SPIKE

Straight and drop coated dogs can be a real challenge when you are first learning to groom. Spike also has an undercoat, that’s why we have popped him into our Combination Coat section. There are a number of techniques and tools that reduce lines and ‘choppiness’ on a coat like this. Spike is a Silky Terrier mix (supposedly), this coat can be very tricky to work with. The key to clipping this coat is reducing undercoat by washing, drying and finely combing the coat before clipping. 

Part 1 Nicky demonstrates how to avoid track marks. Keep a close eye on where the grain of the coat is falling, avoid cross clipping and make sure your ‘clipper to skin’ contact is evenly distributed. 

Part 2 Not all dogs stand still while being groomed! When working with a straight coat, we need to focus on blending. Great handling, scissoring and clipping skills are needed to bring this clip together. Neat feet, a tight head with keen expression using thinning shears are all demonstrated in this video