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Dog Grooming Must Haves from a Former Professional Pet Stylist
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items I was a professional dog groomer for 6 years at a corporate salon, these are my tried, true and heavily tested recommendations.
Definitely recommend two of each 7f,5f,4f and four 10.
Finishing blades I absolutely love how Geib Buttercuts come out soo...
Sections
7
Clippers
Necessary Accessories
Blades
Combs/Brushes
Nails
Scissors/Shears
Clippers
The clippers I have listed are ones I used or still currently use.
Love these clippers. Used them everyday while grooming. Lightweight and amazing power.
Barely had to replace my blade drive.
Downside. Be conscious about how your cord is handled, wrapped, etc. I did have to change my cord once, and help fellow co...
Andis 68520 Excel 5-Speed Detachable Clipper Kit
Great for paw pads, touch ups and faces!
Lightweight, quiet, and low cost.
Wahl Touch up Battery Powered Pet Dog Clipper-Trimmer, Orange/Black - 70008
Necessary Accessories
Must haves. Period. Don't start grooming without these extras you'll need them.
Guard combs! They'll be your best friend for so many things.
used them multiple times a day on almost every dog!
Professional Animal Stainless Steel Comb Set for A5 Clippers #10/15/30
You'll want to have a good blade wash on hand, this was always my preferred.
Oster Blade Wash Liquid Dip, 3 Pack, 18oz
You need this for after washing your blades. A little goes a long way!
Andis Clippers Clipper Oil, Blue, 4 Fl Oz
Blade cases! They need to be good, they have to protect part of your livelihood.
This is not the style I had but they didn't have this option when I was starting out. I had to use some paper towel to pad the top of my case so the blades couldn't com...
Noverlife Hair Clipper Guard Blades Case
This is not the edition that I had, however it still contains all of the same as the previous edition and some needed updates
Notes from the Grooming Table
Blades
Clipper blades!
I never liked the ceramic blades I only ever kept and bought steel.
My favorite finishing blades are Geib Buttercuts. Love love love them!
I will always recommend going with a good name brand clipper blade.
I personally preferred wahl for my rough ins
I also always have at least 4 #10 blades. There are far too many matted dogs that will come into the salon and you will need extras to p...
Wahl Animal 10 Medium Competition Blade 1/16"
Definitely want at least one #30, preferably two, on hand. It is the best for paw pads.
Some prefer a #40 but I didn't like it as much.
Wahl Animal 30 Fine Competition Blade 1/32"
Co workers thought I was crazy for having this one on hand, but I absolutely love #3 in reverse! (Reverse means against the grain)
#3 in reverse is about the same as a #5 with the grain, but I always found it to look soo much smoother!
Wahl Animal 3F Extra Coarse Blade 25/64"
Not overly common but still decently common. I generally didn't do very many #4 haircuts. It also look a little choppy to me.
You'll want two.
Andis 72615 UltraEdge 4FC Dog Clipper Blade
Probably the second most common length that was requested all the time.
You'll want two at least.
Andis 72630 Ultra Edge Dog Clipper Blade 5Fc
One of the most popular lengths when they want short short but not naked.
You'll want at least two.
Andis 72600 UltraEdge 7FC Dog Clipper Blade
I absolutely love these blades. I cannot say enough good things about these blades. They're amazing! I only used them for finishing stage only. Never the rough cuts.
Geib Buttercut Dog Clipper Blades 4-Pack
Combs/Brushes
A good set of greyhound combs, multiple depths is great for checking for tangles!
WRW Stainless Steel Dog Combs 4 Pcs Set
Fantastic variety set of small combs.
WRW 7 Pack Stainless Steel Flea Combs for Pets
Double sided slicker brushes are fantastic for big fluffy long coated shedding pups!
You'll want one, but not a necessity. I will recommend getting one at some point though.
Paw Brothers Double Sided Extra Firm Brush
Deshedding blade, definitely want to have one on hand for those short haired shedding breeds! Labrador or German Shepherd length hair is best with it,
Paw Brothers Deshedding Tool for Dogs & Cats
Slicker brushes! Great for back brushing while clipping during the finishing stage!
Recommend three sizes. Extra small, small and medium.
Master Grooming Ergonomic Slicker Brush Small
Nails
Bought this one to test and holy happy puppies!
One of my hates her toes being done, let alone touched. But with this I can do her toes with minimal difficulty. And it is lit which is nice, comes out very smooth.
Dog Nail Grinder 3-Speed Quiet Electric
My favorite manufacturer for nail clippers! Hands down! I only had to replace my pair (in both sizes) once in 6 years! My coworkers loved borrowing them too.
This style is always preferred, less stress on the nail.
Coastal Pet Safari Dog Nail Trimmer 5" x 1.5"
I always have both sizes on hand. Even now that I am not grooming professionally.
Coastal Pet Safari Dog Nail Trimmer 6.6"
Lifesavers! I swear, you will need these more than you think!
They're perfect for puppy nails and cat nails but they also fit in extremely tight spots. I was able to trim sooo many curled toenails without injuring dogs where the bigger pairs would ha...
Coastal Pet Safari Dog Nail Trimmer, 3.5"
Scissors/Shears
My tried and true favorites!
Here's the key, your hands/fingers/wrists are your livelihood..you must take care of your tendons and ligaments. Make sure you like your scissors/shears. They need to be comfortable for you to move with, to bend with, to ...
My favorite thinners! Love the weight and feel of these ones. A little pricey however, remember your hands are your livelihood in this industry. You need to prioritize taking care of them (and your arms and flexibility!) you have to have comfortable ...
Stainless Steel Pet 46-Tooth Thinning Shears
I don't personally own this set, but I did get to try out a coworker's and I loved them.
Very smooth, light, easy shears.
Geib Buttercut Dog Grooming Scissors Kit
I never bought my own pair of curved thinners but I have to say I loved my coworkers' ones. Soooo helpful
Professional 7'' Purple Curved Thinning Shears
Extras That Are Nice To Have Around
I didn't use these often but from time to time, I did for ear plucking. Specifically for the matted one that I couldn't trim out with my clippers.
5-Inch Stainless Steel Mosquito Hemostat