F R O M
T H E
EDITORS DESK
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Don’t Short Change Yourself
Working with short coated breeds
As professional groomers, we utilize our clippers and shears every single day. However, there are many grooms that you may
be missing out on if you think your professional responsibilities stop with a haircut. As our industry has grown and expanded
and the average pet owner is becoming more educated regarding proper skin/coat care, there is a huge opportunity to offer
your clients new services, make pets more comfortable, and increase the bottom line for your business. It’s a win/win situation
for everyone.
First, let’s define the word ‘groom’. Merriam Webster
dictionary defines Groom (grüm)/Verb as: To look after
the coat of (a horse, dog, or other animal) by brushing,
clipping and/or cleaning it.
Now, I’m not sure about you, but this definition is certainly
closer to what we do in my salon; on second thought, we
do a lot more than this. We aren’t “stylists” because we
do a lot more than simply style the hair. And guess what?
Those short-coated breeds can be on a regular schedule
too! I see way too many groomers telling the owner with
the Chihuahua that she only needs to come in every few
months for a bath and nails. Would you do this with your
haircut clients? Absolutely not….and that Chihuahua
should be on a 6-week schedule as well…minimum.
All those short-coated breeds you’ve had coming in for
a bath, nails, ear cleaning, anal gland check, with a
quick brush over with a boar bristle brush and calling
it a ‘bath and tidy’ or ‘bath and brush’….yeah, those
are “grooms”…and I’m willing to bet some of you
are undercharging your services because of improper
marketing.
When we get a call from an owner who wants their pitbull
bathed, we explain that we don’t do baths, however we
will gladly groom your dog. From there we explain that
this does not involve a ’haircut’. What we will do is bath
the dog in the highest quality products on the market, properly condition the coat, check anal glands, clean ears, trim and file
nails, and follow up with quality finishing touches such as bandana, scarf, necktie, etc… That my fellow professionals, is a
groom for this breed/coat type; and as a groom, these services should be properly priced.
We follow this up with properly educating the client. For example, keeping their pet on a regular schedule becomes clear to
them when we show them what can happen with overgrown nails. A regular schedule also means less shedding in the home.
Their pets may not need a ‘haircut’, but they still want them to feel great, smell great, and look great. A regular schedule with
the proper product means healthy skin…which means a healthy coat…and that makes for a happy client. As professionals,
it is our responsibility to educate our clients…even if they choose to utilize the services of another groomer, though this rarely
happens as the ideal client appreciates your knowledge, professionalism, and education.