The Small Details Of Grooming That Matter

Happy 4th of July Weekend!

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Hopefully you’re able to take some time off and enjoy the fireworks (I know my dogs don’t 😓)

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You know that old saying, “the devil is in the details”?

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Well in this issue, we are going to dive into the finer details of grooming.

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More specifically those little things you may unintentionally gloss over that seem quite unnoticeable but are seemingly quite obvious to the pet owner. (And they tend to let us know about them too!)

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Attention to detail is everything but after that 8th dog of the day sometimes some things always look off, choppy or unfinished.

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So in an effort to avoid this feeling of general ‘untidiness’ with some of your grooms - we’re planning on diving into the details when grooming you should really be paying attention to.

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Here’s a quick checklist for the most common things pet owners seem to really focus on when looking at a finished groom…

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• Organize your prep: Make sure your prep work sets you up for a tidy groom. Make sure your dogs are squeaky clean and do lots of brushing/combing/fluff drying before the groom.

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• Spend extra time cleaning and drying the face: The face and head are the parts that are usually right up in the owner's face. Scrub it super well then dry it to avoid any leftover moisture. This will make sure it doesn’t have that wet dog smell.

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• Take these 4 areas a length or two shorter: The belly, chest, throat, and the rear end (to the bend of the knee). This will make the dog look a lot slimmer.

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• Blend the back of the head well: Aside from the face, the back of the head will be the most noticeable spot of the dog to a pet parent. When they walk their dog, that’s all they will be looking at. Make sure it transitions well into the body.

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• Get the dog to shake off when you think you’re done: A lot of times a groom will look really neat because the coat is laying exactly how we combed it, but when the dog shakes off it will lay naturally. That will usually uncover any areas that have stragglers that need trimming.

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• Look from 6 feet away: After you’re done, put yourself in the shoes of the owner and stand back from the dog. Look at your work. Sometimes we can see things from a few feet away that are hard to notice up close.

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• Pro tip - Make sure you iron those bandanas before use!