Hi...I found your blog and saw the post about Gracie the Goldendoodle. It was informative. I have a 15 month goldendoodle who has been groomed every 2-3 month since about 5 months. I also have a 10 month old pyredoodle (Great Pyr/poodle) mix. She has similar hair, but not as curly. Anyway, I have been spending $60-75 every 2-3 months for both of my dogs (they are 60-65 pound dogs) on grooming and it is just getting very costly so I have been looking into doing it myself. Also my groomer disappeared and they got a new lady who charged me much more and didn't even clean his ears! I can already do nails, ears, teeth, and brushing, so really I just need to learn how to use clippers and shears and what kind to get. And I would really like to get a large amount of good shampoo and conditioner because they are very active and are muddy and wet 75% of their lives. I typically ask for them to have 1" bodies and 1 1/2" legs. The problem is I have no idea what clippers I should get (I hesitate to spend $100-200 since I'm just an at-home groomer. Is that necessary? Also, what size combs should I use for that length? I have had trouble finding the larger sizes. Is there a best brand? A good website to go for information and supplies? I just don't know where to start. Thank you so much for your help!
BBird responds:
The kinds of coats that you are dealing with are going to require that you purchase a fairly powerful clipper. I would suggest the Andis Super Two Speed. A less powerful clipper will not push the snap-on combs through the thick coats you have. Another point to consider in using snap-on combs is that the hair must be thoroughly combed, not just brushed over. You need to be able to go all the way to the skin and out over any area on which you are using combs. Otherwise, the clippers will just catch up in the coat and jam. A wide-tooth coarse comb will do.
In working with thick coats, most groomers prefer the Wahl metal combs used over a #15 or #30 blade. The #15 blade can also be used for tummies and privates, the #30 blade is good for foot pads, but a bit close for tummies, unless you really know what you are doing. The Wahl Comb #E is 1". The Laube plastic comb (which I use often) is #E also. The #A which is 3/4" is one I use most on Goldendoodles.
Scissoring is a skill that can take time to develop. You are going to want a good quality 8" shear. In scissoring those legs, you would want to comb the hair up and then scissor down. Avoid scissoring across the grain, or you will have "step marks". The good news is that both the dogs you describe do well with a rather "informal" less-than-perfect finish. We have some nice scissors for sale in the BBird shopping cart. Click HERE to go there.
Have you given any thought to how you are going to dry the coats? I can't imagine trying to groom the coats you describe without some help from a high velocity forced air dryer. The force of the air from an HV dryer will not only dry the hair, but it lifts and separates to prep the coat for using the snap-on combs. The air also reveals any areas where combing is needed. Most groomers would use a dryer such as the K-9 II or better on these coats. You could probably get by with a Laube Magnum Force (sold at BBird.biz) if you have more time than money. Anything less, such as a cheap Metro, is likely to have high frustration level because of being too slow. The way I would dry these dogs at my shop is to first towel well, a light blasting off of excess water with the HV, then I would pen dry in an excercise pen surrounded by the Sahara Turbo ducts and a large fan. When the coat is nearly dry, I would use the HV dryer to finish drying, fluff, and straighten the coat. You might think that fluffing and straightening is not necessary, but if you want to get the snap-on comb through the coat, it is essential. A drip-dried curly Goldendoodle coat can be extremely difficult to clip with a snap-on comb. I assume the pyr/poo coat would behave similarly, although it may be less demanding.
Do have a grooming table and restraint system? Again, I can't imagine grooming these dogs without a table and at least a grooming loop around the neck to encourage them to stand. I have a hydraulic table with an over-the-table LIPS system that enables me to use a flank strap to hold up the rear end as well as (or instead of) a loop around the neck. You could probably get by with a 36"Lx24"Wx30"H stationery table with a grooming arm. If you try to groom these dogs bending over them on the floor, you will hurt, and your results will be poor. I was going to say "Without a table, you will die and your results will suck," but that seems a wee bit dramatic.
BTW, how do you plan to bathe these beasts? If you are bending over them in your own tub or shower, bless your back. Be sure to clean and rinse the undersides well. Any residual shampoo left in the coat will not only compromise your results, but can result in an irritation. The tub that I have used for over 30 years is a regular bathtub on a wooden frame. I also use a Hanvey Bathing Beauty pet bathing system that works shampoo and conditioner through coats like these in a fraction of the time it takes to hand bathe.
I celebrate your courage. Grooming these two large, coated dogs is not going to be a easy matter. At the minimum I think you would need: Good clippers ($100-$150), snap-0n combs ($10-20), blades ($50), combs and brushes ($50-$100), scissors ($100-200), dryer ($200 up), table w/arm ($100), products ($50). Total investment in home grooming start-up: $660-$900.
For comparison, I thought I'd run down the cost of all the equipment I regularly use on Gracie, the Goldendoodle that I groom every four weeks (for $85).
Raised tub - I'll give you the tub, it's a fixture.
Bathing Beauty bathing system - $500
Products - $2 per bath. I use a cleanser and a conditioner with added silicone de-tangler.
Towels - I'll give you the towels.
K9II high velocity dryer - $350
Sahara Turbo dryer - $350, adapter kit (hoses) $200
Excercise pen - $50
Additional fan(s) - $50
Hydraulic table with LIPS system - $1000
Laube iVac vacuum clipper system - $387
Blades/combs - $50
Scissors - 8" or 9" straight ($150); 8" curved ($150); small curved for feet/face ($70); blender ($75). Total scissors - $445.
Nail clippers - ($8.00) + styptic powder ($5) -$13. (although I often use a $50 Dremel with a $50 Pedicure cap).
Ear cleaning - hemostats ($8); ear powder ($4); ear cleaner ($4) - $16.00
Adding this up, it looks like I use equipment that has cost me $3413.00. YIKES! This is just for the things that I have actually used on this dog, and does not include the cost and installation of the tub. Nor does it reflect my entire collection of shears and blades, brushes and combs that I choose from. My overhead, and total cost of doing business is another factor to be considered before we even get to the value of my time. Gracie takes me about 1.5-2.0 hours, depending on the condition of her coat. The finishing work (trimming) takes about 30-40 minutes on a well prepped coat. I would expect the average home groomer to need 1-2 hours for the finishing.
I have probably overworked this response to a simple question, but I hope it gives some ideas as well as a perspective on professional grooming.
Happy grooming!
Here is a link to the original article about Goldendoodle grooming on the GroomBlog.
5 comments:
wow...thanks so much for all the info. i definitely need to get better clippers so i will look into the ones you suggested. it will be well worth the money. and i learned the hard way that i need a good dryer. other than that, i have good scissors and a lot of the other stuff. i just put them up on a table i have and i don't really need the restraint system (believe me it would be nice) but my dogs are very well behaved so they put up with me very well:) and i will just keep bathing them the way i always have, in the bathtub. i have gotten used to it over the last couple years - so thanks for the suggestions and i can't wait to try it - i will have to send you a photo when i'm done. yikes!
A $50 Peticure cap?! BBird!!! They whole shebang is only, like, $20 at Bed Bath and Beyond ;) Typo?
You are thinking of the Pedipaws tool, a knock off of the Peticure. Only Peticure sells a separate cap. My mistake was in the spelling of Peticure. Sorry for the confusion. AND I'm not exactly sure of these prices, they are ballpark figures to make a point. i did not look up all my invoices for this article.
I think the startup cost of at home grooming depends on what you want from a grooming. If you want the dogs to look awesome, with fluffy long fur, you probably need all that stuff for all the reasons you mentioned. I just need mine clean and presentable, and matt free, and I actually prefer my goldendoodles in a very short puppy cut. I have an Andis 2 Speed clipper with a 5FC blade that I use for everything, a 10 for feet, and a pair of human hair shears that I use on the ears and feet. I bathe them in my bathtub (yes bending over... but since it's only every few months for me my back can take it). I clip them either on a rubber mat on the washer/dryer OR on a rubber mat in the tub. The dogs listen well, and though I bought a clamping noose for $20 to attach to a normal table, I've never used it. I clip their nails with a $15 dremel bought at Walmart. I air dry them, washing one day and clipping the next.
My actual investment is under $100, as I bought the clippers at a garage sale for $1. Even if those were included at the cheapest retail value, I'd still be under $200. (Tools I actually use, not including those bought and never used). But, it IS a lot of work. It takes me several hours to do one dog, when it used to take a groomer an hour. You groomers definitely earn every cent!
And, for what it's worth, I cut my own hair and the hair of my husband, in addition to the dogs.
Your premise is spot on. If you are happy with shave downs, then you can forgo some of the equipment. Even amongst professionals, there are barbers and there are stylists. I happen to be more of the stylist type.
We have only one GoldenDoodle that is a clip down dog. I'll see if I can find a picture of "Bob". Most of our clients want a shaggy GD.
I hope that you are using GFCI protection when using clippers in the tub. Clippers are not safe in a wet tub without a ground fault interruption system. The tub is a terrific conductor. Having a rubber mat in the tub is not sufficient, especially if you are touching the tub while holding the clipper to the dog. You can become the ground that completes the circuit to the dog. Zap! You can get a single outlet GFCI plug in at Home Depot or Lowe's.
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