What kind of clippers do i need to shave my standard poodle?

i have a standard poodle and it costs about $70 every time i take him to the groomer.. i was keeping him with a show clip but now that its summer he is always in the water and a shorter cut would be so low maintenance. i would love to find the tools to do it myself. i just want the basic "puppy clip." (a really short body, with his only his head/ears and pom-pom tail left longer.) any groomers or owners of standards who do the grooming yourselves?
Answers:
I have an A-5 and an Andis. Both are expensive. The Andis I got on QVC. Both are rotary,not magnetic clippers. The most inportant thing is to keep your blades sharpened, cool and well-oiled. To be a good groomer, basically you have to practice. I taught myself. The dogs looked odd at first, but now I'm pretty good. I groom my relatives and friends dogs. you can do this. It's a great skill to learn. Find someone to sharpen your blades locally if you can. I've had to learn this because we get in dogs that are a horrid mess. Shaving off matted dogs is nasty. For the price, I'd go with a good groomer. Your capital outlay for good equipment is very high. $70 once in a while is probably cheaper.

---

The best clippers are the Oster A-5, but they are kind of expensive (about $150). You would also have to buy a blade to use on the clippers. I would recommend using a 4 or 5 size blade (the higher the number, the shorter the cut). Just take your time, and shave with the direction of the hair. Be sure to use plenty of clipper oil before, during, and after using the clippers.

---

I recommend an Andis 2 speed clipper, with at least 2, #10 blades and then 2 of what ever length you want to keep him clipped at. You also need a can of Cool Lube, some brushes and a steel comb. Plan to spend about $200 for the basics because having only one of each blade means you have to either stop when the blade gets hot or use a lot of cool lube to keep from burning the dog's skin. The Andis is a great clipper but don't try an be cheap and get the $50 clipper kit cause it won't last on a dog that size. And while your at it you might want to invest in a small power blower to get that poodle clean and dry after a day in the pool. Plan to throw in about another $50 at least.
Am i starting to make taking the dog to the pros's look a litte better? If not then your gun-ho and i think you can pick up some really good books on poodle grooming at the book stores or even the library.
P.S.
The puppy clip isn't easy to maintain, what you want is a kennel clip, which is a total shave down with trimmed head, ears and tail.
Good luck and remember, keep those blades cool or you'll burn you dog all up.
Also the Oster is really noisy and has a built in blower that sends hair flying everywhere. The Andis is enclosed and much easier to maintain.

---

First, I would like to say that I strongly discourage this. Clippers are dangerous, even professional can nick the skin, and I have seen dogs come in with truly grotesque injuries caused by DIY owners gouging them with clippers. So while I understand your concerns about the cost, please consider the dangers involved with trying this on your own.

That being said, the worst thing you can do is buy cheap clippers from a petstore. Go online to www.petedge.com and order professional grade clippers. Wahl, Oster, and Andis are the most often used brands by professionals, I personally like the Andis. Then you have to order blades, again, order from the 3 brands I listed, not a cheap brand. A short body clip is done with a 5, 7, or 10 blade. Feet are done with a 10 blade working from the toenail up towards the ankle. Face can be done with a 10 against the grain of the hair- from the ear down to the nose, and up the throat to the chin.

You should also realize that this is an expensive enterprise. Clippers will cost you around $200, each blade is another $20-$30, and a good pair of scissors (you won't have much luck with household scissors, I can tell you that) are at least $70. That doesn't include nail clippers, ear pluckers, brushes, combs, dematting rakes, etc. You could end up spending close to $500- is it really worth it?

Finally, grooming poodles is one of the most difficult things a professional groomer does- it takes YEARS to learn those clips properly, and to learn how to shape the hair. You won't get the groom you're looking for if you try it yourself. Professionals always make it look easy- that's why we get paid to do it.

Just my 2 cents, but please think about this for a long time before you try- I hate to see dogs get hurt that way.

---

I would recommend Andis clippers for the first timer. Oster seem to get hot faster, so if you are taking your time you will need a set of clippers that doesn't overheat so quickly. Even with the Andis clippers, I recommend buying a spray bottle of clipper cool - this will help cool the blade when you are working on him and it won't leave an oily mess in the coat. The 5 in one clipper cool is also a disinfectant for the blades! And don't forget blade oil!

To clip the body short, I personally wouldn't use a blade any shorter than a #4 for a standard poodle. That is relatively short but still leaves a little hair to protect the skin from sunburn in the summer. You could get longer blades to try too - #3 3/4, 3/4HT or snap on combs that fit over a #30 blade (in case you didn't know, the higher the number on the blade, the shorter the hair left after the clip). The plastic snap on combs don't transfer heat, and you can buy them in a complete set so you have a range of sizes. This will give you more versatility and will allow you to even clipper the head/ears/pompoms before you scissor finish those parts.

I couldn't imagine keeping a pet standard in a show trim! That is a lot of work, especially with the length of hair required on the body to get that poodle clip done.

Pet Edge has a good variety of tools that you could purchase online. I have had a lot of positive experiences with them and they carry virtually everything you will need to groom your dog at home. You could even buy the table, scissors and high velocity hair dryers there!

Be cautioned though that being your first time doing your pup at home, the clip might not look the way you have been used to seeing him. I am my own worst critic when it comes to my work and you will probably wind up being that way too! Practice makes perfect though! And when you do clip him, if you are using a short blade (#4 or shorter) remember that skin can get caught in the blade and can cut the dog. Just remember to hold the skin taut in areas where it is loose to prevent it getting cut by the blade.

Oh and when you are picking up blades, you will want to get a #10 to clipper his face and feet short. This blade is also used for the sanitary clip of the perianal area and the groin.Be patient when working on his face but be firm! Don't let him squirm because that could mean that he could get nicked by the blade! In time you will get this down pat!

Good luck with your boy!