# Cost effective Grooming Supplies for beginner



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I would look at reviews of clippers for satisfaction ratings, go somewhere where you can try clippers for weight and feel, and then watch on eBay and other second hand sites for your preferred models to come up. Cheap clippers may not be up to the job, and can be very frustrating to use. Many people buy expensive sets, and then decide grooming is not for them! I also got a reasonable pair of scissors on eBay for an amazing £3.50 + p&p - that's about $5.50!

I've found the Wahl stainless steel comb set a very good alternative to multiple blades, and they have the advantage that the blade is kept well away from the skin, so there is less risk from overheating. They do require you to brush and comb thoroughly before clipping, but that is not a problem when you are only grooming your own dog.

Poppy also hated the slicker brush I tried - I have a hedgehog brush (combined bristle and pin) that works in a similar way but is gentler on the skin, and a pin brush that also seems to do an adequate job of removing minor tangles. I do try to keep her fairly short - easier on both of us!


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

Don't cheap out on the clippers or blades. You will kick yourself and end up wasting the money spent on an inferior set. Wholesale Pet Supplies, Dog Grooming | PetEdge.com has the best prices by far, and if you watch their page, periodically they offer free shipping, or buy one blade get one free. Check it out and when you are ready to purchase, ask everyone's opinion of their own equipment.


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## Samba (Sep 14, 2012)

Thank you! Does PetEdge ship to Canada? I thought it was US based only?

I purchased some basic dog shampoo today from the pet store an gave her a bath. It smelled nice, and rinsed off well so cant say much bad about it. I also bought a human hair dryer with multiple heat and force settings, so that worked well. A stand dryer would be great, but realistically dont need one since shes a mini and just in a pet cut. I used a pair of human hair cutting scissors to trim up a little around her face and under her ears. I have a little pair of cordless clippers for her feet. I will wait to get a good pair of clippers to shave her full face and chest.

After the bath:









After the blow dry:

















Any comments, suggestions, tips, tricks would be great! Total newbie here


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

Yes, they do ship to Canada. A ShopVac with an exhaust hole works very well in lieu of an expensive dryer.


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## Rusty (Jun 13, 2012)

Hi Samba,

I, too, am in the process of researching good grooming supplies as I want to learn to groom my puppy myself when we get one (we had an awesome groomer for our late mini poodle, but she only does small dogs, and our next one will be a standard). 

Anyway, just a note to let you know that I tried to order Wahl clippers from PetEdge and apparently they can't ship Wahl products across the border to Canada anymore. :-( I'm currently in the process of trying to find other suppliers, and if anyone has good suggestions for finding Wahl products in Canada in the course of this thread, I'll be paying attention to see what they are!

Best of luck and I'm interested to see what suggestions you get for the "must-haves."


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

Must haves:

Good set of clippers
2-#15 blades for FFT
1-#10 blade for tummy and sanitary area
1-# 4 or #5 blade for body
Good slicker brush (I like the Universal brushes the best)
Good comb
Nail clippers and Quik Stop
I recommend 2 pairs of shears. One less expensive pair for dirty coat and one better pair for finishing

A dryer- for a mini, good quality, high wattage human hair dryer. For s Standard a Shop Vac or HV dryer


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## sophiebonita (Jul 10, 2012)

Re: slicker brushes... I had some cheesy slicker brush from petsmart I purchased before Sophie came home and I never really got the appeal til I invested in a slightly better quality (but still not $$$ by any means), a 'soft' slicker, small, and I see now that the detangling/fluffing capabilities are unparalleled!! Sophie is 4 mos and still tries to attack it though :0


Sent from my iPhone using PG Free


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## tokipoke (Sep 3, 2011)

If you are doing shaved poodle feet - I suggest getting the BravMini (Bravura Mini). It is around $80 USD. It comes with a #30 blade. Don't let the "30" scare you. The teeth are slightly rounded. I have not nicked a dog with it. I use it A LOT, to shave the bottom of the pads on all dogs. I love the size and weight and it's perfect for small feet on mini and toy poodles. I even use it for the sanitary area by VERY lightly skimming. It has not caused razor burn.


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## fantastic poodle (Sep 8, 2012)

Try contacting blade sharpeners in your area that service the groomers. My blade guy reconditions groomers equiptment and then sells them to pet owners at a very cheap price. Clippers, blades and scissors. A bath tub is a bathtub no problem with that. Shampoo is something pretty important though so you might try getting some from petedge or ryans pet supplies. Order a gallon and dont worry to much about the price because it dilutes down quite a bit. Coat handler and tropiclean are frequently used in grooming shops. I prefer puppy or hypoallergenic shampoos as you get fewer allergic reactions. I like remoisterizers over regular conditioners myself but they may make your dogs hair to soft so maybe switch off with them. If your going to be grooming your dog that day you need to shampoo twice. The dog should be thoughally brushed before the bath as matts tend to get worse when wet(assuming you dont have an HV dryer which can actually help with matts) Never rub the dog with a towel....gently blot and squeeze the water out of the coat Useing 2 to three towels is better that rubbing the dog into a matted mess. Drying will be easier if you have a dryer holder that clips to your table or grooming arm...same principle as the clip on swivel lamp....and brush the dog while drying. Brush the hair upward on the legs and brush up from the tail to the head .Be very careful of heatdryers as poodle has very sensitive skin and they burn easily. I use a 15 for feet and front of face, a 10 for tummy and privates and the cheeks and throat. The 4 blade could be used for the body and then blend down the hips a little and scissor the legs a little fuller than the body. I used a pair of DoubleDuck 8 inch straight shears and a 6 inch curved round tip shear as my go to's for years. Their not to expensive and hold an edge pretty well. Your going to need nail cutters and styptic powder as well. Ear powder is helpful. You dont need large quantities of good quality products...they last forever because you use such a tiny amount at a time. Hope this helps...


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## Samba (Sep 14, 2012)

Very helpful post, thank you!

I did not know to brush from the tail to head, will try that next time. I am thinking of getting the Anis ACG or Excel clippers. I'd also like a nice pair of scissors, maybe for christmas. I guess my hesitation is that she is not a show dog, and clearly not a pedigree poodle either. But, I have fun grooming so the collection will build up slowly :act-up:

As for feet and under her eyes, this is the clipper I have: Wahl Pocket Pro Trimmer - Horse.com

I actually had it for my horses whiskers, so its fairly powerful. Its a 40 blade, so trims nice and close but doesnt cut them. It goes on sale at our local tack shop for $4.99 pretty frequently, so why not! I find it perfect for between the toes.

Im really looking forward to trimming her face into a real poodle cut. So far all my friends are against it thinking she looks cute with the full face (which she does), but I wont be able to resist the urge to trim it up for long!!!


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## cailinriley (Oct 30, 2011)

Also check out Ren's Pet Depot. They're in Canada. On the recommendation of a friend, I bought most of my grooming supplies from there. I think they still offer free shipping on orders over $65. They have GREAT customer service, and I'm thrilled with the quality of the equipment I got from them. I got much of it on sale, and it was definitely cheaper than buying locally. Even though your little girl isn't a show dog, buy good quality tools; it will be less frustrating and more enjoyable for both of you.


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

Ren's is wonderful, but nowhere near as inexpensive as Petedge. I buy most of my things from there because I am an hour away from one of their stores, so for things like scissors, which I like to feel the weight of, it is nice to be able to hold them and see if they are right for you. But for price, Petedge cannot be beat.


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## Kim (Sep 20, 2012)

Can anyone order from PetEdge, or do you have to have a grooming business? 

I have only quickly glanced at the site -- haven't tried to go through the purchase process. However, their tagline (Dedicated to Building Your Pet Care Business) led me to believe that they're a wholesaler and don't sell to the public.


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## kukukachoo (Jul 26, 2012)

Anyone can buy from there. They do have great prices! (However, do shop around especially for big items because every now and then Amazon may have a better price.)


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## Samba (Sep 14, 2012)

I got a pair of clippers today, Andis Super 2 speed. More expensive than I wanted, but figured I could use them for the horses as well. I have an older pair of A5's that I forgot about, but they are much louder than the Andis.

While I was there I also found a cheap nail grinder. It actually doesnt work too bad. She's fine with nail clippers, but these were about the same price so why not.

No shears... I don't know enough about those anyway, so will likely just go over her with clippers for now. Maybe after Christmas a new pair of nice shears will be in our future.

Now...the biggest question of all - to shave her face or not?!


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## fantastic poodle (Sep 8, 2012)

I love the look of a shaved face and its so much cleaner too. But, please, if its her first time having a shaved face, just use a 10 blade and see how she reacts to it. Clipper burn is so miserable. If she has no reaction to a 10 blade then go shorter after a couple of days. Sometimes poodles get embarrassed by drastic changes and will hide or refuse to eat, etc.


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## fantastic poodle (Sep 8, 2012)

Arreau your st.poos are just beautiful. Especially the one in the snow. I sure miss doing those amazing glorious Standards. After 24 years grooming my hands just won't take the brushing anymore for large dogs. Although I have powerful love for the toys and minis you just cant imagine the wonderful feeling a groomer gets when the owner pulls up in front of your shop and that great big dog jumps out of the car and runs right through your shop door ....jumps right up on the grooming table, hugs you, then gives you the look..."come on girl, lets get my glamour on!" Nothing like it in the world!


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

Thank you very much. The one in the snow is our moderator's girl Lucy (Arreau's Rock With You CGC, RN, RA) in North Dakota. I am 57 with a bad back so I hear you. But they do look so amazing when they are freshly done.


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## Samba (Sep 14, 2012)

Yes I will use a 10 blade if I do her face. I am familliar with handeling clippers, I body clip top show horses (but with the bigger clippers), and do surgical clipson dogs/cats on a daily basis. However, the face for looks is something new to me. Still debating. Its just hair though right, it'll grow back!


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## fantastic poodle (Sep 8, 2012)

I could tell by your posts that you were familiar with what you are doing. I am just always afraid that some pet owners who have never clipped their dogs before read some of these posts and just jump right in and their dogs get hurt. My kids dont call me the "Safety Queen" for nothing!


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