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How to Brighten a Dogs Coat Using a Staple Pantry Item

Today, we have a wide assortment of products to make our grooming jobs easier. They give us better results and may even help us do the job faster. It could be anything from a shampoo, to a coat conditioner. It might be a magical spray or powder you apply to the coat. Take a look at any grooming catalog and you’ll find a vast array of items from a variety of manufacturers that can take care of just about anything you could need.

But how do you know exactly what to reach for when a unique situation presents itself? Sometimes you don’t always know what you need. Or maybe what you need is a specialty item and you don’t have it at your fingertips. What do you do then?

Smart groomers and stylists often turn to home remedies. Years before we had the variety of products we do today, most clever groomers turned to their own cabinets for solutions. They used their ingenuity and developed home remedies to solve their grooming dilemmas.

Recently on the Learn2GroomDogs.com set, we had an unusual situation. Luckily, we had the masters of home remedies in for a filming weekend, Lisa Leady and Suesan Watson. (If you haven’t caught their L2GD lesson on home remedies – click here! Not only is it educational, the sister duo missed their true calling as a comedy routine!)

All of the dogs for that filming weekend were dogs that were supplied to us, sight unseen. We’d simply made the request for eight dogs.

The criteria was:

They needed enough fur so that Lisa and Sue could actually groom them.
The dogs needed reasonably nice temperaments.

That’s it.

While we were at lunch, the dogs were checked in. Our team had placed them in a holding area to await their afternoon film session. When we returned, we were excited to see what was we had to film. I knew all our afternoon dogs were mixed breeds that had come from a large 300+ dog puppy mill rescue that took place a few years ago. Luckily, all of the dogs found loving homes. The family supplying the dogs for the Learn2Groom film shoot had adopted three of the puppies. Many of the rescued pets were Shih Tzus, Pomeranians, Malteses, or mixes of the three breeds.

When we walked into the kennel room at the Paragon School of Pet Grooming, we were so excited. Every dog was adorable! But one really stood out – a Pomeranian/Shih Tzu mix. It had plenty of coat that brought out a few key features, making him even more appealing. But it did have a problem – and it was smack dab on the top of his head: a huge, rusty-colored lick stain.

If you’ve been in this profession for any amount of time, you know exactly what we were looking at. Apparently, one of his four-legged siblings had taken to cleaning the top of his head on a frequent basis. The constant licking had turned the white fur a rusty red color. He also had a fair amount of rust staining near his eyes and around his mouth.

Sue immediately reached for this little cutie. As she was snuggling with him she looked me right in the eyes and said, “Do you have any ketchup?”

What?

Why did Sue want ketchup?? Even though I hadn’t said a word, my expression must have asked the question.

Sue quickly went on to explain that ketchup would lighten the stain on the top of the dog’s head. “Really?” I exclaimed. I didn’t bother to question her – I knew she had something good up her sleeve. Sue said it didn’t matter what brand of ketchup we chose – any ketchup would work. I quickly went and found a couple packets of ketchup in the kitchen and handed them to her.

We took the dog out onto the practical skills floor and set him on a grooming table. Sue simply opened a package of ketchup and started to apply it to the dry coat. She generously worked it into the top of his head, under his eyes, and on his muzzle area. Once the ketchup had thoroughly saturated the hair, we set this little guy aside to sit for about 30 minutes before bathing him.

I was amazed after Sue bathed and dried this little dog. The rust-colored staining was significantly lighter! Was it gone altogether? No. But it was considerably lighter on the top of his head. Around his eyes and on his muzzle area it was almost totally removed.

I was astounded.

Sue suggested that we do a couple more applications in the future to really lighten the top of his head.

After seeing what a single application of ketchup (yes ketchup!) had done to brighten this dog’s coat, there was no doubt in my mind that a few more applications would lighten the stain even further.

I love home remedies when it comes to grooming. These problem-solvers are made from items that you just naturally have on hand. Many times they are common pantry items that all of us have hidden away in drawers or cupboards.

Who knew you could use ketchup to lighten and brighten the coat? It was a new one for me.

Watch for Suesan Watson in an upcoming Learn2GroomDogs.com video lesson featuring this adorable little Pomeranian/Shih Tzu mix. Join today!

Happy Trimming!

~ Melissa

P.S.

Do you have any tricks like this one? Tell us about them on the Learn2GroomDogs Facebook page.

Making the Most of a Seminar

When you attend trade shows and clinics, preparing in advance can help you make the most of this experience. Seminars are a great way to improve your skills and recharge your batteries. Meeting your mentors and soaking up their knowledge is a fantastic opportunity, and if you can see and hear them in action, it maximizes the experience. When you know what you need and what you hope to get out of the session, you can better prepare yourself to squeeze out as much as you can from your time together.

1. Step into the session with a very open mind.

If you are young and fresh to the industry, the amount of information that you get can be intimidating. Listen, take notes, and soak up every bit of knowledge that you can. Sometimes that may mean suspending what you know in order to make room for something new. Trying new techniques or ideas can be uncomfortable just because you’ve never tried it before. Keeping an open mind enables you to break from your routine to get different results. With time and practice, the awkwardness goes away and you become more efficient. Remember: having more tools, techniques, and knowledge allows you to have multiple approaches to a problem.

2. Make efficient use of the time available.
Many trainers at these sessions have limited time. They are often rushing from one obligation to another – judging competitions, speaking in seminars, or providing hands-on clinics. If they can, many will take the time to answer your questions. If you know what you need to ask, it helps you make the best use of the brief time you may have together. Be prepared – write down your questions in advance so you don’t forget something important or stumble over your words. Being ready to participate in the learning experience helps you make the best use of the session – and the presenter will respect you for it.

3. Don’t be nervous – plan ahead.
With so much to see and do at trade shows, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Break out the catalog and study the floor plan before you arrive. Map out your plan of attack to make sure you get to everything you need to see. Some shows have free apps you can download to help make the most out of your experience. Know the schedule of events so you don’t miss that speaker you’ve been hoping to see. Sometimes it’s good to go to shows like this with a friend – divide and conquer, then compare notes later.

As your knowledge and skills advance, the clinics won’t be as daunting. They will become a great way for you to fine-tune your skills. You can begin to network and exchange thoughts with others in the industry who can provide insight when you need it. Plus, these types of functions are a great way to invigorate your career.

These principles remain valid for many forms of advanced learning in the pet grooming industry. Maybe you don’t have the opportunity to do a hands-on training session. There is a wealth of information to learn from these all-star pet stylists. You might be in the audience at a trade show, pet grooming competition or watching a grooming video lesson featuring one of these top stylists. The better you can execute the core skills with your everyday grooming, the easier it will be to successfully transfer their lessons to your own grooming table.

If you are not as accomplished as these award-winning and highly successful pet groomers are – take note. You can learn a lot from their well-developed skills. Learning new skills, tips, and tricks make grooming pets all that more fun!

Click here to register to see Pina Pinkusevich in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Happy Trimming!

~ Melissa

P.S.

Do you have any tips to share? Jump over to the Learn2GroomDogs Facebook page and tell us.

What Is the Difference Between Rakes and Undercoat Rakes?

Illustration 1

These tools can be confusing. When you read their descriptions in catalogs, they’re so similar…

They do the same thing, don’t they?

No, they don’t. Let me explain.

Both remove undercoat on thick coated dogs. It’s the METHOD of removal that varies. One pulls out dead and shedding coat without cutting the fur. The other has sharp, curved teeth which remove the undercoat but will also cut the coat. One is used primarily on dry coats, both before and after the bath. The other is effective prior to shampooing, during the bathing process, and after the dog is clean and dried.

Illustration 2

The difference isn’t so much in the names. The names are interchanged all the time. To keep them straight in my own mind, I call them different things. It’s particularly beneficial when giving directions to others to utilize different names.

Rakes

Rakes are designed to pull out dead coat and shedding fur with ease. Typically they are a T-shape (see Illustration 1) with rounded pins on the head of the T. On some heads, the top bar is long, up to 6 inches across. On other designs, the head may be only a couple of inches wide. The length and shape of the teeth will vary, too. On some rakes (see Illustration 2), the teeth are short and shaped almost in a tiny cone-type fashion. With others, the teeth are long, sinking deeply into heavy, long coats. On almost all models, the handle comes directly out from the cross bar head with all the teeth.

This type of rake is designed to remove dead coat while not damaging the healthy coat. You work the tool in the natural direction of the coat growth. Care must be used not to sink the comb too far into a dense coat repeatedly with too much pressure. Tugging too firmly on a thick or tangled coat will be uncomfortable for the dog and difficult for the groomer. Repeatedly digging in too deeply could injure the skin, as well.

Illustration 3

Used correctly, rakes can be highly efficient for removing dead coat or “lint” from rustic-coated breeds. They are used primarily on double-coated, heavy-coated, or rustic-coated dogs.

Undercoat Rakes

Undercoat rakes have many small, sharp, curved blades set close together that remove undercoat. They are available in a variety of tooth widths, making this tool suitable for a wide range of breeds. On shedding breeds, they can remove dead, fuzzy undercoat in minutes, yet leave the top coat shiny and healthy. On harsh-coated dogs, they mimic the hand-stripped look quickly and easily.

Undercoat rakes can be used on a wet or a dry coat. Pull the rake in the direction of the coat growth.Always start with a wider toothed rake to start (see Illustration 3). Work down to narrower teeth as the tool pulls through easily, removing less and less coat.

Undercoat rakes normally work better when used prior to bathing or in the tub on a wet coat.

Use caution when working with this tool. On some coat types, especially heavy-coated dogs, they will cut the top coat while removing the undercoat. While the blades are curved (see Illustration 4), you still need to be careful how much pressure you put on the tool as you drag it through the coat so you do not injure the skin. Use caution when working around areas where the skin is thin like in the hock area, ear junctions, flank, and armpits.

Illustration 4

Undercoat rakes work well on many coat types including double coated breeds, heavy coats, and rustic coat types. The work exceptionally well on any breed that is hand-stripped like many of the Sporting or Terrier breeds. Just be sure to monitor your progress as you work this tool over the dog.

Here is a cool trick I have seen used with undercoat rakes. This trick minimizes cutting the coat while pulling out dead coat, particularly once the coat is clean and dry. Simply take a thick rubber band and wrap it around the hooks of the blade (see Illustration 5). The rubber protects the coat from excessive cutting while the rubber helps grip the dead coat, allowing to be pulled out almost effortlessly.

Happy trimming,

-Melissa

Illustration 5

P.S.

Do you have any tips to share? Jump over to the Learn2GroomDogs Facebook page and tell us.

An Easy Way to Create a Poodle Beveled Cuff

As with all grooming techniques, there are many ways to get the job done.

When I was a contest groomer, I always did my Poodle cuffs by hand. I would brush the coat down then give it a quick fluff with my comb. Once it was fluffed, I’d glide a long straight shear in and set the lower edge. Then I’d re-fluff and grab my long curved shears to round and bevel the edges. It was time-consuming.

Done well, the beveled cuffs came out gorgeous. Done poorly, they were a sloppy mess. I had four chances to be perfect with my cuffs – or four chances to really mess up.

For pet dogs, I quickly taught myself another method. It was quick. Fool-proof. And it worked well on most of my shorter stylized pet trims.

On most of my pet trims, I cheated off excess leg hair by skimming it with a guard comb. Not only was it fast – it helped me set the length, too. Once I had the legs roughed in, I would brush the leg coat over the clipped foot with a firm slicker brush. I would slide my hand down the leg with my thumb and first finger resting just below the clipper line on the Poodle foot. My fingers would be my guide as I slid in a small pair of detailing scissors (I choose small shears for the safety of my own fingers!). I would scissor all the way around the cuff line, removing the longer hair.

When I released the coat… voila! A perfect cuff for an active pet. I could adjust the fullness of the beveled cuff by adjusting my scissored line somewhere between the lines of the knuckles of the foot and just below the clipped line on the foot. The lower I was on the foot with my cuff line, the fuller the bevel.

Once my cuff was set, I would neaten and finish the entire leg with shears, smoothing out my guard comb work.

I used this method for years. I even started to incorporate it into my more polished work in the contest ring. It worked well there, too – especially if I used it as a double-check after I did my cuffs with longer shears.

In the past few years, I’ve seen extremely talented stylists start using another method to get perfect cuffs every time. They use a #30 or #40 blade on their clippers! Who knew?

So how do you do it?

It’s very similar to my old method, but instead of shears, pet stylists reach for their cordless 5 in 1 style clipper. They set the blade at the shorter levels, basically the length of a #30 or #40 blade.

Hold the foot off the table at a comfortable level for the pet. With a firm slicker brush, brush all the hair down around the foot. Once the coat is brushed into place, slide your hand down the pet’s leg, thumb and forefinger closest to the foot.

Stop and hold the foot with your fingers coming to rest right at the clipped cuff line. While maintaining your hold on the foot, gently trim at right angles around the cuff with the #30 or #40 blade. Simply touch the coat at the edge line you want to set.

The fullness of the leg coat will determine where you place the line. For fuller legs, use the top of the crease marks on the toes. If the leg coat is shorter, move the line closer to the clipped cuff line.

When you release the coat, the fur will be nicely beveled. The line should be crisp and free of all stray hairs. As with the hand-scissored cuff, check the work from all angles to make sure the cuffs are level from side to side and front to back. Don’t forget to look from table level when inspecting your cuffs for perfection.

It may take a few tries to perfect this technique, but once you do, creating flawless cuffs every time becomes simple. With a well-prepped dog, this technique is fun, fast, and super safe.

Happy trimming,

-Melissa

P.S.

Do you have any tips to share? Jump over to the Learn2GroomDogs Facebook page and tell us.

Surviving the Holiday Rush

After working professional in the pet grooming industry over 35 years, the only time I worry about dealing with clients is the Christmas holiday season.

The two weeks preceding the actual day can be a chaotic mess. With Christmas shopping, decorating, baking, family gatherings, holiday socials to attend, and every regular client you have wanting to be booked as close to Christmas as possible . . . phew! December can be an exhausting month!

But, wait – t doesn’t have to be! Christmas organizing all year round will let you create that picture perfect holiday without nearly the stress.

Getting Organized & Ready

The Salon

Is it clean – really clean? Floors, walls, kennels?
Is the lighting up to snuff?
Are your laundry machines working properly?
Are the tubs draining?
What are the conditions of your pet dryers?
Are your blowing fuses on a regular basis in one outlet?
Does your computer need to be de-bugged for a glitch free running machine?
Do you have a stock pile of all the office supplies you’ll need?
Are your blades shears all sharp and ready to go?
Are your clippers operating smoothly?
What is your stock level of all your dispensable products? Shampoos, conditioners, cologne, flea foggers, cotton balls, ear cleaner, etc.
Are there plenty of towels on the shelves?

The Holiday Image

Are your holiday decorations fresh and up-to date for your salon? Keep it simple and easy… pick a simple theme and work with it.
Do you have your client’s gifts ready to go so they can easily be passed out when the client is having their pet groomed? Remember, expense isn’t the key, packaging is. Pay attention to the details.
Have fun with festive accessories. Head gear, costume jewelry – anything that can bring a smile to someone else is a good thing.
Are all your holiday bows special and pre-tied? Are bandanas ready to be attached to the pet?
Do you have red and green nail polish that is actually usable? What about other colors?
Do you have plenty of air freshener to lend a sparkle to the air without being overly powering?
Music is everywhere – is your holiday collection handy or is there an ‘all Christmas’ station you can tune into?
Have you brought extra clothing or makeup to freshen up after work before heading out?
If you’re worried that you’ll be slow after the holiday season, do you have any grooming promotions for January and February that you can be handing out now?

$$ Saving Tip: Buy all your holiday items the day after the holiday to save up to 50% the retail price;
fabric for bandanas, decorations, Christmas cards…

Getting Through the Dogs

What are the pros and cons of working extra hours?
Should you take on new clients?
Make sure all your regular clients have their holiday appointments BEFORE taking on new clients or ‘non- regulars.’
Hiring extra help – is there something you can easily delegate with some basic training that would free you up to deal with clients? Cleaning? Answering the phone? Taking out the trash?
Have you worked out a system to maximize the types of pets you take per stylist?
Work out a drop-off and pick-up schedule that allows you to stay focused on grooming pets.
Stay calm, cool, and collected no matter what happens during the course of the day.
Set realistic time goals that push you, but stay on target. Use an egg timer if necessary or place a clock where you can’t miss it – no matter what.
Use every speed trick in the book from prepping – to bathing – to drying – to trimming.
When clients pick up their pet, are you offering a promotion to assist in re-booking 6 weeks down the road when it can traditionally be really slow?

Organization on a Personal Level

Do you have a master list of all the things you need to do for the holidays? Is it broken down into smaller do-able chunks? What about a master gift list that’s simply updated year to year? Master Christmas card list? Weekly meal planner? Regular shopping tick-sheet list? For great inspiration go to www.organizedchristmas.com
Are you are a store, catalog, or Internet shopper? Are you prepared to have ALL your holiday gift shopping done by December 15? What about the wrapping?
As time gets closer, demands get greater and healthy meals go by the wayside… If you are in a city, do you have a full selection of menus at your fingertips? Who has great take-out that you quickly sweep in and grab on the way home or while you are at the shop? If you are a country dweller, is your freezer packed with great frozen meals that only require reheating whether homemade or store-bought.
Does a messy house stress you out? Before is gets really busy, clean and organize the house or hire someone to help you… (or if you have kids, enlist their help.) Also think about having carpets cleaned, windows washed, or dropping you heaping laundry off at a laundromat, letting them do it for you.
Do you need a masseuse or chiropractor to help you stay loose and limber ? If you do, book your appointment early.

After the Holiday?

Take the week off! Trust me – your clients don’t need you for the week between Christmas and New Year’s! Take that time and spend it on yourself and your loved ones! You’ve earned it.

With a little bit of pre-planning, you’ll be breezing through the holiday. It’s so much more enjoyable for everyone to be in a festive spirit instead of being the Grinch. Put some effort into setting yourself up to enjoy the best of the season – it makes the time fly by. And you might even get a few moments to relish this time of year!

Always remember, to be successful – to thrive – you need to put forth effort today so that your future will be bright.

Happy trimming !

~Melissa

Learning to See Like an Artist

Welcome to my blog! For the next few weeks, my marketing expert, Joelle Asmondy, will be filling in for me while I work on a large project. Joelle is a whiz with marketing. I can’t wait to see which helpful tidbits she shares with you! Enjoy!

If you ask people in our industry if they think grooming and styling pets is an art form or a skilled trade, most would say that it’s a little of both. I agree. When you watch members of GroomTeam USA at work, their efforts are definitely works of art. Skills like theirs take years to develop. Today, I want to talk about one aspect of that development: learning to see like an artist.

I’ve had the benefit of seeing hundreds of people learn to become pet groomers during my years at The Paragon School of Pet Grooming. I also have a Bachelor’s Degree in Art, which means I’ve taken a lot of classes to develop a range of skills that are similar to what we teach our students. Just like being a good groomer means more than loving to work with pets, learning to become an artist takes more than loving to paint or draw. It requires control and the ability to see things that others do not.

“Seeing” like an artist, or “developing your eye,” takes time and patience. Essentially what you are doing is training yourself to see:

what is there
what isn’t there
what things look like now
what the finished product should look like
spatial alignment
balance
proportion
perspective

Learning how to see these things takes practice. Here are a few tips to help get you there.

Have a Plan

Melissa Verplank has mentioned this concept when she says that you should “begin with the end in mind.” It involves imagination on your part and the ability to see into the future – in this case, a beautifully groomed pet.

When I’m about to start a drawing or painting, it begins with a blank canvas or sheet of paper. With a sculpture, it begins with a lump of clay or stone. Before I even get started, I’ve already spent time thinking about what I want to do. In my head, I’ve already figured out what I want the finished product to look like. I know what tools or colors I will use, and what it will look like each step of the way. I know the process I will follow and how involved it will be. I might have a series of detailed sketches to help keep me on course. Above all, I spend time before I ever touch pencil to paper just looking at the blank page and seeing what I will create on it. The pet is your canvas. Before picking up your clippers, take a minute to really look at what you’re working with so you know where you’re going.

LOOK – See the Shapes in the Clouds

So I’m staring at the page… what am I looking at? What am I looking for? When I’m staring at that blank sheet of paper, I’m seeing what I will put there. As I stare into that whiteness, I’m watching the colors and lines take shape in my mind and align themselves on the page. It’s like my mind has produced a transparency of the finished product and has mentally created an overlay onto the page. All I have to do is put the marks on the paper. If I’m sculpting, I’m staring at the lump of rock and seeing the shape of what I want to create in the stone. All I have to do is remove all the stuff around it and let it out.

When grooming, first look at the pet before you. From your training, attending conformational dog shows, your AKC Complete Dog Book, and maybe your copy of Notes From the Grooming Table, you know what the dog should look like when it’s done. Learn to see the shape of the perfectly groomed pet through the overgrown coat, like transparent layers stacked one on top of the other. When you can see that perfectly groomed “after” image clearly in your mind, you can begin the process of “erasing” anything extra that blocks that view.

Be able to picture your finished product – after all, if you don’t know where the finish line is, how will you know you’ve completed the race?

Know Your Landmarks and Learn the Art of Navigation

Trim styles are all about anatomy. Groomers need to know their breed standards and to know them they need to understand anatomy. If you’re a visual learner, get out your reference material and study the images until you can see them on any dog that walks into your salon. If you’re a tactile student and learn by doing, get those books out and learn to find reference points on dogs through your sense of touch. Feel where the point of rump is, the point of shoulder, and the barrel of the chest. If you can’t see them, learn your anatomy reference points by touch. Then learn to do both. Developing your knowledge base creates reliable instincts and reflexes.

Learn how to Measure Balance and Proportions Visually

Have you even been on a diet? Have you ever measured out quantities of food? Were you surprised by how much or how little a cup of anything was? With practice, you could eyeball a quarter cup of yogurt or 4 ounces of chicken pretty accurately, right? Didn’t it speed up the process?

The same thing is true when it comes to visual measurements. With practice, you get better and more efficient. I learned it in art school by using a pencil or my thumb, but groomers can use a trusty comb to do this trick.

The Eye Exam

Imagine yourself grooming a dog. You know that the right side has to match the left. Standing directly in front of the dog, imagine a straight line dividing the pet in half. Compare each side to the other, using specific points of reference as a guide. Look for landmarks on the pet’s head, body, and legs that require symmetry. Stepping back and looking from side to side will help. If you know things are off, but can’t figure out why, hold up your comb and cover up one side, then the other. It’s kind of like an eye exam where you read the chart first with your right eye, then your left. Think of it like a game of, “Spot the Differences.” Make it fun so it becomes less frustrating.

Thumbs Up

Have you ever wondered why artists extend their thumbs, or hold up a pencil or brush and stare at it at arm’s length? What they’re doing is making visual measurements and that thumb or brush is the ruler.

For this one, you’re still standing back and facing the pet head-on and imagining that line dividing the pet in equal halves. Are your ears the same length? Hold your comb even with the bottoms of the ears and perpendicular to the floor. You’ll be able to see which one is longer and be able to even them out.

Take a Step Back

Step back from the dog so you can see the entire animal. As artists, one of the worst habits we fall into is spending too much time working in one specific area. We have good reasons for it – we want it to be perfect. The problem is that while you’ve been tinkering away and nitpicking at that one foot, you’ve lost all sense of perspective and balance with the rest of the body. Now, you’ve got one foot smaller than the rest, so you have to tighten up the other three. You do that, then realize that the legs are now off, so you tighten them up, too. Suddenly, you see that by shortening the legs, the body is out of whack, and you’ve lost control. Losing control = losing time. By zooming in, you’ve created more work for yourself and lost time. That’s not a winning combination.

So what happened? Well, you basically made a rookie carpenter’s mistake. When you shorten up one table leg without doing proper measurements, the table wobbles. Standing too close or failing to look at the whole dog regularly results in perspective-based mistakes. Standing back allows you to see things more clearly.

Developing your artistic eye is not only helpful – it’s practical. By training your eyes to see what you need them to see, you’ll save time, become more efficient, and achieve a more balanced trim. You’ll gain confidence in your abilities and your customers will see the difference. Understanding these visual measurement tricks and putting them into practice is one small step toward becoming the groomer you know you can be. It’s worth the time to learn to see like an artist and unleash your own potential.

Did this help? Tell us how you unleash YOUR inner artist on the Learn2GroomDogs Facebook page.

Click here for a complete video list to make searching Learn2GroomDogs.com even easier!

Make it a great day!

~Joelle Asmondy

Grooming Efficiently vs Grooming Fast – What’s the Difference?

We all have different reasons why we love our careers. For most of us, our careers started because we were obsessed with dogs and cats. What a fabulous way to make money – doing something you enjoy. My guess is that many of you not only love animals, they’re also a hobby and a huge part of your lives. I know very few career opportunities that allow pet lovers to work in a field that they truly adore.

I love dealing with people who are passionate about their career choices. I always encourage people to seek out personal growth. To look at ways to do things better, more efficiently, and with greater focus. Raise the bar. Set personal goals. Set limits. Develop strategies. Ultimately, the pet, the individual, and the business wins.

If you are a solo stylist, you get to make up your own rules. Work at your own pace. There is very little pressure to move beyond your comfort zone.

However, if you work with a team, you will usually have quotas to meet and rules that you need to follow. The business sets up these boundaries in the best interest of the client, staff, and the long-term health of the company. If someone does not meet quotas, it creates a frustrating situation for the rest of the team in terms of time, quality, and financial stability.

Years ago when I ran a mobile operation, our minimum quota of grooms per day was six – or the equivalent of six. Thus, two slots were given for larger jobs such as Standard Poodles and heavy-coated Cockers. If someone had something very small on their roster, they were always given an option to groom another small dog. As long as the vans were routed well, this quota worked out well across the board for years.

There was one exception: Sue (not her real name).

Whenever I hired a new mobile stylist, I always started them with just four dogs and combined that with a very wide arrival schedule. All of our stylists knew this right from the get-go. The quota they needed to meet was six grooms per day. The funny thing about Sue was that she didn’t care about the number of pets she groomed or the amount of money she made. Although she was passionate about animals and people, she did not groom because she needed the cash.

For a long time I was extremely frustrated with Sue’s performance. She would arrive at base at eight o’clock in the morning to pick up her van. Many times she did not come back to base until well after eight o’clock at night. The most dogs I could ever get her to do was five.

It took me a while to realize the frustration was all mine. As a business owner, it’s critical that I pay attention to the financial numbers – but there’s a bigger picture: customer service.

When I looked at Sue’s scheduled re-bookings, she could rarely take on a new client. Her clients absolutely loved her. She wasn’t the fastest groomer. She wasn’t a competition level stylist – never would be. Her grooms were basic, neat, and thorough. However, she was the most compassionate person I have ever hired. Not only did she enjoy the pets, she was passionate about her clients.

To Sue, her career was more than a means to a financial end, it was her social and entertainment outlet. I swear she had breakfast, lunch, and dinner with her clients. She ran errands for them. She shoveled their walks. She loved the senior citizens and the geriatric pets. She would talk with them for hours!

Hmmm. These were the clients my highly efficient stylists wanted to avoid like the plague. Once I came to terms with this concept, I ended up making it work in our favor.

I let Sue slide on the quota. She was dealing with all those clients the rest of my team would rather not do. By letting Sue focus on our more time-consuming clients (and enjoying it!), it allowed the rest of my team to focus on making quotas and/or exceeding them. It worked.

So even though I let Sue slide – only doing five grooms a day when the actual quota with six – it allowed the rest of my team to focus on grooming more pets. Not necessarily faster – just more efficiently.

There’s a big difference between grooming efficiently and grooming fast. Grooming efficiently involves doing a good job. Grooming too fast, in my eyes, translates to sloppy work. When I look at developing a grooming team or training new staff members, I always look for people who have the ability to focus and work efficiently.

To me, being efficient means doing a great job in the least amount of time.

I recently heard one of our industry leaders say, “I don’t know many wealthy groomers.” I don’t, either. I do know a lot of groomers and stylists that make a comfortable living and love their careers. Being able to work efficiently translates into creating larger client lists, larger paychecks, and the ability to breathe easily at the end of the day.

Unlike Sue, the majority of us have other responsibilities, outside interests, families to care for, and households to run. We may even have businesses to manage. Not to mention maintaining the health and well-being of both ourselves and the four-legged clients on the table. As much as we love our jobs, we can’t afford to be tethered to a grooming table any longer than necessary.

Being efficient as you groom is not about being fast or sloppy. It’s about being the best that you can be. It’s about creating systems throughout the entire grooming process so we do not miss any steps. As those systems are developed, they become automatic. Once they become part of a routine, you can focus on other areas that bring value to the pets we groom, the clients, and to our own lives.

Think about how you can create systems – or routines – at every step of the grooming process (see the graphic below). Break it into bite-sized chunks.

Time everything. Knowing how long each step takes is the starting point of creating any routine. Each step could be broken down further into smaller nuggets, too. Once you start tracking, you can start improving your routine without sacrificing quality.

I love this quote. I try to live my life by it – in all areas. I hope you do too.

The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.

~Anonymous

There are plenty of groomers and stylists who are highly efficient. They can do a small, simple trim in under an hour – and knock it out of the park in terms of quality and customer service. Others struggle to complete the same trim in two hours. Others choose to do that simple trim at their own pace. As long as the work is top quality, the pets are treated with care and compassion, and the environment is safe for everyone – it’s OK.

We all have different reasons why we groom. For some, it’s more than just a job – it’s a lifestyle. Remember, there is a big difference between being an efficient bather, groomer, or stylist and being a fast one. Never stop learning. How you apply new knowledge is totally up to you.

What are your time-saving tricks? Jump over to the Learn2GroomDogs Facebook page and tell us. You can even click here for a quick lesson in how to use the site.

Make the most of your time every day. Click here to download our FREE handout to help you structure your day. You can even watch Melissa’s video to see how it’s done, here.

Click here for a complete video list to make searching Learn2GroomDogs.com even easier!

Happy trimming,

~Melissa

How to Read Classic Dog Body Language – Appropriate Composure for the Pet Professional

We work with pets because we are passionate about them. It’s simple: we love what we do. Yet it’s important to remember that every dog is an individual. Not only do they look different, they all have different physical and emotional characteristics. Different personalities.

Some dogs receive clear directions from their owners. They have rules and boundaries at home. This makes them very easy to work with in a professional setting. Other pets will not be well-mannered in a professional setting. The personality quirks we all experience working with pets will vary from dog to dog.

Many will be perfect angels
Others will be mildly annoying
Some will be potentially dangerous to work with for both the handler and the pet

Based on your level of pet interaction experience, you should be able to work through many of these personality quirks. Your commands to the pet need to be clear, concise, and consistent.

Dogs are primarily non-verbal communicators. However, they do have a very clear language of their own. It is up to us to interpret that language. The good news? Dogs are very clear in the messages that they give us.

I firmly believe that 98% of all dog bites are preventable. If you have read the pet correctly, getting bitten is highly avoidable. At times, you will need to take appropriate precautions to protect yourself. You need to gain control of the situation in a manner that is safe and respectful of the pet. It’s important to your career not to become injured. Remember, your hands are your livelihood.

Whenever working with pets, it is always critical to remember the 3 C’s. As a professional you must remain:

calm
cool
collected

…at all times – in all circumstances.

There are many different types of dogs. Many will require special handling techniques. Plenty of groomers or stylists are good with all personalities. Others have honed their skills. They specialize in working with dogs with special needs such as puppies, geriatric dogs, or aggressive dogs.

Here is a collection of basic dog postures we see every day. Every position indicates a different attitude. This is by no means everything you will need to know about “reading” dogs. If you are working professionally with them, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

You will need to gather loads of information about canine communication. By doing this, you’ll learn to work in harmony with dogs. When that happens, you’ll instantly feel the rewards. You’ll quickly learn how to respond to them in a non-verbal way.

By being knowledgeable in canine body language, you’ll keep both you and the pet safe at all times. The more time you spend studying dogs and working firsthand with them, the more proficient your skills will become.

Our number one responsibility to the pet and its owner is to always treat the pet with the utmost respect using humane handling practices.

Basic Body Language of the Pet

There are basic body positions that you need to recognize immediately when observing a pet. The eight basic positions have been illustrated for you below. Spend some time observing dogs so that you can instantly recognize these eight positions.

Non-Threatening Body Language:

The Relaxed Stance
Play Bow
Submissive Body Position

These 3 indicate dogs that are safe to approach in a calm, gentle manner. These dogs are generally easy to work with and respond well to basic commands. Normally, an enthusiastic dog will need a little firmer command while a submissive dog will respond better to gentler techniques.

Use Caution When Approaching Body Language:

Highly Submissive Postures
Stressed Posture
Alert Body Posture
Defensive Body Position
Offensive Body Position

These positions indicate you need to approach with caution. Based on how you interact with them, they may feel comfortable and slip into a nonthreatening language. If they do that, it indicates they are safe to approach.

If they feel threatened in any way, they can easily slip into the flight or fight mode. This is their natural defense. If you have them tethered with a lead and not under control, this flip of personality could easily manifest into a very difficult situation. This is a pet that could attack, bite, urinate, defecate, or release its anal glands.

Working with pets is a highly rewarding career option. However, if you don’t truly understand canine body language, passion can quickly turn into frustration. Use your passion early in your career to learn everything you can about their body language. It’s an invaluable skill to have.

Did we miss anything? Jump over to the Learn2GroomDogs Facebook page and tell us. To read more on what can happen if you don’t pay attention to canine dog language, click here. You can even see a video on Learn2GroomDogs.com on this topic!

Happy trimming,

~Melissa

How to Get Legs Smooth on a Close Haircut – Tricks to Eliminate “Stickie-outies” on Legs

Do you struggle to get the spindly legs smooth of that clipped #5 all trim? You get the body OK – that comes out nice and smooth. But the legs. Argh. That’s another story altogether!

Legs are always a pesky problem for groomers who are just starting out. Maybe you’ve been grooming for a while, but still struggle with this area. You’re not alone. Legs should only take you a few minutes to get smooth. If you’re missing the mark, here’s some help.

This is my long standing golden rule for all clipper work: “3 passes and you’re done.” Period. Your end result should be super smooth. No rough spots. No sticky-outies. Fast. Clean. Simple.

Legs have their own set of challenges. One of the largest issues is simply the shape. When you set a clipper blade on one of those spindly legs, the point of contact is minimal. Look at it on your own finger, simulating a leg. You’re only making contact with one or two teeth. You’re going to have to rapidly go over those legs several times if you have any hope of getting them smooth.

I have some ideas for how to get a nice finish on those legs in no time. It’s easy when you understand the principles and the foundation skills of all good clipper work.

1. Don’t skimp on the prep.
An excellent bath and a quick hi velocity blow dry can make a world of difference in your finish – even on #10 or #7 all over trim. If they have six weeks or less of coat, get them into the tub right away. It won’t take you any more time to bathe and blow them dry and you will get a superior finish.

If the dog has more than six weeks growth, quickly knock off the bulk of the coat. Don’t worry about getting it smooth or neat at this point. Just remove the bulk of the coat as fast as you can. You don’t need to be bathing and drying all of that extra hair. Once the bulk of the fur is removed, head to the bathtub. Follow up with a quick high velocity dry to get the coat to stand up and away from the dog’s body.

If the dog will not tolerate a high velocity dryer, don’t worry. Just make sure they are thoroughly towel-dried. Give the pooch a light mist with a coat amplifying product or hairspray. Use a soft slicker brush to back brush and work the product into the coat while it is still damp. Let them air dry in a comfortable environment until they are dry and ready for finish trimming. Keep in mind this is a very short haircut and fluff drying is not really necessary.

2. Know your holds.
There is an order that you need to work over the legs to be efficient. Start from the top and work down to the toes.

Whenever you are working on legs, always keep them as low to the table as possible. The higher you lift the leg, the more uncomfortable the pet is going to become. As they become uncomfortable – they struggle. They nip. They whine. They squeal.

You need to be absolutely clear on whether you’re honestly hurting the pet or if they’re just being difficult. If you do not lift the leg more than an inch or two off the table, more than likely, they are just being difficult. Proceed in a calm, cool, and collected manner.

To get the top of the legs, hold onto the toes. I place my finger into the crevices of the foot pad. Then I press down between the digits so only skin is trapped between my fingers. Then I have a good hold so that I can maneuver the leg low to the table but I can get clearance all the way around.

If you’re holding them correctly, and they still struggle, simply maintain your hold. Anchor the heel of your hand on the table while you’re still holding onto the toes. Let the pet struggle lightly against your hold. After a few tries, and you don’t let go, most dogs stop pulling. You have gently and quietly taught them to hold still for the clipping procedure. Yeah! Minor victory for you! Be sure to give them praise when they do well and begin to respond positively.

For the toes, it’s a little trickier. For the front legs you want to grasp the top of the leg above the elbow joint. Then gently squeeze with your thumb and first finger. This hold will also offer stability as your hands rest in the armpit area. As you squeeze you will notice the dog will literally point it’s paw. That will give you enough rigidity in the pastern joint to run the clipper smoothly over the foot area, getting a smooth cut.

On the back legs, you’re going to slide your hand underneath the dog’s thigh. Stretch your fingers so that they can sit just above the ischium joint (point of buttocks) and the stifle joint. Now with the leg slightly off the table top squeeze gently. Just like on the front, joint will become stiff and the dog will point it’s toe. This will give you the firmness you need to work the clipper over the foot area.

3. Tip of the clipper.
No matter what blade you use, it is important to maintain a consistent degree of tip to the clipper blade. This is also known as “keeping the blade up on it’s cutting edge.” Imagine a pencil being held right under the blade as you guide it down the leg. The closer the pencil is to the teeth, the higher the tip angle. The further back you keep the imaginary pencil, lesser of the degree of tip. Generally speaking, the closer the blade cuts, the higher you need to tip the blade for it to be effective.

Equally important is the amount of pressure placed on the blade. The perfect pressure is the weight of the clipper. Let gravity do the work. When you get in those awkward positions that all dog groomers get into, you will need to simulate the same amount of pressure as your work on the sides and under the dog. Use your own arm to teach you how to gauge the pressure while maintaining consistent pressure as you would maneuver around the dog.

4. Don’t forget to brush.
It’s important to back brush. On the shorter trims, a softer brush is generally your best choice. Back brushing is done with the slicker brush while brushing the coat against the grain. The pressure on the brush should be very light. Use the entire pad of the brush, making gentle contact with the skin and coat. Keep the pressure soft on the brush so the skin is not scraped, causing a potential “brush burn.” Back brush the entire leg once. Then make multiple clipper passes using effective techniques. Once the bulk of the coat is gone, repeat the process a second time to get a smoother finish. On the third back brush pass, there should only be high spots or uneven areas left to get with the clippers.

5. The final detail finish.
Once you have back brushed and clipped the legs three times there should be very little coat left, but there are always a few pesky strays that pop out.

Now it’s time to pull out a nice pair a blending shears. For this type of detail work, I prefer a finer toothed blender or thinning shear. I always opt for blenders over normal shears for safety reasons. I rarely opt to use a smooth bladed shear. The risk of injury is just too great. A blending or a thinning shear is a much safer option to get those final stray hairs you just couldn’t pick up with the clipper.

As a professional pet groomer or stylist, you always want the dog to look its best. Uneven haircuts do not reflect positively on a professional salon. You must be able to do a significantly better job than the dog’s owner could do themselves.

Dealing with all four legs on small- to medium-sized pets should not take more than 1 to 3 minutes per leg to complete the bulk of the clipper work. Never forget, as much as we love our jobs, time is money. You want to become as efficient as possible.

Pay attention to the details. There’s a difference between a good #7 All and a bad #7 All. If you want your clients to return – you need to be paying attention to the details. These low maintenance style trims are the bread-and-butter of many professional grooming salons. Getting those low maintenance haircuts super-smooth in the least amount of time possible is the key to a successful salon

Do you struggle with this area? How have you managed to conquer this issue? Jump over to the Learn2GroomDogs Facebook page and tell us about it.

Happy trimming,

~Melissa

Creating Order in Your Bathing and Drying Department – How to Make a Game to Boost Productivity in Your Salon

Effective dog productivity in the bathing and drying area seems to be a challenge for many people, but it’s not a mystery.

Think about cooking a meal. The bigger the meal with multiple dishes, the more complicated the timing and the choices will be.

With a few dogs, it’s pretty simple and your choices are limited. Add more dogs and the variables increase. What if you have a grooming shop pushing through 50+ dogs a day? You have the equivalent a busy restaurant managed by an experienced head chef.

Okay – so you’re not getting a major meal on the table but I think you get the idea. Keeping a restaurant flowing smoothly requires knowledge and organization. Managing your bathing and drying department is a tall order. It requires knowledge, skill, and organization so all the pets are done to the highest quality in the least amount of time. It’s just like getting many dishes to the table all hot and done to perfection.

I love to turn a busy day in the wet room into a game. It works best with two or more dogs that need to be bathed and dried. The more dogs there are to juggle, the more challenging – and more fun – it gets! You first need to assess all the dogs on your roster for the day or the session. Once you know what you have, these are some basic guidelines to follow.

Bathe your largest and furriest dogs first.

The bathing and drying time on this type of dog can be the most time-consuming part of the grooming process. Go for the heaviest coated dogs first. Think Newfie, Golden, Lab, Sheltie, or Pom. These dogs have thick, heavy coats that are basically straight. Even if they sit wrapped in a few towels, they will not dry all the way even after a fair amount of time has passed.

Start with the largest dog in that group and work down to the smallest. Bathe each one. Once they are bathed, towel-dry them before heading to a high velocity dryer. Lightly high velocity-dry the coat to lift and separate it. By spending a few minutes with a high velocity dryer on each pet, it a removes more moisture and offers a clear view of the skin and coat. Watch as you blow the coat to assess looking for skin issues, mats, tangles, and debris still trapped in the fur, or anything unusual. The added bonus to doing this is that the high velocity dryer also enhances airflow to the coat while the pet is in an inactive drying situation, ultimately speeding up the entire process.

Proceed with bathing your dogs based on the degree of difficulty, the size of the pet, and coat density. Start with the biggest and furriest then continue working down the line.

Once all of the bath the brush pets are washed, proceed to dogs that need active drying to yield the best results.

Bathe trim-style dogs next – the coat needs to be straight.

Your goal on almost all haircut styled pets is not only to get them clean, but the coat needs to be as straight as possible for the finish trim. This will apply to pets getting full haircuts or dogs in for maintenance bathing between haircuts.

After all the B&Bs are bathed, start bathing your trim dogs. Start with the pet that has the heaviest and straightest coat – something that can sit for a few minutes while you bathe your other dogs without risking the coat drying before you get to an active drying method. Let the dog sit in a warm place wrapped in a towel. No need to have air or a dryer on – just plenty of oversized towels with clips. This “wrap a pet” works best after you have thoroughly towel dried the dog.

Proceed with bathing the next pets based on size, coat density, and curl factor – straighter coats go to the tub before a curly coat. Heavy drop coated breeds or wavy breeds would be your next pets. Curly coats, such as Poodles and Bichons, head to the tub towards the end of the cycle. Super tiny, sparse-coated dogs are very last like Yorkies or Malteses.

Drying order for all the dogs.

Once all the trim pets are bathed, start drying. In most cases, you will simply reverse the order. The last dog in the tub is the first dog on the drying table. Then just start working up the line.

The first pet up on the drying table should be the dog with the lightest and curliest coat. This type of fur will dry super-fast. If the coat dries before an active form of drying takes place, the curls and waves will be set into place. If it air-dries naturally, you will never be able to give a quality haircut. Ideally, you want the coat to be lifted, separated, straight, full, and fluffy. If it’s not still slightly damp by the time you start your active drying process, you will need to re-wet the dog to get the best results.

Once the super fine and super curly pets are hand dried, move to the small to medium-sized pets with more coat. Work in reverse order of the bathing process. Whichever dog is the next easiest to dry goes into the rotation. Size, coat density, and curl factors all come into play. The key is to get to a coat before it’s air-dried naturally. You need a small amount of dampness still in the fur so the mild heat of the dryer can straighten the hair shaft while adding lift and body.

The last dogs to the drying station are the heavy coated, bath and brush style pets. By the time you’ve gotten to the big, furry guys, they have had plenty of time to partially air dry. This will cut down on how long you have to actively dry them. When working on heavy coated breeds, there is an added goal: reduce or eliminate the shedding coat! When you get to the active drying stage on these dogs, deshedding is a huge part of the job. A powerful high velocity dryer is your best friend with this type of work. A clean and well-conditioned coat will always blow/brush out faster than a dirty coat. Plus, it’s easier on both you and on the pet.

For most breeds, the goal is to remove kinks and curls in the coat. Some form of active drying is the only way to straighten the coat while adding lift and volume. On all but the curliest coats, the power from the warm airflow will lift, separate, and straighten the hair shaft for you when used correctly. A few of the curliest coats might benefit from fluff drying with a warmer dryer combined with brushing to get the coat really straight.

All excellent grooming starts at the foundation level. Along with getting them super clean, proper drying methods must be employed to yield a quality haircut. If the dog gets too dry, it must be re-wetted and the drying process started over.

There are many variations to how this game is played effectively. It’s what makes the day interesting. The better you get at the game, the faster you’ll be able to get through your day without sacrificing quality.

Think in the terms of food. A home cook can get 2-3 dishes on the table at the same time with ease. A home cooking enthusiast can handle multiple dishes for larger groups – and enjoy doing it. A professional chef will master an entire shift serving over 100 meals, including many appetizers, side dishes – even desert, getting all of them to the table on time, hot and beautifully prepared.

How far can you push yourself or your team before you get lost in the order? It’s a fun game that can be challenging yet really invigorating. The more pets, the more fun. The reward for everyone is when it goes smoothly!

What do you do to increase productivity? Jump over to the Learn2GroomDogs Facebook page and tell us about it.

Happy trimming,

~Melissa

Blog » Pet Grooming -Productivity

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