I need to get real: I am not truly suggesting that I would do NO scissoring, rather LESS scissoring. Quite accidentally I have stumbled on a tool and a technique that is reducing my amount of scissor finishing and giving me a time-saving alternative. The tool is the Laube Speed Feed trimmer with comb guard attachments and the technique is called "skimming."
"Skimming" is a finishing technique that has been around pet grooming for decades. I met a groomer at a trade show once ten years ago who claimed that she finished all her grooms by skimming with a #7F blade rather than scissoring. I tried it a few times, and have used it off and on, but learned the hard way that horrible accidents can happen if the dog moves the wrong way at the wrong time. Can we say "divot"?
Clipper vac technique includes skimming with a #40 blade which also can have its place and its accidents. Whoosh, or would that be "whoops"?
Since acquiring my Laube Speed Feed, I've been trying to use it for more and more of my work, since it is so light, maneuverable, controllable and friendly to my ancient, tired, hand. While using the snap-on combs that come with the kit, I stumbled upon the possibility of skimming down the legs to actually finish them. I've been doing it more and more. I use the guards with the clipper set to the #40 setting. Sometimes I get better results, sometimes I'm a need to go back over with scissors. I'm learning.
I offer this technique because I know that there are groomers searching for alternatives to scissoring. Not everybody loves to scissor! This is another finishing technique that can be in our bag o' tricks. And the GroomBlog has friends and followers who are pet owners grooming their own dogs who need a little help as they develop skills. This is a very viable option for beginners!
Just to wow you with the possibility, here are some pictures of a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier that I groomed for the first time using very little scissor finishing. Here's "Charley"!
This shot of the dryer blowing the coat gives you some idea of how much length was there. The body coat was at least four inches long. Charley was bathed with Show Season Amino Flex shampoo and rinsed with a capful of Chris Christensen Ice on Ice through the Bathing Beauty bathing system. Most of the drying was with the K9II powerful HV dryer. The puppy was a little spooky with the air around his head and face, so we finished with the Edemco stand dryer and a Les Pooch brush.
The bulk of the body coat was shortened using a Laube #1 comb over an Andis Super Two Speed clipper. Then I finished the whole thing using the Laube Speed Feed with the #9mm comb attachment, EVEN THE LEGS. (Oh, excuse me, am I shouting? That's because I am so excited that IT WORKED!) Check out the end result:
The bulk of the body coat was shortened using a Laube #1 comb over an Andis Super Two Speed clipper. Then I finished the whole thing using the Laube Speed Feed with the #9mm comb attachment, EVEN THE LEGS. (Oh, excuse me, am I shouting? That's because I am so excited that IT WORKED!) Check out the end result:
If I may say so myself, this is a pretty decent pet groom. The head was finished with a regular #4 blade and blended with the new Talyn 6.0" blender (wow, great tool!). Feet were shaped with Arius-Eickert 6.5" Proline curved shears. Like I said, very little scissoring. The owner was thrilled. I got a $15.OO tip on top of the $65.00 I charged for this grooming. The snap-on combs and Laube Speed Feed allowed me to accomplish this groom in about 40 minutes. Not bad, eh? Next week we will attempt to perfect the Bichon groom with less scissoring. Laube Speed Feed rocks!
Best buy for Laube Speed Feed is Jeffers Pet Supply
Scissors used for this fabulous result can be found in the BBird Shopping Cart
SHOP! with a Groomer - It's good karma!
thank you for this brilliant post on wheaten grooming. will definitely give this a go!
ReplyDeletewhy is it that all groomers feel it necessary to give every wheaten puppy the ridiculous show cut?!?!
ReplyDeleteWhat?? My experience is that there is not one out of ten groomers that even KNOW how to do the SCWT "show cut".
ReplyDeleteBut let's talk about the why's and wherefore's of so called "show" styles. Each registered AKC breed has a breed standard. A grooming style or profile evolves that manifests that standard and represents the current "type" of the breed. The way the dog is groomed for show epitomizes the breed.
It is not unusual for pet owners to want a more practical grooming style for their dogs, and some people are uncomfortable with the face fall (full hair left between the eyes) of the SCWT. Contrary to what Anon. above claims, however, most groomers do either a simple generic terrier trim on the SCWT, or clip them close all over with a Schnauzer style head.
Our favorite SCWT at Transformation Pet Center in Tucson gets a "teddy bear" style cut 3/4" all over with a fluffy head and short bangs. Next time "Darcy" is in, I'll get a pic for comparison.
Your professional groomer should not feel any particular style is "necessary", except when severe matting or tangles necessitates a buzz cut. The groomer who knows how to reflect the breed standard and show profile in the pet trim is more likely to keep customers who want their dog to resemble the breed.
Love the cut. You did a wonderful job. Do you still like the speed cut of a Laube. I love my Andis clippers. They are so reliable unlike my past Laubes. And Laube's are so darn expensive to have fixed.
ReplyDeleteI use both Laube and Andis clippers. The very thing that makes the Laube great - power - is what can cause problems. The more forcefully you are moving blades, the more parts can be shaken loose.
ReplyDeleteWord from Kim Laube Co., Inc. is that they are working hard to restore faith in their Service Dept. They have a new Service Manager, for starters.
For most repair work, I trust Tim Love of Love's Sharpening, an official Laube Repair Service. Motor work must be done by the factory. www.lovessharpening.com Tim is an excellent sharpener and repair guy, and is very reasonable.
The full sized Laube clipper that I have in service is a Litening. It performs very well and has a smaller body that is very ergonomic for smaller hands. I also use the Laube iVac on a daily basis, wherever I can incorporate the vacuum technology. And my favorite Laube of all, the Speed Feed trimmer, is a tool I would never want to groom without.
The Andis Clipper I am currently using is the new Model AGP Super 2-Speed. I love it!