In This Chapter
- Discovering the clipped breeds
- Brushing the varied coats of the clipped breeds
- Handling the coat clippers
- Readying your clipper breed for a show
Clipping a dog is a bit of an art
form that requires a considerable amount of trial and error — not so much, it
is hoped, however, on the error side.
If you have a clipped breed, you
already know you have plenty of work ahead of you. Clipping takes time to
practice and get good at — no book can teach you what experience and practice
will.
Many of the stripped-breed dogs
that I discuss in Chapter Tidying
the Tresses of the Long-Haired Breeds arguably can also be considered among the clipped
breeds within this chapter. However, for convenience, I distribute them between
truly traditional clipped versus stripped lines within the two chapters and
leave the decision up to you about which method of grooming you want to use for
your particular dog.
That means here in Chapter Beautifying
the Stripped Breeds,
you’re going to find out everything you need to groom your traditionally
clipped breed to look his very best.
Taking a Little off the Top: Introducing the Clipped Breeds
Somewhere along the evolutionary
ladder between wolves and dogs, humans discovered that certain types of coats
lurked in canine (canis lupus familiaris) genetics. Although I’m sure a
bald wolf, one in need of a haircut, or one whose coat became naturally tangled
didn’t last long in the wild, after humans started tinkering with these unusual
canine breed characteristics, those kinds of dogs became popular. People not
only liked the look and feel of the various coats, but in some circumstances,
they actually sought out the right coat for the job. Here, however, I address
the ones that need haircuts.
Clipped-breed dogs (see Figure
11-1) typically and primarily are characterized as being single-coated (or
without an undercoat), although some sport double coats. Their coats also may
be curly or straight, and they traditionally are clipped according to their
standards. Dogs who fit this category include
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Remember
As I indicated in the introduction to this chapter, you can include the stripped-breed dogs from Chapter Tidying the Tresses of the Long-Haired Breeds in this list — in a less traditional sense.
Figure 11-1: Clipped breed
dogs include Field Spaniels (a) and Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers (b).
Brushing Basics
The way you brush a clipped-breed
dog often depends on the specific coat of each individual dog. If your dog has
a curlier coat, you may find yourself reaching more for a pin brush rather than
a slicker. Even so, you can find different ways to brush these kinds of dogs,
depending on the specific coats.
Terrier-type coats
Terrier-type coats usually are
wire-haired, but oddly enough, the five Terriers that I mention in this chapter
don’t have the traditional Terrier coat. (Go figure!) However, some of the dogs
listed in the chapter on stripped breeds (Chapter Tidying
the Tresses of the Long-Haired Breeds) have wire-haired coats
that can be clipped, and that’s why I talk about them here.
Nevertheless, a proper way to
brush out a wire-haired (Terrier) coat does exist. Harsh, wire-haired coats
tend to resist tangles a bit more than other
1. Brush the entire dog with a
slicker brush.
You can skip a second pass with a comb because these dogs usually don’t mat the way other breeds do because of the wire hair.
2. Backbrush, or brush against
the lay of your dog’s fur, with a slicker brush if your dog’s coat type
permits, and then brush it back into place.
Short-coated terriers such as Parson Russell Terriers may be harder to backbrush.
3. Remove any loose hairs your
dog has using a shedding blade or undercoat rake.
4. Using a medium- or
fine-toothed comb, finish brushing and combing out your dog’s coat.
5. Check for fleas by running
a flea comb through your entire dog’s coat.
Be sure to comb from the roots of the hair to the tips.
Spaniel-type coats
When I refer to spaniel-type
coats, I’m talking about the coats that you see on Cocker Spaniels, English
Setters, Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers, and Field Spaniels. The spaniel-type
coat is like the long-haired dogs (see Chapter Poodles:
A Breed Apart) and needs to be treated as
such. They need daily brushing to keep them clean and free of mats. Follow
these instructions for brushing:
1. Check for and remove any
tangles or mats with detangler solution and a medium-toothed comb.
If this method doesn’t work, try using a mat splitter or mat rake (see Chapter Caring for Your Canine’s Teeth, Toes, Ears, Face, and Ahem, Other Areas for specific mat removing instructions).
2. Backbrush, or brush against
the lay of your dog’s hair, first using a slicker brush and then again with a
medium-toothed comb.
3. Then brush again with the
lay of the hair using a slicker brush.
4. Check for fleas by going
over your dog’s entire coat with a flea comb.
Poodle-type coats
What about the curly coats, that
is, the Poodle-like coats? These dogs include the Portuguese Water Dog, the
Kerry Blue Terrier, and the Bichon Frise, and they need special brushing.
Poodle-type coats have a propensity for getting tangled and matted, so you must
brush and comb them every day. Here’s how:
1. Check for tangles or mats
and remove them using detangler solution and a medium-toothed comb.
If this method doesn’t remove the mat, consider using a mat splitter or mat rake (see Chapter Caring for Your Canine’s Teeth, Toes, Ears, Face, and Ahem, Other Areas).
2. Gently brush through the
curly coat with a pin brush, and follow up with a slicker brush.
These two passes will help remove any loose hair and keep tangles from forming.
3. Comb through the curls
using a medium-tooth comb.
4. Check for fleas and make
sure you get out any tangles by running a flea comb through your dog’s entire
coat.
Bathing
Clipped-breed dogs need baths
about once every two weeks — more often when they get dirty. Because their hair
acts like a dirt magnet, these dogs can end up looking dingy within only a
short amount of time. In most cases, these dogs have hair that is similar to
and behaves much like human hair. So, you need to give your dog a bath at least
once every two weeks to be sure that he’s clean and sweet smelling.
The prebath clip
Many groomers like to do a
prebath clip after the prebath brushing for clipped breeds. By doing so, you
can get rid of the frizzy hair and split ends here, and you’ll have less hair
to wash when you’re done.
Most of the prebath clip is just
for neatening or tidying up the coat — not for a full clipping unless the hair
is really frizzy and is going to tangle badly during subsequent grooming
without it.
Remember
If you do a prebath clip, make sure your dog is thoroughly brushed out beforehand. Clip only what needs to be clipped until after the bath when your dog is clean. If your dog is really dirty, you need to skip the prebath clip entirely and take your lumps after the bath, doing a full clipping then.
Knowing when a dog needs to be
clipped is mostly a judgment call on your part. If your dog starts looking like
an amorphous, hairy blob, well, that’s a pretty good indication it’s time for
some trimming. However, most people like to clip their dogs about once a month
to keep them looking good and maybe even once a week, as needed.
When doing a prebath clip, use
the type of clipper blade that matches the type of clip your dog previously was
given. Remember, the prebath clipping is just a trim, and the real work occurs
after the bath. A prebath clip concentrates on trimming out-of-place hairs and
the frizzy stuff.
Bathing basics
Bathing a clipped dog is very
similar to bathing other dogs (see Chapter Caring
for Your Canine’s Teeth, Toes, Ears, Face, and Ahem, Other Areas). Just be sure to do the
following:
1. Wet down your dog
thoroughly with tepid water in a tub that’s an appropriate size for your breed
of dog.
Make sure that your dog’s coat gets wet all the way down to the skin. This requires you to totally soak down your dog either with a handheld shower head or tub faucet attachment or by pouring water over your dog. Feel the skin to find out whether your dog is completely wet.
2. Using a pH-balanced dog
shampoo, thoroughly lather up your dog’s entire coat except around the face and
eyes — which you must do separately with a wet cloth.
Keep the shampoo out of your dog’s eyes — ouch. Many shampoos are tearless, but you shouldn’t count on them not stinging your dog’s eyes.
3. Thoroughly rinse your dog’s
coat.
4. Apply an excellent dog coat
conditioner that prevents tangles and keeps the coat from drying out.
5. Repeat Step 3, squeezing
out the excess water and rinsing again.
Remember
When rinsing your dog’s coat, be sure to remove all soap and conditioner residues. Even no-residue conditioners leave residues when not rinsed properly.
6. Dry your dog’s coat
thoroughly before clipping.
You can use a doggie hair dryer or one intended for human use that has a “no-heat” setting if your dog is small enough. Otherwise use a no-heat force hair dryer for dogs.
Clipping
You can clip your clipped-breed
dog in a variety of ways, depending, of course, on which kind of dog you have.
You can check out other same-breed dogs and ask their owners how they groom
them so you have a good idea of how you’d like your dog to look and how you can
get the job done.
Even so, you can work with some
basic, everyday cuts, including Terrier cuts (for Terrier-type coats), Spaniel
cuts (for sporting dogs), and Poodle-type cuts (for those curly-coated dogs).
Please take note that the cuts
described in the following sections aren’t intended to be show quality. If you
want to do show-quality cuts, your best bet is to study the breed standard and
have a show person demonstrate the correct cut for your dog.
Remember
Some general guidelines apply pretty much across the board when clipping your dog’s coat in virtually all of the cuts described in this section. Here are two important ones:
- A shorter coat is easier to maintain than a longer coat.
- Snapping a guide comb onto your clippers (see Chapter Spiffing Up Short- and Medium-Coated Breeds) can help you guide the clippers over your dog’s coat so that you cut it at a uniform length.
Warning!
Never dig your clippers into your dog’s skin. Even though they are guarded, a serious dig can cut and will hurt your dog. Clipper blades should run flat on the dog to avoid digging into the skin. You also need to make sure that the length of the blade is set accurately.
Terrier-type coats
Finding the no-clip zone
You may be wondering what kind of dogs you can
own that don’t have to be clipped. Well,
guess what? Plenty of them are out there. Here are
ten no-clip dogs:
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Single-length clip
The single-length clip (see
Figure 11-2) is probably the easiest to do, and it’s one you can use on just
about any dog, because you clip most of your dog’s coat at only one length. You
may, however, need to trim the coat closer around specific areas — the abdomen,
anus, ears, face, genitals, and so on. A single-length clip is just as the name
sounds, you use a single blade or snap-on a guide comb and run it all over the
dog’s body so most of the hair is one length. Use these steps to give your dog
a single-length clip:
1. Select a clipper blade that
works well with the type of coat your dog or breed of dog has.
A No. 10 usually is ideal for close trimming around the genitals and abdomen, and a No. 7 or wider (smaller number) is best for body cuts.
2. Trim the face with a No. 10
blade, starting from behind the eyebrows to the occiput (or the highest point
on the dog’s skull; see Chapter Inside
and Out: What Affects a Dog’s Coat and Grooming).
You can trim along the cheek but leave the moustache and beard.
3. Trim the hair around the
ears closely with a No. 10 blade, so that the ears look like triangles.
Remember
Trim the fur with the lay of the hair. Working against the grain can be very dangerous because you can cut the skin.
4. Switching to a body clipper
blade (the one you chose earlier in Step 1 for your specific dog), trim the
coat evenly down the legs and across the back, chest, and loin.
Even up any discrepancies in length by carefully using either the clippers or scissors.
Figure 11-2: The single-length
cut.
5. Switch back to the No. 10
blade and trim the abdomen, around the genitals and anus, and the feet for a
neater look.
Be careful not to touch any sensitive areas with the clippers.
Large-Terrier clip
The large-Terrier clip (see
Figure 11-3) is seen on many larger Terriers such as Airedale and Welsh
Terriers, and it looks pretty impressive even if it isn’t standard. The Terrier
coats are stripped to meet the breed standard for showing.
1. Select a clipper blade that
will work well with your dog.
Use a No. 10, No. 81⁄2, or No. 7 blade.
2. Using a No. 10 blade, trim
your dog’s face from behind the eyebrows to the occiput (or the highest point
on the dog’s skull; see Chapter Inside
and Out: What Affects a Dog’s Coat and Grooming).
You can trim along the cheek but leave the moustache and beard.
3. Trim the hair around the
ears closely with a No. 10 blade, so that the ears look like triangles.
4. Trim the coat evenly down
the neck, back, chest, and loin.
Most groomers recommend a 1⁄4-inch cut.
Figure 11-3: The large-Terrier
clip.
5. Trim the tail and leave the
legs untrimmed at this time.
Blend in the transition from the body to the legs so that it doesn’t look like you just stopped with the clippers. Even up any discrepancies in length either with the clippers or carefully with scissors.
6. Trim the abdomen and around
the genitals and anus.
Be careful not to touch any sensitive areas with the clippers.
7. Trim the legs so that they
look more or less like columns.
If the legs look unkempt as you’re trimming them, switch to a larger body-type blade, such as a No. 3 or No. 4, and trim the legs evenly so they look like columns.
Small-Terrier clip
Here’s a small Terrier clip you
might enjoy seeing on your dog (see Figure 11-4):
1. Select a clipper blade that
works well with your dog.
Use a No. 5, No. 7, or No. 81⁄2. You’ll also need a No. 10 clipper blade, if your dog has a standard Terrier head.
Figure 11-4: The
small-Terrier clip.
2. If your breed has a standard Terrier look, meaning it
has the look of a basic Terrier, start by trimming the face with a No. 10 blade
starting from behind the eyebrows to the occiput (or the highest point on the dog’s
skull; see Chapter Inside
and Out: What Affects a Dog’s Coat and Grooming).
You can trim along the cheek but leave the moustache and beard.
If your dog has a natural-looking face (one that is not usually trimmed up) skip the more intense trimming and only use a No. 3 or a No.4 blade to trim away unruly facial hair.
3. Trim the hair around the ears closely with a No. 10
blade, so that the ears look like triangles.
4. Trim the coat evenly down the neck, back, chest, and
loin.
Most groomers recommend using a 1⁄4-inch cut.
5. Trim the tail, and leave the legs untrimmed at this
time.
Blend in the transition so it doesn’t look like you just stopped with the clippers. Even up any discrepancies in length carefully with either the clippers or scissors.
Falling over yourself?
Some breeds don’t have moustaches and eyebrows, but
instead they have falls. A fall is
simply long hair similar to bangs that covers the
dog’s eyes. Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers, Black Russian Terriers, Kerry Blue
Terriers, Lakeland Terriers, and Sealyham Terriers all have falls that extend
from the occiput, eyebrows, or somewhere in between down over the eyes.
To be technically correct, if you have one of these
breeds, your dog needs to have a fall, but if your dog is a pet and isn’t
being prepped for the show ring, you can skip the fall so you can see your
dog’s gorgeously expressive eyes.
To keep a fall, trim the hair from the occiput
(or the highest point on the dog’s skull; see Chapter Inside
and Out: What Affects a Dog’s Coat and Grooming) to the eyebrows in
the shape of a V, so it falls over the eyes. Keep the fall trimmed so it
looks nice.
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6. Trim around the genitals
and anus.
Be careful not to touch any sensitive areas with the clippers.
7. Trim the legs so that they
look more or less like columns.
If the legs look unkempt as you’re trimming them, switch to a larger body-type blade, such as a No. 3 or No. 4, and trim the legs evenly to look like columns.
Spaniel-type coats
Spaniels are part of the Sporting
Group and many dogs, such as Irish Setters and Gordon Setters, have
Spaniel-type coats. Here’s the general way for you to clip your Spaniel-type
dog (see Figure 11-5):
1. Select a clipper blade that
will work well with your dog.
Use a No. 5 or No. 7 blade.
You’ll also need a No. 10 clipper blade for a close-in trim to the head and ears.
2. Trim the face with a No. 10
clipper blade.
You’ll trim the cheek, jaw, and up to the occiput (or the highest point on the dog’s skull; see Chapter Inside and Out: What Affects a Dog’s Coat and Grooming). Trim the top third of the ears.
3. Trim the throat down to the
breastbone.
4. Trim the coat evenly down
the neck, back, chest, and loin.
Blend in the transition so it doesn’t look like you just stopped with the clippers, but leave the legs untrimmed.
Figure 11-5: The Spaniel-type clip.
Even up any discrepancies in length either with the clippers or carefully with scissors.
5. Trim around the genitals and anus.
Be careful not to touch any sensitive areas with the clippers.
6. Although the legs need to look more or less natural,
if they appear unkempt, switch to a larger body-type blade, such as a No. 3 or
No. 4, and trim them evenly.
The Spaniel cut looks different than the Terrier cut because you keep the Spaniel leg hair long and straight.
Poodle-type coats
Dogs with Poodle-type coats include Bichon Frise, Kerry Blue
Terriers, and Portuguese Water Dogs. Each has its own style and look.
Tip
Kerry Blue Terriers and Bedlington Terriers are trimmed similar to the standard Terrier cuts, but their heads and ears are trimmed differently. Check the breed standards for the correct show look.
Classic Retriever cut
The classic Retriever cut (see Figure 11-6) looks good on
longer-bodied dogs like the Portuguese Water Dog and Poodles (see Chapter Getting
the Sticky and Stinky Stuff Out for more about other popular Poodle cuts). Here’s how you clip a dog in the
classic Retriever cut:
1. Select a clipper blade that will work well with your
dog.
Use a No. 5 or No. 7 blade for the body and a No. 10 blade for close-in trimming around the genitals and anus.
2. Trim the coat evenly all over your dog’s body. You
need to leave about an inch of hair.
You can either leave the tail natural or trim it if you like a clean look.
3. Trim around the genitals and anus.
Use a No. 10 blade, but be careful not to touch any sensitive areas with the clippers.
4. If you like a clean face, trim it with either a No. 10
or a No. 15 blade.
Figure 11-6: The classic Retriever cut.
Bichon-type cut
The Bichon-type cut looks great on Bichon Frise, but it
looks great on any toy breed dog with curly hair, such as a Toy Poodle or a
mixed breed of toy size (see Figure 11-7). When trimming a dog in this cut, you
need to do the following:
1. Select a clipper blade that will work well with your
dog.
Use a No. 3 or No. 4 blade for the body and a No. 10 blade for close-in trimming.
You need scissors to trim the Bichon-like coat.
Warning!
Be exceedingly careful with scissors, because they can seriously hurt a dog.
2. Trim the coat in a snowball configuration all over
your dog’s body. By snowball configuration, I mean rounding the poofy fur, you
know, like a snowball.
Use scissors to shape the fur so it has a uniform rounded look, but leave the tail natural.
If you’re not comfortable using scissors, you can use the clippers for this step.
You should leave as much hair as needed to obtain a rounded look.
Figure 11-7: The Bichon-type cut
3. Trim around the genitals
and anus.
Use a No. 10 blade, but be careful not to touch any sensitive areas with the clippers.
4. If you like a clean face,
trim the face with either a No. 10 or No. 15 blade.
Preparing for Show
If you have a clipped breed that
you plan to show in competition, you need to have your dog clipped in a cut
that is appropriate for showing dogs of his particular breed. Remember the cuts
I describe earlier in this chapter are pet cuts, not show cuts. Show cuts
require much more attention to detail with regard to the breed standard and the
appearance that standard dictates.
Remember
Always ask breeders and other people who show your breed what cuts are appropriate for your breed and be sure that you know your breed’s standard. A good place to look for breed standards is on the Internet at www.akc.org.
If you’re working with a clipped
dog, you already know you have a lot of work ahead of you just maintaining the
coat. Now, just imagine maintaining a show coat. For one thing, show
cuts are usually specific. Each cut is more or less defined by the breed
standard, which makes them precisely specific.
In most cases, you won’t simply
make a dog’s pet cut into a show cut. A show cut usually takes anywhere from
three to six months to start and maintain — until it is ready for show.
Maintaining a show coat means clipping sometimes on a weekly basis to make sure
that the coat is styled according to the breed standard.
Warning!
Few professional groomers actually know how to groom a dog properly for shows, and the ones who do, charge a fair amount of money for this expertise. Still, it’s worth the hassle to pay someone who can put your dog into a professional show cut that you can simply maintain.
To prepare for show, you must:
1. Make sure your dog’s clip
is correct a week before the show.
Make any final corrections at that point.
2. Bathe and dry your dog,
clean his teeth, brush out his coat, perform a coat maintenance clip, and trim
his toenails the night before the show.
3. Add leave-in coat
conditioners (if applicable) to your dog’s coat, and remove any tear stains
right before the show.
by Margaret H.Bonham
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