fbpx

How to cut dog hair at home with scissorss

How to cut dog hair at home with scissors

Every dog’s owner has asked himself at least once – How can I cut my dog’s hair at home with scissors? Well apparently, if the answer was simply to cut the hair, no one would ask how to do this; but because each dog type has a unique grooming method, some of them may need just hair brushing a couple of times a week; while others will actually need a trimming every couple of month, and – well, you get the point.

As we all know, grooming and taking care of our best friends must take into consideration many things, as we will have to learn how to do things the right way.

That is why we decided to give you the best method of cutting dog hair with scissors.

Before we start to groom and cut hair, we should plan the schedule for those actions and do this the right way.

Defining your dog’s activity type

Normally, your dog has a daily schedule; he wakes up in the morning, goes for a walk (with you), or maybe he has a whole garden where he can do his activities. Try to define whether or not he does mostly outdoor activities or indoor activities.

Why does it matter? Well, it will affect how often you should groom his hair based on his outdoor activities.

Defying your dog’s activity type

Dog type

If your pet has been living with you for a while, you should see by now a pattern regarding his shedding hair. Besides the seasonality that is relevant to every dog type; you should consider the dog’s type of fur when scheduling his hair cutting. Shorter breeds may need just a brush of the hair once or two a week, while double, or clipped breeds may also require cutting their hair once a couple of months.

After answering those questions (dog’s activity type and dog type), you will have to schedule the grooming and the trimming of the hair of your best friend.

If you are planning to make a simple cut, it will be easier to maintain the grooming and the hair cutting for your dog, and this is no less important when traveling. At this point, you may consider a part of the haircut at home. and do the more thorough haircut by a professional groomer.
That way, you will reduce the chance of mistakenly injuring him with the scissors. If you decide to do all of the cutting at home, we highly recommend that you try to consult with a professional groomer with regards to what your dog fur type requires of you.

Choosing the right grooming scissors for your dog

When it comes to cutting dog hair with scissors, your dog should feel comfortable. Do not forget that you will perform the cut and if you feel uncomfortable, your dog will feel it right away.
So, how to choose the right scissors; ones that will fit your hand but that also have the ability to cut your dog’s hair professionally?
As you can guess by now, it depends on your dog’s hair length and type. It also depends on the cut style that you are planning to perform? Are you right-handed or left-handed?
There are many types of dog grooming scissors, and each one has particular uses. We will try to cover them now so that you will be able to choose the right one for yourself.

Grooming scissors

Straight grooming scissors

Purpose: Cut a straight edge. Mostly cut around and under the dog, in the area of the eyes, ears, and the tail.

Description: These are the most common scissors that you can find for cutting dog’s hair at home, and probably the only scissors you will need when beginning to groom your dog.
You will find various sizes and blade lengths. Remember, the most important thing here is to choose the right size and direction (if you are a lefty).
**These scissors are very sharp, and you should be very careful when using them.

Thinning scissors

Purpose: These scissors are used for getting a natural look. It is used for the main body because it dilutes the dog’s hair without taking any length off.

Description: To thin the coat of your dog, just place the blades into the fur, and clip it a couple of times.
The more times you snip it, the thinner the fur will be.
Just make sure that you do not hurt the dog’s skin by mistake.
After a clip or two, brush it and see if it’s enough for you or not. If you want it to be thinner, repeat the process again until you are happy with the result.

Curved scissors

Purpose: It will give a rounded look, and it’s been used mainly for the contour of your dog’s body.

Description: The curved scissors are useful for giving a much more natural and professional look to your dog, as it leaves the rounded shape around the body, foot, and head/ neck.
**These scissors require handling precautions; because of its bent shape, it can cut your dog’s skin.

Band scissors

Purpose: Used to cut the dog’s tangles much more easily and safely.

Description: When there are tangles, you want to use these scissors, because these can easily cut the tangles without the risk of cutting more hair than needed.

Round-tipped scissors

Purpose: Use to cut the hair around the paws and the face.

Description: The paws and the face are a sensitive area; you need to be especially careful in that area. Use the round-tipped ones because it is safer to use.

Check out this video that explains very well how to choose the right scissors:

You will also need a metal dog comb for grooming, but also for removing tangles from his hair. Here are some types of combs:

How to cut a dog’s hair at home in 14 steps

  1. Choose the hair style: Before you start, you should decide what kind of hair cut you want to perform. You can get ideas by searching on Pinterest for hair cut ideas for dogs.
  2. Prepare your Dog: the process should be relaxing; you do not want your dog to move and play. That is why you should choose none-stimulation zone; a place without loud noises or distractions. A place that your dog will feel comfortable.
  3. Pet him: after your dog is in a relaxing place, pet him, so he will feel alright. But try not to play with him, because we want him to relax.
  4. Brush the face and the body: You should brush them in the direction of the fur’s growth. Just make sure that the coat goes in this direction.
  5. Cut the long hair: It may be places where your dog will have long hair, and it will bother him – for example, under his muzzle. Brush the hair into the front direction, and cut it, so there is no fur on his eyes.
  6. Trimming the ears: When cutting hair near the ears, you should be careful not to cut the actual ear. To avoid this, hold the ear in one hand, and with the other one cut the hair around the edge of the ear.
  7. Back and the front side of the neck: You should use the thinning scissors and just dilute the coat, so it will look much more natural and feel much more comfortable for him. Just clip the thinning scissors a couple of times until you get the desired results.
  8. The chest: Repeat the process on the chest of your dog.
  9. The legs: Now we start the hardest part. Where we should move the dog and make him stay in a position that will help us cut his hair. Start with lifting up the left leg and begin to cut the fur. Repeat this process for the other three legs.
    **It is essential, that you direct the scissors away from your dog because it is widespread that dogs are hurt by the scissors.
  10. Cut the fur on the sides: The hair on the side of your dog is a place that you can cut a little bit. Then, repeat the cut if it is not as you like. First, comb the fur in the hair growth direction, then cut the hair a little bit so that it will be in the right shape and length. If that is not enough, repeat the cut once again.
  11. The Dog’s tail fur: Dogs do not like when someone holds their tail. So for this part, you should take into consideration that he will probably resist. You must try to hold the tail as little as you can. However, on the other hand, you should be careful not to cut the tail mistakenly when trying to cut the fur on the tail of your dog.
  12. The back of your dog: At this point, we are about to finish the process of cutting dog hair with scissors. That is why you should watch and pay close attention to a place where the fur looks messy. Go to the side of your dog’s body and see if the hair on the back of your dog looks like it went haywire or if the length is longer than it should be. If so, make adjustments so that it will be the right shape and size.
  13. Wash your dog: Now after you cut through all of your dog’s fur, there is much-cut hair stuck inside his coat. Brush his body and then have your dog take a shower. Put a decent amount of shampoo on, massage his body and wash it with the water. Then dry his body.
  14. The most important part(!): He behaved well, and he stood very patiently while you cut his fur. Now it is time to say thank you. Hug him and pet him. After all, he needs to know that you appreciate his behavior.

To Summarize – How do I cut dog hair at home with scissors?

As you can see the process of cutting dog hair at home is not so hard. You should know the basics, choose the right scissors and get to work. Although it is not so hard to do, we highly recommend that you consider using an electric clipper. Because it will do much better work and the chance that you will mistakenly harm your dog are very very low.

If the main reason you want to know how to cut dog hair with scissors, is to maintain the shape and style of your dog, this is the perfect guide for you.

Anyhow, remember that grooming your dog by a professional groomer, can be less of a headache for you. Also, it will be much more stylish for your dog…but if you really want to take advantage of this, read this guide a couple of times, then consult with a professional groomer about the style, get some tips specifically for your dog, and get to work!

We would love to see the results. Share a photo with us here or on social media (Facebook / Twitter / Instagram).

Good luck

Summary
How to cut dog hair at home in 14 simple steps (with scissors)
Article Name
How to cut dog hair at home in 14 simple steps (with scissors)
Description
How to groom a dog hair at home with scissors? Here is a full step by step guide, that will help you the perfect technique to start it today.
Author
Publisher Name
Andogo
Publisher Logo

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *