The therapeutic value of people with disabilities working with dogs is well established. Therapy dogs in hospitals and nursing homes have scientifically documented positive returns in health and well-being benefits; children struggling in schools learning to read have much better outcomes when they read to a dog; service dogs can literally be life-savers for their handlers.
Check-in, wash, dry, clip, check-out. Seems like every work day can be a fast-paced and hectic experience for you and your grooming pets. Many times it can even be difficult to remember the exact interaction with each pet because you are in such a hurry. Trends have changed though, many of our grooming clients are expecting their pet to receive a full-on spa experience, the same as what they would get when visiting a human spa.
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.
When I stare into the cloudy eyes of my elderly poodle Jesse, I often wonder—why can’t our pets live forever? This old timer no longer hears the garage door open or his name being called. He sleeps more, eats less, and moves slower. His chocolate brown coat has thinned and is sprinkled with white. At fourteen, Jesse is a senior citizen.
A Business is Born
Like most people who enter the pet care industry, Rachel Stalcoskie has had a lifelong love affair with animals. She began her career working with them when she was just fifteen years old. She got involved with zoos, dog kennels, and veterinary hospitals.
I was about thirteen, and I can remember reading an issue of Groomer to Groomer Magazine that was collected at a family friend’s grooming salon. I had already been doing everything I could to learn about grooming, and now I was eating up the articles in this magazine like it was Seventeen.
This past December, Barkleigh premiered the Groom Florida Show at the AKC/Eukanuba National Dog Show. The show consisted of a creative grooming contest, educational seminars by top industry speakers and the first ever, Barkleigh Invitational Grooming Contest, sponsored by Wahl, Crown Royale, LTD, Chris Christensen, Pet Plan, Espree, Pet Paint and Groomer to Groomer Magazine.
Feel the Spirit
Many professions require yearly continuing education for their members. The grooming industry does not. Yet, thousands of groomers from all over the world voluntarily attend grooming shows. Nearly 5,000 of them recently attended Groom Expo, the largest grooming show in the world. It was held in September at the magnificent Hershey Lodge and Convention Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
A Mobile Grooming Hazard
Nothing like driving in the pouring rain with all the windows rolled down… Now why would I do something like that?
While windswept, slightly mussy hair might be attractive on someone who looks more like Taylor Swift;
New England Grooming Show’s Creative Styling People’s Choice winner
Sturbridge, MA — I was fortunate enough to make it to the New England Grooming Show Sunday, October 4th, and along with browsing the booths and purchasing some new products, I found my way to the Creative Styling Awards.
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.
The average person buys a dozen cars in their lifetime. But unlike cars, you only get one retirement. How do you know if you’ll have the right plan? You want an income plan you can “drive” the rest of your life. To make smart choices, you need to take advantage of an advanced retirement modelling approach—a way for you to sit in the driver’s seat of your own retirement…