I just ordered all the grooming supplies I've collected on my wishlist because 1. I'm tired of my girls coming back from the groomer's later and later each time (it used to take 1.5hrs per pup, now it takes 2.5hrs or more sometimes), and 2. never being cut how I asked them to be cut (always close but there's just 1 thing I keep asking for and have provided countless pictures but she never does it) and finally 3. I know I can do this myself with some patience and practice so I don't see why I should keep spending the money when I could be saving it. Oh, and 4. I really hate how long the pups nails are and want to work on making them shorter, and 5. the groomer seems to have trouble with the fact that I don't say "same as last time" all year, and actually want some things changed each time, which makes me feel like a difficult client and also frustrated at the same time.
I got the Wahl Bravura clippers as a Christmas present from my mom and that did it for me. I decided not to wait any more wishing I could get everything - I just ordered everything off my wishlist which was created after almost 2 years of reading recommendations on here and reviews on amazon.com. The only thing I didn't order was the forced air dryer as it was the same cost again of everything else together, and I just need to save up a bit more for that. I plan to start with face/feet/tail which I should be able to do without the dryer for now. Then I will start practicing on their bodies in between professional grooms and see how I do.
I got a small grooming table with an arm that I can set on my coffee table (so I can sit) or on my kitchen table and it spins so I won't need to walk around the whole table to get to the other side of the dog. That is a plus since my place has tiny rooms and most surfaces are already against a wall which means no walking around to the other side. I know from years working as a dishwasher and from just bathing my pups in the kitchen sink that my back is not going to be happy with standing and bending to groom so we'll see which works best depending on how high it is when everything is set up.
Believe it or not, I am most excited about the comb I ordered, as I have not had a real comb yet for them, and have made due with a pin brush, a slicker, and a very wide tooth comb that looks more like a mini rake than a pet comb. I have been trying to get mats out of Chuui's hind legs for the last three days and I am dreading her appt. tomorrow at the groomer's because of all the mats. Despite my speaking conversational Japanese, and the groomer speaking passable English, we still seem to misunderstand each other and she apparently thinks I don't want her to EVER trim the hair on their legs, though I try to explain I want her to let the hair be long, but keep it trimmed to about 1 inch. I figured grooming supplies were a better bet in the long run, over more Japanese classes.
What I will have new:
Wahl Bravura clippers with 5 in 1 blade (received for Christmas)
Wahl Bravura Mini clippers
Wahl Bravura Metal Comb set
Spinning Grooming table with arm
Arco comb with grip
Dog nail clippers with file
4-piece grooming scissors set
What I still need to get:
Chris Christensen Kool Pup Dog Grooming Dryer
Ear cleaning solution (still researching best stuff to make or get)
Practice using my husband's Dremel on their nails
