HAND SCISSORING
Hand scissoring for coats that need real shape
Scissor work, coat clipping, paw trimming and foot pad cleaning, done in the van at your curb in Orange, Woodbridge and Milford. For the breeds where the finish is the whole point.
Chapter 01
A clipper-only finish leaves a coat flat and blocky
Clippers are fast and they are the right tool for a lot of the body. But on breeds with shape built into the coat, a clipper-only finish gives you one length from nose to tail. The legs lose their lines, the head loses its outline and the whole dog reads as a block with ears.
The giveaway is at the edges. A blade leaves a hard stop where the coat changes length, and without scissor work to blend it, the line stays visible until the coat grows out. Owners describe it as a haircut that looks fine from across the room and wrong up close.
That is the gap hand scissoring fills. It takes more time, which is why it is priced the way it is, and it is the part of a groom you can see from the sidewalk.
Cordless paw trimmer, curved thinning scissors and a tin of paw balm on a folded grey towel
Scissors for the shape, clippers for the body, a trim for every paw
We clip the coat where it should be short and then switch to scissors for the work that sets the outline: blending the clipper lengths, shaping the legs, tidying the face and topknot, and dressing the tail. Straight and curved shears do different jobs, and every dog is shaped by eye and by hand rather than by pattern.
Paws get their own attention. We trim the hair around each foot, clean the foot pads and take down the hair between the pads, so your dog has traction on a hardwood floor and the paws do not collect burrs, salt or ice from the Connecticut winter. The same steps are part of the full groom.
Some of our customer's pets have shown well at area dog shows, while others are just good looking and happy dogs. The same hand goes to both. Everything happens in the van with organic products, and the groomer stays with your dog the whole visit.
Chapter 03
Scissor work and difficulty set the hour
We price by the hour, $65 - $85, and the amount of scissor work is one of the things that decides where in that range you land. So are brushing, clipping, how much matting there is, how difficult the cut is, your dog's temperament, drying time, hair length and size. Call 203-804-6248 and describe the coat, and we will give you a price range. The quote is firm once we have seen your dog.
A scissored coat holds its line best when it is brushed through every few days, especially behind the ears, under the legs and along the tail where it tangles first. We do not groom matted coats, so keeping the brushing up protects both the shape and the next appointment.
Appointments run Tuesday to Saturday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, by appointment only. We ask for 48 hours of notice on a change, or a $25 cancellation fee applies. We groom dogs up to 70 pounds, and if you want the cut to follow a breed standard, tell us when you book.
Licensed, insured, and certified groomers with over 10 years of experience.