If you take a moment to look at pet grooming from the dog's viewpoint, it becomes clear that some of the things we do during a typical grooming session are things that no one else ever does to them and that the dog very probably does not enjoy. We get them wet, use loud, sometimes buzzy tools, and touch every part of their body. We lift them, turn them, and mess with their sensitive faces, feet, and everything in between.
Successful groomers will tell you the basis of a great groom is in the “prep work.” This means that no matter how beautifully you clip, scissor, and sculpt, the dog you groom will not look its best if the coat is improperly prepared.
My sister loves dogs. She has only owned two in her lifetime, so I feel it is safe to say she is a reasonably typical pet owner. Recently, she and I watched a large boat move from its trailer into a harbor. The boat owner had his dog on the trailer as the boat was slowly transported. My sister said, “Oh! That poor dog is so scared!” I said, “Look at his body language.
It’s a mundane Monday. You are grooming your average lineup of poodle mixes, maybe a Shih Tzu or two and a chubby spaniel. The phone rings, and a potential new customer calls to make an appointment for a breed you have never groomed. A thrill of excitement tingles down your spine, but that delightful feeling immediately dissipates in a wash of self-doubt. You’d love the experience of grooming an unknown breed, but you don’t trust yourself. Now what?
Pet hair is insidious. In the grooming environment, it gets everywhere, along with its companion, dander. The dastardly combination of the two can get into spaces you never imagined and clog up motors on the tools we use. This can make them work harder than necessary, overheat, and even burn out
Here is a good grooming hack to share. Many dogs habitually lick specific areas of their body. More than typical self-grooming, this is probably an effort to soothe irritation. It is frequently related to some allergic reaction, injury, or infection, but sometimes, it is over a joint, suggesting the pet has arthritic aches that cause it to lick and chew.
Groomers are creative artists who work in the fur medium. Like other artists, we can (and arguably should) create a portfolio of our work. A portfolio can be a physical or digital collection representing your work, qualifications, experience, and any accolades or certifications you may have acquired. Assembling a portfolio will help you build your brand, and it can be used to attract new customers or gain new employment. It also can show a remarkable timeline of how your skills have grown and progressed throughout your working time.
Some call it a “button” or even a “booper,” but most people understand that the canine nose is extraordinary. Dogs tend to explore the world nose first, with good reason. Experts say that dogs have over 300 million scent receptors, while humans can only boast a measly 6 million.
Trimming a pet's claws is a fundamental and necessary part of grooming. In most cases, it is a pretty straightforward procedure, and once a groomer learns the skill, they can practically do it blindfolded. But then there are those times when there is a problem with a claw.
One guaranteed way to put a smile on my face is to walk into my grooming studio and say, “It smells good in here.” Pet-related businesses have many reasons to smell unpleasant, and most of those reasons have four feet. Dogs come to us needing the bath we are about to provide, so they often have an unpleasant odor. And they sometimes urinate or defecate, causing a whole new level of bad scents.
