some questions about the Notes from the grooming table book and other questions

[HoundLover]

okay enough with being bitter...
a few questions for those of you that also have the Notes from the grooming table book. i am TOTALLY lost as to what the breed haircuts mean...i am totally lost! LOL! i do not understand the diffrence between the dark bold lines and the broken lines. also...how would i go about asking another groomer if i can apprentice under them? would posting an ad in the classifieds work or would i need to directly go up to another groomer and ask them if i can apprentice under them?
any ideas and tips would be appreciated.
also concerning wet shaving...this dosnt ruin your clippers and blades? and what are everyones favorite brand of clippers/blades/shears?
also concerning grooming the dogs...do you keep grooming the dog until YOU think the dog is perfect or until the Owner thinks the dog is perfect? and how do you learn how much to take off without going too far?
Hound

[DogChic]

a couple answers .....

<<i do not understand the diffrence between the dark bold lines and the broken lines.>>
Solid dark lines are where you clipper to ... the dotted lines indicates blending .... sometimes I blend a little with a skip tooth at this line, but you also HAVE TO use thinning shears ... the magic scissor - to create a transition between different lenghts of hair.

<<how would i go about asking another groomer if i can apprentice under them?>>
I personally would make a list of all of the groomers in my area and then visit each one and see what would work best for you, and if they were willing to take on an apprentice.

<<also concerning wet shaving...this dosnt ruin your clippers and blades?>> I've never wet shaved so i don't know!

<<what are everyones favorite brand of clippers/blades/shears?>>
I have andis clippers/blades, geib, buttercut & 44/20 scissors.

<<do you keep grooming the dog until YOU think the dog is perfect or until the Owner thinks the dog is perfect? and how do you learn how much to take off without going too far?>>
Knowing when a dog is "DONE" will be clearer to you as you groom more .... I'm still not entirely there. As for going too far .... I have the Chris Palowsky Poodle video ... and she says that you have to know WHY you are taking off the hair that you are, and then you will not be so scared to take off a lot if you know you are doing it correctly.

[Giselle]

Answer about apprentice

Houndlover,

"how would i go about asking another groomer if i can apprentice under them?"

I seemed to have lucked out. I was talking to a lady that owns her salon and I told her I was about to attend grooming school. She offred me to apprentice under her while in school and also after I gradute. I was in awe! But there are some really wonderful groomers out there that are willing to do this... be patient and and like Dogdchic said, just go out and ask. You have nothing to lose just alot of knowledgr to gain. Good luck!
Giselle

[watt-a-dog]

the dark line is the "clip to" line, below that is where you blend, so basicly your blending from the clippered area, into the skirt/legs etc...

Wet shaving does not damage your blades, clipping dirty hair damages your blades, as long as you clean & oil your blades after wet clipping your blades should do fine & they will last a lot longer than if you are pre-clipping matted coats. Ive been doing it for years and Never had any problems plus ive been able to do the matted dogs faster & leave more coat than if I were to pre-clip.

My fave's
Clippers, Laube Litnings(Cordless )
Blades, Laube ceramics
Scissors, Kamisori Shears
but everyones difrent & what works for me wont nessicarily work as well for you.

Ive been grooming 14 years and trust me "the dog is Never Perfect" LOL.. you have to learn to stop at some point or you will go insaine trying to get every last hair Perfect. Because as soon as you think its perfect the dog will shake and.. Oh look,, missed a bit here.. oh and where did that come from... and did he always have that thin spot there and on & on & On.....
Remember the Owners dont notice a lot of stuff that we see, make sure the dog is smooth & even but learn when to say "done" and put the scissors down.

[HoundLover]

yeah she also said ceramic blades were **** too! and not to buy a cordless clipper...well i think if you were to buy one and it comes with an extra battery that makes more sense than buying one that only has one rechargable battery and when it dies your done LOL! i think a corded clipper has got to be the most annoying thing...i know the corded nail grinder i bought was annoying to me...i will definatley get a cordless dremel if i can find one cheap LOL!
thanks for that information! id never heard of wet clipping before and i doubt she did either...also for everyones information she was only grooming about 3 yrs when she opened her own shop too. so i highly doubt she is the BEST groomer out there to teach me. also she seemd highly surprised when i told her i prefer the short shanked shears rather than the longer shanked shears. thats me personally...she prefers the longer shanks. well our hands are diffrent LOL!
Hound

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

Just in case you aren't, make sure that along with looking at the pictures in Notes, that you read everything that goes along with it. When Melissa Verplank says to "Card the coat before and after the bath," there is a reason for it. That book is chock full of useful information for a pet groomer, very useful.

Read about the shampooing and drying process, etc.

Now, as far as wet clipping, it CAN ruin your clippers and blades if you A) let moisture run down into your clipper, and B) if you don't dry off your blades (well) after using them for wet clipping. They can rust.

Good luck!

Tammy in Utah