How to Shave a Curly Haired Dog

When you have a dog whose entire body is covered in beautiful curly hair, grooming him and making him look his best can be challenging at best. First, the good news: dogs like yours who have curly hair rarely shed. Now the bad news: if you don't stay on top of grooming that coat or keeping it shaved, you are likely to find his coat filled with mats that have to be cut out, which can take hours. By taking the time to shave your pup's coat, you keep problems like this at bay. 

While your dog may not like being shaved, you can bet he hates having the hair all over his body so matted that when you try to brush it out snags, causing plenty of pain. This is the last thing you want. What you really want is for your curly buddy to become comfortable with every aspect of being groomed. This will make keeping his coat neat and tidy much easier. 

• Always try to pull Fred's skin tight when shaving, this will help reduce the risk of nicks and cuts.
  
• Always use a sharp blade in your clippers, dull blades will pull the hair instead of cutting it.
  
• Be very careful around your dog's eyes and ears.
  
• Be gentle in sensitive areas as the skin here is very thin.
  
• Give your dog time to get used to the noise of the clippers before you shave him.
  
• Never try to shave your pup when his coat is wet, this will cause the hair to jam in the clippers and rip it painfully out of your dog's skin.
  

While shaving a dog with curly hair can be a little more challenging than doing so for a dog with straight hair, with a little practice, you will soon be shaving your pup like a pro. It takes time and patience to master this skill, but once you do, you might be surprised at how much you can save by not going to the groomers.