Clear communication can make or break the relationship between groomers and customers. As a professional groomer, it pays to learn to read between the lines and ask questions to clarify the pet owners' desires. Developing this ability can be achieved through active listening.
Dogs with long coats often come in to be groomed with lots of thick hair growing between theunderside of their paw pads. Trimming this fur neatly is an integral part of a complete pet groom. Untrimmed hair coming from the underside of the foot not only looks messy, but it can alsocollect dirt, sand, salt, snow, sticky things, and icky things and track them into the house.
This blog post might stir up a little controversy, but sometimes we work on pets that need to wear a muzzle for some of the grooming visit. With four decades of grooming experience and a reputation for safely grooming pets that have been turned away from other groomers, I rarely use a muzzle on any pet, but once in a while, I am glad to have a set stored away.
Imagine you are at work. The Golden Retriever waiting to be finished is barking—a lot. You can hear it over the high-velocity dryer you use on a terrier mix. The radio is on. Someone is vacuuming a pile of fur from the husky that had just been groomed. A vent fan is humming along from the ceiling. Grooming can be loud. Not only individual sounds but sounds that layer one upon the other, so you don't even notice the noise level. That is, until the end of the day when the last machine is turned off and ahhhh… it's so blissfully quiet.
Most groomers see a fair number of wire-coated breeds on their tables. A few examples are Airedale Terriers, Scottish Terriers, West Highland White Terriers, Cairn Terriers, and Schnauzers. These and many more are familiar breeds that require regular grooming.
Do you have a favorite comb? One that you have had so long it is like a well-loved pet? One that you tend to use on every single animal you groom? True confession time, I do. Mine is old, and the model is no longer made. If you tried to take it from me, you'd have a fight on your hands. I love how it feels, how it goes through the coat, and its size, weight, and shape. But since they don't make it anymore, I often buy other combs, trying to find one I like as well. I haven't yet, but I have discovered some dandy combs that work great for specific purposes.
As a new groomer, I had one favorite type of slicker brush. I used it on everything from tiny toy breeds to giant hairy breeds. It worked just fine, but with time and experience, I realized there were other options that might make my job easier. As tools go, slicker brushes are not expensive, so purchasing a variety of styles can be done without breaking the bank.
Rowdy, the Beagle mix, comes in for a grooming appointment. You wash and condition his coat, remove so much shedding fur you half-fill your trash can, clean his ears and trim his nails. He looks good, feels good, and smells like a cupcake
