Want to take your #socialmedia game to the next level and get more followers for your dog grooming business? 🙌
Here are 5 tips you should start trying:
✔️ Develop a solid business brand (with certain colors, tone of voice, mission statement, business values, etc.) - and then reflect it throughout your social media channels!
✔️ Do target market research and figure out which social media platforms your demographic(s) are most likely to use - and then focus your efforts on those platforms especially!
✔️ Play around and try different types of posting (single pic posts, carousel posts, short videos, long videos, infographics, tutorials, speed grooms, before vs. after posts, cute spotlights featuring the dogs you groom, etc.) to see what resonates with your audience best!
✔️ Run social media contests and/or giveaways to build your following - maybe the winner gets a free groom with you, a virtual grooming class, or a gift card to an online pet shop (like Chewy)!
✔️ Invest some money into a paid social media ad!
What tricks have you found has helped YOU better your social media performance?
Need help trimming black dog nails? 💡
Here are 3 tips, courtesy of @marisaidwoof:
✅️ Know when they had their last nail trim. You'll need to trim off more, the longer it's been since their last trim. Just keep in mind that the vein inside the nail - a.k.a. "the quick" - tends to grow out longer when the nail is allowed to grow for an extended period of time.
✅️ Know how much the dog weighs. The weight and pressure they exert on their nails naturally helps to keep them at a manageable length.
✅️ Ask their owner what the dog's regular level of activity is. For instance, are they a couch potato, or maybe a toy breed that's usually carried by their owner? Or are they a very active dog that's used to getting lots of exercise? The more activity they tend to get, the shorter their nails will probably be.
Do you have any other tips that can be added to this list?
Want to stand out as a dog groomer, earn more money, and attract more clients? Add a specialty niche to your business services! 👏
Here are some different ideas - see if any sound interesting to you!
🐶 Mobile dog grooming
🐶 Virtual grooming classes for at-home pet parents
🐶 Competition/show grooming
🐶 Medicated grooming services (e.g., flea/tick removal, lice removal, dealing with skin conditions/issues, etc.)
🐶 Grooming other animals (such as cats, horses, etc.)
🐶 Complementary services, such as professional dog walking, dog training/behavior training, pet daycare, etc.
Do YOU have a niche as a dog groomer? If so, what is it?
#qcpetstudies #doggrooming #doggroomer #petgroomer #petgrooming #doggroomingcareer #groomingcareer #doggroomingcourse #petgroomingcourse #professionalgroomer #professionaldoggroomer #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogdaycare #doggydaycare #careeradvice #niche #careertips #businessadvice #businesstips
Need to groom a dog that has a LOT of old fur? Don't reach for your de-shedding tool just yet! This can actually hurt your furry client. Rather, you should follow @marisaidwoof's tips instead! 😍👏
Did you know that dogs shed for a number of various reasons, including:
• Stress
• Skin issues (parasites, fleas, ringworm, dermatitis, etc.)
• Allergies (which fall into 4 categories: atopy/genetic, environmental or seasonal, food-related, and flea-related)
And here's a fun little fact - Border Collies, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, German Shepherds, Chow Chows, and Bernese Mountain Dogs are 5 of the WORST culprits when it comes to heavy-shedding breeds.
(But we still love them, though! 💙)
What are your top tips for deshedding?
#qcpetstudies #dogs #doggrooming #doggroomer #petgroomer #petgrooming #doggroomingcourse #petgroomingcourse #professionalgroomer #professionaldoggroomer #deshedding #shedding #groomingtips #doggroomingtips #howtogroomadog #groomingadog #brushingdog
What was YOUR "practice makes perfect" moment as a dog groomer? 🐶
On the topic of overcoming challenges, here's what QC Pet Studies graduate, @thefluffypuppy_portfolio, had to say when reflecting upon her very first professional grooming job...
"I was a bather and given the opportunity to be a groomer’s assistant. This was back in early 2019, [and] I had never groomed a dog before. In fact, I was just starting to polish my bathing techniques and solidify a thorough foundation for the bath process.
I was really excited! I started with advancing tasks from baths, to all the prep work required before the groom, sanitary trims, paw pad trims, ear cleaning and plucking, nail trims., etc….
And then it came crashing down.
I accidentally cut a dog because they moved their leg mid-cut. My mentor said to take a break, but to come back and finish the dog. I was terrified that I was going to cut the dog again. I initially thought I wasn’t going to touch him again, but I did it anyway.
My mentor said, 'If you let fear stop you from progressing forward, it will ruin your career.'
And she was right! The truth is, ALL groomers—no matter age or experience—have (at least) cut a dog at some point in their career. But it does not speak badly about the groomer. We are working on hyper, energetic, happy (and maybe not-so-happy) pups.
The likelihood of cutting a dog is bound to happen…. Which is where learning First Aid became a priority for me!"
Awesome words of wisdom! 🙌
#qcpetstudies #dogs #doggrooming #doggroomer #petgroomer #petgrooming #doggroomingcareer #groomingcareer #doggroomingcourse #petgroomingcourse #professionalgroomer #professionaldoggroomer #careeradvice #mustlovedogs #doglover #dogsofig #dogsofinstagram #practicemakesperfect #groomingadvice #groomingtips #doggroomingtips #doggroomingadvice
If your technique isn't efficient, drying your client's dog can take way longer than needed. In fact, bathing and drying the dog can take upwards of HALF the entire grooming session.
So, here's a quick tip - courtesy of @marisaidwoof - to help you improve your drying speed by 20-30%! 🤩
And while we have you, here are 3 other dog drying tips to keep in mind during your next grooming job:
☑️ Dry down the dog with a towel BEFORE using a high-velocity dryer. And when you towel-dry them, don't use a back and forth motion - instead, press down and squeeze gently so the towel can soak up as much moisture as possible!
☑️ Ensure you use the correct dryer setting. The higher the airflow, the faster the hair will dry - but the highest setting isn't needed for, say, toy breeds with smooth coats. So, keep the type of dog (and their coat type) in mind when choosing which dryer setting you're going to use!
☑️ Overheating the dog is a very real risk. You can avoid this by intermittently using the cool air setting here and there!
What other tips can you think of?
#qcpetstudies #dogs #doggrooming #doggroomer #petgroomer #petgrooming #doggroomingcareer #groomingcareer #doggroomingcourse #petgroomingcourse #professionalgroomer #professionaldoggroomer #careeradvice #mustlovedogs #doglover #dogsofig #dogsofinstagram #groomingadvice #groomingtips #doggroomingtips #doggroomingadvice #groominghacks #doggroominghacks
Here are some ✨️Words of Wisdom✨️ for you on this fine Friday:
It can be easy to perpetually put off getting things started, putting yourself in a position to potentially fail, and taking any sort of risk... And this is ESPECIALLY true as a business owner. But that doesn't mean the risk isn't worth taking!
On the contrary, if you constantly wait for "perfection", you'll be waiting forever. And the fact of the matter is, that time is going to pass by, regardless. Instead of forever putting off to tomorrow the necessary actions to get your business off the ground, start taking those actions TODAY! 🙌
Fear of failure is a very real thing - but you shouldn't give it the power to stand in your way. PRACTICE is what makes perfect... EXPERIENCE is what makes perfect... And MAKING MISTAKES is what makes perfect!
Trust us, you've got this - so, get up and get to it! 💙
#qcpetstudies #dogs #doggrooming #doggroomer #petgroomer #petgrooming #doggroomingcareer #groomingcareer #doggroomingcourse #petgroomingcourse #professionalgroomer #professionaldoggroomer #careeradvice #mustlovedogs #doglover #socialmedia #socialmediaadvice #businessadvice #businesstips #careertips #wordsofwisdom #motivation
Do you have trouble trimming too much off - and accidentally hurting your dog - when clipping their nails? 😰
Here are 5 nail trimming tips to keep in mind next time, courtesy of professional dog groomer, @marisaidwoof:
☑️ Always take off small slivers of the nail (and gradually work your way down), rather than taking off a big chunk. This will help ensure you don't accidentally cut the quick!
☑️ Always use very sharp nail trimmers! Blunt and/or dull trimmers will crush the nail and leave the edges broken, rather than allowing for a smooth, clean cut.
☑️ If you can visibly see where the vein in your dog's nail stops, trim 2-3mm AWAY from where the vein/line stops. That vein is the quick - and if you cut it, it WILL bleed (and your dog WILL feel pain).
☑️ Not sure how much to trim off the nail for it to be long/short enough? Try cutting the nails from the underside of the paw, rather than from the front, to get a more accurate visual idea of the overall length.
☑️ To accurately determine how much to trim off a dog's nails, consider factors such as their:
• Weight
• Age
• Time since their last nail trim
• Activity level
What tips would you give to help someone cut BLACK dog nails safely?
#qcpetstudies #doggrooming #doggroomer #nailcut #groomingtips #doggroomingtips #doggroominglife #doggroomingcourses #groomingschool
Are you a professional groomer who knows how to work with anxious dogs? Here's why you should be creating content on social media that showcase this, according to industry expert, @marisaidwoof! 💡
And if you DON'T have experience grooming an anxious dog? Here are 4 quick tips to help you (and your client's pooch) feel more at ease:
💙 Start slow - and take your time! There's no need to rush right into things or hurry the process. Rather, take the time to show the dog each tool you're going to be using and let them sniff everything first. If you see them get particularly overwhelmed at any point throughout, consider taking a quick break to let them calm back down.
💙 Give LOTS of love - both physical and verbal! There's no such thing as too many head scratches, cuddles, or words of affirmation when you're dealing with an anxious dog. It'll help them feel safer and more secure.
💙 Reward their good behavior with treats! Help to create a positive association with the grooming process by giving them treats throughout - and especially whenever they handle things calmly.
💙 Keep your voice gentle yet firm! Speak with confidence (they WILL pick up on that, which will help put them at ease as a result), while still remembering to have a reassuring tone. Again, praise them whenever they are calm and quiet, and firmly say "no" if ever they try to squirm away or escape. However, NEVER reprimand them for exhibiting their actual anxiety - reserve that only for behavior such as moving, growling, or nipping.
What other tips can you think of that can help groomers improve the overall grooming experience for anxious dogs?
#qcpetstudies #dogs #doggrooming #doggroomer #petgroomer #petgrooming #doggroomingcareer #groomingcareer #doggroomingcourse #petgroomingcourse #professionalgroomer #professionaldoggroomer #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogdaycare #doggydaycare #careeradvice #mustlovedogs #doglover #dogsofig #dogsofinstagram #anxious
Certain words can mean different things to different people - and when it comes to the world of professional dog grooming, you want to ensure there are NO misunderstandings between you and your clients! 👍️
Join expert dog groomer, @marisaidwoof, as she breaks down the kinds of questions you should be asking when trying to determine what sort of cut your client wants for their dog. That way, you can give them the vision they have in their head!
And while we have you, here are 5 of the WORST grooming mistakes you need to avoid making:
✖️ Not brushing the dog before getting them wet (seriously, enjoy all those matts and tangles)
✖️ And then not brushing it after it's been dried, either (again, doing so helps with any matts and tangles, while also working the dog's natural oils throughout their coat)
✖️ Not drying them properly (which can potentially result in mange, bacterial or fungal infections, hot spots, etc.)
✖️ Shaving a dog with a double coat (which will cause the inner layer to not grow back as long as the outer layer, and will make the dog susceptible to sunburns, overheating, etc.)
✖️ Ignoring the dog's breed (because the way you'd groom a Poodle should NOT involve the exact same methods as the way you'd groom, say, a Shih Tzu)
What other dog grooming faux pas can you think of?
Does your dog HATE getting brushed? 😱 As a result, are YOU scared to brush them because the whole experience is an unpleasant one for you both?
Then you need to check out these #dogbrushing tips - courtesy of industry expert, @marisaidwoof! 👏💯
Here are 5 quick reasons why regularly brushing your pup is super important:
1. Daily brushes help to clean your dog's coat by removing any dirt, dried skin flakes, hairs that have been shed, etc. In turn, this prevents future matting - which is always a massive pain in the tail to fix!
2. It gives your pooch a nice, soothing skin massage. As a result, healthy blood circulation is stimulated AND you're helping their body to promote cell renewal.
3. Whenever you brush your dog, you're allowing for their natural oils to be released and worked through the hair strands (which helps smooth and shine the fur).
4. Regular brushing gives you the important opportunity to check for fleas and/or ticks, identify any lumps or concerning spots that need to be addressed, and prevent unnecessary skin issues that would otherwise come from their fur getting matted.
5. It's the perfect bonding time! 💙
Do you have any go-to tips for brushing a dog?
What an adorable video of our Dog Training tutor, @spotondogspei, and her (big) little sweetheart, Truman! 🥰💙🐶
Here's what Shannon had to say when sharing this video on her IG:
"🐾 Big dogs don’t need a heavy hand, and here are 3 reasons why fostering a loving relationship with your furry friend is paramount:
1. Trust & Respect: Building trust and mutual respect with your big dog is key. Gentle training methods and positive reinforcement help create a strong bond based on trust rather than fear.
2. Communication: Effective communication is crucial. By understanding your dog’s body language and cues, you can address their needs and preferences, ensuring a harmonious coexistence.
3. Emotional Connection: Your relationship with your big dog is a partnership built on love and companionship. Treating them with kindness and patience fosters a deep emotional connection that lasts a lifetime. 🐶❤️"
Thanks for the awesome advice!!! 🙌
•
📷 via @spotondogspei
