Trimming Roles

The art of grooming is considered by many to be in the scissoring. Scissoring skills will separate an average groomer from a master groomer. If you have ever watched a grooming contest or a show dog being groomed, it is really amazing to see how a master groomer can transform a dog with just a pair of shears. 

Of course, most grooming does not take place on the contest stage or the in show ring, but rather in a busy grooming shop. Reality in the grooming shop is that the groomer needs to balance the art of grooming with the business of grooming. To rely only on shears and scissoring in the groom shop would not be time efficient or profitable, unless all the customers are willing to pay for a Picasso. Luckily, creative innovations in clippers, trimmers, attachment combs and other tools have enabled groomers to achieve a finished look in less time. 

Today, there is a wide variety of blade sizes and attachment combs available, making adjustable-blade clippers much more versatile and capable of handling up to 90 percent of most grooming jobs. 


Clippers & Trimmers
It seems like manufacturers are coming out with new blade sizes practically every day. New wide and “big” blades save time and increase productivity. Wide blades allow larger areas to be clipped faster with less effort, while “big” blades such as a 3 3/4 or a 3/4 HT leave hair 1/2 to 3/4 inch long. Most blade manufactures have a blade guide chart that will help groomers choose the right blade for the job.   

Even experienced groomers sometimes question when to use a skip-tooth blade versus a finish-cut blade. Generally, a skip- tooth blade is used before bathing to cut out mats and take down hair length or to do a “rough” cut. After the bath, the cut is finished with a finish cut or “F” blade or with scissoring.

Attachment combs are now more popular and widely available.  Groomers don’t have to rely on the blade size alone to determine hair length. Combs increase the options available for creating a desired hair length. Attachment combs are available in plastic or stainless steel and come in a range of sizes to accommodate a variety of hair lengths and finishes. Combs work best with a #40 or #30 blade. Combs allow hair to be cut to a specific uniform length, eliminating a lot of scissoring and reducing hand fatigue.  Most groomers will follow the comb clip with some scissoring to provide an even, finished look. 

Today, there are almost as many trimmers available as there are dog breeds. Trimmers come in a variety of sizes and groomers can choose from corded, cordless, rechargeable, battery operated and even lighted options.  Trimmers are great for feet, faces, ears, tails, and touch-ups.  A detachable blade clipper with a #10, #15, or toe blade can do these jobs too, but many groomers prefer the increased control, smaller size and reduced noise of a trimmer. 


Shears Still Essential
The availability of trimmers, combs and blades doesn’t mean groomers have tossed out their shears. Teddybear heads on shih-tzu’s, top knots on poodles, skirts on setters, the list goes on for jobs where most groomers still rely on their trusted favorite pair of shears. Even with all the new tools available, a groomer still needs shears–curved, straight and ball tipped, not to mention a pair of thinners–in their toolbox. A good number of groomers still prefer to use shears on heads, faces, ears and sanitary areas. Most groomers finish a clipper trim with shears, cleaning up hair on feet and legs and blending/thinning and trimming the body. 

When trimming the eyebrows or anywhere around the eyes, a ball tip shear is recommended for safety. Ball tip shears are available in curved or straight. Curved shears work great when working around the natural contours of the face and head, and are a must for eyebrow arches. Most curved ball tip shears are 6.5 inches. 

Curved shears come in a variety of lengths and are essential for rounding corners and following contours. While curved shears aren’t going to be used on every dog, they’re exceptionally handy for poodles, bichons, pulis, bouviers, Irish terriers and schnauzers. Many groomers also use them for feet on cockers or other skirted breeds, as well the back of legs for definition and dimension. Working with curved shears can be challenging, but practice makes perfect. Once you get the hang of curved shears, you’ll never want to go back to straight shears for those round feet or topknots.

Thinning and blending shears should be part of every groomer’s collection. No matter what tools have been used for the groom, thinning and blending shears are the perfect tools for finishing off a groom and giving it that polished and professional look. They soften the look and give schnauzers and terriers a natural appearance with minimal effort. Use them on drop-coated breeds like shih-tzus or Yorkies that have silky long coats to remove harsh ends and to create a coat that’s seems more natural. Use them to thin out coats and keep them easier to maintain. A 42- or 46-tooth thinner will keep hands from tiring when stripping coats, since they can create the same look in a fraction of the time. Besides smoothing out the overall finish of a coat or giving the dog a more natural look, these shears do a fantastic job of thinning out thick coats. Many groomers find them essential and a real timesaver for cockers, goldens, setters and other fine-coated breeds, especially if owners have not kept up with the brushing and grooming between visits.

The variety of tools now available makes it easier to create a combination of clippers, trimmers, shears and accessories that save time, are comfortable to work with and produce winning results that will keep customers coming back. Don’t be discouraged if it takes time to get used to a new tool or method.  There is always a learning process and it might be slow going until the new tool or technique is mastered. It takes practice and patience. The more techniques and tools a groomer can master, the better prepared they will be to efficiently handle any situation that arises in the shop with show-ring results.    


Michelle Austin has been project manager for Ryan’s Pet Supplies since 2001. Ryan’s Pet Supplies manufactures, imports and distributes professional pet care products. Michelle is involved in most aspects of the business. She participates in new product selection and development, catalog production, and managing marketing and communications for the company.