The dog you are grooming has been carefully bathed and dried and is now on the table, ready for the rest of the grooming process. Do you reach for some coat spray before you proceed? If not, you should consider doing so.
Picture this; you get a pile of clipper blades sharpened and are delighted to groom the day's dogs with them. You picture how the freshly maintained blades will slide through the dog's coats smoothly and cleanly, making your work easier, and the results will look so fine. While a dog dances on your table, you unwrap the first blade and snap it onto your clipper, happily anticipating how well your work will go. Then, to your horror, you find that the blade barely cuts.
Dogs that require a medicated shampoo or a shampoo designed to kill fleas need to have the shampoo stay on them for a prescribed period of time. Read and follow the manufactures instructions. For most products, a soak of 5-10 minutes is recommended. The shampoo must remain in contact with the skin for the prescribed time in order to be effective.
I'd like to buy a drink for the person who first introduced guide (also known as snap-on) combs to the pet grooming industry. These inexpensive tools give groomers a far wider range of options for leaving coats longer on the pets we groom.
When a groomer I admire wrote something extolling the virtues of the Andis Deshedding tool, I paid attention and ordered one. Rarely does a work day go by that I am not grateful for that choice. Groomers often joke about wanting or needing a magic wand, and this tool is about as close as it gets.
Everyone’s got a favorite comb and which type and brand is probably based on what breeds and coat types frequent that salon. But there are a few that I consider absolute necessities that I could not do without. Or, if you took all my combs away but these– I could still groom every dog that walked into the shop.
A grooming tool does not have to cost a lot to be extremely useful. Read on to learn about four helpful tools that will improve your grooming and won’t break the bank.
I am a self-confessed tool junkie. If I see a grooming tool that I don’t own and think would be useful, I’ll buy it. Sometimes the purchase is a win, other times a dud. Then there is the grey zone, a great tool for a few specific tasks but not something I will use on most pets. It turns out I have quite a few of those grey zone tools...
Do you have a favorite old slicker brush? The one you grab first when you start on almost every dog? If you give it a hard look, do you see that there are bent, twisted and missing tines? I know it's hard, but it's time to let it retire. Damaged tines on brushes can scratch and injure delicate skin. They can also cause harm to that fur you are trying to take good care of by damaging the hair shaft's cuticle as you work. I know it's hard to say goodbye, but it's time to retire that tired old brush and replace it with a new, unblemished one.
