Help with Pomeranian clip/shave

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

I can easily do a #7 all over on a pom, but there are occasions when the owner wants the dog just lightly "trimmed" all over. I have used snap-on combs before and it has worked nicely, while I've had other dogs get clipped with combs and it looks choppy.

Why am I having a hard time seeing the difference in the coats? I have one who has very long hair---I warned the owner, it will probably look very choppy, but I'll do whatever you'd like. She insisted it was only hair and would grow back. I warned her again. The hair was very dense underneath, and very long on top, some of it 5 inches long---this was a real boxy pomeranian, not a tall one, a cute little bugger to boot.

I used a long comb on him (1 1/4" I think), no clipper vac. IT looked awful. I hand scissored it to even it out, but I told the owner I was very sorry but it was just as I had told her it would be---choppy. She was fine and figured it would grow back, and it will. But I hate having that feeling of "I'm just not sure" how it will come out, and this is one of the few breeds where I feel a lack of confidence in how it will turn out.

Also, I hand dry with the HV and brush to lighten up the coat/pull out dead coat. One groomer on another thread (Sneakers) mentioned using a 3 3/4 blade on the dog, and I have one of those blades, but I can't imagine it gliding through the coat...aren't most of them too thick for this? Like grooming a Newfie in a 3 3/4" ? HEEEEELP!

Tammy in Utah

[milhasavilla]

For me, I found that using a shorter snap on works better on a Pom. Like a 1/2 or 3/4 nothing longer than a 1. Some of my clients want a longer look and not the short teddy look, so I then do them in a 1" snap on. It doesn't look as nice as the shorter snap ons but it doesn't look choppy either. Just a thought. I have never hand scissored a Pom either - Most of the poms I do are fidgity little things, I can't imagine not having the ease of the snap ons. I've never done one with a 3 3/4 blade either...Might have to try it since I saw it mentioned on here too.

[diamienono]

Tammy,
That is how I feel all the time with dogs that I have never done yet. Like yesterday I had a wire fox terrier. She turned out pretty good except her face, but the owner loved it.

[sheilabgroomer]

Tammy, I know exactly the kind of coat you are talking about. If you don't take it short like w/a 5 or 7F blade they look like **** because of that super dense undercoat. What I usually do is to fully scissor cut those guys. I have tried to set the length w/a snap on but they track and just don't cut down nicely at all. Try the scissor cut, you will probably be suprised at how nice they look and what an easy scissor cut they are!

[PAWS]

If you have a clipper vac, you should try practicing "skimming" a few times on poms (or whatever) that will be shaved short. That way, if you mess up, you won't do any harm! I skim pants and feathers and manes and undercarriage...just takes a steady hand and quick reflexes. I wonder if you could cut it like a hairdresser, as we have been discussing on drop coats? I have never tried using thinners, but I recently read about using them to do this trim with, I imagine it leaves a nicer, natural finish??

[lisa]

Where I used to work we had a lot of poms come in and we frequently would use the 3 3/4 blade on them. They always seemed to turn out well. We have also used our guide combs with pretty good results. What kind of guide combs do you use? I use Laube and I know there is a difference between the lengths with the Laube combs and the Romani combs. Maybe it was just the poms that we got that had suitable coats for these cuts but hope it helps.
Lisa

[rapuzzled]

I love the look of comb attachments on poms, probably my most favorite cut to do. Are you completely removing all undercoat? I find that I can't get a smooth cut if their is any undercoat left in. Oh you may also notice that a dog will look great in say an A comb, and then the next time it looks bad because sometimes they hold that coat in, the stuff isn't blowing out yet. So sometimes nothing except cutting it shorter will look smooth.

[petgroomaustralia]

You have to completely strip the undercoat out first and then use a large comb in reverse with the vac. They come out nice and even but it is lots of extra work so charge extra

[syphol]

petgroomaustralia has it right! Going against the grain of the hair on these coats after the undercoat has been thoroughly removed works really well.

[Maggy]

Actually, I think I have a harder time with them when they have the thinner coat with long hard guard hairs. The thick coated ones come out nice and plush. I like a #1 (1/2") comb reverse, it comes out to be about the length of a #4F. I groomed one in a 4F the first time and then it came out uneven the second time, but the 1 comb reverse looked great.

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

I hand dried/brushed the coat on the one I was talking about that came out choppy, but what more can I do to strip out the undercoat? Furminate? I'd have a LOT of work on my hands, as that dog's undercoat was very thick---and that is just it. Some are fluffy and "light" and I can clip them, while others are thick, and it just wouldn't work.

I would happily use the clipper vac, I love clipping with it, but it is too short for some of the trims the owners want. Some of these poms are coming in with some darn long top coat!

I'd love to try the #3 3/4 all over, I know that dog would really have to be "mucked out" (ha) to get a nice finish, that is for sure.

Tammy in Utah

[scullysmom]

Spikey. Sometimes I skim all over with a 7s blade if they just want trimmed up all over. It seems to look very natural if they hold still-ish of course. Otherwise for shorter cuts I will usually use a snap on comb, not back brush, and then scissor it in. This may help. Oh also, one of the girls uses a mars rake to comb over the clip afterwards and it really helps to get out those corn rolls that the snap on attachments leave.

[KarlaSnyder]

Yes, to leave any length on them, they need to be fully combed out to the skin. You're really doing 2 grooms-the B/B, and then a haircut. I really like my metal Wahl combs on the thick coats. A great investment IMO.

[ejmj30]

I always envision those cute little show poms that are sooo thick and look like perfect little balls of fur. If their coat is like that, I'd say sciss a/o to neaten like a previous poster said. I think it looks better that way personally. Plus if their coat is that thick, then a snap on will be tough to get through evenly. On the poms with hair more akin to a chin or pap, I'd say go rev snap on all the way. Long comb to get that neatly trimmed look, but not overly coiffed, lol.

You know what else I think looks sooooo cute on a pom? A lion trim. It's so fitting to their personalities too!

[Helly]

I hand dried/brushed the coat on the one I was talking about that came out choppy, but what more can I do to strip out the undercoat? Furminate? I'd have a LOT of work on my hands, as that dog's undercoat was very thick---and that is just it. Some are fluffy and "light" and I can clip them, while others are thick, and it just wouldn't work.

I would happily use the clipper vac, I love clipping with it, but it is too short for some of the trims the owners want. Some of these poms are coming in with some darn long top coat!

I'd love to try the #3 3/4 all over, I know that dog would really have to be "mucked out" (ha) to get a nice finish, that is for sure.

Tammy in Utah

Try this; skim off the top coat, spray liberally with a leave in dematting spray, and blow it out with the HV again. Then skim it again. If you're really steady, you can skim the surface with a 7 blade and get it smooth.