Professional Grooming
By Anne Rogers
In Ireland there are great numbers of groomers and mobile grooming companies, most veterinary practices and some pet shops have their own groomers and many boarding kennels offer a professional grooming service. This quantity does not necessarily reflect quality however.
How does someone become a groomer?
Anybody, regardless of experience or education, can begin to offer a grooming service today and charge pet owners for the privilege. There are no Irish grooming qualifications although some groomers opt for the UK City & Guilds Advanced Certificate in Dog Grooming 7750-03 which examines both theory and practical skills. If interested a groomer will usually have at least 18 months experience before beginning this qualification route.
You can check out details of qualifications open to groomers here:
www.petcare.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=565&Itemid=190
The vast majority of groomers (worldwide) are more likely to have experience rather than certificates. In my opinion a groomer should have had at least 400 hours of training with a qualified groomer and at least 18 months of work under the close supervision or guidance of a qualified groomer.
Membership of professional groomers’ groups, although important as it shows that the groomer is not professionally isolated, is not a guarantee of the groomers’ ability or skill. The Irish Professional Dog Groomers Assoc. can be joined by any groomer upon applying and paying a fee – in order to keep up membership groomers must attend a number of organised groomers’ events. Check out www.ipdga.com for more information on membership requirements.
Ask the groomer about their insurance status; insurance for groomers is available in Ireland and all professional groomers should be covered for the services that they offer.
Good groomers:
Professional grooming should not just be about good looks; a good groomer should act as an intermediary between pet owner and vet. Therefore a groomer should be able to offer up to date advice on health care, nutrition, behaviour as well as grooming concerns for your individual pet. A good groomer should not diagnose a problem but be able to recommend that you seek advice from veterinary staff or behaviour professionals.
A good groomer should aim to educate you in relation to your individual pets’ grooming needs. Ask them to show you how to maintain your pet’s coat, which equipment to use, how often to schedule grooming appointments.
A good groomer will be proud of their work – ask to see pictures of their work particularly work they have done on dogs like yours.
Good groomers should handle pets with kindness and compassion; their care and consideration for your pet should be obvious. They should do everything possible to provide the best, safest, lowest stress and most skilled service that they can.
Choosing a groomer:
When choosing a groomer don’t just flick through the phone book or base your choice on price.
Ask for one referral from your vet, one from another pet care professional and at least one from dog owning friends.
Contact the groomer, have a chat with them on the phone and arrange to visit their establishment. Most will have an ‘open-door’ policy so that you can pay a visit and carry out an inspection if you feel like it.
Trust your ‘gut’ – are they friendly, knowledgeable and interested in you and your pet? do they put you at ease? do you feel safe leaving your pet with them?
Don’t forget to gauge your pet’s response to the groomer. If your pet is nervous, giddy etc. assess how the groomer handles this.
Inspection
is the establishment well lit and ventilated?
is the establishment clean and smell clean? (many groomers’ will smell of ‘wet dog’ but they should not smell of dirt, damp, urine or faeces)
do the groomer/s handle pets gently?
are cages/crates clean and adequately sized?
are clients’ pets separated from one another?
are pets under supervision for the length of their stay?
can the groomer/staff see your dog even when not being groomed?
do they use drying cabinets or cage drying?
if they use drying cabinets are the cabinets serviced and maintained regularly, are pets closely supervised while in drying cabinets?
what safety equipment do they use? – restraint systems, lifting equipment, muzzles
is there a lot of barking, whining there?
are there a lot of dogs there?
are the dogs showing signs of distress? heavy panting, vocalizing, struggling etc.
are complete records kept? medical information, vaccinations, your pets likes and dislikes, emergency contact information
Interview
Ask the groomer:
how long they have been grooming for,
who did they train with,
how long did they train for (how many hours),
do they specialise in certain breeds, certain techniques, certain categories of pets (large dogs, old pets etc.)
if so ask what skills they bring to these specialisations
do they have groomers insurance
which professional groups do they belong to and why
how do they handle uncooperative pets
what is their emergency procedure e.g. if pets bite, fall ill etc.
which disorders would warrant a pet being refused entry
can they recognise distress signals in dogs
do they have pet first aid training
ask them to describe in detail what will actually happen to your pet during a groom – ask them to clarify any points that you don’t understand
Your grooming appointment
Hopefully you have made the right choice and have decided to bring your pet to a particular groomer.
Allow your pet to greet the groomer; they should then inspect your pet and discuss with you the grooming procedure to be used.
Groomers are not mind readers so provide them with lots of details. Your groomer should spend time with you discussing your requirements – how much hair do you want taken off (1cm, 5cm etc.), how long would you like the legs, ears, face left etc., does your pet have any special requirements or individual needs e.g. allergies stiffness, pain etc., inform the groomer of your pets likes and dislikes (“he doesn’t let me touch his feet” for example).
Ask for a ‘ball park’ charge for this grooming job. Make sure you understand why these charges are applied – is your pet in good condition etc.
Make sure that the groomer has taken all of this information on board and that they have a contact number for you just in case.
Say a short and sweet good bye to your pet and go.
On your return greet your pet and provide the groomer with feedback e.g. next you would prefer longer ears etc. Discuss any issues that arose during the groom; the groomer should give you a run through of how your pet got on and any work you need to do before the next appointment.
How to make grooming easier for your pet:
From the time you get your pet bring him to the groomers once a week just to get a treat and meet the staff. Ask the groomer if you can carry out simple training tasks in their establishment.
If your dog is nervous about going to the groomers (it is awfully like the vets!) bring your dog’s favourite treats or toys to the groomers and just go and hang out.
From the time you get your puppy carry out simple grooming tasks even though they may not have much coat – brush them with a soft brush, handle every part of their body daily, clip their nails regularly
Maintain your dog’s coat between grooming appointments – ask your groomer for advice and guidance on the type of equipment and how to use it
If your pet has trouble with being groomed employ the help of a positive trainer who can help your pet to enjoy grooming.
Groomers are not miracle workers and it is your responsibility to have your dog ready for grooming.
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