I’ve been a groomer for decades and one of my pleasures has always been watching new groomers join the ranks and learn to perfect their skills. Newer groomers can sometimes be seen on social media wishing their abilities were better – and we should all be working to improve – but there are factors other than skill that can affect the quality of your grooms.
Take a good look at the situation in which you are grooming.
A good environment that is clean, organized, and has people that will support you as you learn is vital.
Good equipment.
Everyone has heard that you cannot create a really good groom on top of poor prepwork, and it’s true. But if you are trying to dry a standard Poodle with a hand held hair dryer and nothing else you are headed for failure already. A folding table works, sure, but to do your best work as well as save wear and tear on your body a table that moves up and down is much better. If your dogs are not clean because the sprayer in the tub does not have enough force to get through thick coat the best technique in the world won’t make the scissoring look good. Make sure you have all the equipment needed to do a great job.
Good maintenance.
Clippers should be in good working order with blade drive and lever replaced in a timely manner.
Blades and scissors should always be sharp.
Replace brushes when worn, especially slickers.
Good lighting.
Ceiling lights should mimic daylight. Add stick on LED lights to grooming arm and table if needed.
Good tools.
The right scissors to do each job. At a minimum, one 8.5 inch straight and a shorter one, two curved in similar sizes, thinning (blending) shear and larger chunker style thinners. Slicker brushes of various sizes and stiffness. Quality combs.
If you are not sure if the tools, equipment and environment are good where you are, ask to visit other salons and see what you like and don’t like.
A good environment.
The best salons have staff that encourage and support each other while making sure that every dog that walks out the door is top notch quality. Grooming is a great job and we should all be able to enjoy it.
By Carol Visser, Journalist, Master Pet Groomer, Certified Dog Trainer, Pet Product Expert
