Start
the clipping on the upper third of the ear, working against
the lie of the hair. At the back edge of the ear, the area to
be clipped is slightly less than one third so that it conforms
to the shape of the ear. As you move the clippers upwards, roll
the clipper up and away to avoid sharp lines.
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Holding
the ear forward and out of the way, clean the back and sides
of the neck.
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Hold
your dog's chin up and find a position just above the breastbone,
where you will begin the upward strokes to clean the dog's neck
and lower jaw.
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Working
against the lie of the hair, clean the muzzle and lips. Tip:
If your dog is lacking fullness in the lip, you can leave a
little more hair on to give the appearance of fullness.
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The
cheeks are clipped against the lie of the hair, taking care
not to clip beyond the corner of the eye. This enhances the
cheek chiselling.
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Clean
out the stop with a reverse v-shaped action. Tip: If your dog
is lacking a well-defined stop, you can enhance it by leaving
tiny tufts of hair on each side of the v-shape, close to the
eye.
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Trim
an area just behind the skull between the ears to enhance the
crest in your dog's neck. Be careful not to start too far back
and take care to blend the strokes so that they don't leave
marks.
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Using
thinning scissors with the lie of the hair - never against it
- trim the neck so that the short hair blends smoothly with
the longer hair. Carefully monitor how much you are taking off
- err on the side of too little, rather than too much.
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Trim
the tail to give it a neat, rounded appearance.
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Longish
hairs can be blended with the shorter coat with the careful
use of thinning scissors.
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You
may wish to use a Mars stripper to remove stray hairs or undercoat
along the topline to obtain a smooth finish. Drag the tool gently
over the dogs back, taking care not to scratch or nip the skin.
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The
dead hair is easily caught up in the stripping comb.
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The
feet are trimmed with a pair of sharp shears - curved or straight.
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Once
you have finished trimming and brushing the coat, you can wrap
the ears in cling-wrap bandage to protect them.
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Models
for this demonstration: Calvin and Caroline
Photos © SHOWDOGS
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