How to Adjust Professional Dog Clippers

Grooming your dog is an essential part of proper pet ownership. Nearly every breed of dog needs a good grooming routine to maintain a nice coat and optimal health, and clipping the coat is common in a number of breeds. Poodles, bichons and cocker spaniels are often shaved, making a set of good dog clippers an important tool in your grooming routine. Adjusting professional dog clippers is necessary for trimming the coat to the proper length.

Things You'll Need

  • Towel
  • Clipper brush
  • Screwdriver
  • Clipper oil
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Instructions

    • 1

      Clean the clippers before adjusting the blades. Wipe the blades with a towel and brush any loose hair away with the clipper brush.

    • 2

      Examine the clippers to determine how they adjust. Some clippers have a sliding lever on the side that moves the blades up and down, while others adjust with a set of screws on the bottom.

    • 3

      Determine how far out of alignment your blades are. The front set of blades and the back set should overlap by approximately the width of one blade tooth to keep the blades running smoothly and prevent them from nicking the skin.

    • 4

      Slide the adjustment lever up until your blades are properly aligned. The blades should move back and forth freely as you move the lever, so slide them slowly into position and press the lever down into the locked position.

    • 5

      Use the screwdriver to loosen the screws and adjust the blades. The tooth farthest left on the top blade needs to slightly overlap the leftmost tooth on the bottom blade for proper alignment. Retighten the screws firmly when you are finished to prevent slippage during use.

    • 6

      Turn the clippers on and apply a few drops of oil to the blades. The oil helps lubricate the blades and keep them sharp and clean during use.