspect of their bodies and so can spot a 'difference' more easily.

Even if your dog goes to a professional groomer, there is still massive benefits to doing ome home grooming yourself, if you can.

I don't groom on a table - I do it sat on the floor with him and also find it easier that I can break the sessions up a bit. e.g. I tend to do head and face and neck in one session, legs and paws in another and then the main body in yet another. That way, we're doing less but more often.

@AbbieLexie shihtzus ! And it’s just those that I want to learn for. I’d feel cheeky asking a groomer to teach me even though I’d pay !

It’s partly the cost involved, but booking them into groomers has been a bit of of pain - they’re either not taking in new clients or an 8 week wait.

Also - I never seemed to get the same cut twice with my other dog, sometimes it looked like they’d really spent time on her but others like she’d just been sheared like a sheep !

When you say ‘fluffy puppies’ what breed do you mean? What is their coat type?

To me it would depend entirely on the breed and temperament of the dog and the amount you’re willing to train.

Something like a spaniel will be DIYable to the right people who put in the time and effort, something wool/double coated like a poodle cross and you’re risking close matting to the skin which can cause your dog discomfort and pain. If it’s the latter I’d only DIY it if I had had some training.

Can anyone link to some decent clippers - the wahl ones mentioned above vary from £30-150

I groom my own dog once a month. It's just a haircut. I think it has helped build up a lot of trust between us.

I groom our dogs monthly and used to do our old dog too. You need professional quality equipment, and a decent grooming table really helps. Be prepared for it to take a long time at first. I used to take a good half a day when I started to groom our last dog, and gave him regular breaks throughout. Now I can do our large dogs in about an hour and a half each, sometimes less.
Do them regularly too, don't let them get too long as it's harder than.