Grooming a Maltese

Question
Lori

I to have three (3) Maltese and they have been going to the same groomer since they were 12 week old now Missy is 5 Tazz is 4 Max is 1.  It gets a little expensive to take them every two (2) weeks so i would like to start trying to groom them myself.  Tazz & Max i like to keep in the lamb cut (short) and Missy i keep her semi-short.  Can you please tell my what kind of clippers/blades & guards to use and how do i trim around the lip area?
I'm not sure how to add pictures but when you answer my question i can send you pictures from my aol account.

Thanks for all your help.

Sherry

Answer
I understand when my customers need to save money especially with the current economy.  But grooming your own dog is not necessarily an easy undertaking.  

You will need a good pair of clippers.  I recommend buying professional models.  I like the Andis brand of clippers the best, but any of the other brands work well.  Usually the clipper comes with a #10 blade.  This is a good blade to use in the sanitary area and around the eyes.  From that point the decision on what to use on the body depends on the length you prefer.  You can ask your current groomer what she uses to get a good idea.  Clipper blades are numbered.  The higher the number the shorter it clips.  Also, clipper blades can be found as either skip-tooth or fine.  I recommend using "F" blades as a beginner.  There is less chance with these blades of accidentally cutting your pet.  A medium sized blade is a #5F.  It leave about 1/2 inch of hair on the dog.  Using guards is another option.  Guards slip over the clipper blade.  I recommend purchasing a #30 blade to use under the guard.  This will give you a nicer cut to the coat.  A #1 guard leaves the coat approximately 1 inch.  Guards go down in number as they leave more hair, so the higher the number the shorter the coat.  Guards should be used on a clean and brushed out coat.  The will not go through tangled or matted hair.

You need to make sure that you do the parts of grooming that do not show as much.  The pads need to be kept clean and hair free, the nails trimmed and the ears cleaned out.  Always brush your dog out completely before bathing it.  Water tightens any tangles and makes it harder to remove them.  I prefer to work on a clean coat because it helps extend the life of my equipment.  Make sure the coat is dry before you begin.

One product to have on hand is a blade coolant.  There are many brands available.  The blade should never be allowed to become uncomfortably hot.  I test the temperature on my inner arm.  If it's hot, spray it with coolant to cool it down and continue.  Wipe the excess coolant off the blade before putting the blade on the coat.  

Good scissors are a must in working on your own pet.  This will help you make the feet and eye area neat.  Scissors should be sharp.  More dogs are cut by dull scissors due to the excess force your need to get them to cut.  When I work around the lips, I use one hand to tightly hold the mouth shut.  If the dog licks while you are cutting you may nick it's tongue.  You can try holding the hair with your fingers between the lip and the scissors and cut the excess sticking out.  This is another way of maintaining a degree of safety in that area.

You will probably want to restrain your dog while working on it.  I always recommend a portable table with an arm and use a grooming noose to restrain.  This primarily works to keep your pet on the table.  Don't ever leave your dog restrained and unattended.  This is a recipe for a disaster.  An alternative to a table is to place a rubber bathtub mat on the clothes dryer and to use a suction cup restraint to help hold the dog in place.  These restraints are sold as bath tub restraints.  

Here is a link to the Andis Clipper blade section at Ryans Pet Supply : http://www.ryanspet.com/ryanspet/productList.asp?pageNav=prev%26categoryCode=101...  Each blade size is described.  I find that the hair usually comes out a little longer than what the official blade site describes.  So feel free to adjust your choice accordingly.  There is also a section in their on-line catalog that describes lengths for snap on combs.  From there it should be fairly easy to choose the tools you want for your particular dogs.

Good luck to you!  This can be a fun project, but it will take lots of practice and patience to get the job done right.  I hope this helps answer your question!