Owners that want their pooch looking pristine need the best grooming products money can buy. With so many out there, it can be overwhelming. We have devised a list of the best dog thinning scissors currently on the market to help you out.
Dog grooming is a complex business! To break it down, let’s take a look at everything you need to know including the different types of grooming shears and FAQ.
Coat Grooming Basics
Coat grooming is essential for your dog’s overall health and hygiene. To avoid anxiety around grooming, owners should start their grooming routines during puppyhood and create positive associations with it. Owners can have their dogs groomed professionally or do it themselves at home with the right tools and knowledge.
Baths are helpful to remove dirt and debris, although you shouldn’t bathe your dog too often as to not strip the fur of its natural self-cleaning oils. Most dogs only have baths a few times a year or when they are dirty after a muddy walk. That said, some dogs, such as Pulis, can need baths as regularly as once a month as their heavy, corded coats trap dirt more easily. Regular brushing ensures your dog’s skin can breathe and keeps their coats clean and tidy, preventing skin irritation and matting. Matting can be painful and lead to infections, it can also mask other problems such as parasites.
Brushing also removes loose fur, which is especially important during shedding seasons. It stops the fur from shedding all over your floor and prevents dogs from overheating in the warmer months. Dogs with thinner, shorter, straighter coats, such as Labradors, may only need brushing once a week. Whereas, dogs with longer or thicker, curlier coats, such as Poodles, may need brushing every day to untangle fur, as curly textures are far more likely to matt. Haircuts and clipping are not necessary for all dogs.
Dogs that need regular haircuts are those with thick, curly fur that is prone to matting, such as Bichon Frises. They require monthly or bi-monthly haircuts to prevent matting once they are fully grown. However, dogs with thinner coats may still require the occasional haircut. If you’re looking to give your dog haircuts at home, keep reading for all the info on the best dog grooming shears.
Types of Grooming Shears
Different kinds of grooming shears fulfill different needs.
Straight Shears
A straight dog grooming shear is a multi-task tool with a straight blade that is ideal for general, basic grooming, to create straight lines in the coat and add the finishing touches to haircuts.
Curved Shears
A curved dog grooming shear has a curved blade that can be used to fine-tune and shape specific areas of the coat, such as the paws and rear end.
The larger the shear, the more gradual the curve. So, smaller curved shears are better suited to smaller breeds, and larger curved shears are better suited to larger dogs.
Thinning Shears
Thinning shears typically have a cutting edge on one blade and teeth on the other, although there are double thinners that have teeth on both blades. Thinners remove lots of hair in even sections and give a natural look. They also blend out the harsh lines that clippers can create and texturize the fur.
How to Choose The Right Grooming Scissors
Important factors to take into consideration when buying grooming shears for your dog include:
- Comfortable handles for usage over long periods of time
- High traction handles to prevent slips
- Scissors that work for your dominant hand
- Sharp blades to avoid pulling on fur
- Safety features such as rounded blade tips in case of sudden movements
- Extra features such as silent scissors for anxious pets
How To Look After Grooming Scissors
Once you’ve bought and used your grooming scissors, you’ll need to maintain them. Otherwise, you could be replacing them sooner than you should be and wasting your money. You should clean your dog grooming scissors after every haircut to keep them hygienic and working properly. A dog’s fur contains natural oils that will transfer and remain on the blade if you don’t clean them after every use. You can do this by putting a little bit of rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and wiping it over the blades to remove any residue and hair. It’s also advisable to put a dab of clipper or specialized scissor oil on the pivot to keep the tool moving smoothly.
Grooming scissors will also need sharpening. How often you should do this depends on how often you use the scissors and how thick the dog’s hair is. The more you use them and the more hair they have to cut through, the duller the blade gets over time. The general rule of thumb is that scissors used by owners at home for their own dogs should be sharpened once or twice a year, depending on the thickness of their dog’s coat, or just when the quality of the result changes.
For professional groomers that trim multiple dogs a day, it could be as often as every three-six months. The manufacturer of the tool will usually suggest a timeframe. Manufacturers often offer sharpening services, and there are companies out there that will also do it for you. It’s recommended you don’t try to do it yourself unless you know what you are doing as it can be dangerous. There’s no need to replace grooming scissors until they absolutely cannot be used anymore, but good grooming scissors should last for years.
7 Best Dog Grooming Thinning Shears
This is our list of the best dog grooming thinning shears currently on the market.
1. Pet Magasin Round Tip Dog Grooming Scissors
This scissor set by Pet Magasin includes 2 pairs of scissors; one with a 3.5-inch stainless steel blade, and the other with a 3-inch serrated stainless steel blade. The longer pair is ideal for bodily fur, whilst the serrated pair works well for delicate areas such as the face. The brand claims that the tools work well for both left and right-handed users.
The scissors have soft, high-traction rubber handles and finger rest for comfort and the blades have rounded tips for safety. They also feature a screw for tension adjustment and reviews highly recommend the product as great quality and superb value for money.
2. Chibuy Pet Grooming Scissors with Round Tip
This pet grooming scissor set by Chibuy contains a pair of pet eye scissors and a pair of thinning scissors. They both have a sharp, durable 2.16-inch blade with round tips made of rust-resistant stainless steel.
The molded handle has extra finger support for comfort and utilizes environmentally friendly TPR material. The brand offers a number of buying combinations, including the scissors individually or with different combs and carrying cases. Reviews praise the effectiveness of the products.
3. Sharf Gold Touch Pet Scissors
These straight scissors by Sharf are 7.5 inches long and have a shiny, polished, silver finish with a gold screw and handles. They have removable rubber comfort rings for the handles and come with a free carry case. The blades are made out of 440c Japanese stainless steel that is extremely durable, very sharp, and easy to clean. However, the product does not have safety features.
The scissors on the expensive side but they are very luxurious and high-quality. Sharf also sells a version of them specifically designed for left-handed users. Reviews are generally positive but do warn of the lack of safety features on the tips of the blades.
4. Scaredy Cut Tiny Trim 4.5″ Ball-Tipped Scissor
These 6.3-inch long grooming scissors by Scaredy Cut have a serrated blade that is ball-tipped for your dog’s safety. They’re perfect for trimming fine fur and ideal for use around the face and paws.
The scissors are extremely lightweight at 0.01 lbs and easy to use, with padded handles for your comfort. They also come in lots of bright colors including blue, pink, yellow, and green, and feature a tension adjustment screw.
All of Scaredy Cut’s grooming products are designed to make as little noise as possible for pets that are anxious about grooming. The brand offers a Two-year Lifetime Replacement Guarantee and will replace your product if you are not happy with it.
Reviews are overwhelmingly positive, with buyers praising the product’s safety features and effectiveness with anxious pets.
5. Gimars Titanium Coated 3CR Stainless Steel Dog Grooming Scissors
These stainless steel scissors by Gimars are processed with a cold treatment for hardness to last for a long time without rusting. They are contoured for maximum comfort and feature an adjustable screw for different areas of the coat.
The brand offers three buying combinations; the first is one pair of thinning scissors, one pair of straight scissors, one pair of curved scissors, a comb, and a bag. The second is two pairs of scissors; one thinning, one curved, and the third option is four pairs of rounded scissors, a comb, and a bag. All of the sets allow for trimming, thinning, and detailing the fur and buyers seem to love the multipurpose kits.
6. RUBOLD Professional Dog Grooming Scissors
Rubold’s dog grooming scissor set has a pair of straight scissors with a 2.6-inch blade, a pair of thinning scissors with a 2.6-inch blade, and a pair of curved scissors with a 3-inch blade. The kit also comes with a comb, a stylish case, and a convenient cleaning cloth.
It is suitable for both home and professional use and can help owners and groomers to deliver any and all styles of grooming.
All of the scissors are stainless steel and feature rounded tips for safety, adjustable screws, and rubber bumpers for silent cutting. They also have finger rests and rubber inserts for the handles to make them as comfortable as possible to use.
The brand also offers a 100% Unconditional 10 Year Satisfaction Guarantee. If buyers are not 100% happy for any reason they will replace your product or issue a full refund. The kit is an Amazon best-seller and has almost no bad reviews.
7. Yogo Pet Grooming Scissors
Yogo’s complete grooming scissor kit contains three pairs of scissors. A 6.5-inch pair of straight all-over body scissors, a 6-inch pair of facial scissors with micro teeth, and a 6-inch pair of thinning scissors that are suitable for all hair types. All of the tools feature sharp stainless steel blades with safety tips and soft rubber handles.
The blades of the tools have also been coated with an anti-corrosion formula for long-lasting durability, and the brand is so confident you will love the product they offer a 100% Moneyback Lifetime Guarantee. Buyers seem to love the kit with reviews calling it great value for money.
Grooming & Thinning Scissors: FAQ
Dog grooming scissors should be cleaned after every use to keep them clean and working properly. You can do this by putting a little bit of rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and wiping it over the blades to remove any residue and hair. It’s also advisable to put a dab of clipper or specialized scissor oil on the pivot to keep it moving smoothly.
Grooming scissors will also need sharpening. How often you should do this depends on how often the scissors get used and thick the dog’s hair is. The more they are used, the more it dulls the blade.
The general rule of thumb is that scissors used by owners at home for their own dogs should be sharpened once or twice a year, depending on the thickness of their dog’s coat, or when the quality of the result changes.
For professional groomers that trim multiple dogs a day, it could be as often as every three-six months. The manufacturer of the tool will usually suggest a timeframe.
Manufacturers often offer sharpening services, and there are companies out there that will also do it for you. It’s advised that you don’t try to do it yourself unless you know what you are doing as it can be dangerous.
A dog’s coat should be clean and dry when they are clipped or have a haircut. Before a trim, give your dog a bath but let them dry thoroughly before continuing!
Dogs that are in need of a haircut because their fur is thick and/or it is shedding season will probably feel nice and fresh after a trim. It will relieve them from the hot weather and get rid of all that loose fur, which can tangle and feel irritating.
Haircuts and clipping are not necessary for all dogs. Dogs that need regular haircuts are those with thick, curly double-coats, like Poodles. Such breeds require monthly or bi-monthly haircuts to prevent matting once they are fully grown.
Human hair scissors are generally not suitable for use on dogs due to the increased risk of injury. The blades are too sharp for the dog’s skin and too thick to cut their fur without pulling. They also lack the safety features found on pet scissors.
Professionals that are trained in dog grooming have all of the relevant qualifications and experience to do a thorough, safe job. When you have a dog that needs regular, extensive grooming, it is best to leave it to the professionals. If you don’t want to pay to have it done professionally, you can do it yourself if you do the proper research and buy the right tools.
That said, not all dogs do need regular, extensive grooming. In fact, most don’t, it all depends on their coat type. Many dogs just require weekly brushing at home, with the occasional bath that can also be done at home.
The three main types of dog grooming shears are straight shears, curved shears, and thinning shears. Straight shears, as the name would suggest, have straight blades that are great for basic grooming, creating straight lines, and finalizing haircuts.
Curved shears have curved blades that are ideal for those difficult areas of the coat, such as the feet. Thinning shears typically have a cutting edge on one blade and teeth on the other, although some have teeth on both blades. They’re used to remove lots of hair in even sections and create a natural look.
That is our buying guide to the best dog grooming thinning scissors. Whether your dog just needs the occasional trim or regular clipping, be sure to arm yourself with the appropriate tools and knowledge for the job or book an appointment with a professional groomer.