08/19/2024
Let’s talk comfort grooms!
Finn is a 14 1/2 year old Springer Spaniel. He’s old and he is tired, but he’s a happy boy who has lived a wonderful life and, most importantly, he’s healthy as can be. He’s only 40-45lbs, but that’s a lot of weight to carry around for 14+ years and when you have arthritis. I groom Finn every 3 months and we do a 1/4” shave down all over. Finn gets to rest when I blow dry him, do his nails and paws, and his ears and head. He only has to stand while I dry and shave his belly and dry and shave his back legs (even then, mostly for shaving them). A 3-year old dog about his size would normally get a 90-minute grooming slot and would receive a much prettier groom, but Finn gets a 120-minute slot and some grooms come out better than others depending on how he is feeling.
Now, I’ve described Finn’s situation specifically, but what does a comfort groom look like generally? Well, for starters, they can also be for sick dogs or dogs with previous injuries which can make grooming difficult, dogs that aren’t particularly nice to their groomers, etc. Generally, the definition of comfort groom is a groom done at your dog’s comfort level. But what does it MEAN? It means that you and I understand that for whatever reason, the grooms probably won’t be pretty and we will not be able to do fancy haircuts. It means that I will most likely take a little more time with your baby because we are moving at their pace, not mine. It means that they will be taken care of and hopefully come home less tired and more relaxed than they usually do.
Of course, we always do our best to give any dog an enjoyable experience and we never push them to do anything they don’t want to do, but the grooming process is very stressful for everyone and some dogs can handle/process that stress better than others.
