How to Use Thinning Shears on a Dog's Coat

Thinning shears look like regular scissors, except that one of the blades has teeth like a comb. When the shears are closed, they leave some of the hair intact. Thinning shears have the advantage of not leaving a solid line, so cutting errors are less obvious.Thinning shears can also be used to thin out a dog's coat during hot weather, which helps keep long-haired dogs cooler.

Things You'll Need

  • Grooming table or helper
  • Brush
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Instructions

    • 1

      Restrain the dog. Thinning shears are not as prone to cutting the dog's skin as regular scissors, but they can pinch and draw blood if the dog makes a sudden move or tries to leap away. Use a grooming table, or have a helper restrain the dog.

    • 2

      Comb the dog to remove any mats or tangles from the dog's coat. Don't worry about brushing to remove loose hairs, since there will be a lot more loose hairs to brush after you're done with the shears.

    • 3

      Place the toothed blade of the thinning shears next to the dog's skin, and angle the shears so the teeth are pointed slightly away from the skin. Close the shears and pull upward slightly before moving the shears for the next snip. This avoids cutting hair that has already been cut.

    • 4

      Brush out the loose hairs and examine the dog's coat. It's easy to cut out too much hair, so check your progress every few snips. Brush the remaining loose hair out of your dog's coat when you are finished.