For most groomers, the struggling with resistent dogs on the grooming table is one of the most tiring aspects of the job. I have one little corgi who turns a simple brush and deshed into a major dog wrestling contest and takes more out of me than a whole scissored bichon. Well, almost!
There are several table restraint systems available to make life easier for groomers with wiggly (or worse) dogs. One of my favorites is the LIPS. LIPS stands for Linked Interval Positioning System, and is made by Hanvey Engineering. The system features an over-the-table tubular arrangement with front and rear poles. There are eye bolts located at strategic intervals and a set of straps and chains. I've been using a LIPS for about 7 years now, and would not want to be without it ever again. The most important feature for me is the rear support with the T-Strap. The strap is attached with a three piece chain link to the overhead and a snap to the rear pole. This supports the rear quarters and keeps the dog from turning the backside away from the groomer.
More recently another system that has come to the party is the Groomer's Helper. The GH is a two-part system, one for front, quite another system for the rear. I am most impressed with the front end system which utilized a movable clamp and a feed/lock device on an adjustable pole. One cool thing is that you can adjust the pole to be underneath the head of the dog, holding them down on the table so they can't stand on their hind legs. (don't you just wish you had velcro to nail those feet to the table?). It also is out of your way visually. A downside to the LIPS is the permanent pole in the center front of your table. With the GH, you can avoid that. You can use the GH like you would an ordinary grooming post, mounted on the side.
My Best of Both Worlds arrangement is to use the GH to cross-tie the front of the dog along with the LIPS. From my viewpoint, ANYTHING I can do to reduce the struggle factor is worth the investment. Either one or both of these table systems are worth the cost. You only have one body!
BBird, Grooming for 33 years and counting
For further info:
LIPS: http://www.hairvac.com/lipsystem_four_page_index.htm
Groomers Helper: http://www.groomershelper.com
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