How to Choose a Groomer
Learn how to find a groomer who will handle your pet gently, and what to look for in the grooming salon.
You might think that people would be legally obliged to get some training before they handle sharp instruments around your Dogalini (or Kittychai), but they’re not. Pet grooming salons are often subject to licensing requirements, but the groomers themselves aren’t – not anywhere in the United States, as far as I’ve been able to learn. This may help explain why a groomer in California shaved five nipples off a dog recently.
Of course, even the best groomer will sometimes nick an animal. However, an inept groomer can seriously injure your dog, and a heavy-handed groomer can scare him and elicit aggression, so it would be nice to find someone skillful and kind. Here’s what to look for:
#1 Training and Experience
You need to screen out the yahoo who picked up a pair of clippers and then put an ad on Craigslist, claiming to be an expert groomer. Ask how your prospective groomer got her training. She may have taken courses or learned her craft through an informal apprenticeship. Membership in a trade group such as the may be a good sign; the DGAA offers classes and requires before it certifies a member. (Note, though, that the testing isn’t done by an independent body such as the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.)
#2 Clean, Calm Shop
You can compare this with how you’d evaluate a vet’s office. In the nature of things, there will be occasional mess: hair on the floor around a dog being groomed, or a super-anxious or unhousetrained animal may have eliminated. Look for frequent sweeping and prompt cleanup. No dogs lingering in soiled cages, please. Yes, there will be some barking, but I would hesitate if I heard Megadeth blaring from the speakers – there’s a reason sustained, loud, jarring noise is used to torture prisoners, and it contributes to stress in animals too.
If the shop handles both cats and dogs, the species should be caged well away from each other, ideally in separate rooms. Barking dogs scare most cats; the groomer who takes that into consideration is a groomer mindful of the comfort of animals she’s responsible for.
#3 Hard-to-Handle Dogs
Ask how the groomers respond if a dog struggles, growls, or snaps. You don’t want to hear any variation on “We do have to get tough with some dogs,” or “We just show them who’s boss.” /pets/dog-behavior/what-to-do-if-your-dog-growls-or-snaps – both escalating aggression in the moment, and making the dog’s response to grooming and other handling worse in the long term.
You really, really, really don’t want to hear a groomer tell you that they give sedatives unless these are provided by the dog’s guardian and prescribed by a vet expressly to help the dog remain calm for grooming. By all reports, sedation by groomers is disturbingly common. It also constitutes the practice of veterinary medicine without a license: illegal, unethical, and dangerous.
Many or most groomers will use a to help restrain a dog on the grooming table. This is okay, as long as dogs are never left unattended even for a moment. The loop should tighten only to a pre-set extent, so a dog who struggles isn’t actually being choked.
It’s acceptable to muzzle dogs for safety’s sake, but don’t allow for panting and so their use should be carefully limited; one big-box store sets a maximum of 15 minutes.
The best responses to your question about a fractious dog will mention gentleness, giving the dog a break from the grooming session, not rushing the process, distracting the dog with treats or rewarding him with treats when he tolerates handling, and stopping if the dog is overwhelmed. A groomer I spoke with in preparing this article said bluntly: “If we clip just five nails, then we clip just five nails.”
#4 The Groomer Should Have Questions for You, Too
A good groomer will want to give your dog back to you looking just as you hoped he would, so she should ask exactly what results you’re looking for. Because she also wants to make the experience as pleasant for your dog as she can, she should have lots of questions about him, too: How old is he? Has he ever been to a groomer before? Does he have any sore spots, injuries, or other painful conditions, such as arthritis? How are his hearing and sight? (A dog who can’t hear or see well may be easier to startle.) What shape are his teeth in? Is he touchy about having any of his body parts handled? Is he /pets/dog-care/how-to-teach-your-dog-to-love-his-crate? (A visit to the groomer’s is much easier on dogs who are at ease resting in a crate or kennel.) Is your dog relaxed and friendly toward other dogs? (If you let the groomer know of problems in advance, she may be able to kennel him away from the other groomees, so everybody can relax.)
As that list of questions may hint, you can do a lot to help your dog feel comfortable at the groomers. Next week will be devoted to those pointers. Many thanks to my esteemed trainer colleague https://www.pumpkinpups.com/, who started out as a groomer, and to Jillian, an experienced groomer – they supplied much of the material for this article.
Miniature Schnauzer image from Shutterstock