Spring cleaning is traditionally a home chore to prepare for the warmer season. It is time to get rid of the dust, grime, clutter, and debris that has collected over the cold months and make things lighter and brighter. Applying the concept to your grooming space can be a pleasant and practical way to prepare for our industry's typically hectic time of year.
Pet groomers don’t need a calendar to tell us what season it is; we can tell the days are getting longer by how much the dogs on our tables are shedding. With the proper devices, there is no need to dread shedding season. Here are some tools and methods to help you get through these hairy times with less effort.
These tools can be confusing. When you read their descriptions in catalogs, they’re so similar…They do the same thing, don’t they? No, they don’t. Let me explain.
Both remove undercoat on thick coated dogs. It’s the METHOD of removal that varies. One pulls out dead and shedding coat without cutting the fur. The other has sharp, curved teeth which remove the undercoat but will also cut the coat. One is used primarily on dry coats, both before and after the bath. The other is effective prior to shampooing, during the bathing process, and after the dog is clean and dried.
Nothing is worse than reaching for a gallon of your favorite shampoo or conditioner to replace the one you just finished and realizing you are out of it. Except for going for the de-matting spray that never lets you down and finding the bottle is putting out nothing but fumes, and the backupyou were sure you had stashed is missing in action.
It can sometimes feel a little confusing when you are perusing a grooming supply catalog for clipper blades. For instance, some blades from size 7 to 3 ¾ have teeth that, instead of all being the same length, alternate every other tooth from long to shorter. These are known as "skip tooth"blades, and I don't mean to date myself, but those were all that were available when I was a new groomer. I had been grooming for a while before being introduced to "F" or "FC," or finish-cut blades.
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.
Currently trending in the industry are some tools that keep pets safer and make our jobs easier.
Pet groomers depend on various tools to practice their craft correctly, and good quality shears are a must-have. Because shears are something we depend on, we should know the proper terms of their parts and how to best take care of them.
Well-made grooming shears are an expensive necessity. No one wants to make a mistake by purchasing a shear that is not right for them. Even if you know what length you prefer and what style, it can still be confusing when you read the description for each one. For instance, what is the difference between Japanese and German-style shears? You certainly can’t tell by looking at the pictures.
