Go Mobile and Succeed

The Scissor Connection

I remember when I first held a pair of shears in my hand. I was about ten years old when my neighbor, Dorothy Jackson, asked me if I wanted to see her craft room, I jumped at the opportunity. “Yes! Of course I do.” It was at her home where I first sat down at a sewing machine. As soon as I did I had an eerie dejavu. Both of my great grandparents were immigrants, skilled tailors that had come over from Europe in the 1900’s. They made a living making coats, dresses, and suits from scratch. That was the connection!

                                             
When I tell you all I have spent the last forty-five years connected to a pair of scissors I kid you not! I sewed my way through elementary school, middle school, high school and college. When I moved from place to place, my sewing machine was always at my side. I patched pants. I could hem and mend. I loved to sew for my friends - bathrobes, curtains, pillows, you name it, let’s make it!!! I was always willing.

                
I loved everything about sewing. I remember looking through the pattern books when I was young. What should I make? And choosing fabrics, trims, buttons and zippers. Ohhh, the endless possibilities and so much fun. Pinning the fabric with the grain and on the fold. Does the fabric have a nap? When you’re cutting, don’t forget to trim around the notches! I enjoyed every step! I remember the first thing I made – a light blue, cotton nightgown with a yoke. I died and went to heaven! And when I wore it, I was so proud! What would I make next? I was always dreaming up my next project.

                                                          
 Before I was a groomer, I spent fifteen years in my sewing room when my kids were young. My love of sewing inspired me to start a home based, home decorating business. Everything was custom made by me. I have sewn for decorators, stores and my own clientele. I’ve made everything under the sun and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it! I never get tired of being in my sewing room, even today.  Of course all that changed when I got a standard poodle in 2002. He was the one that opened my eyes to the grooming world.

Now, I have a new inspiration combining my two favorite things. Doggy pillows! I share with you some of my designs. In my travels I’ve been buying fabrics and trims and getting busy again in my sewing room. I love to create! Nothing makes me happier then to make something from nothing. When I have a scissor in my hand the magic happens, doing what comes naturally.

                                                       
 

Bitten!

I consider May 19^th to be my lucky day. Little did I know that choosing to wear jeans that morning was going to save me from getting seriously injured in a vicious attack.

I arrived at the customer’s house leash in hand. I had met the dog before in my van for nails trims. There was never a problem. The owner did not mention up front that this dog was aggressive in the home, being a “guarder of the house and yard.” When I told her to let the dog out I thought I had nothing to fear. Little did I know that when she opened the door, this dog was going to bolt down the stairs as fast as he could straight to me and bite the calf of my leg as hard and as quickly as he could. I didn’t even know what hit me! I was stunned.

There were two ways this could have been avoided. She could of brought the dog out to the van. She could of put him on a leash or asked for a muzzle. 

Staying out of harms way is always foremost in my mind. I have been grooming safely for over five years. I’m careful. I’m conscientious. I wear a mask, goggles and ear protection. I have muzzles, e-collars and the Groomers Helper. I can even refuse to groom dogs when I feel threatened. However, nothing in the world is going to protect me against an irresponsible pet owner and a dangerous dog.

In spite of being bitten, I consider myself lucky. I got off with a minor injury. If I had been wearing shorts, capris or grooming pants, that dog would have ripped a hole in my leg. I never considered what I was wearing a form of protection but I do now. 14 oz. denim was worth a pound of cure!

 

 

  

Bichon Seminar

Six lucky groomers had the opportunity to spend a Sunday with Olga Zabelinskaya and Lindsey Berry Dicken at Olga's grooming shop surrounded by a herd of bichon frise's.

                                   

It was an interesting mix of groomers, one being a CMDG, a bichon breeder, competition groomers and myself, a mobile groomer. One of them drove all the way from Philadelphia (2 hours) and New York State (4 hours) to improve their grooming skills with two of the most talented and "decorated" groomers in our industry. If Olga and Lindsey come to your part of the world, and you're within striking distance, get in your car and go! With six of us and two of them, I knew I would receive personal, one on one instruction and have fun.

                    
                                                                 
 

What a great experience! Having a hands on seminar is very effective for groomers. Instead of watching, it was so helpful to be an active participant. I'd love to see more groomers of this caliber take their show "on the road" as I'm sure there are many who would love to have the opportunity to learn from the best, hands on.

                
                                                     
 

On behalf of everyone, I just want to thank Olga and Lindsey one more time for all their patience and hospitality, for sharing with us all they know, for supplying us with bichons, and for treating us to pepperoni pizza and dunkin donuts. Hurry back!

                                                    

   

We Need A Solution

I recently called a spa to make an appointment for a massage. At the end of the phone call the receptionist asked, “What credit card did I want to use to hold the appointment?” When she explained the cancellation policy to me I understood why. When making an appointment, the salon is saving that time slot for you. The spa receptionist is not afraid to ask for your credit card number fearing you’ll go elsewhere because where I live, all spas ask for it.

I find many similarities between grooming establishments and spas. They are both service oriented, run on a schedule, have overhead and employees. These kinds of businesses rely on their appointments being filled to make a profit. Hardships endure when a customer makes an appointment and then doesn’t call to cancel or even show up. Staff is left twiddling their thumbs as time is wasting; good customers are turned away while owners wait, losing money. It’s frustrating!

I’ve read over and over again how groomers go above and beyond to accommodate old and new customers who make appointments, often for multiple dogs. They hire extra staff, open early or stay late only to have a “no show.” It’s a huge problem in our industry; especially during the holidays and on Saturdays. We need a solution!

In a perfect world I would love to see groomers band together and do as spas do. I feel asking customers for a credit card to hold an appointment is a great idea. In a perfect world cancellation fees should never have to be paid. Every customer who makes an appointment would just show up or if their plans change, reschedule or cancel with proper notice. It just takes a minute to pick up the phone or send an email. I know this courtesy would be so appreciated by pet groomers. It would save them so much stress and give them the opportunity to fill their slot with another pet or take a “walk-in.”

Although I’m mobile, I feel camaraderie with all groomers whether you’re a shop, home groomer or housecall groomer. I want everyone to be happy. I want everyone’s day to run smoothly. My fantasy: All customers show up and on time. What a wonderful world that would be!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Power To Create

Every time a groomer puts a dog or cat on their table they have the power to create. I consider every furry friend that I see a blank canvas. So many possibilities, even for a simple shave down. Being artistic, groomers always have the opportunity to make a pet look cute. We can leave the face nicely trimmed and the tail fluffy.

 

Groomers that compete are truly creative artists. These people take grooming to another level, way up to the stars in the sky! I often go to grooming shows and drool at the talent I see. They are the Michelangelo’s and the Picasso’s of our industry. Getting to this level of expertise doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a long, arduous, time consuming, and expensive route. Just as I have been “driven to groom” these groomers have been “driven to compete.” How I admire them all!

 

Did you know we have a new rising star competitor here in our midst at petgroomer.com? It’s so exciting to see someone new “take the ball and run with it!” It’s our very own Alexis Pauline! Not only did she win many placements at Intergroom this year, she also took 2nd place in a new creative category, Feline Fantasy, with her kitty, Alfred Hitchcock! As a Mom myself, I found it so heartwarming to watch her and her Mom work together side by side as their own “groom team.” It doesn’t get any better then that!

 

But alas, I’ll always consider myself a humble pet groomer. I’ll continue to search for the perfect fluff dry, beveled foot, straight top line and purple mohawk. I’ll clip my puppy cuts and trim my teddy bear heads as I brush up and scissor down. I’ll make sure my visor is straight, ears are tipped, and the tail has been flagged. Can every blank canvas turn into a masterpiece… maybe yes, maybe no. All we can do is try. In our own world we can only strive to do our best to achieve our own creative artistry as we groom our dogs and cats everyday.

 

Breathe Healthy

I’m sure you know there are a lot of occupational hazards associated with pet grooming. Aside from hearing issues, have you ever considered what you might be inhaling when you are grooming cats and dogs?

I’ll always remember the moment I was dremmeling nails in the van and I saw the dust dancing in the sunlight. That was a turning point for me. I promptly marched off to the nail salon and purchased a box of disposable masks. I’ve been using a mask ever since. I’m now wearing a mask made by Breathe Healthy. They are comfortable, washable, effective and cute! http://www.breathehealthy.com/

Did you know that nail dust contains keratin, keratin hydrolysates and microbial debris?  Dremmeling nails create airborne particles. Some settle to the floor while others remain suspended and can be inhaled. These particles are small enough to enter the lungs and remain there. Inhaling nail dust can aggravate allergies, cause sneezing, asthma, bronchitis, and coughing. It also may result in serious long-term health issues including respiratory diseases down the road.

And what about dander? Dander is defined on the Internet as loose scales, particles and/or flakes shed from the coat of various animals. Yuck! Every time we brush a dog or cat, the dander flies. That’s why it’s a good idea to brush and deshed the pet while they are wet and soapy in the tub. You are actually protecting your health because all those particles are washed down the drain and not released into your atmosphere.

The risks are increased when you’re a mobile groomer because we work in a small, contained space. I have my routine. After I’ve finished grooming, I vacuum up the hair. Then I open my door and blow out all the fuzzies. Before I wore a mask I got into the habit of holding my breath! lol Now, I wear a mask to avoid inhaling contaminates.

Besides wearing a mask there are other measures we can take to protect our health. Ventilation is key. Let your exhaust fans work for you. Have them set to pull-in and pull-out, constantly replacing  “stale” air with “fresh” air. After every workday, blow out your air conditioning filters. This will help keep your environment cleaner.

Take a good look around and see what changes you can make. Breathing clean, fresh air should always be our goal because healthy groomers are happy groomers!

Something I've Learned Over The Years

I thought this was a fabulous essay just posted on petgroomer.com by our PuppyFluffer – Lori Monian. With her permission I share it with you.

 -------------------------------------------------------------------

As groomers, a working knowledge of compassionate and safe animal handling techniques is required to effectively do our job. We are all aware of the impact that our demeanor and voice can have on our furry little charges. However, an important but often neglected area of consideration when handling any animal, especially dogs, is the impact that odors have on their perception of the world around them. A dog's nose not only dominates her face but her brain, as well. A dog's brain is specialized for identifying scents. The percentage of the brain that is devoted to analyzing smells is actually 40 times larger than that of a human! It's been estimated that dogs can identify smells somewhere between 1,000 to 10,000 times better than humans.

"Odor awareness" is something that I have used for decades in dealing with all kinds of animals. I'm not referring merely to environmental odors or even aromatherapies that occur in a salon setting. I'm talking about the personal scents that emanate from ourselves and our clothing. How we smell to a dog can influence whether we are perceived as someone to trust or someone to fear, just as how we touch or speak to them. Knowing this, we can take steps to integrate the effect of scent along with sound and touch to better improve our relationships with the dogs entrusted to our care.

The idea is to present an "olfactory presence" for the dog to "read" in addition to your body language & the sound of your voice. I make certain that when I get ready for work in the morning, I start with perfume-free soaps and shampoos. I never wear cologne. Instead, I use a dab of vanilla extract behind each ear, in the crook of my elbows and on my chest under my shirt. I make sure my breath is fresh and usually chew a piece of cinnamon gum. I'll also use a small amount of vanilla, cinnamon, and/or liquid beef bullion on my shoes, the cuffs of my pants, maybe a dab on each knee. I wash my hands frequently and use lotions with a light berry, vanilla, white tea or ginger aroma. Finally, to really set the hook, I carry really smelly bacon-flavored treats in my smock pockets.

The result is an absolutely fascinating and enticing blend of interesting scents mingling in amongst all those other dogs and shampoo smells. It engages the dog's brain and provides pleasant first-impression associations for the dog. It also gives you your own unique "nasal signature" apart from most every other human in the dog's world. In other words, you're special, and interesting; someone whose arrival is greeted with excited anticipation. After all, not only are you nice and give lots of pets, attention, and noms, but you smell AMAZING! And THAT is the reaction that your customers will notice and remember.

I hope this helps someone improve their canine client relations - and maybe make your job a teeny bit easier.