What grooming clippers & combs should I use on a standard poodle? What clippers and equipment do I buy to do a basic clip? I’ve been asked by my standard poodle puppy parents questions like these about grooming and equipment. Here is my experience and use with a few clipper brands and combs.
Clippers
Own a Andis five-speed slim line clipper. I really like the slimmer design for my smaller hands and the ability to reduce speed when trimming puppies for their first few times.
I also own a Oster A5 – bit heavy and wider for my hand, but it’s been a diehard for me and is now going on it’s 17th year. They do now make a slimmer version.
My niece is a professional groomer and she likes and has been using a Wahl clipper. She has the Wahl bravura. She states that it is quiet and doesn’t vibrate very much. It’s cordless with a 5 in 1 blade. It goes as long a #9 down to a #40.
I like clippers that can be used with universal blades. What I mean by that is, I can put Wahl or Oster blades on my Andis clipper. The clipper blades must be A5-compatible. That way whichever blades are on sale I can take advantage of those sales and they are interchangeable.
Not recommend a cordless clipper for anyone that has just one or two dogs to groom as you will have to buy replacement batteries for it in a year or two.
Clipper Blades
Most economical when starting out is to get two #10 blades with comb attachments.
Note: reason for two blades is so you can change them out when they get hot while trimming face, paws and genitals.
Here are the blades I normally use when grooming.
- #30 – use on paws (adults & puppies) going with the hair (from wrist to nails) prevents accidentally cutting their web. Also on puppies faces when they’re just starting to get groomed because it cuts very quickly and they don’t hold still for very long. You can save yourself some money and use a #10 for the same.
- #10 – for face and genitals.
- #30 & #10 – use these blades with the different sized combs on the body. I like a 5/8”comb in the winter for my dogs and 1/2” comb in the summer for the bodies. I scissor top knot and legs.
- #7 or #5 – I use these two blades now and than for the body, but prefer the comb attachments as I don’t have to keep switching out the blade or spraying it with Kool Lube to keep from burning my dogs (hot spots). I do like the #5 for the tummy area.
Clip on Combs
When starting out I bought a multiple pack of different sized combs and find I only use a couple of the sizes. 5/8” during the winter on the body and ½” comb during the summer for a shorter cut and sometimes the 1”on the legs before I hand scissor.
Kool Lube spray
Cools blades down quickly.
Blade wash
Use to wash blades (Get a small glass jar with a lid, wide enough that you can fit your clippers into it. Pour a small amount in the jar. Run the clippers and just enter the blade wash a little bit to cover the blade. Run it for about 10 seconds in the wash, turn off the clippers wipe off blade and store. Blade wash can be used multiple times before replacing with new wash.