GTG 25-5

Fizzonator. Fizzonate. Fizzonation. Have you run into those words yet? They probably aren’t in the dictionary, but if Gwen would have her way, they would be right now. I can tell you, those words are in my world… and I wish they weren’t! I hear those words more times per day than I care to count. How are they used? Let me give you some sentences:

“I can’t find the Fizzonator. I forgot my Fizzonator. Wait a minute, I have to fill the Fizzonator. I must Fizzonate. You don’t understand, I have to Fizzonate. The Fizzonator is out of Fizzonation,” and on and on.

I am sure I have piqued your interest. What is a Fizzonator? Let me tell you. Last year, about this time, Gwen and I drove to Pet Quest in Lansing MI from central Pennsylvania. It was such a hot, hot day, that we went into a Sheetz (quickie market) for something cool. There on the shelf was a blue plastic gallon container with a straw on the top. Who in the heck (other than a lumberjack or construction worker) drinks out of a gallon jug? Apparently Gwen. She struck up an immediate facination with the critter, and it has become a presence in my life… whether I like it or not.

The Fizzonator has been traveling everywhere with us… and I mean everywhere, since then. It rides on boats, planes, trains and cars. Filled with iced tea, it goes on trips, to work, and to my house. But woe to the Fizzonator. It has been ailing lately. Scratched, dented, worn and weary, it tips over, spills on her clothes and generally is a nuisance with it’s ugly tea-stained straw and broken cap. I am embarrassed to be in its presence.

So Gwen has been on the hunt. Where can you find a good Fizzonator when you want one. Not at Sheetz apparently. She wrote to the national headquarters and she was assured they were back into production. She was anticipating their arrival at a nearby market.

As luck would have it, on a trip to check out a location for a kennel tour for Groom Expo, we stopped in a new Sheetz store many miles from home. Like a magnet, Gwen was drawn to a bottom shelf. There blue gleaming new Fizzonators stood proudly. She was ecstatic. People around her looked as she grabbed one and yelled to me across the store, “They have the Fizzonators!” What a smile was on her face as she caressed its bright blue top. Darn. I was hoping the old one would die and we would be done with this disgusting piece of plastic. No, indeed. Gwen bought two. And she is still keeping the old one for old time sake.

So the moral of this story is either buy Fizzonators when you can… or if you start a client on a new product, no matter how weird, you may have a customer for life! (Or something like that.) It was hard to get a real good moral out of this one. Sorry! God bless you.

P.S. I was justinformed that the names of the new Fizzonators are Fizzy
and Fizzer. Oh well.

Creative Groomers
Missy Gullet & Myra Macias
Win Big at 2006 Groom and Kennel Expo
By Kathy Hosler

B-Air Creative Grooming Competition
People’s Choice Award winner Missy Gullet – Iowa Nation

B-Air Creative Grooming Competition
First Place winner
Myra Macias – Robodoodle

Photos by Animal Photography

There is no doubt about it, groomers are amazing people. On any given day, a client may bring in a Poodle and tell you they want it to look like a Schnauzer. Another might bring in an overgrown ball of fur that has never been groomed, and want you to make it look like a “show dog” and…”We are in a hurry, could you have it done in one hour?”

Well, in some ways, these workday challenges can help prepare you to be successful in the creative grooming ring.

Creative groomers have the ability to look at a dog and see what no one else can see. They are able to visualize and then produce fantastic results, all the while working under a time deadline.

The 2006 B-Air Creative Grooming Competition at Groom and Kennel Expo in California was filled with these amazing groomers.

Myra Macias, the First Place Winner, and Missy Gullet, the People’s Choice Winner, and are two outstanding examples of the incredible talents with groomers are blessed.

Myra Macias has been grooming professionally for about fifteen years.
Since she was a little girl, Myra has had a deep love for all kinds of animals and dreamed of owning a pet store.

When Myra was about ten-years-old, her friend’s grandfather asked her to groom his Poodle. Myra said, “Sure, but I don’t have any equipment.”

The man went to Wal-Mart and got her a pair of clippers and a brush and comb. “I started grooming his dog, and neighborhood dogs, and anyone who would let me practice on their dogs,” recalls Myra with a smile and a chuckle.

While she was still in school, Myra worked on Saturdays at a grooming shop and learned how to do other breeds. Later she opened her own grooming shop, Best Friends Grooming in El Paso, Texas.

One day, Myra read a story about Jenna Lostale in the Groomer To Groomer magazine. She read about how Jenna also began grooming as a child and became a standout in the competition ring.

Jenna’s story inspired Myra and she decided to try competing. She attended seminars, determined to learn everything she needed to fine-tune her grooming skills to excel in the competition ring.

“I took classes from Marlene Romani of Clipper Vac and realized how much more there was to learn,” Myra said. “I purchased Christine Pawlosky’s Poodle grooming videos and learned about angles and balance and so much more.”

“Everyone is really kind and helpful at seminars,” Myra continued. “I especially remember Marea Tully at the Andis booth, and Mary Meeks from the Nature’s Specialties booth. They gave me so much information and helped me to improve my grooming skills.”

“I went to SuperGroom at Las Vegas and watched my first Creative Competition, and that was it…the colors, the glitter…I wanted to do it.”

“I got myself a white Poodle and bought the Creative Grooming Secrets video available through Barkleigh, and I started learning all about creative grooming,” Myra says, earnestly adding, “Barkleigh has been my teacher!” Myra is passionate about creative grooming. “It comes so natural to me – it’s a part of me,” says a beaming Myra.

“I get really nervous before a competition,” admits Myra. “I try to picture myself in my grooming shop and I keep telling myself – ‘Myra, just groom your dog… Focus – you are here to groom your dog.’ It’s a rush. Once you are in your zone you black out everything else.”

The competition was intense. The audience was riveted as they watched the amazing transformations on the stage before them. The room was buzzing with anticipation as the judges made their final decisions…

The crowd roared their approval as first place honors went to Myra Macias and Robodoodle.

“I felt like I was in another world, it took a little while to soak in,” Myra recalls excitedly. “There’s nothing like getting first place. It’s the best! Wow!”

“Competing is a lot of work, but, it’s my passion and well worth it,” says Myra. “I’m still all excited about it…I love it! There are no words to describe it. I feel really special and honored!”

Myra’s family is thrilled with her accomplishments. Myra’s husband, Caesar, and her assistant, Crystal, go with her to competitions, and are her biggest supporters. Myra says that she could not do it without their help and encouragement.

Her fabulous win doesn’t surprise Myra’s clients who say, “Oh, we knew you could do it. We see your work everyday. We know how good you are.”
“Grooming provides for all my family’s needs,” shares Myra and continues, “Who would have thought that little Myra’s hobby would get her where she is today?”

Missy Gullet’s grooming career began when she was just fourteen-years-old. Her next-door neighbors were groomers and she went to work with them. Missy started as a bather and worked her way up to grooming.

Missy has been grooming for nineteen years now. Her friends have long recognized Missy’s grooming talents and urged her to enter a grooming competition.

“I thought creative would be fun to try,” recalls Missy, “and maybe, a little less stressful than other competitions.”

With that thought, Missy courageously decided to enter the B-Air Creative Competition at the Groom and Kennel Expo in Burbank, California. Do you know why her decision was brave?

Missy had never entered a grooming competition of any kind before. Actually, she had never even watched a grooming contest. As a matter of fact, Missy had never been to a seminar, trade show, or grooming expo in her entire career.

“As a single Mom, who works six days a week, there just isn’t much time for anything else,” Missy confesses.

But, Missy had seen pictures of Creative Contest winners in the Groomer To Groomer magazine and she was intrigued. Missy’s creative juices began to flow and soon the spark of an idea became a beacon of inspiration.

Missy’s friend had a beautiful chocolate Standard Poodle that would be perfect for the competition. She would transform that Poodle into a mighty buffalo.

Missy, who is a Native American, took her great idea, named her entry Iowa Nation and set to work preparing for the competition.

“I studied pictures of buffalo on the Internet,” states Missy, “and I had a mental picture of exactly what I wanted her to look like.”

Although Missy pictured the groom over and over in her mind,
she never actually practiced doing it on a dog.

Armed with hope, skill, and determination, Missy headed to Groom and Kennel Expo to turn her dream into reality.

“I didn’t really know what to expect when I got to the competition,” Missy said. “I was really nervous, and I have stage fright too – that didn’t help matters much.”

“My dog had about eight inches of hair all over,” Missy chuckled then explained, “I mistakenly thought that the contest dogs were required to have six months growth of hair, when it was really six weeks of growth that was required. Wow!”

The contestants entered the ring, prepared to give it their all.
“I was so nervous – Gosh!” confessed Missy, “But, I went into my own little zone when the contest started and I did what I went there
to do.”

The crowd watched in awe as Missy snipped, clipped and molded that mountain of hair into an amazing buffalo of the plains.

The Creative Grooming Competitions feature the Groomer to Groomer People’s Choice award. The winner is chosen by the applause of the audience.

Each contestant received well-deserved and enthusiastic applause, but there was no doubt who the audience felt deserved the People’s Choice award…Missy Gullet had brought that majestic buffalo to life!

“When they called my name as the winner of the People’s Choice award, I was in shock! I couldn’t believe it!” Missy said breathlessly. “Of course, I was hoping to do well – but I didn’t expect to win. I was going for the experience.”

As Missy and that incredible buffalo shared the spotlight, a huge crowd surrounded them with congratulations and flashing cameras.

“My dog thought that she must be the best thing on earth with all that attention,” shared a beaming Missy.

The future is bright for Missy. She recently opened her own grooming shop. It’s called Missy’s Pet Spa and is located in Palm Desert, California.

Her clients are all excited about her phenomenal Creative Contest win, and can’t wait to see her on the cover of Groomer To Groomer Magazine.
What is next for Missy Gullet, the incredibly talented groomer, who thrives on challenges?

“I love to groom!” Missy states emphatically. “I wouldn’t want to do anything else in the world. And, even though I have very little free time… you will be seeing me at more competitions and seminars!”

The B-Air Dryer Company is excited to be a sponsor of the Creative Grooming Competition. Although they are relatively new to the grooming industry, you may have seen their premier product, the Grizzly B-Air dryer.

“Creative grooming competitions bring out new and innovative ideas that can benefit everyone in the grooming industry,” states Eddie Demi, president of the B-Air Company. “Our company will be part of that bright future. We have new products in development that will soon be available to help today’s groomers solve tomorrows needs.”

Myra Macias and Missy Gullet…accomplished groomers, successful business owners, busy moms, and Creative Grooming champions. These amazing gals are living proof that groomers can “do it all.”

Barkleigh Productions is again reuniting with WWPSA for the SuperZoo Pet Industry Trade Show with a new show name: SuperGroom. Previously called ProGroom Vegas, the grooming events, including seminars and grooming contests, take place Sept. 20-22 in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

Speakers for SuperGroom include European Judge Denys Lorraine; 2005 Oster World Champion Jodi Murphy; and Behaviorist Gary Wilkes.

SuperGroom has several exciting grooming tournaments during the three-day event. There will be over $10,000.00 in prize money for lucky contestants, as Barkleigh coordinates IJA and Groom Team Sanctioned Grooming Tournaments! The tournaments taking place are Andis Poodle Tournament, Petco Terrier Tournament, and Mixed Breed Makeovers and Purebred Parade. The Creative Styling Contest, co-sponsored by Ryan’s Pet Supplies and Wahl, will also be taking place. IJA Core team includes Directors, John and Vivian Nash and Team Leader, Kathy Rose. Several more panel judges will be selected.

A trade show of over 700 booths will fill the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. It is one of the largest gatherings of retail pet products as well as grooming products.

This year, for the first time, the Oster World Invitational Championship, coordinated by Shirlee Kalstone, moves to Vegas. This prestigious grooming contest will be held Sept. 22. This event pulls the best of the best from the national and international grooming community.

The judging team for the Oster tournament will be made up of a core IJA team of judges and three representatives from Oster: Christine Pawlosky, Oster’s national training manager; Jodi Murphy, and Denys Lorrain.
For more information on SuperGroom, contact Barkleigh Productions at (717) 691-3388, www.barkleigh.com, info@barkleigh.com.

Barkleigh Productions, Inc. held their Pacific Northwest Grooming Show in Seattle, WA recently. It had been a few years since Barkleigh was in the area, and they were missed! The show featured 25 booths, top speakers and seminars. 403 attendees were there for the return of the show.

The three-day grooming show started with Teri DiMarino’s Brusher/Bather Certificate Program, where bathers-in-training, groomer wannabes, and salon owners benefited from the day-long program with tips on equipment and products to make the job easier. Teri also covered the topics of Camouflage Grooming…How To Hide Faults and Fix Uh-Ohs! and Grooming the Geriatric Pet.

Randy Lowe of Precision Sharp presented his Scissors and Blade Workshop, talking about everything that clips. From clippers and blades to shears, Randy offered his expertise from his thirteen years of experience in the sharpening trade. Attendees were able to bring clippers and scissors to the class to make repairs of their own.

Luncheons by Judy Bremer-Taxman are one of the biggest highlights of Groom Expo, so why not share her fantastic surprises and gifts with the audiences in Seattle? Judy brought her Let’s Go Fishin’ and Managing with Aloha luncheons to the entertained crowds, giving away diamond rings. Those participating in the Aloha luncheon dressed for the Lu-Howl. Judy also presented her The Empowered Employer…And Employee, Too! And Money In Minutes programs.

The Groomer’s Groomer, Marlene Romani, brought her popular seminars of Easy, Breezy Grooms with Snap-On Combs, Mixed Breed Makeovers, and Salon Safety Secrets. Internationally acclaimed herbalist, Greg Tilford, taught Grooming From The Inside Out and Herbal Remedies For Pet Pros.

Trade show vendors showcased new products and provided show specials to entice onlookers. Also taking place was Barkleigh’s Silent Auction, which was very successful in raising money for Gifts of Love International.

The next Pacific Northwest Grooming Show dates have yet to be decided.

Groom Expo Preview...
Carol Boerio-Croft…
Women Entrepreneur Extraordinaire
By Marsha Lohr

Carol Boerio-Croft is an entrepreneur who wants to make the world more pet friendly and pet educated. She has been working in the industry for 40 years and has high hopes for it’s future and her part in it, and she will be bringing her message to Groom Expo. She is a veterinary technician and groomer/stylist with a specialty and training in scissoring and canine rehabilitation. She is also a human respiratory therapy technician, real estate broker/appraiser, and massage therapist.

Carol is Founder/Owner of Cozy Pet Inn Resort and Orchid Spa, a pet resort at two locations: Pittsburgh and Stahlstown, Pennsylvania. Between both resorts, Cozy Inn sees over 120,000 pets a year. The Pittsburgh facility has 200 family suites, with 12 themed suites, called Cozy Condos. They just recently finished designs for Chateau Cozy with 30 more themed suites and additional 30 regular family suites, and special Veterinary suites in the works. She is also designing a cattery that will be added within two years.

The new pet resort in Stahlstown has 162 family and three themed suites at this time: The Mozart Hall Jungle Suite, Tropical Suite, and The Presidential Suite.

Carol will be a featured speaker at “the Hershey Show”, the exciting four-day event in which attendees will get the chance to rub elbows with some of the most successful people in the pet industry, such as Carol.

Carol started working as a veterinary technician in 1966. She worked with numerous veterinarians and went to school at nights for biology-animal husbandry classes and challenged the veterinary technician exam to become a Veterinary Technician while finishing school once again to get an Associate Business degree.

After taking jobs outside the industry, she began searching for something more in her life than a job that just paid well. This led her to a visit to a priest, who gave her guidance by saying, “Look in your heart and find what you love the most, and do it! Even if the pay is poor, do it!” So Carol went home that night and sat down with her dogs Pooh, Lady and Mozart. She realized there was no love more loyal, satisfying and secure than her life and the relationship with her pets.

“I took an inheritance I received from my uncle, and formed an organization called Action For Animals, Inc. in 1980. We saved abused and abandoned animals, and we were a no kill shelter.”

As she worked, she listened to client’s fears and unhappiness with boarding. “So, with the money my pet Mozart made by performing in television commercials, along with the sale of my pre-marriage residence, I announced to my husband that I was starting my own business; a pet resort with an environment where pets could have fun! My mission was to create an all-inclusive safe, entertaining environment for pets.” Hence, Cozy Inn Pet Resort was developed.

As a serious reader and researcher of physiology, veterinary and human medicine, Carol has become well known for her knowledge and experience in the animal world. “I taught myself to be a professional groomer/stylist back in 1988, specializing in scissor and creative styling. Thus Orchid’s Spa was born.” She has also studied in post-surgical rehabilitation, massage therapy, physical therapy and hydrotherapy for animals (canine).

What motivated Carol to invent the Cozy Inn Pet Resort and Orchid’s Spa? Her dog, Mozart. “Mozart was my teacher, soulmate and angel in my life. There wouldn’t had been a resort or my mission without him in my life.” The first Cozy Inn Pet Resort and Orchid’s Spa opened in March 1987 in Pittsburgh, PA. The second opened in Stahlstown, PA in 2002.

Cozy Inn Pet Resort is designed to serve the demanding purpose of distinctive, personalized care for companion animals. Located in a unique country setting offering elegant country lodging in spacious suites, the clean and contemporary facilities offer the perfect worry-free “home away from home” atmosphere.

What does the Cozy Inn encompass? “Grooming, styling and spa services are a large part of my business,” Carol explains. Boarding, daycare, a veterinary clinic, training center and hydrotherapy are additional services.

The Pet Resort incorporates Feng Shui into its setup. Why take such a different approach to design? “I have coped with the world the same as animals experience the world through their senses. I have studied this and developed the Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui for canines,” says Carol.

“Cozy Inn, over the last 17 years, has successfully filled the void in pet care by providing a facility which has developed a concept of Zen approach to pet care. I call this concept canine sense.”

The evolution of this concept is relating to the pets through their senses by maximizing positive energy in their surroundings for peace, harmony and contentment. Skylights, music therapy, color stimulation, plants, aromatherapy, positive energy, massage and touch therapy, activities and adventure, and physical stimulation and challenges are all part of bringing this experience to pets!

The Orchid’s Spa provides an indulging experience at a full service spa. Designed with relaxation, peace and serenity in mind, Orchid’s Spa is an esthetically pleasing environment and takes pets to the next level. Amenities include grooming to a “day of indulgence”, aromatherapy, massage, exercise time and cookie/snack breaks.

“Cozy Inn’s mission is to create and provide a loving, sensitive, healthy, safe, naturally controlled environment for our guests; take care of them completely: mentally, emotionally, medically, spiritually and physically. And to always treat them with love and respect.”

There are many features that pets are offered and Carol is certified in all of them. “I am trained and have mastered everything we do for the resort in every area. I don’t expect anyone to do anything unless I have perfected and experienced it to the max first. Then I teach my technicians in our schools,” offers Carol.

Carol’s concepts and developed philosophies of pet care relating to companion animals (through their senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste and energy), and their Zen approach to animal care via Feng Shui have received National and International recognition.

“My visions and dreams include: build Pet Town USA, franchise/license Pet Town nationally, and to develop The Cozy Inn Pet Foundation and market along with Pet Town/Cozy Inn, all in an effort to teach the pet owning nation the importance of domestic pets in our life. My other vision is to build a school/campus for training anyone who wants to specialize in any area of the pet industry: grooming, spa services, pet technicians, canine rehabilitators, etc,” aspires Carol.

What exactly is Pet Town? “Pet Town USA is a multimillion dollar venture creating an enclosed “town” that is canine and feline friendly. The town consists of Canine Pet Resort; Feline Pet Resort; a state-of-the-art Veterinary hospital with specialty professional building; campus for schools: pet technician school, and styling schools, etc; off leash public park; canine themepark; cattery; boutiques; and state-of-the-art pet training center: obedience, agility and behavior; museum and interactive educational center for children and adults,” explains Carol.

Carol has a special connection with the animals she helps. Like canines, she has to observe the world through all her senses, not just sight and sound. Since the age of 14, she was diagnosed as an audio and visual Dyslexic. “It was through the gift of this learning disability that I was capable of manifesting my unique relationship with the animals.”

Carol saw the dyslexia as a special gift to learn to utilize the brain’s ability to alter and create perceptions. She thinks in pictures and perceives multi-dimensionally, using all the senses. “I was able to manifest a deep understanding, and an extraordinary communication with animals, and felt safest among them, primarily canines.” she shares.

When asked what her favorite part of the pet care industry is, Carol can not pick just one answer. “I love it all. I can’t wait to work. I love my clients, my staff, my pets, all of it. The good and bad experiences too.”

As a woman in a huge pet care industry, Carol has had her shares of problems and challenges when she first started with her career. “I have made every mistake possible and have had many, many difficult times because I’m a woman with a crazy idea! But, I’ve mastered it all and used my negative and positive experiences to grow and learn and perfect my company.”

“It’s all a blessing. I have learned to be a strong, independent, experienced woman entrepreneur and am still growing by leaps and bounds. I love my life!” exclaims Carol.

This is one woman who will be in the industry for a long time. I don’t think we could pull her away from it!

For more information on Groom Expo 2006, where Carol Boerio-Croft will be a featured speaker, go to www.groomexpo.com.

A groomer wrote the other day saying that this customer had called and asked oodles of questions about the five dogs she wanted to bring in to her shop. You know, “how much do you charge for my Maltese, and how much would it be if you didn’t cut the nails? Don’t shave the tummy on Max and pull the hair out of Fifi’s ears but not Buttons, shave this one but not that one.” Blah, blah, blah. The groomer was sure she had explained everything well and that the customer completely understood all the grooming charges as well as the daycare, because of course she couldn’t possibly pick them up when they were finished.

When the lady dropped off the dogs she went back over all the charges and the customer concurred. I don’t have to tell you what happened when the lady finally came back to pick up her dogs and received the bill. “WHAT, HOW MUCH? THAT’S CRAZY! YOU DIDN’T TELL ME THAT!”

The groomer at this point was beside herself figuring she wasn’t going to get paid. After 15 minutes of further explanation she finally got the check and it didn’t bounce. Yeah! Her question to me was how she could possibly keep that from happening again.

Whenever you get a suspicious call asking for all kinds of quotes and giving all kinds of instructions for multiple dogs, PUT IT IN WRITING, read it out loud and have the customer sign it. I would do the same thing when grooming sick or geriatric animals also.

Another groomer who just found out she was pregnant with her first child asked how she could get some time off and what equipment might make her job easier while carrying her child.

Having been one of those groomers thirty seven years ago, I just kept booking the dogs as though nothing was different. We all know “due dates” ain’t necessarily so. Babies come when they want to and not when the doctor says so. If you trust your due date too much you could wind up losing a lot more appointments.

Warn the customers who are booked around that time that you may have to reschedule them. You should be able to take four weeks off all together without any real difficulties. Book the dogs due in the first two weeks, two weeks early and the dogs due in the last two weeks, two weeks later.

Don’t worry about new customers; you will have your hands full taking care of the old ones. It may not be super healthy; however, I kept my son in a play pen in the next room to the grooming salon so I could keep an eye on him while I was working. Those swings come in handy to occupy the little one too. Your customers will feel a part of your “coming event” and I’m sure will support you in every way.

As far as equipment goes, pregnant or not you need the best money can buy. You must have a hydraulic table to save your back. The sharper your blades and scissors, the faster you will work and the easier it is on you. Sprays that facilitate brushing and combing can still be used but use a mask. The oriental groomers always use one to keep the hair and spray out of their lungs. Brushes and combs with all the teeth help speed up the grooming process.

Don’t be carrying heavy dogs to the tub and table, make them walk. When lifting big dogs, put their front feet on the table or tub and then move totally behind them and lift up their rear. Don’t lift from the side of the dog or you will bear all the weight. Use a choke chain on the dogs that pull so you don’t get hurt or fall down.

You may have to refuse the big or difficult dogs in late pregnancy. I’m sure the owners will understand and return after the baby is born. Trust your own instincts and pay attention to your doctor’s advice. GOOD LUCK.

P.S. I called a grooming friend of mine the other day and someone else in the salon answered the phone. I said is “Juli Anne there?” She said, “No, she’s in the tub with a customer.”

If your customers are grooming their dogs to keep them cool, especially in the summer months, your salon already has a retail base for any type of cooling product. Your customers care about their best friend's comfort and will purchase items that provide this healthy comfort.

Impulse buy technique: Merchandising cooling products in a space-saving display will attract your customer and keep their attention as they learn more about offering this benefit for their dog. Another technique used by salons is to bring their dog to work and have them use the different products offered for sale. This brings realness to the product and your customer will imagine their dog using it, as well. The “mascot” dog will certainly be able to sell the customer on the product if he is enjoying it!

You can also ask your customers to send in photos of their dog using the products you sell. Dog photos are adorable, a definite attention grabber, and take away any doubt that the product may be a gimmick. Have goals to place a customer's dog photo with every product you retail: “Max loves his (product name)!” “Chloe loves her (product name)!”

Use eye-catching questions or phrases: “Are you grooming your dog to keep him cool?” “Continue the salon experience at home!” “Grooming + (product name) = Happy Dogs.” Print on your receipts as a reminder that you offer these products for sale.

Simple decision means quick sale: Let your customer know they can purchase the product upon checkout and what forms of payment you accept.

Educate salon staff: It is very beneficial if your staff uses the products at home with their dogs. If they are believers in the product, they can recommend it with confidence and answer questions for an easier sale. Educate staff on the importance of a dog's need to cool down, which can lead to the dangers of heat stroke. Dogs only have sweat glands on their pads and feet so they have to rely on panting to cool down. But this is not enough on warmer days, even in an air conditioned home. Dogs will seek hard tile or cement to keep cool, but this is so harsh on their joints, especially dogs with arthritis or hip dysplasia.

Have your staff pay close attention to customers whose dogs have a harder time beating the heat so they can recommend the cooling products: breeds with a thick, double-coat or breeds with a pushed back face such as Bulldogs, Pugs and Boxers that have smaller airways, and therefore have less of an ability to blow out hot air to cool themselves.

Retail year-round: You can continue to retail cooling products during the colder months. Many dogs are still too warm when we turn up the furnace. You can change your technique to: “Is your heater heating your dog?” If you have limited space, choose a few products that sold well in the summer.

A popular item that retails well in salons is the Canine Cooler pet bed. After your customers have their dog groomed, they can take them home to a comfortable, cool spot in the home. The Canine Cooler works with water and a memory foam comfort core. Add water one time only. Dogs can lie on the bed for hours since it stays dry while absorbing body heat. The heat is dissipated into the surrounding air instead of being trapped on the bed.

When dogs choose the Canine Cooler over hard tile or dirty cement, this saves their salon style and more importantly, saves their joints! Most likely, their current dog bed is made of fabric that traps heat, so your customers will be intrigued. The Canine Cooler is available in a space-saving display with a touch and feel sample so customers can feel the cushioned coolness. Call 888-244-5569 or visit www.soothsoft.com.

Forgiveness
by Bonnie Wonders

This past week was like a groomer's version of “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.” One day brought a crisis, worthy of making me want to rip out the strands of my hair that still have color in addition to those pesky gray ones.
Now let me tell you about MY week....

There was once a customer whom I will just call Cranky. Cranky had a Poodle years back that I groomed each month with no problem. Cranky, her hubby and I got along well enough. This Poodle lived to a ripe old age of probably 14 or so. He was a real sweetheart of a dog and I was genuinely sorry to see his passing.

Subsequently, Cranky got a new Poodle. This one was nothing like his predecessor. He was pretty much everything you DON'T want in a pet. He bit the neighbors and Cranky's visitors. He has awful hair both to work with and to look at. And to top it off, he was way overpriced for a “show quality” Poodle. Add to that the dog is apricot color with a sizeable white patch of hair on his chest. Now, at least when I was into the dog show venue, it was NOT desirable to have a Poodle of broken color in the show ring. Not that it makes one iota of a difference to me as far as cutting it’s hair. What I do care about is the possibility of losing my ring finger to the little maniac.

At any rate, I was grooming this dog several years back and Cranky mentioned that she was thinking of having someone show this dog as he was of such excellent “show quality.” She was droning on and on about it and asked me if I would teach her about showing this dog in conformation. Believe me, he had less than desirable conformation. Besides, I have never shown in conformation. Rather I had been into obedience.

I apparently burst Cranky's bubble pretty violently though, as I told her I didn't believe you could show her Poodle in breed if he had that big white spot on his chest. I also told her at the time that I wasn't SURE about that, but that she should call so-and-so, who was heavy into showing, to find out for sure.

Well, talk about it hitting the fan! From those couple remarks, this is the story that evolved.

I never saw the dog again from that moment on. Another groomer in the area was contacted to start doing the dog. The story and quite a story it was, was that Cranky had witnessed me abusing her dog. There I had been seen, smacking it to and fro. Choking it while grooming it. Twisting it's legs in contortion-like fashion while shaving it's feet. I was such an arrogant ________. I would NEVER, NEVER get the opportunity to “rob them blind,” for a grooming again. How I stayed in business, charging the horrendous prices that I did was unbelievable to them. And on … and on.

When word came back to me about all this I was shocked to say the least. I just couldn't believe that she would say all these things, but the stories were coming from a reputable source. I let it pass though. I certainly wasn't hurting for business and I am really not the confrontational type. I eventually forgot about Cranky and her dog, although she ended up being the neighbor of my sister for a while. During that time the dog terrorized the neighborhood by biting several people, including their landlord. Let's just say not many were sorry to see these people move a couple years ago.

The other week I got a phone call. Lo and behold, it was Cranky. “You know I've been taking Puff to Pat's Grooming?” she told me. “Yes,” I had heard that, I informed her. I knew that the other groomer has been closed for a while due to a family emergency. I also knew what was coming next. Cranky was being so nice on the phone and seeing as how it has been about six years since “the incident,” I thought I would be the bigger person. She begged me to do the dog and I agreed to until her regular groomer returned. She had probably mellowed out by now anyhow, I thought.

I made the appointment for last week. For some odd reason I found myself dreading this upcoming meeting from the moment I set up her time. My sister hit the roof when she heard I was going to be grooming the dog again. “WHY on earth would you agree to do that when she was so hateful and spread all that crap about you?” she asked. I explained that in all probability it was only for one time that I would be grooming the dog. It was also time to get past those ill feelings I had harbored for so long against this woman. “You're nuts,” was my sister’s reply. Of course, this was her standard reply to most things I decided to do.

The grooming appointment came. Cranky walked in with her hubby and the dog. Jackie was working with me that day. I walked out front, did the usual and customary greeting that you do with most clients and looked down at the dog. “Hi, Puffy,” I said. As Cranky handed me the leash, the dog gave me a big smile and an even bigger growl. “Well, that's not sounding too happy,” I chided, taking the leash. Cranky told me how she wanted Puff cut and I told her to return in an hour. That was it. Other than the greeting and the instruction, no other words were exchanged.

We did the dog, which had to be muzzled for Jackie to be able to bathe and dry. I was able to take it off part way through the grooming. I did have more “smiles” from that dog though than a commercial for whitening toothpaste. I've certainly done more difficult dogs but I have most definitely had much more cooperative animals too.

Cranky came in to pick up Puff at the time I told her to return. I was in the grooming room working on another dog. Jackie got Puff and gave him to her. I heard the woman ask Jackie how he behaved. She told her that we did have to muzzle him for a while. That was all she said to her. Cranky's hubby said, “It must be that he is just used to the other groomer.” Then I heard Crank ask that dreaded question. “Would Bonnie do him again?”

“Let me ask her,” Jackie said. She came back into the grooming room and asked the question of me. “Well, he was a little difficult for me this time, but if you get stuck and Pat is not back to work when you need it, I'll try him one more time.” That was ALL that I said. They left looking pleased enough.

One week passed. I suddenly hear that Cranky has been telling MANY people that she took her dog to me and that I am such a horrid person that she will NEVER give me the chance to groom her dog again. Where this was all coming from I had no idea, seeing as how I didn't even go out front when she came to pick him up. She also added that I was so rude to her when she was in and that I told her never to bring her dog back to me. I said he was the worst dog I had ever seen and that I hated him. I was just thankful that I had a witness in Jackie that day.

So even though I have by far and away pleasant people, every now and then I wind up with a doozy.

I guess the moral of the story is that if you are once bitten, shame on your own personal “Cranky.” Twice bitten, shame on you.

Thinking back to the beginning of my career I must tell you, I was not very good at charging for extra service. One of the biggest reasons, I believe, was the lack of confidence that goes along with lack of experience. As time passes I learn more and more. With that education I realize I am the expert, the professional that the customer seeks out. The customer does come to us because they can not or do not want to do the grooming themselves.

So my first bit of advice is to never stop learning. Second is to listen closely to your customer’s desires. Then ask the right questions.

Mrs. Smith came in with a Standard Poodle puppy of five months. It has only been groomed by the breeder as a young puppy. My first question is, why have you not called a groomer until now? Her answer is, well I do not want my Poodle to look like one. She bathes it often and it is in really great shape.

My next question would be, do you have an idea of what you would like the dog to look like? Some customers bring pictures of past dogs or pictures from magazines. I find this very helpful. At this point you really need to listen closely. For instance, the owner said the pup brings in everything from the outdoors. She also mentioned the face hair gets terribly dirty and wet. But she thinks of a big bear when she looks at the puppy and likes it.

To achieve the look I know I need to sell an extra hand scissor charge of at least one hour. I also may want to recommend a bath appointment between grooms so the dog always looks nice. If this works for them, go one step further and ask to book appointments for one year.

Now you have happy customers, both dog and owner. The dog will accept the routine and the owner, has a beautifully groomed dog. The plus for you is that it is regular business and the dog is a walking billboard for your shop. When I have an opportunity to leave a little more coat, I do because bald dogs do not make regular customers.

What did I do with this dog? I #40 bladed the pads of the feet, then placed a 1/2-inch universal comb over the #40 blade and clipped from wrist down on all four feet.

Use the same attachment and clip just the muzzle. Next I outlined the dog by clipping rear, then front angulations. I also took off coat from the chest and underline.

I needed to leave neck hair because of straight shoulders. So after doing belly, rectum, lips and in front of eyes with the #10 blade, I placed the 1/2-inch comb on the #40 blade and clipped the body, blending straight down the legs to create nice, straight, parallel lines. I also skimmed the comb attachment over the skull and ears then scissored over the entire dog.

The owner was happy. The Poodle still looked like a bear. The trim addresses drippy beard hair and furry feet that drag everything in. It is very cute and balanced.