Grooming Smarter

Update to Plunging Necklines

 

this video clip was done this morning to go with my post from yesterday. Enjoy!

 

Plunging Necklines

Got your attention? GOOD!

Years ago I was at a weekend seminar in Memphis given by Jay Scruggs and Colin Taylor. I don't remember a lot of things about that class, but this trick I DO remember. Not only do I remember it I use it every day on most every dog I groom. I also remember looking at Daryl Conner who was seated next to me and saying "WHY didn't I think of this before now?"

Colin Taylor taught me something that day that changed the way I groom and resulted in me winning several grooming competitions and my business specializes in little fluffy dogs, and this trick has made my shop stand out from the others in my area.

You know how shih-tzus and mixed breeds tend to look clunky? Like a blob? No definition between necks and heads, especially on longer fluffy dogs  can lead to that look. The trick is to make a seperation of the head and make it appear the neck is sitting on the body, not just a continuation of the body.

Poodles and terriers all have a U shape clippered into their necks and then the neck is blended into the body. Doing this creates length and neatens up the look. It presents a "finished" appearance and a more stylized groom.

By using this technique on mixes and shih-tzu you can elevate the groom. This can mean the difference between a stylish, polished groom and a clunky, heavy one. Anything you can do to set yourself apart from other groomers is a plus and this tip can help you set yourself apart in a big way.

 I am going to walk you through (in photos) how to accomplish this look on a mixed breed, Pom-a-poo puppy who had never been groomed before. I didn't get a video, but I think the photos will help explain how to do it well enough.

First of all, meet Dixie:

!

Dixie is a 6 month old Pom-a-poo that has no style at all - yet. But we are about to fix that!

First of all I groomed her body with a Zero Wahl Stainless Steel comb over a 40 setting with my Bravura. That is the YELLOW one.

Then I took my BLUE SS Wahl snap-on comb to do her neckline. Typically I choose a comb or blade one to two lengths shorter than the body to help give the most defintion possible without making it extremely visible. You want it to blend, not be distinct.

To do this, I first hold the head back and start at the jawline. I draw a line (not really, but I pretend) from jawbone to jawboneand that is where I start my clipperwork. I go with the lay of the hair and float off into the chest. I clipper it as if I were cutting a U shape into the dogs throat hair. On the sides, towards the neckline, I will go back and blend with thinners so it doesn't matter if it looks rough there.

On the sides of the neckline you want to start at the bottom corner of the ear and angle your thinners (or a longer snapon held at an angle) and blend the throat line into the coat. This will lengthen the neck and make the head sit on the body rather than being a part of the body.

 

Can you see what I mean? Its a nice, shaped neckline, with a defined U shape blended well into the body.

If you take it too tight it will be like a bobble head (I was taught that lesson in the competition ring once, thank you Jeannie Mulcahy! It taught me a lot!) and you don't want to do that. When in doubt, leave it a bit longer and you can take off more as needed.

If I had left her neckline the same length as her body it would have left her with no style and looking fat. This adds style, length of neck and makes all the difference in the world in the finished groom.

Here is a short, 3 minute video clip of a neck being done.

 

 

I hope this helped!