Groomer Tips

[k2p1e]

I have to admit it that I get very sensitive and touchy when I hear from other people not to 'trust' groomers, that they do nothing but shave the dog down...as a groomer who does care I thought I would point out osme things *I* wish owners knew when coming to a grooming salon for the first time.

I have a basic rules:
Please make sure you dog has gone potty before the groom.

Please make sure they are either leashed or in a kennel. My shop is on a busy road, I make have, multiple doors to the outside but I still worry that someone could walk in and your dog run out.

If your dog DOES pee in the shop please don't act like nothing happened, nothing worse then me finding pee in amy shop after you have left and someone else has arrived. Please let us know, if you offer to clean it up yourself, we have more respect for you...when you tell me to go clean it up, forgive me for not smiling with joy.

We work one on one, therefore, when you show up 10 mins late...it means I have less time to do your dog, I have other appointments after your dog and I will not inconveniece other people because you were late. If you are more then 10 mins late you will have to reschedule.

Forgive me for not being happy when you are more then 10 mins late, do not show up, forget about your appt or call that day to cancel. your see I am self employed, my paycheck depends on every client, when you are not there, I don't get paid. When you cancel last min I don't have time to call someone from the cancellation list and fill the spot. I lost over $3000 from people missing appts this year. i also will not rebook someone who misses their appt without them prepaying for the next booking.
BUT if something does happen we are understanding. Things do happen and we are human.

When you drop off your dog say good bye to them like it is going to be SO much fun!! Many will try to go back with the owners, shake and cry. if you baby them and tell them it will be okay, they will be alright, coddle them, they pick up on your nervousness and will feed off it and think their behaviour is correct and will amplify it. 90% of the time once you are out of sight they walk happily with us to the groom room.

When giving instructions to your groomer please speak up and even have it in writing to make sure there is NO miscommunication. When you say 'puppy cut' I honestly have NO idea what you mean exactly. Too many other groomers have different ideas of what this haircut really is, for example I have clients who all want a 'puppy cut', some of the dogs are skinned, some have over 1" of hair all over, some want a shorter body but longer more round head, some just want a slight trim.
Tell me exactly how much hair you want LEFT on the body. When you say take an inch off...what if the legs are already 1/2" shorter then the body?
Ask as many questions as you would like, we don't mind.
Every shop is different.

We cannot let owners stay and help. #1 our insurance will not allow it. #2 you are not trained and I worry for your safety.
99% of the time dog are WORSE behaved when their owners are there. They are smart little critters and know what buttons to push to get Mom's attention. We are trained to know the difference between pain, fear and drama. We do have a window with a blind that I can adjust so your pet cannot see you but you can watch them.

Please understand that grooming is stressful the first time, some puppies scream blue murder and all we are doing is starting the bath water. the worst thing I can do is baby this behaviour. But if I act calm and ask them a simple command like sit and they behave for that they get praise. They do learn from my calm demeanor that everything will be fine.

There are a few different types of dryers. Cage dryers do get a bad wrap but they *CAN* be dangerous. Cage dryers are safe if they have a moniter inside the cage that has a heat sensor and will shut off at a certain temperature and the dogs should be in eyesight and constantly monitered by someone.
There are high velocity dryers that many dogs HATE at first till they realize it does not hurt, and then stand dryers.

If you dog is matted there are only three options:
1. Take the dog home and brush it out and bring them back.
2. We will take the dog short. This means getting the clippers UNDER the matts and may be VERY, VERY short. But you are starting with a fresh coat, dematted hair is more damaged and more prone to matting in the future. if you are uncertina that your dog is really matted asik them to show you, they can take there fine tooth comb and comb under all the matts for you to see so there is no midunderstanding.
3. We can demat, dematting can be done safetly in most cases (not all and not all areas and not with all dogs). But it is slow and tedious and it will cost you more money and take much longer.

A good groomer would NEVER shave your dog down without getting your permission first. A good groomer will not groom your dog and leave the matts cause you do not want them cut out and the dog to be bald. Everydog leaving the shop is a billboard to their shop and should be groomed fully, bathing a dog then dryin a dog with matts will cause the matts to tighten even worse and we cannot do that to a dog.

With a first groom please understand it is part grooming part training. We can only do what the pup will allow. If they are too stressed and all we get done is a bath, dry and nails, so be it, Their well being is our first concern. Do not go to a gromer who promises to get the job done no matter what.

If your dog is nippy we will muzzle, this is not only for our safety (one bite puts us out of work), but also for them. If they bite the clippers or scissors they can get seriously injured.

A good groomer will be hoenst about the behaviour, they will gice suggestions for you to work on at home so the next groomer we will see the progress made at home.

Kennels are used in our shop. Why? I look at them as playpnes for toddlers. Some dogs may HATE the kennel BUT if I need to use the restroom, or need to leave the room because someone has come into the shop...for any reason i can not be within arms reach it is a safe place for them. I do not know which dogs are chewers...we have electrical cords everywhere, some may try to 'mark' and once again electrical plugs and cords, what if another dog was aggressive?? Kennels are used for your pups safety. I am not a dog train or behaviourist and I do not allow dogs having access to other dogs, there has never been an 'incident' between dogs at my shop and I plan to keep it that way.

Please be aware that dogs are live, wigly animals and unpredictable, accidents DO happen (maybe 1 or 2 a year). A good groomer will be upfront and honest what has happened and offer to pay any vet bills.

Please be on time to pick up your pup...I am not a babysitter and I also have a family to go home to at the end of the day.

Please be aware of the payment types accepted, there is nothing worse then someone coming in with a cheque (we do not accept them) and declaring they cannot pay us with anything else.

if you do not like something let us know!! If you wanted something shorter we can do it in a jiffy. If you wanted somethign a little different the next time we can do that too. We will not be offended. but please understand if I tell you you pup was SUPER wiggly and very difficult to tip the ears safely, does not always happen but occasionally. Please understand that with some pups for first grooms it will NOT be perfect...but as they get older and need more extensive grooming they will get better at standing still and the grooming will look so much better.

Please do not call us 2 weeks later and complain that the hair was not cut short enough and now you want us to redo it for free...that is why we clearly get your instructions at the beginning of the groom and check to make sure it was what you wanted at the end of the grooming. if you get home and are not happy call right away, that we can understand.

Please understand that really good groomers do charge alot (we start at $40 for a yorkie pup) and are often VERY, VERY booked (we have no Sat appts till Nov but still have some during the week here and there). Pups should start coming in around 16 weeks and come every 4-6 weeks. Most clients now prebook all their dog's appts to assure their appts. Grooming is expensive but so is owning any dog. please do not take offense when you call in the summr and I am booked till the fall and all the Xmas appts are gone in Oct.

It is okay to tip your groomer if you are thrilled...we always remember who tips (those clients I try to always fit in no matter what). I always appreciate tips makes me feel like my hard work was noticed.

Shop around for your groomer, relaize that not all groming is created equal. Somtimes you may not know what 'style' you want for your yorkie but kepe letting your groomer know what changes you want.

Groomers are not all hardened people but there are quite a few out there that are. The average burnout rate is 5 years, it is a job that requires SOOO much patience.
There is old school grooming and 'new' school with new tools and skills.

[nikkinack]

good post

[Roseanderson]

Thank you for posting the grooming tips they are helpful to keep in mind.

[Mom to Hot Rod]

It's always good to see things from the other side.

[HanksMom]

good post! thanks for the info! Very informative!

[mscat]

Thank you for posting this. It was interesting. But, personally, i'd love to learn how to groom my own dog.

[myyorkies8]

Well said!!!!!! I am groomer~salon owner myself.

[DejaVu]

great post, ive always thought about becoming a groomer...but now i might have changed my mind lol jk

[k2p1e]

I love my career, I pride myself on my work and I am so proud of my shop.

I think the biggest mistake groomers make is assuming and miscommunication.

if anyone is ever interested in grooming I say go spend a couple days watching at a shop or apply for a part time job as a bather. That gives people a feel for the job.