Kioymi's instructions for the show cut are excellent. I use Cut #2 cut on my Lacey and Cut #1 for another Bichon per customer's request. I would say if you're going to do a pet cut you're gonna really shoot for the Bichon head, which requires very little scissoring. I keep Lacey's chin hair shorter and still keep the rounded look. Lacey has a wavy coat, not the typical curly coat, so at the eye area it's hard for me to get the Bichon look around the eyes. If your Bichon has a curly coat, to get the look around the eye you don't want to scissor the hair off at the stop. Just trim it a little and cut away any hair that hangs over the edges of the eye area and of course cutting away some hair to expose the darker halo just above the inside of the eye. Study a picture of the Bichon head and eye area.
Listed below is a catalog from which you can order grooming supplies. You do not have to be a groomer or have a shop to order from it. Call and request a catalog. You can ask through the list members if anyone has the phone number of supply catalogs, then you can get different catalogs and compare prices. Also some pet supply stores (Pet's Mart, Pet Care here in the USA) have some of the same products.
New England Serum Company 1-800-637-3786 USA or Canada Oster (the maker of the Oster Small Animal Clipper that I use for grooming) call or write and request a free booklet on Grooming the Bichon, this is a nice little booklet with pictures. They show Cut #2 explained below. I hope they are still at this address, if not, maybe you could do a net search.
Oster, Professional Products 150 Cadillac Lane McMinnville, TN 37110 (615) 688-5000 - Customer Service
Call this number at Consumer Affairs for the brochure: 1-800-339-2547 then select Option #4. I called and requested 2 brochures for the Bichon Frise so I know this is the right number.
You should have professional grooming equipment. It will make a big difference in the appearance of your dog. Yes, it's expensive, but once you have the equipment it should last for many years.
Don't get discouraged. Even professionals need many hours of hands-on to get good. The more you groom the better you will get.
You will need these items for doing the basics.
Ok, let's start, and YOU BE THE BOSS. THIS IS NOT PLAYTIME. LET THEM KNOWYOU MEAN BUSINESS. BE FIRM.
BASICS: Clip Nails, Clean Ears. Do this always before the bath, if nails should bleed the blood won't get on a clean coat, and you'll find most of the ear powder gets washed away in the bath. If you do get blood on a dry coat, peroxide and water will get it out.
To clip the rear nails - I am right handed. I stand on the right side of the dog facing the rear, reach around the top of my dogs body with my left hand. Holding the foot with my left hand (almost in the position of a football) I bend the food at the ankle. The nail clipper is in your right hand (I'm assuming your right handed). Clip the nails being careful not to clip into the quick, clip a little at a time until you see a round spot in the nail, that will be the quick. If you do clip too close, use your Styptic Powder to stop bleeding. Front paws - I either bend the paw at the ankle from the back or stand in front of the dog, but in this position they can see. I believe what they can't see wont't upset them. Most dogs hate their nails cut, so this is one area to be gentle, but very firm.
Squirt a puff of ear cleaning powder in each ear. This powder makes the hair feel tacky so it's easy to grab the hair. Take your fingers and pull the hair out. Using your forceps you can get some of the ear hair a little deeper. DON'T GO TOO DEEP with the forceps, just what you can see. If you don't feel comfy using the forceps save them for later when you gain more confidence. Dogs ear canals are in the shape of an "L".
There are three styles of cuts I'll give you instructions for.
Cut #1 - shaved down (this is really not as drastic as it sounds) I call it all-off instead. You will be using a #4F or #5F blade (this would be a good cut to use the new 3-3/4 blade) for all body work, including the legs (the higher the blade number the closer the cut). Only the head and tail are left long.
My dog has a wavy coat, not the usual curly coat, her coat is also sparse so I use the #4F blade. If you feel your dogs' coat is profuse you can use the #5F, we really don't want to take off so much hair that you can see the skin. If your dog is outside for long periods, and has a cut that is too close, they can get sunburned in the summer.
Because the coat is cut all-off you do not have to worry about matting on the body or legs. But if the matting is very thick these blades will still have a hard time getting through the matts. It really is best for you, and especially the dog, if there are no matts.
Cut #2 - modified puppy cut - the body only is clipped using a #4F or 5F blade. The legs and chest are hand-scissored. Hand-scissorring takes a lot of practice. This is the cut I use on my Lacey and the one I prefer. The Oster booket and the Bichon video shows this cut. Also see Kiyomi's web site, Bichon Trimming.
Cut #3 - is a fuller version of the #1 cut. Using the #1 or #1-1/2 clip-on comb over the #30 blade or #40 blade (I use #30 blade).
F.Y.I. - the #40 blade is also the blade your vet uses to shave down before surgery. It is the blade that will cut the closest (the higher the blade number the closer the cut). The #30 or #40 are only used for the pads or with a clip-on comb over them. DO NOT USE ALONE ON THE BODY OR YOU'LL REALLY SCALP YOUR DOG (by this I mean this blade will clip to the skin). I use #40 for pads and #30 with clip-on combs, but you can use either for the pads or either with the clip-on combs.
BEFORE BATH. Brush and then comb your dog down to the skin. Bathing a dog with matts will only tighten the matts making them impossible to comb out after drying. I use my thinning shear to cut out matts that can't be worked loose with the comb. Holding the matt close to the skin, use the end of the comb with wider teeth, take the tip and kind of work it through the matt. I have tried the Liquid Slicker everyone is talking about, and I love it, BUT I don't think it will get out mats that are very thick and that have been washed and dried. I don't know for sure, but if this should happen, try it. I like using my comb more than the brush on matts. Once your dog is matt free, use your brush. Be careful you don't press too hard though, you can give your dog brush burn. Most people brush the top hair only, unless you can brush deeper to the skin without causing abrasion, you need your comb to really get down to the skin. Try your slicker brush on yourself, feel how it feels, it will feel the same for your dog.
F.Y.I. - Anytime you brush or comb do it against the lay of the coat, brushing or combing up and out. You'll be surprised at how fluffy they will look.
BATH TIME. I'm sure you've already done this. Be sure and rinse, rinse, rinse, avoid getting water in the ear. You can try using cotton in the ears, I find that it falls out. When I rinse the head I use a gentle spray (have a short piece of garden hose and use a garden spray nozzle) and hold the ears tightly against the head, or I cover the ear hole with my thumb and rinse one side of head at a time. I also clean anal glands. You will need to get a book for instructions and see where these glands are if you want to attempt this. It's easy to do, and I don't do it every time I bath a dog.
DRYING. Using your Ever Gentle Slicker brush, brush the coat lightly as your drying, but brush it AGAINST THE LAY OF THE COAT, you must straighten the coat if you want to get the Powder Puff look. Dry one area at a time, don't jump around. If coat is starting to dry before you can straighten it spritz it with a little water from a spray bottle.
I only start clipping after the bath, a dirty coat can dull your blades.
Using the #10 blade or #8-1/2 for sensitive skin, clip hair on either side of anal opening about 1/2" so poop falls clear and does not stick to hair. If your dog scoots around on it's butt after using the #10 blade, next time use the #8-1/2.
On females clip either side of the vulva and clip belly to first or second set of nipples, clip penis on males starting at the base and clip hair about 1-1/2" in front of penis. Do not touch vulva, penis, or anal openings with blade AND ALWAYS USE A COOL BLADE if blade becomes hot use your Cool Lube spray.
Lift the rear leg the same way in the nail clipping instructions so you can see the bottom of the foot, using #30 or #40 blade to clip hair between only the large pad, NOT the four little pads. Don't dig down with blade, gently scoop. Many times the hair between this pad will get matted with stuff they walk on, it really needs to be cut out. Take you fingers and feel between this pad, you can feel if the hair is matted. I imagine it would be like walking with a stone in your shoes. Do the front paws by bending at the ankle so you can see the pads. This probably will take some time to do properly. Be very careful so you do not to cut the skin in the inside of the pad.
Cut #1 - Using the #4F or #5F. Before you start feel the teeth of the blade. They are very, very sharp, and because the teeth are separated you can catch skin in the teeth. Be very careful how you clip. Clip only with the lay of the coat, never against the coat. Start at the base of the skull, lay 2 fingers across the base of the skull (you can feel the bone there), start clipping below your fingers, don't clip into head hair. Lay your clipper blade flat (remember the teeth are very sharp you don't want to dig down) against coat and not pressing hard, but letting the clipper do the work, start clipping with the lay of the coat from base of skull to base of tail (I clip about 1" into base of tail hair for hygiene purposes). Try not to clip a few inches then stop, then clip a few inches and stop, this will leave a ridge where the clipper stopped. Do one stroke. Start another area next to what you just did, working down rear legs, with the lay of the coat on the rib cage (BE VERY CAREFUL OF THE TUCK-UP AREA AND HOCK, refer to a picture of the anatomy of a dog that points out each part of the anatomy, the tuck-up is just thin skin and can get caught in the blade teeth, also be careful of the hock, feel these areas of your dog, know how they feel) clip the rear legs and clip right off the feet. Clip from base of ear down legs, clipping right off feet on the fron legs. Clip from the Adams apple to the end of chest. You can lift legs to get at areas you have a hard time reaching, but don't lift legs at an unnatural angle. Lift your dog up by its front legs with rear legs still on table and clip underneath. You don't have to be perfect on this pass. Just clip all the long hair. Keep on feeling your blade against YOUR skin to feel if it is hot. Spray with Cool Lube.
Second Pass. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET A SMOOTH FINISH. BRUSH THE HAIR AGAINST THE LAY OF THE COAT, begin clipping the same areas over again. Keep on brushing against the lay of the coat until no more hair comes off. See how even it looks? This is the trick, brushing hair against the lay of the coat then clipping.
Now your done with clipping. Comb (not brush) hair around the rear end up and out and carefully clip or hand-scissor. Comb foot hair down, lift leg so you can see the bottom of the feet, as when you clipped hair away from pads, scissor the foot hair flat on the bottom, no hair should be hanging over the feet. With dog standing scissor a rounded look on the feet, comb hair up and out on top of paw, scissor rounded.
See Doing the Head at the end of Cut #3.
Cut #2 - Using #4F or #5F clip the body hair as in Cut #1 but do not clip legs. Read the whole Cut #2 before starting. Clip from 2 finger widths below the base of the skull down the body, and from under the ear down the side, and from the Adam's apple down to the beginning of the chest hair. On front legs clip to just above the elbows (about 1"). The rear legs, clip to the top of the thigh and blend off. Clip from the Adams apple down the chest. Do not clip between the front legs. Lift the dog as in Cut #1 and clip hair from elbows to belly.
The Oster Bichon video shows a what I call a mane in which the head hair is blended from the back of the head down the neck and neck sides to the withers, all blending into the body hair. This is all hand-scissored. I only leave this mane when doing Clip #2. If you wish to leave this mane. Start clipping the body hairfrom the withers down to the tail. Clip from about 1-2" under the ear down to about 1" above the elbow on the front legs, leave about the same amount on the side of the neck to the withers. This hair ends up looking somewhat like a triangle, the point being the withers. Clip the rest of the hair on sides of body blending off the thigh on rear legs. Clip hair from Adams apple down the chest. Do not clip between the front legs. Lift the dog as in Cut #1 and clip hair from elbows to belly. (This is mane difficult to explain. If you get the video (and I hope you do) it is shown there then you can practice on your own.) When scissoring the mane blend into the sides of the neck and at the withers this is a good place to use your thinning shears for blending. Scissor the along the top of the neck blending into the head hair, the hair should look smooth and flowing.
On the second pass, once again, BRUSH THAT HAIR AGAINST THE LAY OF THE COAT and clip. Your grooming book pictures and especially the Oster video on grooming Bichons would come in handy at the point of hand-scissoring the leg coat. You can see in the video how the groomer holds the scissor and how they cut the hair. Begin scissoring the leg hair. Do not press into the hair with the scissor it should just ride on the hair. Don't use brush now, use only your comb to comb hair up and out. When you scissor you are always pressing hair down, so you have to continuously lift hair to scissor even. Scissor until hair is blended into body coat. Look at dog in profile. Are his/her legs pooffed out? They shouldn't be. The hair should flow from body into legs in a natural line. Your dog must be standing when you scissor the chest hair, or you won't get a good line. Scissor hair on bottom of chest even with body. Lift one or other front legs and look underneath at chest hair. Scissor or blend with thinning shears so it is even with body hair. Be sure you always know where the skin is.
See Doing the Head at the end of Cut #3.
Cut #3 - Using the #40 or #30 blade put clip-on comb #1 or #1-1/2 (or #2) over it. In this cut your dog must be matt free as the comb will get caught in the matt and can come off, then you will scalp the dog with a #40 or #30 blade. So be careful that dog is matt free. Clip hair as in Cut #1. Clip over entire body including legs. See how this leaves hair longer. On second pass, do as before. Brush hair against the lay of the coat, clip, brush hair against lay of coat, clip, continue until there is no more hair that can be clipped off. Clipping with a clip-on comb leaves the hair a little choppy so when you're done comb hair up and out and scissor lightly over the coat for an even appearance. Look at your dog in profile, you can see uneven hair. Scissor any ends that are sticking up. This cut would be a good one to practice scissoring on. Do feet as in Cut #1.
CUTTING THE HEAD HAIR. Shaping the head, as in shaping the legs, when hand-scissoring, takes a lot of practice. Don't get discouraged if your dog doesn't exactly look like a Bichon. Use a picture of a Bichon head so you can refer to it while scissoring. NEVER, BUT NEVER use the clippers on the face. To practice you can use something round like a basketball. Take you siccisor and practice scissoring AROUND the ball. This would be the same concept as siccoring the head of a Bichon, not cutting hair straight across but cutting rounded.
On the top of the head comb hair forward over the eyes. Be sure you know where the point of the scissor is. Slant scissor at a 45 degree angle and cut the hair, not going too short. Cut hair at the stop a little at a time, stand back take a look, cut some more if you feel it's too long. Don't cut hair off at the stop unless you want to. Leaving hair at the stop gives the Bichon the deep-set looking eye. Do not cut beyond the end of the eye. Comb hair down again and cut off any straggling hair. Trim hair around eye area so that no hairs are hanging into the eye. Right above the eye toward the inside corner you can thin hair to accentuate the halo. Notice that theski n is darker in this area. Use your thinning shear or rounded tip scissor to cut away any hair sticking up by the corner of the eye (be careful). Comb through hair on sides of face and comb hair on top of head up and out. Sometimes head will look just too huge, then I take my thinning shears and thin out sides of face or you can use your regular scissor or thinner to take some off the chin. Scissor top of head rounded, blended into the ear hair. Top of head should have a domed look. There is no separation between head hair and ears. Keep on combing hair up, then scissoring. Blend head hair on back of head into body coat, if you have left a mane blend hair on back of head into the mane hair. You can blend with thinning shears, use them just like using a regular scissor. Do a little at a time. Stand back take a look. The more you do it the better you'll get. If you want a smaller head. Cut hair under chin shorter all the time looking for a rounded appearance. Ears should not be longer than chin hair. If you need to shorten use your thinning shears for a more natural look. Actually there is very little scissoring on the Bichon head.
OK, YOU'RE DONE. AREN'T YOU PROUD.
No, kidding, I know it seems overwhelming, but if you decide to do it. You will learn. But I absolutely urge you to get the video and books.
REMEMBER:
Get books and especially the video. Refer to a picture of the dogs anatomy.
BRUSH HAIR AGAINST THE LAY OF COAT FOR POWDER PUFF LOOK. The higher the blade number the shorter the cut.
Always know where you are clipping and scissoring. CLIP WITH THE LAY OF THE COAT, NEVER AGAINST.
TIP: If your dog jumps around when doing front legs, hold up one leg while doing the other. TIP: If your dog does not hold head still while doing the head, grab hold of the chin hair with one hand, keeping a firm hold. Scissor head hair.
If your blades should get dull, you can get them sharpened by sending them to a shop that specializes in doing this. You can find one in the back of Dog Fancy Magazine. Blades usually last a long time, especially if you have only one dog. You can tell a dull blade simply by it not being able to cut hair anymore. Clean your blades with the blade wash. Put blade on clipper, pour a little wash in a bowl, with clipper running, put blade in wash only to cover blade. You will hear the blade running faster as it cleans, do this only for about 15 seconds. Take blade off and put on a piece of paper towel. Wipe it off, before using, put a little of the blade oil that came with clipper on it. Your clipper will have instructions.
We have the greatest resource for different styles of cuts in the dogs that are on our Bichon List. Look at all the different web sites.
F.Y.I. - older dogs overheat faster than young dogs. Make sure your dryer is not too hot or bath water not too hot. It should be luke warm. Use Cut #1 for an older dog. It's fast, and they can sit after doing rear. Scissoring requires that the dog stand.
If you should get blood on coat by clipping nails after a bath, use a cotton ball with peroxide and water.
If you decide to go ahead. GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN DOING IT.
Questions? Call me, area code 847-394-1076 (home number) or e-mail.