Anyone use snap ons on ears??

[DAPER DAWG]

Does anyone ever use say a #2 or #3 snap on comb to help do ears of dogs who may be wiggly or nervous? Like in place of a #10. (For scotties etc.) Would this help lessen the risk of making cuts or could an ear still get pulled under the comb into the blade??

[sheilabgroomer]

Personally I feel safest using a 10 blade even on the most squirmy dogs. I would be afraid that a snapon's teeth would puncture if the dog zigged when I zagged. I will sometimes use a different blade (3f, 4f, etc) IF the dog is well behaved and the owner wants a longer look, or if they have a "skinny" coat and I don't want to bald them. JMO

[sheilabgroomer]

I meant to also say that I don't think a snap on would be very efficient on stand up ears. I could be wrong.

[Jadenlea]

I would think a snap on would be more dangerous on a wiggly dog. you can catch the ear between those big teeth. #10 is your safest blade.

[luckydog]

trimming ears

I have used any length snap-on on the ears depending upon the look the owner wants. I even use a 3 blade on my own terrier mix. You can still cut the ears if you don't come off the ear flat as the leather could still go up between the teeth of the snap-on. On any westie-type heads(including yorkies in puppy cuts) I always use whatever snap-on I'm using on the body to help set length, before trimming into the round face shape. For wiggly dogs I do like using the small anvil curved shears with the ball tip(they have blue plastic handles) Just be sure to always, no matter what, to be holding the ear leather and only trim the hair that sticks out, slowly moving around the whole ear, and never pointing down towards the base, always out at the tip. It takes a lot longer, but safety is the number one priority. I love those cheap little scissors for all kinds of wiggly dogs--faces, feet, etc.

[hairdevil]

I agree. A snap on is way too dangerous. Its dangerous enough as it is, just be sure keep your blade at the correct angle

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

I only use snap-ons on Golden Retrievers and other dogs with fluffy ears like that.

If you use a #10 you'd probably be safer. If the dog is wiggly, I will hold the ear in my hand and let the dog move around, but not the ear. Eventually I can usually wear down the dog---they give in. Sometimes it's frustrating because you don't have time to chase a dog around the table. Of course I use my Groomers Helper and this does help with the table dancing a bit, so usually it's not a problem.

Tammy in Utah

[DAPER DAWG]

I guess I mean more for the ones who absolutely hate the clippers by the head and fling their heads and buck around even in the groomers helper. Do you shave the ears at all or just tell them for safety reasons it can't done?

[milhasavilla]

I guess I mean more for the ones who absolutely hate the clippers by the head and fling their heads and buck around even in the groomers helper. Do you shave the ears at all or just tell them for safety reasons it can't done?

I guess if they're flinging their heads around uncontrollably - then I probably wouldn't clip them at all. Scissoring them can be even more dangerous. I've left ears long before in this case and just tidy-ed them up a bit if they didn't react to the scissors. I have rarely ever used a snap on for the ears - maybe like in a similar case like Tammy said with a golden, etc. Most of the big fluffy dogs that come into me are the oay dogs, and get shave downs. So I just use 10's on the ears.

[Helly]

I think I've probably used just about anything on just about every part of the dog, including snap ons on ears. I think you'd want to go with a 4 or 5 for a smooth, short ear, a 1 or 2 for something like a golden ear.

It's not really that dangerous, certainly no more dangerous than using a 10. Think about it for a minute. What's doing the cutting, the comb or the blade you're using under it? The ear leather not only has to get between the teeth of the comb (easy), but also between the teeth of the blade that's doing the cutting. Under a snap on, that should be a 30 or 40. It's harder for the ear leather to get between the teeth of a 30 blade than it is for it to get between the teeth of a 10. It's not impossible, just a lot less likely.

You can also use a smaller clipper, like a TidBit, with one of the snap ons that comes with it. Being smaller, it makes less noise, and is easier to control for things like little ears.

[Gracy Rose]

Helly, that is what I use, I use the small wahl clipper which is a 30, and then I use the attachments for different sizes. The smallest attachment is close to a 8.5 w.

[sheilabgroomer]

Helly, w/a snap on I would not worried about cutting the ears so much as I would worry about puncturing them.

[pamperedpups]

DAPER- Do you have a quieter, smaller set of clippers you can try on the dogs you are describing? If that doesn't work and the dogs seem to be thrashing too much to make neatening the ears up with scissors too risky, I would just leave them rather than risk injury to the dogs or yourself.

That said, I have used snap-on combs and many different blade sizes on ears and haven't had a problem!

[Helly]

I guess my snap ons aren't all that sharp. If I thought they were sharp enough to puncture an ear, I'd be afraid to use then anywere on the dog without rounding the tips off first.

[jbates]

I thought She ment snap on ears..like if one was cut off accidenyly...cuz of the title Snap on ears...haha