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WHAT IS PET GROOMING?

by Jade VonHawley, AA,BA,CFS,CCS

Seems like a simple question which would result in a simple answer but I'll let you make the final decision. In short pet grooming is the art of clipping, combing, stripping and maintaining the coat of an animal normally a dog. The process involves combing and/or shortening the coat to a desired length or style. Seems like no big deal but a big deal it is.

Up until the late 1950's early 60's pet grooming as a business was not a common occurrence. It was kept close tot he heart of the show family and this is where all the maintenance was performed. As breeds developed and became popular for the everyday family to own the need for "pet" grooming services grew.

In the 21st Century not much has changed for those of us who have made this our profession. The equipment we use has improved but other than that the concepts and techniques have remained pretty much the same.

Since the average owner has no concept what is involved so I will try to shed, (no pun intended), some light on the process so you know exactly where your pet's grooming dollar is going.

Pet Grooming is truly an art form and it takes many years to become proficient in the art. There are approximately 180 +/- breeds recognized by the AKC. Without actually counting I would say 65% are in need of professional grooming and each are unique to temperament, style, coat, and skin needs. See www.akc.org for more info. Please keep in mind that the mix breed is also, more often than not, in need of professional grooming.

Unfortunately, this is a profession that is not taken seriously and to this day I cannot figure out why. My personal feeling is that the industry has done this to themselves but that is another topic for another time. Let us just say that in order to provide a truly professional service one has to be proficient in many areas.

In my mind, the most important area is handling. I have seen more harm done to an animal through faulty handling than any other area of the profession Improper introduction to the grooming process is the number 1 reason I see new customers and most of these clients are referred to us by Veterinarians. The second most common reason we see new clients is because of skin and coat problems.

Most of us who have embraced grooming as a profession have developed many unusual skills but the ones that stand out are those who are uniquely skilled in behavior. If you can't keep the canvas still your work of art will be a disaster. We have and still take classes in behavior. I personally have spent many hours traveling and studying under known professionals such as Ian Dunbar; 12 years spend handling and showing working breeds and countless hours perfecting coat and scissoring techniques, all of which are never ending, (for the serious professional).

Keep in mind that most professional groomers do not consider Big Box Pet Store grooming professional!! They simply don't have the training.

The actual art of grooming involves knowing clipper, scissor, stripping and carding techniques, skin diseases, coat problems, chemical use, a myriad of products individual to each coat type. How to dry, when to air dry; when to fluff dry; what type of comb and or brush to use; how to demat; when to demat and how to blend, scissor clip and style over 140 breeds. We have to develop a skill with blending, curved, texturizing and thinning shears.

So when you question the price of grooming keep all these concepts in mind and remember the average canine, with good behavior, takes about 1-1/2 hours to groom and that's if it animal's coat is maintained. Double coated breeds such as the Sheltie can take up to 3 hours to properly groom and large breeds such as the standard poodle can take up to 4 hours. This is why it is so hard to quote a fee over the phone. Remember our prices do not reflect behavior problems or specialty styles.