Cost of living crisis – Time to start clipping your dog at home.

With the cost of everything going up in 2023 we have noticed how many of our customers are buying their own dog clippers and having a go at home grooming to save some money and help towards the ever-increasing strain on finances.

Masterclip is one of the leading brands of professional pet grooming products in the UK. With the largest collection of premium quality clipping products for dogs, horses, sheep and cattle, we bring you nothing but the best. With specific products for every dog breed and various other animals, our product selections are carefully curated, tried and tested by professionals and the team here.

Buying your own clippers is not as expensive as it may seem and we have a team of customer service ladies in the office who are here to guide you through the purchasing process and help you choose the best clipper combination for you and your pet.  All questions are answered within 24 hours and lengthy answers given to any of your enquiries at all of our contact points. You can phone 01162796900 or email info@masterclip.co.uk or send a message through WhatsApp and all this can be found on the contact us page on the website.

Clipping is not an exact science; we sometimes have to try different blade and comb guide combinations until we reach the perfect solution for you. We are a very flexible, approachable company and are always here to help. Our customer service team is made up of farmers, vet nurses and horse and dog owners with a huge range of knowledge and clipping experience. Many of the team have worked for Masterclip for over 8 years and are very dedicated to the company. You can see the Trust Pilot service reviews to back this up with over 1000 reviews and a score of 4.8 overall.

During the Covid pandemic there was a big upturn in dog ownership and there are now an estimated 13 million dogs in the UK, so we know there are a lot of dog owners out there!  The “Doodle” breeds – Labradoodle, Cockerpoo, Bichonpoo, Lhasapoo - became some of the most popular dogs during this time. There are now a huge number of these Doodle mixes in all shapes, sizes and colours, each one unique. Often within a litter the puppies can all have different coat types depending on which parent they take after. These breeds often have tight curly coats due to the Poodle influence and are non-shedding dogs which means they need clipping every 6-10 weeks to keep them free from tangles and mats. With this in mind the yearly cost of taking a dog to the grooming parlour can be very expensive and if you have two or more dogs, the cost can become huge.

The average groomer charges £43 per clip but in reality, the costs can reach £50-£60 per dog per groom depending on the size and complexity of the coat. Times this by 6 grooms a year you are looking at a yearly cost of £360 per year per dog.

6 x £60 = £360 per year x 2 dogs is £720!

It can cost as little as £17 per clip if you own your own clipper and use it 6 times in the first year.

We sell refurbished clippers for as little as £99.99 with 4 comb guides. This clipper comes with a pack of 4 comb guides ranging from 3mm – 13mm and this clipper can basically be used on any breed of dog due to the high quality of the metal comb guides and their ability to cope with thick, curly, hairy coats. The teeth are well spaced out to prevent hair clogging in them.

The cost for a new clipper from our range is £129.99 for the mains powered Pedigree Pro and £179.99 for the cordless MD Roamer. All our clippers come with a full two year warranty. We have an equally dedicated team of technicians who have a wealth of knowledge in service and repair and we recommend a service every 2 or 3 years. We carry spare parts for all our clippers here in our Midlands based workshop. In the unlikely event of a fault developing with the clipper the warranty covers you for this. All sales are logged here so you don’t need to remember when you purchased the clipper, and the warranty is activated once the clippers are delivered to you.

We have a great selection of blades and combs which fit both our cordless and corded dog clippers which cut to different lengths and help create the look you are trying to achieve at home. The MD Roamer and the Pedigree Pro have compatible A5 steel blades and comb guides so it can all be mixed and matched. All A5 steel blades can be sharpened at a cost of £9.90 with free P&P by ShearEase.

We work closely with professional grooming parlours and always take on board their recommendations for the best blades to use as they are the clipping experts. We designed a bespoke set of clippers for each breed of dog with the best blade and comb combination based on their findings. By buying a pre-selected set for your dog, the decision making is done for you and you can create a more professional clip to keep your dog to the breed standard required for showing.

We also have the Showmate - a smaller clipper trimmer for small dogs, cats and rabbits which are very affordable and easy to use, particularly for customers with arthritis or dexterity issues as they are lighter and more manoeuvrable. These trimmers are £79.99. The trimmers are not as robust as dog clippers but in many instances will fully clip small dogs and cats and are ideal for removing knots and tangles and doing paws, tails and faces etc.

Masterclip professional scissors are also a very vital part of a grooming kit and it is possible to hand scissor all breeds and is particularly useful if you have a sensitive dog who is spooked by clippers. You can create a smooth natural finish without using clippers at all which is an even cheaper option of keeping them looking neat and tidy. We sell a 4 complete pack of scissors which allow you to creatively groom your dog and create show finishes. You can create great looks with scissors, particularly when creating the more artistic detailing such as the pom-poms on a show poodle, the eyebrows on a Schnauzer or a fluffy tail on a Pomeranian. Scissors are also required for finishing a clip as you will always needs scissors to do the face, feet and tails etc. 

It is vital to invest in some clipper oil or Andis blade spray to keep the blades lubricated and running smoothly and freely and oil is the cheaper option at £4.99. These products increase the longevity of the blade and clipper. We have customers who have been using our clippers for many years and are very happy with them. This means after the initial outlay the clipper is an investment for the future, and who knows how many more four legged friends we will acquire in our lives!

Many dogs don’t like being away from home and find the whole dog grooming process at the salon very stressful. Some don’t like the car journey there and many dogs get separation anxiety and being in an unfamiliar environment can stress them out. Clipping the dog at home allows you to take your time, stop and start and let them have some play time to allow them to relax. It is an idea to walk the dog first to let off some steam and some dogs then fall asleep while being groomed. Cordless clippers are ideal as you can go outside and clip in the garden which is more relaxing for the dog being in a more natural environment. Snacks are a must too as most dogs will let you do anything to them for a biscuit!   

   

Hard to believe the MD Roamer took off all this hair off such a small dog. Wallie has a difficult coat due to his breed, he is a mixture of four terriers and has not got a breed standard coat, it is a woolly type with soft hair which easily mats and the MD Roamer went under the hair and removed all the tangles - rather like shearing a sheep!

If you have a dog with an unusual coat feel free to call us and we can guide you to the correct clippers. We are always happy to help and guide you through the process of home grooming. We have informative grooming videos and information that we can share with you if you need more assistance.