How to Shave a Dog

By eHow Pets Editor

Instructions

Step 1:
Choose your tools carefully. Clippers made for human hair are not appropriate for a dog's dense coat. You need quality clippers and blades made specifically for animal grooming. Human hair clippers will pull the dog's fur and will overheat quickly.
Step 2:
Secure your dog. A raised table with a collar that you've attached to an overhead support to hold the dog's head up will keep him from trying to jump off. Give him room to move his head a little. Alternatively, you can have an assistant hold his collar up.
Step 3:
Start with your dog's face. Attach a #10 blade to your clippers and carefully shave long hair between the eyes and ears. Be extremely careful. If the dog is moving around, wait until he calms down. Stay at least 1 inch away from the eyes.
Step 4:
Raise the dog's legs. Next on the list is the underarm area. Pull the fur and skin taught and shave away from your hand in a smooth motion. Follow by shaving the under-tail area. This is especially helpful in longhaired breeds that tend to get feces stuck in their fur.
Step 5:
Change to a longer blade and proceed to shave the rest of the dog's body, starting behind the head, working down the neck and then down both sides. Reach underneath and shave the belly carefully, remembering to pull the skin taught and shave away from your hand.
Step 6:
Continuously check the heat of your clippers while you shave your dog. Thick fur can cause them to overheat quickly and they can burn. If they get warm, shut them off awhile and give both of you a break. Resume when they have cooled down.

Tips & Warnings

Talk reassuringly to your dog through out the process and reward him when you're done. Take timeouts as needed. If the shave becomes traumatic for your dog, he will resist even more the next time it needs to be done.
Don't shave a dog too closely in the summer. Dogs depend on their fur for protection from the sun. They can sunburn easily. Keep at least 1 inch on his coat for protection.

More Puppy Pages

How to Groom a Schnoodle Dog

Schnoodles, the adorable mixture of Schnauzer and Poodle, have a unique fur type. These dogs have a pleasing blend of their parents' fur types. Most Schnoodles have silky, wavy, fine-textured fur that is non-shedding and hypoallergenic. The Schnoodle is...

Grooming your dog consists of removing dirt, debris and mats from his fur, washing him and giving him a quick trim. Grooming a show dog is more complicated and you need breed standard information about the angle of the dog’s fur and the desirable...

A Maltese is a breed of dog in the Toy group. Maltese dogs are hypoallergenic and do not shed, so people who are allergic to dogs are usually not allergic to Maltese dogs. The Maltese is known for its long, white fur that grows straight down to the...

Removing mats from your animal's coat can be a painful process if not done correctly. Your pet's fur can mat for a number of reasons and frequent brushing is the best way to prevent the situation. When your furry friend has mats, try a gentle touch to...

The chihuahua is the oldest purebred dog originating in North America according to the American Kennel Club. With distinct features, they are tiny, three pound dogs with long tails and unusually large eyes and ears. Chihuahuas have either a short, smooth...