How to Give your dog a haircut yourself

Do you spend money paying someone else to cut your dog's hair? You can save yourself some money by doing it yourself. Here's how...

Things You'll Need

  • clippers
  • hair scissors (these two can usually be bought together in a set)
  • dog brush
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Instructions

    • 1

      The first step is to wash your dog. I know it's not fun but it needs to be done to get the dirt and any items that might be in your dog's hair.
      After washing your dog give him/her about 30 min to air dry, it's easier to cut the hair dry.

    • 2

      Next, take your dog to the garage for their haircut. That way the mess is easier to clean up. Get out the clippers first. Set the guard so that it will cut the hair to about 2-3" depending on the season and your dog's hair. Use the brush to brush the dog's hair up in the opposite direction of hair growth.

    • 3

      Start at the back of your dog working forward in the opposite direction of hair growth. If you have good enough clippers it should get the hair cut the first time, but some dogs have thick hair and will need more than one pass of the clipper. Make sure that you only cut the hair on the main body of the dog (not legs or head) with the clipper.

    • 4

      The scissors will be used to trim the hair on the legs and face. Pull the hair away from the dogs body as you cut that way you won't accidentally cut your dog. Be extremely cautious around the face and make sure your dog doesn't move if you're cutting around the face. When you go to cut hair off the tail you must also be careful. Feel for the tail and keep your finger on it as a guide of where not to cut. You can cut off a lot of bulk from the tail, but just be careful not to cut the tail.

    • 5

      Last, brush your dog with the dog brush to get up any loose hairs from their body. This is your opportunity to check your dog's hair for any hair that you might have missed and trim any uneven areas.