Clippers

[MaryellenK]

Hi All,

I’m looking for a good clipper for my cairn to use on his legs and underbelly.  He just won’t tolerate stripping in those areas.

I would greatly appreciate recommendations.  
 

Thanks!

 

[bradl]

Those are perfect areas for thinning shears. Mine are 44/20 but I've seen recommendations for 30T also. You don't need expensive ones (although with edged tools you often get what you pay for). Looks like Sally Beauty as an example has them for under $25. Most dog shows will have a vendor selling scissors and shears too. 

https://www.sallybeauty.com/hair-care/other-products-and-accessories/shears-and-hair-shapers/oster-professional-laser-sharp-40-teeth-thinning-shear/SBS-520012.html

Many options on Amazon too. Random example:

Thinning shears are nice because they are "low or no touch" for the dog, work sort of gradually (by their nature) and they leave a more natural looking line vs the crisp linear edge from a straight shear.

Clippers are kind of expensive. I have an Andis rechargeable that I used so rarely that the battery died of old age and the replacement battery cost almost as much as the clippers did in the first place. 

[CamilleatGaelforce]

Maryellenk, I agree with Brad, for just one dog and only his legs and undersides, odds are a pair of clippers is more than you need.  Now if you were clippering the entire body, that would be different, and I'd suggest a plug-in Oster or Andis clipper with a #10 or #15 blade for shaving close to the skin.  I would suggest, if you do want to buy a pair of clippers, try going to Costco and buying a "men's grooming kit" set which will include clippers and a ridiculously large number of snap-on combs to vary the length of the hair they cut.  I bought one of those kits more than a year ago to give my hubby haircuts, since all my dog-clipping blades cut too short for him, as he doesn't think he can sport "The Rock" look as well as Dwayne Johnson.   But for just doing the legs and underbelly of one terrier, a good pair of regular and another pair of thinning shears will probably do just fine, and will be less stressful for the dog to learn to tolerate as compared to the buzzing of electric clippers.

[sanford]

I had great success with thinning shears for those areas, however, most of these shears seem to have serrations along the edge of only one of the blades. I found that shears with serrations on BOTH blades was much faster and more efficient. I went with a mid-price pair and got a great deal of use from them, (with no blunt cut marks)!