Recently, a groomer related a story about a customer complaining about her poodle/retriever mix looking "too poodlely" after her last groom. The groomer was frustrated because the pet owner could not describe what she meant. This story or similar scenarios are familiar in our industry. During an era where poodles make up part of many mixed breeds, it is confusing to us that people intentionally purchase a dog that is part poodle but steadfastly demand that their dog not look like a poodle.
Opal is a pug we bathe monthly. Her coat is short and smooth, and to be honest, she always looks pretty good when she comes in for her appointment. Even though we groom dogs for a living, we still often comment on what a dramatic change good grooming can make on even smooth-coated pets. When her grooming is completed, she looks shinier; her coat looks smoother, and, of course, she smells terrific.
Dogs with long coats often come in to be groomed with lots of thick hair growing between theunderside of their paw pads. Trimming this fur neatly is an integral part of a complete pet groom. Untrimmed hair coming from the underside of the foot not only looks messy, but it can alsocollect dirt, sand, salt, snow, sticky things, and icky things and track them into the house.
This blog post might stir up a little controversy, but sometimes we work on pets that need to wear a muzzle for some of the grooming visit. With four decades of grooming experience and a reputation for safely grooming pets that have been turned away from other groomers, I rarely use a muzzle on any pet, but once in a while, I am glad to have a set stored away.
Sometimes, dogs come in to be groomed and make strange mouth movements, repeatedly licking their lips, shaking their heads, or smacking their mouths in an unusual way. Experienced stylists know to take a peek to see if the dog is bothered by fur growing over its lips and getting into its mouth.
An adorable Pug came to see you for grooming. She snorts and wiggles, and you pop her into the bathtub and get to work. Like most smooth-coated breeds, it can feel like grooming this breed is a walk in the park. But wait! There's more to it than a simple wash and dry.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are popular pets and generally delightful to groom. Show dogs are not supposed to be trimmed at all except for the hair that grows between the pads on the underside of the foot, but many pet owners request shorter, more practical trims
Nico is a toy poodle, and I have groomed him every five weeks since he was a puppy. He is now a doddering old man, nearly blind from cataracts, riddled with arthritis, and missing most of his teeth.
Dogs and people seem to agree on many things. We both like some of the same tasty treats, enjoy walks, and think a good snuggle is fun. Do you know what dogs and people don’t seem to agree on? The topic of what smells good. I’ve had a dog roll exuberantly in a decomposing animal and seem overjoyed to smell of corpse.
When I was training to be a pet groomer, my mentor used to tell me, "You don't have to be the best groomer in the world. If you send home clean dogs that are tangle-free, have a cute face, and a tidy potty area, your customers will be happy." While I strive always to do my best, I realize there is some truth to my mentor's words.