Dog fur is fascinating. There is curly fur, straight fur, matted fur and all of the above. So, what dog clipper blades are best to use?
Firstly, there are A LOT of blades. So, what blades do you REALLY need?
It depends on the condition of your dog’s coat and your personal preference.
Here are some key points to help understand what dog clipper blades to use:
- The higher the number of the blade, the more length of hair is cut. For example, a #4 blade cuts more hair than a #3 blade.
- Reputable brands such as Wahl, Andis , Oster and Geib are reliable in my experience. However, my favorite brand is Geib’s Buttercut blades . I highly recommend them for professional groomers.
- Most pet grooming clippers come with a #10 blade. This is used for shaving the paw pads, sanitary area, arm pits and shaving out mats. If you shave the whole body with a #10 blade, your dog will be close to bald. However, #10 blades are good for shaving cats smooth.
- Skip tooth blades are like regular blades but with wider gaps between the teeth. These are used to give a more texturized haircut. Therefore, these are often used a lot on Yorkies, Westies, Schnauzers and Doodles.
- Ceramic blades are like regular blades except they don’t overheat as quickly. In my experience, I recommend ceramic blades for the #10 and #40 blades because they do not overheat as quickly as regular blades. However, keep in that cermamic blades are fragile – so, handle with care.
CAUTION: When using clipper blades, they will run hot with time. The higher the number of the blade, the quicker it will get hot. For example, a #7 blade will get hotter much faster than a #3 blade. Therefore, to avoid burning your pet’s skin, always check the temperature of the blade every 5-10 minutes.
To test temperature, turn the clippers off, and apply the blade to your wrist to make sure the blade is not overheated.
If it is hot, apply cooling spray. Alternatively, wait for the blade to cool off before continuing to shave your dog or cat.
The # 7 clipper blade:
The number 7 blade leaves your dog’s coat at 1/8 of an inch or 2mm long.
The # 7 blade is a very popular blade for summer hair cuts. In addition, it is often used for matted dogs. As a result,this gives a very short haircut.
However, if you have a white colored dog, a #7 cut may look even shorter. Since white dogs have a lighter coat, a pink undertone of the skin can show through with a #7 haircut. Therefore, I try and go one length longer with a #5 blade instead for shaving down white colored dogs.
As an example, here are photos of what a dog looks like with a # 7 hair cut:
The # 5 clipper blade:
The number 5 blade leaves the hair at a ¼ of an inch or 6mm long. The number 5 blade leaves the hair longer than the number 7 blade.
From a distance, the number 5 haircut looks very similar to the number 7 haircut.
However, if you have a white colored dog, it’s generally better to use a #5 blade than a #7 blade.
Generally, white colored dogs have a lighter coat that can give off the illusion that the hair is shorter.
In addition, it is a good choice if you like a short haircut but prefer a little fluffier look to help prevent sunburn.
As an example, here is a dog with a # 5 haircut:
The #4 clipper blade :
The number 4 blade leaves the hair at 3/8 of an inch or 9.5mm. From my professional experience, this is one of the most popular haircuts. Consequently, it balances easy maintenance with style.
It’s a great haircut that provides a well groomed low maintenance appearance.
As an example, here is a photo of a dog with a #4 haircut:
The # 3 clipper blade:
The number 3 blade leaves the hair at ½ inch or 13mm long. It looks very similar to the number 4 haircut. However, it gives a fluffier look.
This is also a good choice for striking a balance between trimmed and fluffy.
As an example, here is a photo of a dog with a number 3 clipper blade haircut:
The #10 clipper blade :
To shave the paw pads and sanitary, I recommend a number 10 blade for home grooming. This leaves the hair at 1/16 of an inch or 2mm long. I recommend this blade for home grooming only because it has enough of a guard to help prevent cutting into skin.
CAUTION: Avoid using a #40 or #30 blade on the sanitary area. These can easily cut into the skin and possibly lead to infection. Therefore, a #10 blade is most commonly used to safely shave the sanitary area.
Professional groomers often use a #10 blade to shave cats and to give them a lion cut. As an example, here is a cat shaved with a #10 blade:
The #40 clipper blade:
The number 40 clipper blade is a surgical blade that shaves the body bald.
For professional groomers, I recommend using a #30 or #40 blade for pawpads. A #30 blade leaves the hair at 0.5mm. However, if you are experienced enough, a #40 blade will shave the pad bald.
CAUTION: The #40 blade also known as a surgical preparation blade. Therefore, only vets and professional groomers should handle number 40 blades. Otherwise, risk of injury is high.
Looking for a more texturized hair cut? What dog clipper blade is used?
1. Skip tooth clipper blade:
A skip tooth blade is another alternative option. However, this just depends on your preference. A skip tooth blade gives a more texturized look:
2. The #30 clipper blade with clip combs:
The number 30 blade leaves the hair at 0.5mm long. It is often used under clip combs.
Many groomers use a #30 blade under a clip comb to give a dog a fluffy face or a fluffier coat.
Therefore, this is a good blade to buy with the clip combs if you prefer more of a texturized haircut for your dog.
Clip combs are mostly plastic guards placed over the #30 blade. As a result, these clip combs give a more texturized look to the coat.
As an example, here is a comparison in the photo below:
The number 0 clip comb or yellow clip comb is used over the number 30 blade. It leaves the hair at 5/8 of an inch.
5/8″ clip comb or #0 haircut :
As an example, here is a Yorkie with a number 0 haircut using the #30 blade under the #0 clip comb:
1/2 ” clip comb or #1 haircut:
The number 1 haircut uses a # 1 clip comb or orange clip comb over the number 30 blade. As a result, this leaves the hair at 1/2 of an inch or 13mm long.
3/8″ clip comb or #2 haircut:
The number 2 haircut uses a #2 clip comb or dark blue lip comb. This leaves the hair at 3/8 of an inch or 9.5mm long:
Final thoughts on what dog clipper blades to use:
- Find a photo online for haircuts for your specific dog or cat. Show your groomer and they can give you an idea of what dog clipper blades to use.
- Be very careful shaving your dog’s sanitary area, armpits, face and pawpads. A firm yet gentle restraint is important for safety. Many groomers offer walk-in services for a face trim, sanitary shave or feet trim. These stand-alone services cost only a fraction of the full price of grooming. Therefore, many pet owners prefer to leave sensitive areas for the groomers.
- Many pet owners like a fluffier longer haircut. However, keep in mind that having long hair for a pet is more maintenance. This haircut requires daily combing and brushing to avoid matting. Above all, if you like a longer coat on your dog, be prepared to bring your dog in every month for grooming.
- Finally, keep in mind that shorter hair cuts are lower maintenace. As a result , dogs usually require their next hair cut evert 2 to 3 months. As an example, number 7, number 5 and number 4 blades help provide short haircuts.
-By Nikita King , Certified Professional Groomer