It’s easy to build a relationship with another person when you have something in common, and as professional groomers, animals give us a built-in shared interest from the moment we first meet the person at the end of the leash.
y dog looks so white after you bathe him.” “My dog stays clean a lot longer after he’s been groomed by you.” “My dog smells great for a long time after his appointment.”
Grooming dogs with fuzzy faces is fun, but it comes with some challenges. One of the biggest is what to do about the fur that curls under the lip line. These clumps of hair get wet, stained and smelly, and can even irritate the dog’s…
A significant new trend is emerging in the contest ring for grooming competitions: greater access to and focus on rare dog breeds. In a world that seems to be consumed by everything “doodled,” it is encouraging to see professional groomers taking the time to learn…
Grooming dogs (and/or cats) all day is an easy job,” said no one ever. Despite the fact that I’ve been showing up to do just that for over 40 years, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t days when I seriously question my life choices. Luckily,…
Peer around the average grooming area and what do you see? Probably lots of tools and equipment. From simple, basic combs and brushes to complicated bathing systems, electric and hydraulic tables, clippers, vacuum systems and more. We may have gotten into the business because we…
When it comes to washing a Welsh Terrier or dematting a doodle, Artificial Intelligence (AI) cannot offer you any hands-on grooming assistance. But can it help you in other aspects of your job as a pet grooming professional? You might be surprised…
My family teases me about my spending habits. They say, “Some women collect handbags; some buy closets full of shoes. But you, you buy grooming tools.” And they are not wrong. If a new whiz-bang, gotta-have-it grooming tool becomes available, I will try it.
A few weeks ago, a customer exited our grooming studio with her dog, and then came right back in saying, “There is a woman lying in your driveway.” To my horror, one of my regular customers was, in fact, flat on her back and unable…
Imagine a new customer contacts you and makes an appointment for a two-year-old Bichon Frise she just adopted. You don’t groom many Bichons, and the ones you do all get short trims, but you happily schedule her for your next available time slot.
Do you ever wonder how groomers who have been happily at the table for decades build those successful, long-term careers? Is it mastering breed profiles? Is it keeping up with the latest trends and techniques? Is it having mad business skills? Perhaps it is all…
Imagine looking through the pages of this magazine and seeing photos of smiling grooming contest winners with their flawless-looking dogs. Or, watching a dog show and seeing stunning dogs, one after another, stride around the ring. You know that these are well-bred dogs and the…