Many dog owners–especially those who own difficult to groom breeds such as poodles, Yorkies, Maltese, or Portugese Water Dogs–happily turn the grooming chores over to a professional. Bathing? Ugh! Regular brushing? Maybe…but give them a pair of clippers and they don’t know where to begin. And don’t even think about putting Guillotine clippers in their hands!
Dogs, like people, require a basic level of good grooming in order to look their best and stay healthy. They need regular ear cleaning, tooth brushing, bathing, nail clipping, and haircuts, and if you perform these tasks for your pet or are willing to learn how, kudos! It means that these often scary and uncomfortable things for your pet are not done by a stranger in a strange setting–plus, it saves you a ton of money!
Grooming your own dog also comes with the benefit of spending extra time together. Brushing your dog can be a relaxing, enjoyable routine. And if you take care of that task regularly, all the loose hair winds up in a trash can instead of all over the house! Honing your grooming skills is definitely worth the effort.
Brushing a dog’s coat is one thing; clipping it is something altogether different. If you are comfortable with the idea, though, you can start by trimming around the face, ears and tail to maintain a current cut and head off odors that can build up in those areas. First, give your dog a thorough brushing then, using sharp scissors, carefully trim the hair to maintain its current shape.
After you have gained skill and confidence by trimming your pet between professional grooms, you may want to try a full groom yourself. To do this you will need a grooming kit with a variety of blades, familiarizing yourself with their use first. If you mess up, just remind yourself that your dog might look funny for a while but the hair will grow back! (Luckily, dogs are more forgiving of a bad haircut than humans are!)
Once you start taking over your dog’s grooming tasks, you may find yourself getting creative, experimenting with different styles, trying new dog shampoos, investing in higher end tools. You may find yourself wielding a Dremel to polish your pooch’s nails and realize: Hey! I am pretty good at this. I could be a dog groomer!
It might be worth it to look at taking your skills to the next level. Becoming a professional dog groomer on the side could put some extra cash in your pocket, or it could be a great full time career for a dog lover.
If grooming your dog has sparked an interest in the profession, we would love to talk to you. Call 1-800-795-3294 to speak to an admissions counselor about your future career!