Calling all groomers...(or anybody remotely familiar with Wahl clippers lol)?

Question

I got a newfie/collie mix...all black and while I'm not a fan of shaving or cutting short a dogs coat....my babe is melting whenever it gets over 70 degrees lol. So bought a Wahl pet clipper off ebay (used) It's supposed to be a good one, I believe it would be like a medium or heavy duty type. I tried it on her yesterday and the motor first of all doesn't seem to run as fast as I expected (I was thinking the speed of an electric shaver?) as soon as I tried to clip her (using 1/2" comb attachment) the motor goes waaaay down slow, and all it does is clump and jam her hair into the blades. The instructions said something about sharpening the blades, but I'm wondering if that is all it is or does the clipper sound defected? Don't really want to spend extra $ on blades if the unit is toast lol. I know it's hard to say without seeing it.

Oh, also it said something about an adjustable power screw thats supposed to regulate wattage or something like that. Could this be the problem?

Don't worry...no plans on "shaving" the dog. Am well aware coat acts as insulation both ways :) But her coat is so long at this point it is interferring with her vision and mobility (her "beard" is waaay too puffy & long!) I would say her coat is 5-6" long....I want to get it down to a 1-2". Thanks! Oh and yes....it is pet clippers :)

Answer 1

The clippers that you have are fairly good, I have tried them but felt they were not able to run fast enough to get through thick coats. I personally use Laube or double k clippers. I have groomed 1 newf mix and used a 16mm blade (andis) and that leaves approx 1/2" on the dog. Another method to thin out the coat is to invest in a tool called Marrs coat king this works wonders on collies Shepard's and newfs.

Answer 2

Clipping a dog won't necessary make it cooler--the hair can insulate against the heat as well as against the cold. In addition, you dog may get sunburned, so consider these things before clipping. Newfie's love water--have you considered a hard plastic kids swimming pool for the yard?

Has your dog shed it's undercoat? If not, then comb out the undercoat before you try to clip so it doesn't clog up the clippers. You may need sharper blades--they do get dull fast. There are all kinds and grades of clippers, and there are also differences between Wahl clippers for dog and humans--do you know if you got pet or people clippers? Try a longer attachment first, and then go over again with a shorter one and so on until you have the length you need.

Answer 3

Wahl clippers are good quality, but it sounds as though you bought one that is similar to the kind you can pick up at Wal Mart. I would recommend having your pooch professionally groomed. You do not have to have him/her shaved down, but a groomer can remove the undercoat of the dog - that makes their coat thicker and hotter in the summer. If you are still in the market to groom your dog yourself, I would recommend going onto a groomers website and picking up a professional set of clippers (at least $150 to ensure quality) and investing in a number 3 or 5 blade. This will cut the hair short, but will leave enough on that they are not bald. Oster, Wahl or Andis are the good quality clippers. Good luck!

Answer 4

it';s hard to say without seeilng it.
I never use conmbs unless teh dog is thouroughly and totally combed out. they get caught up in the hair big time. I myself use the oster brand clippers and i use would use a #5 blade on the dog it would leave about the same amount of hair on the dog but easier. yo may try to go to a groomer and ask tehir opinion.