when i still had my salon (Purewag, Sammamish/Redmond WA, sold it a while back) the reviews that stuck with me werent really the ones about the cut looking perfect

it was the ones where people said their dog used to freak out at groomers and then somehow came back calm. like actually relaxed. that felt like a bigger win than a fluffy finish tbh

curious if other groomers feel the same. is that your favorite kind of feedback too or do you care more about the aesthetic stuff

I recently decided that, after 20 years, it’s time to step out of grooming and I have a ton of almost new tools I’d like to sell. Does anyone have any recommendations as to where to advertise them? I live in a pretty rural part of Montana USA, so local isn’t really an option. Thanks!

I have a Bichon Frise who is my love, and I want to buy some brushes that help me goom him. He is 9 months old.

I am from Argentina, and I want to import them from Amazon USA, which has better options than in my country. However, not all of the products are shipped to Argentina.

I have identified these options:

https://www.amazon.com/Doodle-Brush-Slicker-Dogs-Goldendoodle/dp/B0CVQDKP8K/

https://www.amazon.com/Slicker-Brush-Massage-Grooming-Stainless/dp/B0B2NC69PN/

Which either work? For the second option, I see Flat or Curved, and then Small, Medium, Big. Which option is best? Any better types? Thanks!!!!

Hello,

I am a new groomer trainee at a corporate salon. I have been dealing with some salon mean girls as of late. Ex. Dropping stuff on purpose, making me pick up after them, stealing dogs from my schedule, gaining up on me, switching up on me out of nowhere, the list goes on. I’ve been testing them a little bit lately by asking them questions to see if they will give me the wrong answer, and more than half the time they do. I don’t understand why people have to be such big bully’s at this grown of age. What is your guy’s advice on dealing with mean salon bully’s? I can’t just quit because I have a contract that I have to work for them at least a year. And I don’t want to quit either because I love this career and I love animals.

I’m doing this foster girl and her brother today. Wondering if y’all have any ideas for how I can make her face look cute? She’s got pretty awful hair to work with, something between a Yorkie and a Shih Tzu. I was thinking maybe I could give her those cute shaved ears? If it helps, I’m doing either a 5 or 7 on her body, haven’t decided yet but I’m leaning towards the 5. Let me know your thoughts!! Thank you :)

I get a lot of doodles and other mixes with very straight hair on the muzzle and for me it’s the hardest to do. The owners always want a “teddy bear face” and I don’t know how to make it look blended and nice. I feel like it always looks choppy. I think it’s 1000% harder than a nice poofy muzzle! Any tips/links to good videos? Thanks!

I hear so many stories of groomers with chronic wrist/hand conditions like arthritis or carpal tunnel from grooming. What ways can I be proactive to prevent this? I am an artist and don't want to destroy my hands doing this job

Also any back or core strengthening exercises at the gym that can help as well?

If the independent build is at the same level of quality why would you pay the premium that way n tails and hanvey have?

ive had a LOT of bad experiences so far at the current chain im at (chuck and dons). i figured it would be like petsmart and it is in a lot of ways but my manager is just evil. this man is demonic.

ive been doing 5-6 consistently just fine, and with the corpo high volume scheduling you'd think 3-4 hours is to be expected, at least w my experience w petsmart. but my manager sits me down today and says i can't tell clients 3-4 anymore, just 2-3. keep in mind, he wants me at 7-9 dogs eventually. so i tell him i'm confused as to what the goals are for me. cos the more dogs i have, the longer it will take for each dog since i am working on multiple at the same time!

he says that a competent groomer will have no problem completing this many dogs with these scheduling parameters. and that is when i tell him i am not the groomer for this company then and put in my two weeks.

i hate drifting between salons but it seems like they all go to shit eventually. alas, i'm back on indeed. 🫩

Questions specifically for mobile groomers- how many dogs do you average per day? What is your average drive time between clients? How long are your days from arrival at the van to heading home?

Right now I'm doing about 5 dogs per day (a mix of large, small, haircuts, desheds, baths). My days can be 11-12 hours long once accounting for all of the driving and cleanup. I'm wondering if this is normal. It seems like a really long day for just a handful of dogs. Our prices reflect the premium service so that's a plus.

I try to brush my doodle everyday, but his head and neck are matted no matter how much I brush (I just spent three hours on his head and I only covered one half it was so matted). I’m at my wits end. I use a slicker brush and a metal comb

are there doodle grooming (brushing) classes I can take in person? Obviously the videos aren’t helping me.

For some context I groom out of my house, 1-1, in a rural area, as such I dont have an extra over head and most dogs are usually strips or something equally fast, becasue of that Im fairly "cheap" or so I've been told, but its enough to keep bills paid and that's all I really care about right now only being 3 months in. While I do have some add-ons like dematting/scissor/brushing and anal glands (cause I hate them so yes you'll be paying extra for that) my prices just encompass everything I'd need to groom the dog the way its needs because after so many years at corporate I'm tired of fighting people over nail buffing or anti itch treatments.

Well this morning a lady calls looking for info for 3 -oodles, ranging from 15-30lbs, I tell her my price, $70 for each, and explain all what Ive said above. Ive already gotten a rude vibe from when shes explaining how she requires the nails to be short and the legs smooth, but she then backhands me with "well thats more expansive than the girl I usually take them to, cant you offer me a discount?"

The thing is I often do give a sibling discounts but thats something I like to surprise NICE, who dont haggle, clients with at pick-up but the audacity to ask me to price match another groomer instantly made me throw that out the window for her. This is not 2007 and Im not Walmart. She kinda huffs when I say no and says that she'll call me back after she talks to her husband.

Sure she does call back to book and if she does show up she'll be getting what I call my "Karen contract" for sure. But I feel like a real business owner now 😂

This is honestly just a vent post about the whole situation.

For context: I've worked at this salon for almost 1 year, and was honestly already close to quitting.

The "new" owner was the manager when I first started working and thankfully bought the place out from the previous witch of an owner, but things only got sketchier 😭

I was offered a role as a groomer in training, and the new owner offered to teach me. I spent HUNDREDS on tools for that opportunity only to be taught for a couple weeks and then thrown into grooming dogs with very little guidance. Obviously that would overwhelm anyone, right? Well after realizing I was overwhelmed, instead of taking me back to actually TEACHING me, she went behind my back and hired a new groomer. Only then did she explain me about how I was "getting too overwhelmed and she needed an experienced groomer." (this was explained over text. while i was on vacation)

After that, everything really started to go downhill and I IMMEDIATELY noticed something wrong the second I heard the news that there was a new hire. I decided to not think about it, but it financially destroyed me not having the tiny bit of extra income and being shoved back into the receptionist/assistant job. I noticed that more and more was being added to my plate, especially after CUTTING MY HOURS. And there was zero regard for my well-being. Again, I decided to ignore it and keep working.

But after a bit, I realized that the entire time I worked there, I had been consistently bullied by the owner. Even after showing clear signs of discomfort, she just kept coming after me. She genuinely laughed when she realized I was uncomfortable. But if I so much as showed a CONCERN about something in the workplace, she would throw a huge fit and guilt me into shutting up.

As of recent, she offered all sorts of photography opportunities because she knew I was giving up on grooming (again: less pay and less hours. Couldn't afford schooling). She got my hopes up and got me super excited. The same way she did with "teaching" me how to groom dogs. I knew something was about to happen. Everytime something got good for me at that place, a week or two later it would be taken from me.

Now, as of yesterday, she has ripped those opportunities away because she "can't afford a receptionist" even though she was paying me jack fucking SHIT for more and more tasks each damn week. I was being taken advantage of and the moment I started slacking, she started bullying me and treating me like I was worthless, again.

HERE'S THE THING. I 100% understand the money aspect. If she had told me PROFESSIONALLY that I was no longer within her budget, I would be understanding. But after getting my hopes up several times, taking advantage of me, bullying me, and REFUSING to communicate with me with anything but texts....I'm not as understanding. In fact, I even asked to speak one-on-one in person with her because I was having some issues that I needed to discuss with her (i was finally about to stand up to her). She decided to schedule a CALL for a day that I'm not even supposed to be at work, and then instead of calling me, decided to make me call her. And instead of allowing me to speak, she immediately fired me.

I feel like she was expecting me to handle this situation professionally but with how I was treated, I have no desire. I genuinely don't care how petty I get with her, anymore. She is no longer worth the time or effort and I clearly wasn't as important to her as she tried to make me think I was. I should've quit while I was on vacation when I heard about the new hire.

Anyways thank you all for coming to my TEDtalk 🫶

I’ve got a short haired senior boy. He’s easy to wash and blow dry so I do it at home. He loves being blow dried but really I’m just using a big electric leaf blower and a rubber brush until he’s mostly dry. It’s loud but it works really well. Once he gets tired of the noise he puts his head between my legs to block the sound but gets mad if I stop blow drying him.

It’s kind of awkward to get a good angle with the dryer when a 70lb dog is using your legs as ear protection. Today while I was drying him I jokingly wrapped and tied a bath towel around his head to see if it helped. He LOVED IT. Full on happy baby seal standing still for me and demanding more dryer.

The towel falls off too easily but we clearly need something for him to wear while I dry him. I’ve looked at some options online but can’t tell how thick they are and whether or not they’d muffle sound well. Would it be weird to stack a smaller towel under the hoodie?

Pic of him in case the shape of his ears matters.

Thanks!

I live in Manitoba where grooming isn't regulated, there are a few salons that offer training programs but theyre quite pricy, I've found a few better priced options online but I dont know if theyre really worth anything, the first is through animal behavious college which has an in person externship of 150h, the second is through pet courses canada which is fully online, no externship

Are online programs of the sort worth anything when looking for a job or do I need to go to an in person program locally? Ive tried looking for an apprentice position too but no one takes them on anymore since we have the dedicated training programs

yall today i realized the biggest thing i hate about having eczema as a dog groomer.
Im working on this sweet girl- trimming her nails and as i’m reaching for her second paw I see blood on my nail clippers! I didn’t quick her i swore but i double checked every nail i had done and sure enough, no. no blood. She was only a nail trim so i couldn’t have cut her skin realistically but i had done a sani, and the blood was still wet so it couldn’t have been from a previous dog.
My mind was racing, where could I have possibly nicked this dog?? So im at this point a little frantically checking her, between her toes, under her tail, in her sanitary, everywhere.
no blood.
i sanitized everything and while im doing that I look down and it’s my own knuckle that has cracked open and was dripping and because it was just my eczema i didn’t even notice.
i was so scared I had hurt the dog but nope— nope just my own dry ass skin. LOL thank god it was me and not the pup! but i hated that fear it gave me today hahah! stay moisturized out there! 😅

Hi so I’ve been grooming a long time and it’s all I’ve known as far as work but I’m in my 30s now and I want to potentially have a kid. I’ve had my own business for 8 years and as hard as I try I’ve never been able to make enough to really feel financially stable. The ebb and flow plus having to pivot and restart my business definitely didn’t help but I’m just tired. I’ve implemented a weight limit for new big dogs. Ive raised prices and still I just feel like I could be doing something else with less wear and tear on my body. I’m thinking about trying to get a job as a school receptionist and hopefully eventually working my way up to assistant principal secretary or something like that. There would be benefits and maternity leave. I’d clock in and clock out and get to leave work at work. Have any of you done something like this and did you love it? Regret it? I’d really appreciate anybody’s advice because I’m pretty sure I want this but I’m also worried about what if I don’t and I’ve referred all my clients out to others. I just don’t know if longevity wise continuing to be a dog groomer is the smartest move for me. I do have my high school diploma which is technically all they need and in theory running a business should count as something.

It wasn’t a perfect shave down, there were things that could have looked better. But he is an over ten year old senior with collapsed trachea. We were aiming for speed and comfort. I still think a little lamby shave is pretty cuuuuute regardless💗

Before then after of each. The miniature schnauzer was completely blind so I did what I could with her

I am moving from corporate to private (finally😃) and I am excited for my new job but I have been struggling with how to communicate with my clients. I am autistic and suffer from a lot of anxiety and I have been so blessed that I have been able to communicate with a lot of my customers and quite a bit are on board to follow me to my new salon which means the world to me. I love my clients and I love my dogs like they’re my own and I get very emotionally attached. I have some clients that only come a couple times a year and can be difficult about communication and I am just struggling with how to let people know I am leaving and where I am going. A good bit of my clients just said take my number and text me the details and that has been making this a lot easier. But I have a few outliers that I don’t know how to reach out to. I don’t know if I should try to call from my current store phone or if it would be inappropriate or against the rules to message them privately, I don’t want to overstep any boundaries but I don’t want my clients thinking I just up and left them without saying anything. I know some of the groomers I work with would tell my clients but idk if management would be willing to do that or if they would just get lost in the mess. I have also been stressing about people I may have missed or haven’t thought about. I know this is dramatic but I am so sensitive and I would hate for someone who trusts me with their pup to think I just didn’t care or think of them. I am an emotional wreck and I could use some advice on how to approach this.

One of my clients today came a day early and left upset and cancelled his appointment on spot and I couldn’t even catch him to talk to him. I have two days left and it would break my heart to not see his pup again. I tried calling to reschedule and make him aware that I was leaving bc I specifically told this man I wouldn’t leave my current job without letting him know bc I am the only one who has worked on his dog and it’s killing me. Haven’t gotten a response and idk if it would be inappropriate to reach out separately but this has just spiraled me and I don’t want to leave my pups behind.

Am I overthinking all of this? Should I just leave and let people find me if they want? How do I avoid feeling like I am just letting people and their pups down?

I’ve been toting my gear to and from work so far, bringing it home for maintenance and security purposes. But it’s getting kind of old 🫤. Searching Amazon I somehow came across something like this? Does anyone use these lockable salon carts for their tools? (scissors, blades, clippers, etc)

Are they decent enough to last until I have enough money to upgrade to an actual power tool work bench? ($300 is too much right now) I also don’t have a lot in personal equipment so that’s why I wanted smaller. I kind of like the idea of a small cart to put stuff I’m currently using on top since I’m constantly moving around my table and don’t trust myself (or the dogs!) to not yeet my brand new chunkers off the table.

Has anyone started working for a brand new salon with zero client base? How long did it take to build enough clientele to actually make a living? There are four groomers where I am and we are only getting about 6 or 7 a week. I’m trying to stay optimistic but it’s tough for sure.

I struggled with blending her hair on her face especially the sides of the visor partially because she has a mixed breed drop coat. The parents wanted lots of hair removed around the eyes so she could see as long as possible. She was such a good girl and let me get all the crusty little hairs around her mouth and nose that I haven’t been confident enough to go for before. She fell asleep on my table while I worked on her.

Overall I was happy with how this turned out and I’m mostly looking for critiques about her face as her body was just a 5a/o. I’ve only been grooming for a couple months now and started with bathing (I worked shop help at my salon and worked my way up from there). I’ve done about five full haircuts so far, but this is my first where I did not ask for guidance/instructions when it came to the face. I tried to just think of it like sculpting and figure out where I needed to remove the hair to make the dog proportional. But not sure if I accomplished that. Coworkers said she looked good, but I’d love some unbiased feedback.

Thanks!

I’ve been a manager at a salon for two years and working at it for six years. I’ve been feeling really discouraged because I want to start the journey of opening my own business. I feel like every time I turn my head. there’s a new grooming business at the areas. I’m trying to find a lease in. I feel like they’re popping up all over the place and it’s just really discouraging because I almost feel like I’ll fail when I open if I find a place I live in a heavily populated area so there’s enough dogs to go around but I don’t know