[Birdie]

Decided to give Desmond a trim today.. NOT A GOOD IDEA! For some reason, my clippers have decided that they just don't feel like doing their job today. I trimmed up his ears and tk and legs (which I am also not fond of anyway... should have left him long), but when I went to clip his body, I used my longest guard comb (plastic 1/2" ) and it was just... not working. At all. It would push the hair down and then shave little patches. He was all lumpy and had lines from where I went over it about 10,000 times in an attempt to even it out... Ughh, he looks TERRIBLE. I feel awful, I don't know what to do. I went out and bought a brand new blade since I know mine isn't in the best of shape, but that didn't help either! What is going on? And what can I do to remedy his HORRIBLE haircut?!? He's all lumpy and uneven and... I am so embarrassed and upset!! If I could just even him out I would be happy! I don't care for the haircut anyway, but if it was EVEN I would like it a lot better... Help?!

 

[flyingduster]

well for starters the plastic guard combs tend to do that to even perfectly prepared coats, so if he wasn't *IMMACULATELY* bathed and dried and fluffed then that will have played a massive part in why it didn't want to work. It's the guard comb, not your blade or clippers that are the problem. I have thrown all my plastic ones out, but I LOVE my stainless steel ones!!! lol.

I'd start with a GOOD bath, and spend the time really getting him fluffed dried and combed out, then go about trying again with the guard comb to even it out a bit for now and make you feel better. For the future I'd either get the stainless steel combs or just a 1/2" blade though.

 

[Birdie]

That's what I didn't get, I had JUST given him a good, thorough bath yesterday and dried him with my new force dryer so he was super clean, straight, fluffy, and knot free. I guess I'll just have to order some combs or a new blade online then, or see if they sell them anywhere (doesn't seem like it... drove to all the nearby pet stores, they barely sold blades, let alone guard combs...). Okay, I guess I can try with the plastic ones some more to even it out. I am not sure how well it will work out though. I even tried evening out his back with scissors, but evidently I suck at scissoring lol. I'm seriously out of practice in grooming him, so he looks really choppy.

 

[neVar]

well thnkfully he cn't really see himself

check out if local dog show is soon- there are often vendors with clipper stuff there

 

[flyingduster]

you bathed him yesterday and clipped him today? Probably too much to ask of plastic combs I'm afraid. Bath, dry, fluff, and clip without leaving it for 24 hours. I *know* you would have had him still clean and fluffy, but seriously, unless they're immaculate and FRESHLY done, I NEVER had very good success with the plastic combs.

Sooo, for now You can certainly keep trying, and by all means go in reverse (from the tail to the head) a few swipes and then back the right way, repeat. Cos those plastic things do squash the coat down a fair bit! Going back 'against the grain' will help get the cut more even, but be aware you WILL have to go over and over and over and over it, backwards and forwards, to start getting it even. I go over them lots with the stainless steel ones and still scissor to finish those last lines, that you'll need to do it even more with the plastic ones...

Persevere, make sure your comb really glides through his coat, and don't be afraid to go back and forwards on his coat a lot to get it even all over. You should be able to at least get him looking *better* if you're stubborn!

 

[partial2poodles]

When we do dogs for competition at GROOM EXPO, the contestants that want a big money finish always bathe their dogs like at 3 in the morning......if the coat has a chance to relax, the first part that goes right back to natural curls is the ROOTS...

So you were trying to runa plastic snap-on along the skin and roots that were not 100% straightened. Rebathe, reblow and do it again. It should work withou spending a dime.