Dog grooming is a fun way to spend the working day and it’s actually a lot easier than it looks. Professional dog groomers have some tricks of the trade, you see, and we are going to share a handful of them with you, right here.
- Always check for parasites. This is something that dog groomers do first, before the dog owner even leaves the animal in their care. Parasites can play havoc with your dog grooming kit and the professional environment. One female flea can lay hundreds of eggs in a very short time, so if that dog has fleas it is best they are treated before grooming takes place.
- Remove all of the loose hair before the bath. This is something that can save you a lot of time when grooming a dog. Particularly the Labradors and other breeds that shed a lot. A dog that goes into a warm bath will shed even more hair, than they were already, so if you don’t carefully remove most loose hair before the warm water hits, you will be cleaning your bath forever more.
- Styling with the eye. Before you initiate a style on any dog, it’s vital to first style with the eye. Take a look at the shape of the dog’s body and then work out what you can do with the style in order to compliment the style and look of the dog. Similarly look at the dog breed and the way they are traditionally styled in order to get a good idea of your final aim.
- Think of the dog’s lifestyle. Taking the dog’s lifestyle into account when creating a style is one of the most important lessons that a dog groomer will learn. Where does he walk, what kind of grooming happens on an everyday basis and would extra care to hygiene areas benefit the dog? Older dogs may be better clipped shorter whilst some owners like their dog to have long hair that they can groom daily.
- Never wash knots. It can be tempting to wash the dog without prior trimming but this is a big mistake. Knots hold onto soap and chemicals which can cause skin irritation for the dog. So rather than try to save a long matted coat most dog groomers chop it all off to allow the new hair to grow through freely.
Working as a professional dog groomer can be pretty daunting in the beginning. Yet in reality it doesn’t need to be. Most dog styles are made up of a handful of techniques which are mix and matched to provide a smart finish.
Dog grooming is never the same from one day to the next and training as a self-employed dog groomer, with a career change in mind, is a really nice option for any dog lover to take. Beware though, many dog groomers end up with a houseful of poodles, because styling becomes addictive very quickly indeed.
At the time of publishing, entering the code GROOMB49 at checkout will reduce the price of our
Dog Grooming Diploma Course to £49.
