WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A DOG GROOMER:

Choosing A Dog Groomer:

Choosing a groomer is never an easy task. Who will not mistreat your dog when you are not looking? Who actually knows what they are doing with those scissors!?! It’s a tough choice for some. Well to tell you the truth, YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO WONDER ABOUT THESE THINGS AND TO WORRY for that matter. After all, these would be similar to the concerns you would have with entrusting somebody with your child, correct?
There are many wonderful, experienced and caring groomers out there who actually groom for a living because they love animals and truly love their career. And then there are the ones that smile to your face and look like they are all of those things, BUT, behind closed doors they are in it for just the money and your dog unfortunately has to suffer for it.

In Michigan, there is no licensing or certificates needed. Anyone who wants to, can open a grooming shop. Scary isn’t it? You have to follow your gut feeling when meeting the grooming shop owner or managers, ask plenty of questions, see pictures of their works, and talk to their clients if you can.

Pets are very unpredictable in behavior. Most good grooming shops will ask you to sign a “Release of Liability” form if you bring in any cat, ferret, or rabbit; or if your dog is pregnant, elderly, or has any history of illness or a bad temperament. This is common practice and should not alarm you, but should reassure you that they are putting your pet’s health and safety first.

Many people are still unsure about the safety of their pets while they are being groomed. I don’t blame them with all of the scary stories you hear about animals coming home with bruises, cuts, or “acting different” when they get home, or the dogs you hear about that are burned while being dried in a cage. How do you know for sure that your grooming salon is doing the right thing and taking optimum care of your pet during the grooming and bathing procedures? It is just not feasible to have the pet owners stay to watch the groomer working on the pet for one simple reason. The pet knows the owner is there and wiggles, squirms and cries for the owner to “save them” from what they perceive as torture on the grooming table. It stresses out the animal, and the groomer just cannot do a good job.

Here at Posh Paws we have taken a step to assure the owner of a positive experience. We have installed closed circuit TV cameras in our grooming room. We welcome any owner who would like to stay for all or part of the grooming procedure to have a comfortable seat and watch the process on our color monitor. We have nothing to hide, and we want you to feel confident that your pet will receive the best possible care when entrusted to us for a grooming.

 

Feel free to drop in during regular business hours to have a look around in our grooming and bathing rooms. We welcome your visit, and we want you to be reassured that we are always going to put you and your pet first! Safety is our number one concern, and every aspect of building our new state of the art salon was based on your pets’ safety while in our care.

Posh Paws is open Tuesday through Saturday at 9 a.m.

Some of the things you should be looking for are:

1. Recommendation from a friend, family, or a veterinarian. Even though you have a recommendation you should check out the groomer yourself first, because what is wonderful for one person may not be for another. Usually a recommendation is the way most people find a satisfactory groomer, and word of mouth is the best advertisement any groomer can have. Veterinary recommendation really does count for something too, as they hear all about their clients groomers, and see first handed the results of improper pet handling and accidents due to a groomers mistakes or negligence. Because pets behavior can be so unpredictable, any groomer can have an accident, but a groomer who routinely injures pets during the grooming process will not be recommended by the local vets.
2. Look at their work. Many Groomers have portfolios or some kind of pictures of the work that they do either for reference to a certain hair style for a client or to show what they are capable of doing. You should ask to see if they have one and if you can see it.  See how long the groomer has been working with pets in general and grooming pets specifically.
3. See their handling techniques. You should go visit a groomer in the salon when they are not expecting you and just browse and see how they run things and how they treat animals. The bathing/drying area & the grooming area should be visible to the public, an dif not visible, the salon owner should not have a problem showing you the rooms where the work is being done. A good groomer has nothing to hide. If they cannot let you have a good look around, that should set off your internal alarm, and you should seek another groomer ASAP.
4. Notice your dog’s behavior. Naturally, not every dog will like to be groomed, and not all dogs like the idea of going somewhere where they will be groomed. Most dogs show they don’t like it, they will shake and tremble with excitement or even fear as you walk them through the groomers door, but they don’t run backwards, hide, and act like the world is coming to an end when the groomer comes out. They might act like a baby and whine and try to play the “save me” routine and want the owner to hold them but they should settle down and walk though the door with no problem. Don’t misunderstand; I am not saying any sign of hesitation is a sign of something wrong. I am saying pay attention to your dog’s behavior and if you see something that really isn’t right, take note of it.
5. Notice your dogs behavior when he leaves the groomer.  Most dogs are naturally eager to leave the groomer when you come to pick them up, They usually jump around and dance and are very happy and act like you haven’t seen them in years and most times they excitedly sit near the door and watch you while vibrating in anticipation to see when they are leaving. But most dogs will not tear down the door to get out of the facility and get away from the groomer.  They should have their tails wagging and be friendly towards the groomer after the grooming.
6. Are you comfortable talking to the groomer or the shop manager? Most people are pretty good at first impressions, and most people will make their minds up to whether or not they feel that the groomer they are speaking to is truly genuine or is just one to smile to your face to appease you for that time. Normally, you will not be able to tie down a groomer to have a 20- 30 minute chat session due to a busy groomers schedule, you must keep in mind that there are other appointments that must be attended to and we are on a time limit. But a good groomer will however, take a 5 minute break, depending on time allowing, to speak to you about your pet, give advice or just to simply get to know you.
7. How will this groomer handle your pet in case of a emergency? Clearly you must know that pet grooming is not the safest thing in the world, for both the animal and the groomer. Let’s face it, groomers are handling a lot of equipment that is noisy & scary to your pet, scissors and clippers that are sharp and could potentially be dangerous, and dogs are not like people. They are extremely unpredictable. If you tell “Fido” to stay still he won’t magically say “ok” and not move a muscle. No matter how obedient your pet is at home, their personalities are always different when their owner is away. Accidents DO happen. How your groomer handles the situation is what you should look at. Another emergency situation would be one of health, those are extremely important for your groomer to understand and to know how to handle. However they handle it would be up to you, to feel comfortable with or not.

To find “the perfect” groomer for you may take time. Don’t stop trying to look just because you may have run into a not so good one. And please, just because you may have found the “not so good” groomer, don’t talk down and treat all the other groomers you come into contact with like they are horrible too. Just because there are some bad eggs out there, doesn’t mean all groomers are! Also note that while a busy shop may have many groomers, you can request the one you prefer to work on your dogs. A good manager will do their best to make it happen for you.

 

Important things to look into:
About your Grooming shop-

Find A groomer who genuinely likes Pets Being skilled with clippers and scissors is nice, but nothing is more important than a caring attitude. A groomer who likes dogs and knows how to relate to them is going to put your pet at ease and make the whole grooming experience more enjoyable, or at least less stressful. Visit potential groomers, and notice how they interact with dogs. Do they seem to enjoy the company of canines? Or do they see grooming as just a job, and the pets around them as "work projects?"

Ask For Recommendations You might want to start with your local vet’s office. Your vet will be pretty choosey on who they recommend. Groomers should also be willing to give you the names of customers, especially ones who have pets the same size, breed or temperament as your dog. Ask these customers about their experience.

See Where Your Dog Will Be Kept When Waiting Depending on the breed, some dogs will have to wait several hours at the groomer for their coats to dry. BUT NOT AT POSH PAWS!!!  Check out where a groomer will make your dog wait. Is it spacious enough for a dog of your pet's size? Is it secure? Since your dog will be wet, is there a draft? Does the area get too hot in the summer? Will your pet be separated from other dogs who might be in a fighting/biting mood?

Make Sure The Groomer Doesn't Overbook You should be leery of a groomer who seems too eager to "squeeze in" your pet between two other dogs. A groomer who does this may be more interested in "turning out" the maximum number of pets than doing a good job.

Check Out The Groomers Style There is an art, as well as a science, to pet grooming. Every groomer will bring her own distinctive style to the process of clipping, brushing and prettying up your four-footed pride and joy. Some groomers will stick very closely to the "standard" breed cut, while others might be more prone to add a dramatic flair to their work. Make sure that a groomer’s style is compatible with the look that you have in mind for your pet.

Be aware that a busy grooming shop will have several groomers working there. You should be able to book your next appointment in advance (2+ weeks) with the same groomer if you prefer that. Most grooming shop owners choose groomers who are skilled, but also who groom in a similar manner and style that the owners do. They usually require this as a condition of employment. Do not expect the owner of the shop to be able to promise to groom your pet unless you make specific plans in advance for her to do so. Her other groomer (s) are as qualified and well trained in caring for your pet as the owner in most cases, and will do the same type of job that the owner does. That's why she hired them!