Techniques

Spaniels in the Salon

Oftentimes in the grooming salon we are faced with opting to clipper Spaniel coats for a multitude of reasons. In this month’s tutorial, I will offer suggestions on how to maintain the integrity of a Spaniel coat while honoring the client’s wishes for a shorter length of haircut.
Comb Cut Tutorial

When it comes to grooming cats, they don’t get a lot of options. Usually they are left completely natural with just a bath and blow dry, or they are shaved short into a Lion Cut. However, there is an additional option that leaves cats with a bit of fluff instead of being taken down to the skin.
Using Behavioral Cues to Determine Feline Temperament

As feline groomers, we need to do everything in our power to make each groom as safe and stress free as possible for both the groomer and the cat.
Freestyle Fun

As groomers, we really enjoy making a major transformation in our grooms. Sometimes we get those dogs in our salon that have too much hair “here” or too little “there”. We also work on pups that aren’t balanced correctly or have faults that can be easily fixed with hair.

What’s All the Fuzz About?

“I attended your seminar about handstripping in April at the NW Grooming Show. I enjoyed it very much. Thank you! I have been able to try more stripping since then. I also bought a carding knife at the show after you showed us one.

Handstripping the Border Terrier

In a previous issue, we covered preparing the coat to begin the handstripping process on a Border Terrier puppy. For the second installment, we are spotlighting a handstrip on an adult Border Terrier in the grooming salon. This will cover pet strips that you can offer your clients every day!

Toy Poodle in Diaper and Broccoli Trim

In this trim, the rear of the dog is shaped to give the appearance that it is wearing a diaper, complete with a big, round head that resembles a broccoli shape.

Prepping the Border Terrier for Hand Stripping

Hand stripping is something that every wire coated dog should have done to maintain proper coat texture and color. Wire coated dogs have guard wires and undercoat so they require both hand stripping and carding.

Cute & Sweet: Personality Trim on a Mixed Breed

A staple in every shop is the cute little mixed breed that doesn’t really resemble either of the breeds they are derived from—a perfect mixture of the two (or three or four….) breeds they represent.

Fusion Style: Double Stacked Ear

This is Toby, a cute mini Poodle I introduced you to in a previous article. I thought you might like to see how this style will transition into the next trim style.

Blueberry Bichon

Cold weather blues can sure get you down, but not if you live with a Bichon clown to make you laugh and bring you a smile. Harry has decided to become the rare Blue Parti Bichon for this particular demo.

The Theodore: An Updated Teddy Trim

Our pet clients are often looking for something that is easy to maintain and also captures the unique expression of their dog. This trim focuses on a semi-short body trim and full scissored legs.

Double Coated Dogs: Which Comes First the Brush or the Bath?

Over the weekend a groomer friend in another state sent me a message, “I am grooming a huge Shetland Sheepdog that has not seen a brush in years. My hands hurt. Are there any tricks to get this dog groomed faster?”

Rally Squirrel

On October 5, 2011 an American gray squirrel appeared on the field and ran across home plate at Busch Stadium during a National League Division Series Major League Baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Spiced up Short Personality Trim

One of our most common problems in the salon every day is finding a trim that suits our client’s maintenance schedule needs but also still allows us, as groomers, to express ourselves creatively. I often hear, “I don’t want to be just a shave down groomer”, but recognizing that we can still give style and flair to our short pet trims is a great way to build a client base.

Best-Dressed Brook

My standard poodle, Brook and I were invited to attend a special ribbon–cutting event so I decided to color Brook with fun pink and blue accents for the occasion.

Step-By-Step Yorkie Fusion Trim

The Yorkshire Terrier is one of the most popular breeds that we see in the salon every day. We often experience difficulty in styling the Yorkie to suit the owner’s maintenance needs with giving them an eye-appealing trim.

Experimenting with New Techniques

Hi Michell. I went to Groom Expo West this year. I attended several classes on various grooming techniques. I was so pumped! I got back to my salon and tried many of the things that I learned. Some of the techniques …

Special Techniques for Special Needs Pets

Little Louie the Yorkie came to see me today. He is a special needs baby with neurological issues, he can’t stand for very long and lays down for practically the entire process.

Understanding Your Airbrush with Style

Temporary coloring is one of the most popular color mediums among our clients, as many of them do not want long term color, and with airbrushing it’s pretty easy to do detailed designs as well. You can get in lots of practice and if you mess up your design— no worries — it’s temporary so you can wash it off and start over.

Pit Bull Rockin’ a Rainbow

This is Bambi who is a re–homed sweetheart of a pit bull. On this day in the salon, our mild–mannered girl began her color transformation.

To Scruff or Not to Scruff

There is a lot to say on the topic of scruffing. As a house call groomer who caters to clients who love their cats more than life itself, if I scruffed in my daily work I would not have any clients. My clients made me find alternate ways to control cats.

Creative Coloring: Make It Safe, Fun & Fabulous

Everyone’s pet is special to them. And to prove it, some pet parents like to dress their fur kids up in designer outfits with flashy jewelry, or have unique creative styles, colors, and designs put on them.