yorkie grooming

Question
QUESTION: Hello!
I have 6 beautiful yorkies ranging in sizes from 15 pounds to 4 pounds. I would like to learn how to groom them, and I am currently looking for quality grooming clippers & trimmers.  Could you please tell me what brand to look for & what blades, etc.  Also, what type of grooming table is best.
Thank you!

ANSWER: Expect to pay about $150 or so for a good pair of clippers. (Cordless, or battery-operated will cost much more) Clippers should have interchangable blades, and can have one or two speeds. Do not get any clipper that basically relies on those plastic combs to give you various lengths. Most of your cutting should be done with metal blades and a good pair of shears. I recommend Andis and Oster clippers. http://tinyurl.com/6qhby4  As to which blades, that would all depend on how you intended to groom your Yorkies (what sort of pattern). I myself prefer them with their coats a bit longer; that is what makes them look like Yorkies!

The smaller the number of the blade, the longer it clips; that would be a #4 blade. Any trim longer requires a clip-on comb, but they don't work terribly well. A #40 blade would be a surgical blade, but I love them for shaving the hair out of the bottom of the footpads, and they are the blade to use with the clip-on combs.

Most any cheap grooming table will work. If you need it a bit taller for your height, you can use PVC piping over the bottom of the lower parts of the table legs to raise the height to whatever level you need. I like to have the dog's head about even with my shoulders so that I don't have to do a lot of bending as I groom.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I am considering either the oster golden a-5 or the andis agc single or super 2 speed.  Any recommendation which may be better?  Is the andis quieter?  I also like the longer length for yorkies coats.  Other than the #10 blade for general grooming, what blades would you recommend for the face, feet, etc.  thanks so much

Answer
I prefer the Andis because the hair is not drawn into the clippers like it can be in the Oster. The Oster needs to have the end removed and cleaned out periodically so that it doesn't overheat too quickly because of hair blockage. Most clippers are pretty quiet nowadays.

If you like longer coats, you could probably get by with just the #10 blade. I do like shaving the pads because it is quicker than scissoring, and I use either my #30 or #40 blades for that. You might prefer a 5/8 blade because of your tiny feet, but the corners of that are more pointed than the larger blades and it has to be used with more caution.