A Day in the Life of a Dog Groomer
Dog Grooming as a profession is physically hard work, fun and rewarding!A day in the life of a salon owner and groomer goes a little like this:
Arrive early and open the salon - check phone messages, call customers back and book dogs in.
When the dogs start arriving, spend time talking to the customer and their dog(s) and discuss exactly what the customer would like their dog's grooming to involve. If it's a short haired dog for a hydrobath it's usually fairly straightforward - a bath, dry, nails clipped and ears cleaned. For longer haired dogs, it's important to understand what the customer wants so they don't get a shock or surprise when they come to pick up their dog later in the day. Some customers may only want a slight trim around the dog's face and paws and bottom to keep them tidy, others may want the full clip, usually in the standard breed clip. The groomer needs to feel the dog's coat to determine if what the customer wants can be achieved - this will largely depend on the condition of the dog's coat. For example, if the coat is matted (tight knots close to the skin) there is not much that can be done but clip the hair off short.
Once the grooming requirements have been determined, the dog is washed (or clipped first if matted), dried, ears cleaned and nails clipped. Then the artistic work starts! Groomers need to be fully conversant in many different styles of clips eg. poodle, schnauzer, westie, spoodle. The actual clipping process can take anywhere from 45 mins to 2 hours, depending on the clip style, size of dog, condition of the coat, behaviour of the dog, experience of the groomer. Which equipment to use is something that groomers learn in their training and will vary depending on what is being done ie. short blade for pads, groin, longer blade for body, legs, scissors for face etc.
When the dog's grooming is finished, they look and feel beautiful! A little light cologne will always leave them smelling fresh and the owners happy. It's very rewarding to see a dirty, scruffy dog going home clean and tidy and happy.
In between grooming dogs, there are supplies to purchase (shampoos, products, etc), phones to answer, customer expectations to manage and cleaning. It's extremely important to maintain a safe and clean salon - no one wants to take their dog to a dirty, smelly place.
The work is often fun, can be difficult, is physically demanding, can be a little dangerous and it's not always glamorous - it can be dirty and smelly but it's very rewarding. You get to spend your days with the most beautiful, loving, grateful creatures on earth.
To be a dog groomer, you MUST LOVE DOGS! It's not just a profession, it's a passion!