A photo of Melissa Verplank

Melissa Verplank

Melissa has over 30 years of experience in the pet industry. Her mastery of grooming techniques has won her numerous awards on a national and international level. She has run multiple businesses, including a fleet of mobile units, a salon that grew into the Paragon School of Pet Grooming, a luxury boarding facility called Whiskers Resort & Pet Spa, and White Dog Enterprises – which created the award-winning books, Notes from the Grooming Table and Theory of 5. She was a member and Team Coordinator of GroomTeam USA and sits on the Board of Directors of that organization. Ms. Verplank is an industry speaker, author, contest grooming judge, and two-time Cardinal Crystal Achievement winner.

5 Tips for Spring Shed Control

This is the time of year the big shedding breeds come in. They’re often the ones that haven’t been groomed in FOREVER. You know the ones – Goldens…arctic-type breeds…Saint Bernards. They have that coat that totally trashes your salon. Call me crazy – but we just love the transformation in this type of job. Here are my tips for de-shedding:

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The Need for Speed

As the holiday rush nears, the need for speed grows. Time is always the most common concern for professionals in this industry. What areas in your day are robbing you of precious minutes? Here are the top 10 areas where pet pros can improve!

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Production Bathing & Drying Game

Production Bathing & Drying Game
Many of you are overflowing with pets to bathe during the summer season. If you are one of those high-volume shops doing 40 – 70 or more pets per day… that’s a lot of toe nail trimming no matter how you look at it! How can you get more done in less time while not letting the quality of the work suffer? Here’s my method – it’s a fast paced game with lots of variables to mix it up every day. After all, whoever thought pet grooming was going to be a boring job?

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Mentors Make the Difference!

Professional Dog Grooming Mentors are your most valuable resource!

Mentors are the most valuable resources you can tap into when it comes to growing your career.

When I was first starting out, I sought out the wisdom of mentors. I was only 22 when I started my first business and was still in college. One of my first advisors was my college business professor. He encouraged me to open my original business after grading a final paper – a business plan for mobile dog grooming.  I left college in 1983 before earning my degree to start Four Paws Mobile Grooming.

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Boosting Your Business During Post-Holiday Lulls

Whether you live in a climate where you have seasonal changes in the weather or you’re simply facing the post-holiday lull, there are ways you can boost your business in the new year.

For many groomers, the number of grooming appointments dips with the temperature. This can be a real problem if you rely on your grooming income to pay your bills! How do you combat that problem? Encourage pre-booking, and educate your clients.

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Top 4 Tips for Getting Through the Holidays

Dog Grooming for the Holidays

By now, busy pet groomers are bracing for the holiday rush. Thanksgiving. Hanukkah. Christmas. Are you ready?

This isn’t only your busiest season, it’s also the end of the year. It can make or break your earning goals. Will you finish off 2021 with a bang? Will your books be full for January and February of next year?

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How to get Velvet Scissor Finish

Is scissoring becoming a lost art? I’m all for speed and efficiency but if you are proficient with your shears, you can trim a dog almost as fast without the shortcut aids of clippers and guard combs.

If you are serious about creating a quality in your finished trims, you need to master the art of scissoring.

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How to Get Your Clipper Work Smooth

It's been over 35 years since that first time. I still remember standing in awe, watching a talented pet groomer give a dog a haircut. She handled her clippers with ease. The long fur fell away like a hot knife through butter. The end result was smooth and gorgeous. And she was fast - super fast. She made the whole process seems so simple.

The first time I tried, I quickly discovered it was not simple.

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Shredding Shedding Problems

This is the time of year the big shedding breeds come in. They’re often the ones that haven’t been groomed in FOREVER. You know the ones – Goldens…arctic-type breeds…Saint Bernards. They have that coat that totally trashes your salon – and maybe even you. There are tricks to getting this type of job done without too much agony.  For anyone who’s missed this blog in the past – it’s a perfect time to revisit my blog on salvage work.

As many of you know, I’m a big dog person.  Working on these large furry dogs is one of my favorite things to do in a grooming salon.  Call me crazy – but I just love the transformation in this type of job.  Over the years, the process rarely makes me cringe, no matter the size or condition of the dog – I see it as a fun challenge!

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Education is everything today

Education is Everything. It is at the very core of everything we do. Why? I see learning as never-ending. It does not matter what stage you are in your career. Or what stage you are in your life. Continued learning offers positive opportunities around every turn. I was never a great student in school. Traditional academics did not excite me. But once I got into dog grooming, now that was a different story. I became passionate about learning. About growing my career. I didn’t seek out traditional methods. Most of my learning was self-directed. Something much more challenging before the age of the Internet! I quickly understood the wealth of benefits continued education unleashed.

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