BASIC GROOMING EQUIPMENT
Here is my opinion on what basic equipment is necessary to
start grooming your poodle yourself.
Good clippers - Andis, Oster, Wahl are the main choices - I personally
do not think that Laube holds up well enough for the money.
from left right: Andis Super 2 speed, Andis 2 speed, Oster
Golden A-5, Oster Finisher/trimmer, Wahl cordless trimmer
blade wash, lubricating oil, old toothbrushes to sweep the hair out of
the blades and a can of compressed air.
blade wash, spray disinfectant, clipper/blade oil, canned air
Several clipper blades in varying sizes - a 10 or 15 blade for the face,
feet & tail if you are new to clipper work, OR if you have a dog
with very sensitive skin that might clipper burn easily. A 3F, 4F,
5F or 7F for the body, depending upon what length you prefer.
small container for holding blade wash, everyday blade caddy
to hold blades as I work, larger case to hold blades back from service or going
out to be serviced
Firm, stable working surface - if not a grooming table, a board
with a non-skid bathmat securely fastened to the top of a crate will work
also.
Some sort of dryer - a stand dryer is the best, but the most expensive.
A force air works great on shorter coats, but not fabulous for long show
coats. In a pinch, a personal hand-held blow dryer will
work, but it helps if both hands are free. There are clamps sold
in dog supply catalogs that work as a "third hand", that can hold the
blow-dryer as you brush your dog dry.
BRUSHES and COMBS -
Pin brushes are used for LONG hair - not necessary on
shorter trims
Slicker brushes - two types are useful - the curved
"Universal" style slicker which is good for thick, heavy or slightly
matted coats but rough on the skin
Softer Slicker such as "Ever Gentle", "Warner's",
"DoggyMan", etc. These are used for general brushing
Greyhound style comb
Pin brushes, slicker brushes & combs
Canine shampoo and conditioner
Nail trimmers and Kwik Stop (for the nail that is cut too short and
bleeds)
Ear cleaners and ear powder and hemostats for pulling the hair if you
choose to go this route to maintaining ears.
Scissors - minimum 8" straight when working on a Standard (I prefer 10"
and use both straight and curved)
Conditioning spray to use when brushing long coats (something like Magic
Touch-Crown Royal #3)
OPTIONAL - rubber bands and plastic wrap. It is not necessary to buy
expensive color coordinated rubber bands and wraps. You can go to the local
beauty supply shop and pick up a bag of 500 bands for under $2.00, and you can
use cheap sandwich baggies (twist tie type) to use as wraps. It is also handy
to have smaller bands on hand
these can be purchased at:
http://www.laineeltd.com