The most crucial grooming tool you have is your body. Pet grooming can strain the back, hands, feet, and legs tremendously. It is not too late to start if you have not taken good care of yourself up until now.
Here are some ideas that will help you support your body.
- Invest in supportive shoes. You experience 200,000 to 300,000 pounds of pressure on your feet every mile you walk. Go to a shoe store that has staff who can expertly fit you. Explain your line of work and let them help you choose footwear that will be the foundation for your entire body all day. Replace those shoes as soon as they start showing signs of wear.
- Electric grooming tables are a necessity, not a luxury. Adjusting the pet you are working on with just the touch of a pedal is imperative to work in a way that will minimize stress on your body as you groom.
- Protect your delicate hearing. Grooming shops are noisy places. Hearing loss is rarely reversible. Silicone earplugs are comfortable and work well. https://www.petedge.com/happy-hoodie-ear-plugs-10-pack. Barbara Bird authored a fascinating article about grooming and hearing protection. You can read it here: https://groomwise.typepad.com/bbird/2009/12/grooming-with-noise.html
- When possible, choose ergonomic hand tools. Your hands and wrists will thank you. Look for brushes, combs, and rakes with wide, comfortable grips.
- Anti-fatigue mats are a blessing. They are designed to decrease the stress on feet and legs by providing a cushioned surface. You should have one by the bathtub and one or more at your grooming table (depending on if you work on both sides of the platform.) Bonus? If you drop clippers or scissors, they have a higher chance of surviving without damage if you are on a mat.
- Try to groom sitting at least some of the time. Saddle-style stools work well for groomers because they naturally align your spine and help to maintain good posture. Plus, they are comfortable and kind of fun to sit on.
- We’ve all gotten used to wearing masks in the past few years. Wearing one when drying dogs will help protect your respiratory tract from dust, dander, and hair fragments in the air.
- Buying tools that help you groom is not only an investment in your career but also in maintaining your physical health and strength. Bathing systems, clipper vacuum systems, and other tools will help protect your body in our demanding job.
You only get one body. Give it the support it needs to help you do your best work and still feel good enough to have fun on your days off.
By Daryl Conner, MPS, MCG
Daryl Conner has been devoted to making dogs and cats more comfortable and beautiful for almost 40 years. You can find her happily working at FairWinds Grooming Studio with her daughter and infant granddaughter, or typing away at her latest grooming-related article. Daryl was awarded both a Cardinal Crystal Award and Barkleigh Honors Award for journalism. She shares her meadow-hugged antique Maine farmhouse with her practically perfect husband and too many animals.
