I was at a grooming trade show the first time Debi Hilley introduced her seminar on wet-clipping matted dogs. It was standing-room only, and groomers excitedly talked about what they had learned all weekend. Since then, many people have authored articles and taught about the topic, but still, not all groomers know about the magic of wet clipping.
A customer who arrived a few minutes early to pick up their Yorkshire Terrier last week watched as I finished the dog’s haircut. “He acts a lot better for you than he does for me,” he said. “He seems so calm.”
When a new customer calls you for the first time, what happens next sets the tone for how they perceive your business. In an ideal world, they will reach out to you during business hours, and you will be free to answer the phone and help them personally.
Experienced groomers know that the time and skill put into preparing a dog for grooming is the cornerstone to good results. A great groom cannot happen on a pet that has not been cleaned and dried correctly.
When it comes to grooming cats, there are many things that stylists should do differently than if they were grooming a dog. Take ear cleaning, for instance.
Pet stylists often work in confined spaces. The nature of our work means the humidity level is high (I’m looking at you dogs that shake the bathwater everywhere!), and our jobs are strenuous. These three things can add to an uncomfortable work environment when the temperatures soar.
There you are, bathing a dog you are about to groom. As part of your routine, you lift its ear so you can flush it with your favorite ear cleaner and find the area around the ear canal red, hot, and very irritated looking. The dog is clearly unhappy that you are even looking at it. What should you do next?
“Don’t forget to cut his nails this time” – I don’t know of a comment better designed to get the back hackles up on a good groomer. What, you don’t think I cut them last time?
Groomers joke that a 7F blade is the best dematting tool and that one-liner is based in truth when presented with large areas of tangled coat, but having the skill set and tools to work out small areas of matted fur without injuring the pet is a must.
Stainless steel grooming tubs are wonderfully useful, sturdy, and easy to keep clean. With just moments of effort at the end of each day, you can keep your stainless steel tub looking it's beautiful best.
