The Groomer's Blog

Pet Style Scottish Terrier Eyebrows

How to Style Distinctive Scottish Terrier Eyebrows: Grooming Tips for Perfect Brows

People who are devoted to Scottish Terriers love the breed's unique look. Known for their compact bodies, carrot tails, and long heads, a few quirky things about this breed set them apart from other terriers regarding grooming. One of those things is their long, distinctive eyebrows. 

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Post Grooming Skin Infections

Post-Grooming Dog Skin Infections: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention Tips

Although not a common diagnosis, post-grooming furunculosis is a severe skin infection that has been widely publicized recently and frequently discussed in online grooming forums. Many groomers have never heard about it before or don't understand what it is. 

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The Blame Game

The Blame Game: Handling Post-Grooming Issues and Client Complaints

It's the phone call or message no groomer ever wants to get. It usually goes something like this, "After my dog got groomed, ____ happened." The blank might be, "He became really itchy," "He got an ear infection," or "He began to limp." The possibilities are endless. Sometimes, the problem is something we can work with. If the dog is itchy after grooming, we can note that and try using different products the next time it is in. But, other times, we are at a loss as to what to do.

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Why Do Dogs Shed in the Fall?

Why Do Dogs Shed in the Fall? Understanding Seasonal Shedding

As the temperature drops, the days get shorter, and the autumn leaves hit the ground, mycustomers frequently ask me, "Why is my dog shedding so much? Isn't it the wrong season?" If your customers are wondering the same thing, consider this an excellent opportunity to educate pet owners.

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All About Dewclaws

All About Dewclaws in Dogs | Care, Function & Grooming Tips

The kind woman who trained me to groom taught me to count the toes out loud on each foot when I was learning to master claw care. "Look for at least five toes on every foot." Decades later, I still mutter "1,2,3,4…5?" under my breath when I lift every paw and check every leg to trim those claws. Beyond the four obvious claws on the toes, I always search for a dewclaw on every leg

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Tipped Ears

How to Groom Perfectly Tipped Ears: Step-by-Step Guide for Groomers

Several dog breeds have tipped ears as part of their breed profile grooms. Yorkshire, West Highland White, and Cairn Terriers are some of the more common ones. Tipping the ears on fluffy mixed breeds that have pricked or semi-pricked ears can be a fun style, too.

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Maintaining a Professional Image from Start to Finish

Maintaining a Professional Image: Tips for Groomers

When potential customers contact you, their first interaction with your business will set the tone for how they perceive you. This perception will be built upon with every point of contact they experience. Let’s look at a typical customer/groomer experience.

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Customer Retention

Customer Retention Strategies for Groomers: Build Loyalty & Boost Business

Finding new customers to come to your business can be an effort as well as a bit of a gamble. Each new dog presents its own challenges, which are unknown until you complete a grooming. Itmakes good sense to take steps to keep the customers you already have. Returning customers offer the following benefits to a small business

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The Internet and Self-Doubt

Overcoming Self-Doubt in the Grooming World: Focus on Your Skills

Picture this: you are scrolling through your favorite social media site and see a post where a groomer claims that she can dry a standard poodle in twenty minutes. There's a picture of said dog, and it has lots of long coat and looks nicely prepared. You know it would take you longer than twenty minutes to achieve that level of dry fluffiness, and you begin to wonder what you are doing wrong.

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Introducing Tools and Techniques to Dogs

Dog-Friendly Grooming: Tools & Techniques for a Relaxing Experience

If you take a moment to look at pet grooming from the dog's viewpoint, it becomes clear that some of the things we do during a typical grooming session are things that no one else ever does to them and that the dog very probably does not enjoy. We get them wet, use loud, sometimes buzzy tools, and touch every part of their body. We lift them, turn them, and mess with their sensitive faces, feet, and everything in between.

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