Maybe the person who taught you how to groom told you to do it. Perhaps you saw dogs that groomers had done this on a breed you were not very familiar with grooming, so you started doing it, too, thinking it was acceptable. It's possible you did it by mistake once and then continued to do it because you didn't know how to fix it.
What is "skimming," and why should a groomer know about it? Skimming is a grooming technique in which a clipper is used to shorten the animal's hair, but not in the typical manner. Regular clipping requires us to lay the clipper blade flat against the dog's skin. The size and shape of the blade determine how much hair is removed as the blade follows the contours of the animal's body.
Brushing your dog is more than just a grooming ritual—it’s an essential part of maintaining their health and well-being. Whether your dog has a fluffy curly coat, a long, luxurious drop coat or a short, shiny coat regular brushing offers numerous benefits for both you and your furry friend. Here are five key reasons why you should make brushing a regular part of your dog's care routine.
Pippy, a Wire Fox Terrier, came in a few weeks ago. We do what we call a "pet strip" on this dog. We card and strip her jacket to retain as much color and texture as possible but clip her head and scissor her furnishing. I thought there was something odd about her appearance when she walked in, but it wasn't until I began to dry her that I realized that her eyebrows were almost non-existent.
Oliver is a little Havanese who comes in to be groomed every eight weeks. I can't say it makes me happy to see his name on the schedule; Oliver annoys me. He almost always poops on the floor the moment he enters my studio. I have asked his humans to walk him before he comes in, but Ollie has an uncanny ability to hold it until he is in the door. And he whines.
Learning how to shape the eyebrows on commonly groomed pets, such as Scottish Terriers and Schnauzers, took a lot of practice. I'm pretty proud of how these breeds look when they trot out of my grooming studio, and many customers comment on how much they like how I groom these breeds. But sometimes, it pays to get a little creative.
Cocker Spaniels are frequent visitors to grooming shops. Their dense coats require regular brushing, combing, and frequent trimming to keep their signature look. One reason this breed is so popular is that they have sweet-looking faces framed by long, luxurious ears. Here are some tips for keeping their ears looking the way they should:
Have you checked on the condition of the walls in your grooming space lately? Chances are, they have some grime that needs attention. The walls in our grooming areas get blasted with moisture regularly, especially near the bathing and drying areas. Moisture captures dust, hair, and dander (so much dander), and it all sticks as the walls dry out again.
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.