Coat Management Disorder

19/04/2023

A pet learning to be groomed is like a person learning to drive.
Y’all didn’t hop on the freeway your first time behind the wheel.
Nope.
You started in the big, empty parking lot. You drove slow, might have even been a little scared.
You practiced, a lot, before you went on the roads around town, and you might have been scared then, too.
Once you were comfortable and safe with the basics, then you hit the highway.
Be kind to your pets. Let them practice in the parking lot, then around town. Don’t expect them to do well at freeway speed without letting them learn to drive first.

02/08/2022

Those first (however many) visits are more about training your puppy to be confident and comfortable with grooming than they are about actually grooming your puppy.

We’ve found that puppies who are progressing with their calming exercises at home (sit, stay, etc.) respond quicker to grooming training thus generally require fewer “puppy visits” before full grooms can be completed.

Because these early visits are training exercises, just like the training you’re doing at home, consistency and frequency are necessary for ensuring a lifetime of grooming success for your puppy.

05/05/2022

Apprentice: A person learning a trade or craft from a skilled employer.

Journey: A skilled worker in a trade or craft. Competent and fully qualified.

Master: A person with great skill and proficiency in a trade or craft.

04/05/2022

Recommended read

https://books.google.com/books/about/Talking_to_Animals.html?id=viqMDAAAQBAJ

New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz—“a Thoreau for modern times” (San Antonio Express-News)—offers us a deeper understanding of the inner lives of animals and teaches us how we can more effectively communicate with them, made real by his own remarkable experiences with a wide array of...

13/04/2022

Quote versus Estimate

When a potential or new client asks for a quote for services, tell them you only provide estimates.

Here’s why:

Though the words are often used interchangeably, “quote” and “estimate” have very different meanings both in the services industries and legally.

QUOTE: An exact price for a service where all details of the service are known. A contract between provider and client that is legally binding.

ESTIMATE: An idea of the cost of a service based on limited or incomplete information. Not legally binding.

How often does something other than what you were expecting walk into your salon?
How often do you hear at check in “But I was quoted $xx over the phone”?
How often does misrepresentation by a client or unexpected circumstances result in undercharging?

Do yourself and the industry a favor. Stop quoting prices for unknown and unseen pets. Remind new and potential clients that the price you are giving them is only an estimate and subject to change based on the required service.

More info:
https://www.yourtradebase.com/blog/estimates-vs-quotes/
https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/difference-between-quotation-and-estimate
https://gocardless.com/en-us/guides/posts/difference-between-a-quote-and-estimate/
https://academy.getjobber.com/quotes-vs-estimates-whats-the-difference/

They might sound the same, but there's actually a difference between a quote, estimate, bid, and proposal. Learn their definitions and when to use them.

22/01/2022

Animal Cruelty ​

As groomers we occasionally see a pet that makes us concerned for its immediate or future welfare.

Defining Animal Cruelty

There are many kinds of animal cruelty acts which are generally divided into two main categories: cruetly resulting from intentional actions and cruelty resulting from inaction. (https://www.animallaw.info/intro/state-anti-cruelty-laws)

Intentional actions of cruelty include torturing, injuring, and overworking an animal.

Cruelty from inaction is the kind we are likely to see as groomers.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) lists the following as Physical Signs of Cruelty (https://www.aspca.org/take-action/report-animal-cruelty):

• Signs of inadequate grooming, such as extreme matting of fur, overgrown nails, and dirty coat
• Fur infested with fleas, ticks, or other parasites
• Open wounds, signs of multiple healed wounds, or an ongoing injury or illness that isn't being treated
• Untreated skin conditions that have caused loss of hair, scaly skin, bumps or rashes
• Patches of bumpy, scaly skin rashes
• Heavy discharge from eyes or nose
• Weakness, limping, or the inability to stand or walk normally
• Tight collar that has caused a neck wound or has become embedded in the pet's neck
• Extreme thinness or emaciation
• Visible signs of confusion or extreme drowsiness
• An owner striking or otherwise physically abusing an animal​
(https://www.aspca.org/take-action/report-animal-cruelty)

Recording Animal Cruelty

​A description of the pet, the location of the pet, and the nature of the problem are all required when making a complaint to authorities about animal cruelty.

Complete and detailed information about the pet's pre- and post-grooming condition will aid agencies in investigating a complaint.

Photographs are also helpful in substantiating complaints.

Complaints can be made anonymously, but signed statements from witnesses are the most helpful to investigators.

Reporting Cruelty

It can be a difficult decision for a groomer to report animal cruelty to authorities. However, if you suspect an owner will not seek necessary veterinary care for an untreated injury or illness, or if they refuse to book a future grooming appointment for their previously matted pet or miss the one they did book, you should consider making a report to your local animal welfare agency.

Call your local animal care agency directly or submit a complaint via the agency's website (https://www.animallaw.info/topic/table-reporting-animal-cruelty-united-states) or call your town’s non-emergency phone number (311 in US and Canada) for more information.

Charlotte Walden Publish Year: 2013 Place of Publication: Michigan State University College of Law Primary Citation: Animal Legal and Historical Center Summary: The following table, while not exhaustive, provides information on where to report animal cruelty. If you do not find a local contact...

24/10/2021

Frothing demystified?

You know this. If you’ve ever washed your own hair (or read your shampoo bottle), you know creating lather is the key to a clean mane.

Lather = Froth

When we hand wash dogs, we are often pour a diluted shampoo mix onto a wet coat and rub and scrub until a lather (froth) forms. This is how we know that area of hair is clean.

Frothing is the process of creating the lather before applying it. Applying an already lathered (frothed) shampoo can save you time and energy.

I make froth in a standard mixing bottle with my usual diluted shampoo mix.

1. Put your normal shampoo dilution solution in a mixing bottle. If you’re making a whole bottle up, leave about an inch at the top for the froth to form.

2. Give the bottle a quick shake until froth forms in the bottle above the liquid. (Less liquid to start means more froth can form.)

3. Squeeze the bottle to apply the froth directly onto pet’s coat. Rub froth into coat.

4. Repeat shake/squeeze/rub sequence as needed.

08/05/2021

Competitive Pricing

Basing prices on what other local businesses charge may be a good strategy if you are each selling the same thing, like milk or hammers. Those are going to be basically the same quality or brands no matter where you buy them so competitive pricing makes sense.

But grooming is a service, like hair dressing (or plumbing, construction, restaurants, accounting, chiropractic, child care, etc.), and the quality and scope of that service varies from business to business, stylist to stylist. Do you choose a hairdresser solely based on price, or do you choose them because they treat you nice, it's comfortable going there, and your hair looks and feels amazing afterward?

This also is at the heart of another question: "What do you want your business to be?" What is the quality and scope of the services you provide? Why should I bring my pet to your shop? Do I go there solely because it costs the same as whosit over there? Or do I go to your business because I know me and my dog are treated nice, it's a comfortable and safe place for them, and they look and feel amazing when I pick them up?

Charge appropriately for the quality and scope of the services you provide.