Your little (or not so little) fluffball is your whole world. Affectionate, intelligent (results may vary), cuddly, and plain adorable, your pet dog is more than just an animal companion. He is a member of the family, and one of the best things that ever happened to you. But there’s an issue. Australia is characterised by a harsh climate, soaring temperatures, and plenty of grass-borne parasites that will love nothing more than to make a home in your fluffball’s coat.

Now, this is not a problem if you are investing in regular grooming sessions, conducted by professionals. But do you really have the financial means to do this long-term? 49% of Australian households own at least a dog, and internationally, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale recognises 364 different dog breeds ( https://www.fci.be/en/Presentation-of-our-organisation-4.html ). That’s a lot of breeds, and some of them were simply not built to properly handle the characteristics of Australia’s environment.

There Are Dogs that Cope Better Than Others

Some breeds, such as the Australian Kelpie, have weather-resistant double coats, and they are easy to inspect for ticks. Others, however, such as Newfoundland dogs, are just a nightmare to properly groom in the middle of Aussie summer, and investing in their fur’s long-term health can become an expensive proposition.

Ultimately, the money you can save on expensive grooming sessions could be redistributed to the purchase of other accessories/pet products with a direct impact on your fluffball’s well-being. So, why not then consider buying Wahl dog clippers from your local pet supplies shop and do the job yourself?

What Are the Practical Perks of Wahl Dog Clippers?

For one thing, you should consider the money you can save per year. One of my oldest friends, for instance, is the owner of a Goldendoodle that, while adorable, has a surprisingly thick and curly coat that needs professional grooming every six weeks or so. Since he is a standard size, grooming for him costs around AUD $130 per session, which comes to a yearly total of around AUD $1,200 per year. This, for me, is just unbelievable.

Yes, I know they do more than just brushing its coat and trimming it. But AUD $1,200 per year? In contrast, I purchased my robust Wahl dog clippers ( https://www.petshopdirect.com.au/shop/category/wahl-dog-clippers ) for just shy of AUD $180, and it does just as good a job as the professional tools used by grooming specialists. Now, can I be as thorough as them? Maybe not. Also, I am not the owner of a Goldendoodle but of a Poodle. However, the price difference speaks for itself.

Wahl Dog Clippers Present Clear Benefits:

• They are a fantastic way to save money
• They are a good way to keep your pup comfortable in warm weather
• They represent a tool to prevent matted fur
• They are necessary in order to maintain your dog’s hygiene

It’s one way or another, really. You either decide to do the work yourself, or you invest in expensive grooming sessions. From personal experience, I would never go back to a salon. My pup is more comfortable when I’m the one who’s doing the grooming. Plus, I got better at it, and I’m usually a bit more careful when inspecting my dog’s skin for lesions or checking for ticks.

Speaking of that, Australia is home to no less than seventy species of ticks ( https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0020751914002306 ). Their presence is an ongoing problem, and especially in the hot summer months, keeping your dog’s fur short and tidy will be critical to minimise the risk of tick-borne diseases, such as canine ehrlichiosis.

How Are Dog Clippers and Human Clippers Different?

The main difference boils down to blade design and power. Clippers designed for pet use are equipped with more powerful motors, as they need to cut through matted coats or thick fur, characteristic of some breeds. Human clippers are optimised for our hair, and therefore, they often feature thinner blades and less powerful motors. They can still do a good job for smaller breeds, such as Chihuahuas, but good luck trying to groom a Samoyed with them.

On top of that, clippers that are designed for dogs usually feature blades designed to glide through long coats without pulling, and are characterised by more robust motor cooling solutions, which are necessary, as equipment overheating is a big issue when it comes to pet grooming sessions.

Plus, many pet clipper models are designed to be quieter than human-intended ones, as some dogs can be easily spooked by the sounds of a device they don’t recognise, coming dangerously close to their ears and sensitive parts.

Why Get Your Clippers from a Local Store that Sells Pet Supplies?

A couple of reasons, actually:

1) You Can Get Personal Recommendations from Experienced Staff

Reading online reviews can only get you so far. In person, you can often obtain the personal recommendations of employees who know the ins and outs of the devices they sell and instruct you on how you can best make use of them. Pet store staff are familiar with the differences between coat types and could recommend clippers based on your dog’s breed, your budget or your current grooming experience level.

2) You Can Inspect What Products You Buy

Looking at online pictures and reading product descriptions is good enough for most purposes, but nothing beats holding the clippers in your own hands and inspecting them. Maybe you just don’t like how it feels, or perhaps you are not satisfied with the quality of the accompanying accessories.

Shopping from local stores that sell pet supplies allows you to assess the noise levels of the Wahl dog clippers, compare weight differences between products, and buy replacement parts for your previously purchased clippers quicker and easier than via the online route.

3) You Don’t Have to Wait for Shipping

I don’t know if you’re like me, but there’s nothing I hate more in this world than waiting for my parcels. Sure, if you’re living in a large city such as Melbourne or Sydney, chances are that your products will take only a day or two to arrive.

But if you’re based in a remote town, or you’re not near a shipping distribution centre? You could, in theory, wait for days on end for your pet supplies to arrive, which is something that nobody likes.

Local shops that sell pet supplies are more convenient when it comes to product availability, and personally, I prefer to visit them when returning from work, rather than browsing the web and then waiting for delivery.