FINDING A PET GROOMER

Finding a new groomer for your pet can be a daunting task. A great groomer is a combination of a reliable baby sitter and a fabulous hair stylist. And then...their schedule has to work with yours.

Groomers work in various settings, independent private salons, veterinarian clinics, corporate grooming/retail stores, mobile vans, and home grooming - yours or theirs. You can find excellent groomers in any of these situations. Unfortunately, you can also find a wide range of skill level in any of these settings as well.

Styling Skills - How can you tell if the groomer has any styling ability? Good question. There is no hard and fast means test. There are at least two sides to the matter of styling skills. On the one hand there are basic things like being good at scissoring and clipping hair, and having something of an artistic eye. Another whole level is being able to achieve reasonable representations of each breed "style." If you are a pet owner who will be satisfied with a short, cute trim, then the latter doesn't matter. But if you want your Bichon to look like a Bichon or your Scottie to look like a Scottie should, then you need to seek out a groomer who has worked on her/his "breed specific trims." These are often groomers who are nationally certified, or who have competed in or attended grooming competitions, or have worked for professional handlers. Groomers who attend dog shows are also more likely to have a visualization of each breed as it is presented at show.

Groomers may mumble and grumble about how we are working on pet grooming not show grooming, but the truth is that show grooming is the way in which the breeders of each breed are presenting their breed. This is the "look" for that breed. Pet owners may not want to maintain a full show coat, and they may not want all of the elements of the show trim, but that trim contains the styling elements that make the breed distinct. The groomer who refuses to make reference to show grooming is most likely to be grooming from a very different visualization, one more generic and casual.


The only way you can tell is to see or to ask. Does the groomer have pictures of their work? a website is great for that. What references do they have for your breed? Many groomers work with reference books such as the AKC Complete Dog, Notes From the Grooming Table, The Enclyclopedia of Dogs, or have portfolios they have collected of great grooms. Are they nationally certified? There are three national organizations that have peer certification testing for groomers. National Dog Groomers Association of America (NDGAA), International Society of Canine Cosmetologists (ISCC) and International Professional Groomers, Inc (IPG). Each of these organizations offer a series of challenging practical and written tests that are judged by an accredited professional. Groomers who have undertaken a national certification have had their grooming critiqued and evaluated on four dogs - long & short-legged terriers, non-sporting (Poodle or Bichon) and a Sporting Breed. They have established their ability to interpret breed standards to pet grooming. Has the groomer participated in grooming competitions? Competitions include rigorous critique.


Baby Sitting Skills - Let's turn now to the other aspects of a good groomer, patience, pack leadership, and kind-heartedness, ability to put an animal's welfare above grooming expectations, to kindly educate owners, to detect health problems, and to protect the safety of the animals in their care. Whew, that's a mouthful! A great groomer is truly worth her weight in gold. (That would make me very wealthy!) We don't get paid in gold, but we do get paid with loyalty.


How can you tell if a groomer has good baby sitting skills? A good pack leader displays calm assertiveness and measured affection. Over-the-top kissy face behavior does not purchase respect of a leader. Yes, I kiss puppies, but not excessively. I also ask them to stand still on the table...for at least 5 seconds. A great groomer knows how to individualize and when to accomodate and when to be firm. They don't lie to you about a dog's behavior.

Here's a question for you: Can you believe the dog? Generally, if the dog likes going to the groomer, being with the groomer, that is believable. But what if the dog doesn't like going, does that suggest abuse? Not necessarily. There are things that groomers have to do as a part of the service that some dogs really do not like having done. Some dogs are more forgiving than others, some will hold a grudge. The important thing is whether the groomer can reasonably contextualize and explain your dogs apparent dislike of the grooming experience. Sometimes a dog will be sensitive to the owner's apprehensions about the grooming, regardless of how he is actually treated.

Pictured above is our young assistant, Dave Fernandez, aka Dave-the-slave, working on a young Bichon pup. He is combing out the under-arms ("pits"), and you can see the trust that little "Lexi" has in her groomer. Although I don't encourage much sitting on top of the grooming table, we often hold small dogs in our laps to do ticklish work such as this. What I love about this picture is that it shows the groomer accomodating the young dog and being so gentle as to maintain her trust. I would let Dave groom my own dogs. Whoops, he HAS TO!

Dave Fernandez, Grooming Assistant and Salon Manager, is nationally certified with IPG in Sporting Breeds.
Barbara Bird, Salon Owner, is nationally certified with IPG as a Master Groomer, and is also certified with NDGAA in Non-Sporting Breeds.
Transformation Pet Center
Tucson, Arizona 520-795-5743 Find us at: www.transformationpet.com