Shave Down

[SCRATCH-N-SNIFF]

when I am doing a save down on a large dog w/ a very heavy coat, dose anyone do the save down first before they wash the dog or after?
I just did a st bernard and its coat was so full that it took at least a 1hr+ just to dry with the HV. I thought if I did the save down first but I dont wanna risk brakeing my trimmers. what dose everyone think?

[Rozie26]

Wet Shave all the way

if i have a dog like that i shave them while the wet. You kill two birds with one stone although you may have to wash it again if you can't get the soap all the way down to the skin. You can always research wet shave on the board and that's where i learned to do a wet shave and on small to med sized dogs i charge 15 bucks extra due to wear and tear on the equip and then on large dogs like a st. i would charge 20 to 25 extra. Hope that helps.

Rose

[PAWS]

I would for sure bathe and hv first. If you rake out the undercoat while conditioned, the drying will go faster. The cut just looks soooo much nicer and is easier on your tools. I also clip in reverse. Choose the length you want and go one size larger for reverse clipping. Just be sure they are good and dry. If you want, you can even run a furminator over them after clipping to make it lay smoother. If you have a clipper vac system, it will go even better! I have read about also using the slicker while wet and conditioned to pull out extra coat, but this part I have not tried just yet. I do have 2 german sheperds on monday that I will do that on...no shave, just to get the undercoat out. Absolutely charge extra for these big guys! To give you an idea, (without mentioning actual prices) I add on 25% to 50% of the regular groom fee, depending on amount of undercoat and length of coat/drying time.

[elliemae]

i was taught to cut off as much as you can before the bath..why spend all that time drying somthing that is going to be in the trash...especially when you are doing a dog like you are describing.

[watt-a-dog]

Use a recurculating Bath system to get the dog clean & rinsed & then Wet Shave da Puppie.
Ive never had to rewash this way (ok once, but it was a 4 inch thick Pelted Lhasa & its a wonder I even got it wet enough to wet shave. still saved a Lot of time )

[furrybestjob]

I remember seeing somewhere the statement that cutting a dirty coat is like cutting sand paper with your scissors and blades. That's something I don't want to do if I can avoid it. I haven't found that cutting off the hair shortens the drying time at all. (As a matter of fact, short hair dogs like labs take me longer to dry than the long coated ones). The only time I'll shave before is if a dog is really matted, and in that case I have certain blades that I use so I don't ruin my other ones. Even then, I may bath and wet shave.
I guess I'm lucky. I groom a st. Bernard that dries super fast.

[milhasavilla]

I usually do a wet shave on a matted dog, but if it is a huge dog like a saint I would probably shave it down before I wash just becuase I don't know if I could get to him easily in the tub (I wet shave in the tub). I suppose I could drag him back out of the tub and shave him, but it would be easier for me to shave before I think (especially if he wasn't full of grit) and worry about the blades later. Sounds like a big job!!

[Rozie26]

yeah i have only had to rewash one time as well and it was a cockapoo that had a pelt matted about the same way. that lady got a lecture as that was the second time i had to do that. she is now on a regular schedule. but definatly don't spend all your time drying hair and blowing out undercoat that is going to come off anyway and go in the trash. you wash and then shave and then dry and the dry time is cut WAY down. let us know how you do.

rose

[Gracy Rose]

I do shave the bulk off, I don't go for smooth. I usually spend about 10-15 minutes just to "debulk".

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

I'd bathe first. Not just hard on your equipment to groom dirty dogs, it's hard to get the clippers to go through. But if you thoroughly wash and hand-dry the dog, the clippers will go through like a hot knife through butter---and much faster than trying to clip through dirty hair without scalping them with a #10.

JUST REMEMBER TO CHARGE ENOUGH FOR YOUR WORK. The owners will be happy, and the dog will smell good.

Tammy in Utah

[pamperedpups]

Edited.

[furrybestjob]

I was just thinking also, that when you shave down the dog before the bath, you have to reshave it after the bath as well, so anytime that you may have saved drying the dog is taken up with having to reshave the dog.

[socalkevin]

I'd probably bathe and dry completely before taking a blade to him...i've dulled many blades on dirty coats...and it get's costly after a while......

[elizo]

If the customers really just want a shave (not a guard clip) then definately shave it first.....price of sharpening the blade you dull doing it $5...price for my aggrevation and the wear and tear on my wrists having to wash, HV, comb out THEN shave down?....priceless...

[PAWS]

I guess if you wanted to "cut" a little drying time off, wet shaving is definately the way to go. When I posted before, I was thinking of leaving a length with a guard comb, as opposed to a smoothie! If they want a length of say, 3/4" or whatever, I would still clip them after they are clean and dry. By the way, this obviously is for those that do not have matted coats, just very hairy guys!