What to Look for in a Good Dog Groomer

Grooming can be a stressful event for your pet. It can be a costly service for a pet owner. There’s no need to pay to fight to get your dog or cat into a pet salon. The solution is to find a good dog groomer. What should you look for in a good dog groomer?

dog groomer

Well-Groomed Animals

Forget the glowing online reviews and great pictures on their website. Visit the facility and check out the dogs coming out. Every dog coming out of the facility should be an advertisement for their groomers. This gives you a more realistic assessment of their quality of work than the pictures they choose to post on social media. Ask the clients what they think of the groomer, too.

A Good Facility Layout

It doesn’t matter how good the dog groomer is if the facility is poorly laid out. For example, dogs are prone to nip and bark at each other in close quarters. Does the facility have a stress-free customer flow? Can you walk in with the dog to a wide-open sitting area? Can dogs walk from the waiting area to the grooming station to yard or kennel? There’s no point in taking your dog to get groomed if they may get into a fight in the interim.

Health and Safety

You wouldn’t get your hair cut in a salon where there’s blood in the sink. You shouldn’t let your pet be groomed in a facility that has similar health and safety concerns. Visit the groomer’s facility. Pay particular attention to how clean the facility is. If there are pet messes in the corner or a nasty lingering smell, don’t let them touch your dog. Ask to walk around and try to wear white socks when you do so. If you get bitten by fleas, leave. There shouldn’t be fleas in a groomer’s shop.

Give the groomer extra points if they require clients to be up to date on their shots. If they don’t require dogs to have rabies and Bordetella shots, your dog is at risk.

Proper Training

Ask the pet groomer what kind of training they have. Depending on where you live, they may have to be licensed and certified to apply flea and tick products. How much experience do they have with your dog’s breed? This affects everything from the quality of their work to their ability to manage more anxious or aggressive animals. Do they train their staff on how to deal with a fearful or aggressive dog? If they don’t, you may not want to bring your dog, especially if they are anxious or aggressive themselves. On the other hand, some groomers won’t handle aggressive dogs or only book them with the one person qualified to handle them.

Do they know how to use the tools and products on the shelf? You don’t want them to trim your dog’s nails incorrectly, resulting in a vet bill later. Do they have drying cages? These are dangerous for the dog if the person doesn’t know how to use it correctly. For example, drying cages may be set at a temperature too high for the dog to tolerate without ill effect, and drying cages should never be used with flat-faced breeds.

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