Pet schnauzers comprise a high percentage of dogs on many groomer's tables. These sturdy little terriers can be fun bread-and-butter dogs to style, but those signature eyebrows can be a little tricky to perfect.
One of the things I love the very most about being a dog groomer is that there is always something new to learn. For instance, my co-worker recently said she had read something about dogs with triple coats. In this case, it was a Pomeranian being discussed. I was skeptical, so I visited the American Kennel Club website and looked at the breed standard for Pomeranians.
“How can I groom faster?” is a commonly asked question where groomers gather to chat. Here are a few tips to help you accomplish grooming tasks more swiftly.
There was a time when I lived in a city with many other groomers. I would invite a few of them to my house to watch grooming videos regularly. I’d put out lots of snacks and a couple of bottles of wine, and pretty soon, we’d quit watching the video and just gab, swap stories, and laugh. It was a lot of fun. As I cleaned up the next day, I’d put the video back on and watch it myself. I could pay much better attention when I wasn’t swapping “worst anal sac” stories with other groomers.
Some breeds of dogs, such as Schnauzers, typically have their ears clipped smooth. Sometimes, we shave other dogs' ears smoothly to remove mats and tangles or simply to create a unique look.
People who are devoted to Scottish Terriers love the breed's unique look. Known for their compact bodies, carrot tails, and long heads, a few quirky things about this breed set them apart from other terriers regarding grooming. One of those things is their long, distinctive eyebrows.
Several dog breeds have tipped ears as part of their breed profile grooms. Yorkshire, West Highland White, and Cairn Terriers are some of the more common ones. Tipping the ears on fluffy mixed breeds that have pricked or semi-pricked ears can be a fun style, too.
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.
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?
