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.
The winter holiday season is upon us, and that means most groomers will have busy days planned. It’s not too late to ensure you have what you need to get through this time gracefully. Here is a checklist that may help you prepare for a successful season.
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.
Although not a common diagnosis, post-grooming furunculosis is a severe skin infection that has been widely publicized recently and frequently discussed in online grooming forums. Many groomers have never heard about it before or don't understand what it is.
It's the phone call or message no groomer ever wants to get. It usually goes something like this, "After my dog got groomed, ____ happened." The blank might be, "He became really itchy," "He got an ear infection," or "He began to limp." The possibilities are endless. Sometimes, the problem is something we can work with. If the dog is itchy after grooming, we can note that and try using different products the next time it is in. But, other times, we are at a loss as to what to do.
As the temperature drops, the days get shorter, and the autumn leaves hit the ground, mycustomers frequently ask me, "Why is my dog shedding so much? Isn't it the wrong season?" If your customers are wondering the same thing, consider this an excellent opportunity to educate pet owners.
The kind woman who trained me to groom taught me to count the toes out loud on each foot when I was learning to master claw care. "Look for at least five toes on every foot." Decades later, I still mutter "1,2,3,4…5?" under my breath when I lift every paw and check every leg to trim those claws. Beyond the four obvious claws on the toes, I always search for a dewclaw on every leg
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.
When potential customers contact you, their first interaction with your business will set the tone for how they perceive you. This perception will be built upon with every point of contact they experience. Let’s look at a typical customer/groomer experience.
