Daryl Conner, Author at Groomer to Groomer

What You Said. What They Heard.

By Daryl Conner / March 3, 2016 / 1 minute of reading

It is a sad fact that many hurt feelings are caused by very simple miscommunications. One person says something, believing that they are being crystal clear with their words. The person they are talking to misunderstands what was said and feels unhappy. In our line of work, misunderstandings can carry additional emotional weight because people love their pets very much, and can become very sensitive if they believe their pet care professional harbors negative feelings about their dog or cat.

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When Accidents Happen

By Daryl Conner / March 18, 2015 / 8 minutes of reading

An obviously upset groomer recently contacted me via social media. She had accidentally nicked a dog while grooming. I have had similar experiences on more than one occasion during the past 30 years, and could well empathize with her. I vividly remember the first time a dog I was grooming required medical care.

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Grooming Cats and Dogs Together

By Daryl Conner / February 1, 2016 / 1 minute of reading

There are approximately 78.2 million dogs and 86.4 million cats owned in the United States. And we pet stylists take care of the grooming needs of many of them. For groomers who work in a shop situation, this means that sometimes we are working on cats and dogs in the same building, often at the same time.

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In with the New

By Daryl Conner / February 10, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

It’s a brand spanking new year and I don’t know about you, but I find that to be rather exhilarating! I like to think of things I can do to make my life a little more fun, easier or more exciting during this time of reflection and planning. I also like to apply these principles to my grooming. Here is a list of 12 ideas that you might like to incorporate into your new year, or maybe you will think of things that suit you better.

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The Art of Setting Expectations

By Daryl Conner / November 2, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

Sometimes a customer is unhappy with your grooming. In my experience, a huge percentage of the time this is due to the pet owner having an expectation of what the end result of the groom is going to look like, which is different from what the experienced groomer knows the pet will look like. Here is an example: A customer comes in with a 9 month old Shih Tzu puppy for its first groom. The dog has not been brushed or combed since birth and is encased in some very impressive matts and tangles.

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The Importance of ‘Liquid Tools’

By Daryl Conner / October 8, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

Back in ancient times, when I was a new groomer, the variety of shampoos and conditioners designed for pet use could be counted on one hand. There were just a few brands, and those brands had a very limited variety of products. They could be depended on to get dogs clean, keep static down and maybe help a bit with detangling…

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Holiday Wish List

By Daryl Conner / December 8, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

During this time of holiday gifting, I suggest you take some time to consider some grooming tools that you could (and should) either ask for as gifts or put your holiday tip money towards. Why? For several reasons:
You work hard and deserve to have the best tools for your work.

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Happy Feet

By Daryl Conner / September 22, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

Groomers do a lot of their work standing up, and there is a good bit of walking involved in our work as well. Did you know that with every mile we walk we experience 200,000 to 300,000 pounds of stress on our feet? Considering that in our business we are often carrying a dog when we walk, you can multiply those numbers.

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The “Whole” Pet

By Daryl Conner / August 25, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

The Dirt on Holistic Grooming
The word “holistic” is currently a bit of a buzzword in the American language. It brings up connotations of woo-woo-crunchy-granola-touchy-feely-New Age feel-goodism. But what exactly does it mean and how does it pertain to the grooming industry?

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Salon Details Certification

By Daryl Conner / June 10, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

What if there was a certification for groomers that wasn’t based on perfect poodle top knots or beautiful bevels on a cocker leg, but on those oh-so-crucial everyday skills such as knowledge of canine behavior, anatomy, bathing techniques, safety, first aid, and ethical business practices, among other things?

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Ten Tips to Improve Grooming Speed

By Daryl Conner / August 4, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” —William Penn
On internet grooming forums the following question crops up over and over: “How can I groom faster?” Most often this question is posed by people who are newer to our industry, those who have been grooming for five or fewer years.

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Saying Thank You

By Daryl Conner / May 20, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

Johnny Ray Gearhart had some rough times in his early years. “My father put me on the street when I was 12 … I was an addict. Then I started to attend a 12 Step program. I still go to this day. Someone put me in their house, set some rules on me, taught me a new way to live. He had me look for a job, and he wanted me to take an HIV test.

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