Dog grooming

[AussieGirl]

When I said difficult I meant they have a unique set of chompers and for a nipper they can do damage. I have been bit by almost all the dogs out there and the shih-tzu is one of the worst. I have been bit by toy poodles and they cannot break my skin lol. The bigger dogs get a muzzle right away but you tend to neglect putting them on the little yappers.

I was the bouncer so to speak for my wife when she needed help on a crazy dog.

Those are the kind of dogs that you call "kennel shy" right?How hard is it to get a muzzle on a dog?

 

[DeannaOR]

If a dog is kennel shy..it means they may be perfectly friendly (or not) outside the kennel, but once inside they won't come out freely. They may bite you if you reach in. Most of the dogs we do like this are fine once you pull them out of the kennel. For those dogs we leave a slip lead on them and attach it through the grate on the front of the kennel door and attach to the hardware. That way we can pull them to the front without having to reach in. I muzzle very few dogs. I WILL muzzle if need be, but I try many techniques before resorting to muzzling. Muzzling a dog can actually put them on the defensive and make them worse. A good groomer will teach you how to position your body to keep yourself safe. A good groomer uses both front and back nooses on a table...not just a head one. That means the dog cannot fall or jump off a table and it leaves you with two hands free for controlling the situation.
There is a Groomers Forum on the web that would be an awesome place for you to ask all these questions. You can read A LOT and learn much from other posts.

I think this is a link to the one my groomer likes to use.
http://www.groomerslounge.com/

 

[Mskayladog]

I have been grooming for 45 years and never been bit. Go slow and easy when reaching in a cage and the dog more often then not wont bite if it's cage shy. I think schnauzers,shin-tzus, and poodles are easy money. Even a puffy fancy cut on a poodle takes less time then bathing and blowing combing and tidying up a large breed dog. I don't do the large breed dogs any longer or cats! Big money is those matted once a year farm dogs. Did enough of them that I don't have to fool with them anymore.

 

[AussieGirl]

If a dog is kennel shy..it means they may be perfectly friendly (or not) outside the kennel, but once inside they won't come out freely. They may bite you if you reach in. Most of the dogs we do like this are fine once you pull them out of the kennel. For those dogs we leave a slip lead on them and attach it through the grate on the front of the kennel door and attach to the hardware. That way we can pull them to the front without having to reach in. I muzzle very few dogs. I WILL muzzle if need be, but I try many techniques before resorting to muzzling. Muzzling a dog can actually put them on the defensive and make them worse. A good groomer will teach you how to position your body to keep yourself safe. A good groomer uses both front and back nooses on a table...not just a head one. That means the dog cannot fall or jump off a table and it leaves you with two hands free for controlling the situation.
There is a Groomers Forum on the web that would be an awesome place for you to ask all these questions. You can read A LOT and learn much from other posts.

I think this is a link to the one my groomer likes to use.
http://www.groomerslounge.com/

Thanks I really appreciate it!!I didnt think to look for a forum just for groomers/

I have been grooming for 45 years and never been bit. Go slow and easy when reaching in a cage and the dog more often then not wont bite if it's cage shy. I think schnauzers,shin-tzus, and poodles are easy money. Even a puffy fancy cut on a poodle takes less time then bathing and blowing combing and tidying up a large breed dog. I don't do the large breed dogs any longer or cats! Big money is those matted once a year farm dogs. Did enough of them that I don't have to fool with them anymore.

Wow you have been doing it for a long time!!Thanks for the info too,did you ever do show grooming?Cause I was thinking of attending dog shows and watching the groomers there too to learn more/

 

[chickened]

Those are the kind of dogs that you call "kennel shy" right?How hard is it to get a muzzle on a dog?

No, someone else described kennel shy.

Depends on the muzzle. If it was a problem dog the owner sometimes would put one on. Like I said we did not do many problem dogs and if you are doing things right you can afford to let the other groomers do them.

My wife cut all sorts of dogs but very few show dogs because she did not enjoy working for those type people if you know what I mean.

The Samoans, wolf hybrids and other thick haired dogs were a pain they just shed too much. Yes the matted farm dogs were bad and usually got shaved.

I will tell you if you do get into trimming buy yourself some sheep shearing clippers. We tried all the ones the dealers sold and they always over heated on the heavy coats and took forever. Went and bought some sheep shears and my wife could buzz a large dog in about 3 minutes.

Money is made in grooming by being fast, my wife graduated from the school as the fastest in her class and with the best scores. I have seen groomers in shops since we quit that are so slow the dogs get impatient and they struggle with them in the end and that makes for a bad experience for the dog and dogs remember.

 

[AussieGirl]

No, someone else described kennel shy.

Depends on the muzzle. If it was a problem dog the owner sometimes would put one on. Like I said we did not do many problem dogs and if you are doing things right you can afford to let the other groomers do them.

My wife cut all sorts of dogs but very few show dogs because she did not enjoy working for those type people if you know what I mean.

The Samoans, wolf hybrids and other thick haired dogs were a pain they just shed too much. Yes the matted farm dogs were bad and usually got shaved.

I will tell you if you do get into trimming buy yourself some sheep shearing clippers. We tried all the ones the dealers sold and they always over heated on the heavy coats and took forever. Went and bought some sheep shears and my wife could buzz a large dog in about 3 minutes.

Money is made in grooming by being fast, my wife graduated from the school as the fastest in her class and with the best scores. I have seen groomers in shops since we quit that are so slow the dogs get impatient and they struggle with them in the end and that makes for a bad experience for the dog and dogs remember.

I have a friend that worked for a groomer that did show dogs and she said show cuts are alot different and harder than regular cuts.
I have a heavy shedder as well (Great Pyrenees)and he gets matts alot all the time. I always thought I wasnt brushing him enough cause I was using only a regular dog brush. Till I recently found out from a another groomer I shoulda been using a slicker brush instead.Granted its mostly on his butt fur and he really doesnt like his tail or butt combed (weve been making progress on that)and hes got really really thick fur.Thanks for the idea for the sheep shears Ill look into those.Ive heard its usually the cheap dog clippers burn out or dont work. Thanks for the great point on being a speedy bather.Ive never really thought about how it would make the dog uncomfortable.Ill keep that in mind once I get the job.

 

[wekiva bird]

I'm a groomer . I use bitter apple for the dogs the try to bite it works most of the time. Wet the dog then put Corn starch and the use slicker brush to get all the dead hair out. If you shave the hair the dead coat is still on the dog and the skin can't breath.

 

[bunnibird55]

I had my own grooming/pet shop for 25 years. I live in a rural area and I took everything from Newfoundlands to kittens and everything in between. I didn't make as much as groomers in large areas - mostly because I felt sorry for the animals that seriously needed grooming and a lot of the folks were retired and on a very tight budget. At first I worked too hard to do exactly what owners thought they wanted....trying to brush out two very fat black cocker spaniels that had been kept in a barn with hay and had not had anything done to them in two years....they were loaded with ticks and fleas and had open sores from where the hair had matted down and held in moisture. The owner was mad because I shaved them down and gave her a lecture on how to properly care for those dogs, I probably could have been more diplomatic, but I felt sorry for the dogs Then I had the super nice people who brought their dogs every 4 weeks without fail and had the dogs in wonderful condition. After developing asthma and tearing my rotator cuff on my shoulder I decided to go to work in an office. I have to say...sitting in an office chair in ac and recieving a steady paycheck is better than worrying about no-shows and fleas and ticks and biting animals! I miss the animals but that is why I now have so many chickies, turkeys, guineas, ducks and parrots!

 

[AussieGirl]

I'm a groomer . I use bitter apple for the dogs the try to bite it works most of the time. Wet the dog then put Corn starch and the use slicker brush to get all the dead hair out. If you shave the hair the dead coat is still on the dog and the skin can't breath.

Yea bitter apple doesnt work on my dog. I put some on a toy of hers and the little fart just picked it up with her teeth instead. Course she is a aussie and a smart one as that.Thankfully shes more of the wiry coat and doesnt shed that bad. I still have to brush her when she sheds her winter coat.

I had my own grooming/pet shop for 25 years. I live in a rural area and I took everything from Newfoundlands to kittens and everything in between. I didn't make as much as groomers in large areas - mostly because I felt sorry for the animals that seriously needed grooming and a lot of the folks were retired and on a very tight budget. At first I worked too hard to do exactly what owners thought they wanted....trying to brush out two very fat black cocker spaniels that had been kept in a barn with hay and had not had anything done to them in two years....they were loaded with ticks and fleas and had open sores from where the hair had matted down and held in moisture. The owner was mad because I shaved them down and gave her a lecture on how to properly care for those dogs, I probably could have been more diplomatic, but I felt sorry for the dogs Then I had the super nice people who brought their dogs every 4 weeks without fail and had the dogs in wonderful condition. After developing asthma and tearing my rotator cuff on my shoulder I decided to go to work in an office. I have to say...sitting in an office chair in ac and recieving a steady paycheck is better than worrying about no-shows and fleas and ticks and biting animals! I miss the animals but that is why I now have so many chickies, turkeys, guineas, ducks and parrots!

Yea I wouldnt want a cocker spaniel cause of all that curly hair though I have met some people that do take good care of theirs too.Sorry to hear about your asthma that must of been ruff.

 

[AussieGirl]

!!Update!! Finally got to go to the interview today and everything went well.We talked for awhile and you some stuff. How like she wants to be sure to find someone that really has the desire to really want to learn to be a dog groomer and some other stuff. However she cant start training till August.

Because of stuff that going on in Congress,shes wants to wait and see how it will affect her business and such and that she will keep me posted.