Daryl Conner

Your professional image is how you present yourself at work as well as in social or social media outlets that might spill over into your work. A pet groomer's professional image may differ from that of a CEO of, for instance, a tech company. Because of the nature of our work (think water and fur) and because our industry allows a certain amount of artistic and creative leeway. I know many successful groomers who pull off extreme professionalism while rocking primary-colored hair and lots of visible tattoos.

I was the unhappy recipient of what I suspect is the worst dog bite of my four decades-long career last week. We took in a new customer. She told us on the phone that he was a ten-year-old West Highland White terrier. She wanted his body clipped close all over (with a #4 blade) and a traditional Westie head and tail. He has been groomed regularly his entire life. When he arrived, I put him in the tub.

The various lumps, bumps, and growths on many pet dogs can be a serious source of frustration for pet owners and groomers alike. From sebaceous cysts to warty-looking moles that bleed if you even look at them hard, lumps and bumps can be tricky to navigate.

When I hear groomers expressing frustration about their work, it is more frequently about the humans on the other end of the leash than the dogs. For example, "I was traveling on vacation, and my flight got canceled. I had to reschedule two days of customers. Everyone understood except one man, who insisted I fit them in on a certain day. I offered many alternative solutions, but he wouldn't budge. That means on my first day back, I will be grooming until 9:00 PM just because they wouldn't be flexible.

Do you ever admire the work of other groomers when you see dogs in grooming magazines, on the internet, or at grooming contests? I know I do—those flawless finishes, that incredible scissor work. Sigh.

You have a freshly washed and dried Cocker Spaniel on your table to groom, and you gently flex his leg so you can trim the claws. Then you do a double take. Is that fur growing out of his paw pad? As you look closer, you see that long, thick, hair-like growths are coming off the large pad on his paw. What in the world is that?

Modern groomers are quick to use the ultimate dematting tool (a clipper with a #7 or #10 blade,) but sometimes doing a little old-fashioned dematting is called for. There are tools and tricks to make this job easier and safer, too.

Moxie is a Shih Tzu mix and behaves like a perfect gentleman when groomed until you get to his face. Then he has a conniption fit, and it is quite a challenge to trim around his eyes and other delicate facial parts when he is tossing a tantrum. What is a well-intentioned groomer to do?

Imagine this scenario. A poodle mix comes in to be groomed. It's on the big side and has not been groomed for months. The owner knows it's matted. You know it's matted. The poor dog knows it's matted. You discuss options with the owner, and (thankfully!) everyone agrees that starting over with a smooth clip is the best option.

There is a phenomenon in pet grooming where dogs develop softer, fuzzier, fluffier coats than expected, sometimes in odd places. This strange, fuzzy coat, sometimes called "spay coat," may be linked to the hormonal changes when pets are spayed or neutered.