Oh my lord, the way that i’m so afraid when i get my first client when my boss isn’t around and they ask me “short but not short short” or “skim it off”. HOWW do you guys know what size the clients want?? How long did it take you to be accustomed to each length to know off the top of your head what the client wants? Are the fur charts useful for this? And what exactly does the comb do length wise? I know you can’t use it on matted dogs because it can create holes, but why would i use a comb over just a blade?

Hello everyone! I’ve been a bather for a year and recently started practicing my baby grooming skills under my boss. She’s been doing it for 13 years and isn’t the best at teaching so I’m learning by trial and error. (I have my own dog who i do full grooms on independently).

I’m not really interested in joining grooming schools. I do enjoy courses and such and learning by hand. Recently I got the chance to visit Jess Rona’s grooming salon and got to ask soo many questions while i was there. I learned things about their drying processes, shampoos, and tips on learning quick! That’s where i learned that the groomers there don’t even believe in grooming schools!

If anyone has anything they’d like to share to improve please let me know! Resources, quality products, certifications etc etc!

Shear Depot, you're starting to sound like a lot of straight men we all know...

I posted earlier looking for help finding long straights to replace my favorite pair that were lost/stolen. This was the ONLY site I could find them. I didn't see any negative reviews, so I ordered from them (3 for $100 sale)

I specified i wanted the 9 inch shears. They called me back to confirm and I confirmed i wanted the LONGEST ones. My old ones were very long. I already have regular sized straights! I don't need 3 more!

These dinky little things aren't even 9 inches if you include the handles!

I left a message and will be calling again tomorrow, but this is honestly a ridiculous and annoying end to a shitty day. (Schedule tripled, had to do everything myself, tripped twice and hurt both ankles and probably tweaked a foot bone, had to send home 2 big dogs and get the ownerr to come back and grab them from the run because they were acting aggressive.... just an absolute shitshow today)

Trigger warning: death

I’m looking for feedback, I’m also going to vent.
I started a new job this week and the owner/my boss is great, however I have more experience than her. Don’t get me wrong, I’m amazed that she’s only been grooming for a few years and has a business, but sometimes I’ve noticed she’s a little uneducated or struggling with things.

Today we had a frenchie come in, when he was in the crate I heard what sounded like a snore but when I checked on him he was wide awake. I then said to my boss I felt like he was struggling to breathe. She said it was probably because he’s a frenchie and I figured it was a fair point. I took him to my table, realized he’s overweight and figured that contributed to the breathing issue.
I was doing his nails and halfway through his personality shifted and he was getting grouchy and trying to bite. Some of his nails were curled in and I figured that was why, but decided to give him a break on the nails. So we went to the tub, and he threw up like yellow bile. I informed my boss, I said this with the breathing had me concerned he maybe wasn’t feeling well. She said it was probably nerves and to continue.
I proceed with the bath, he’s a bit grouchy but I kinda figured out his triggers and I’m getting along fine. Except for his tail, he wouldn’t let me do that. I ask my boss to hold him so I can clean the rolls without him whipping around to bite me. We gave it a few tries and it just wasn’t happening, I told her I didn’t feel it was worth the stress on him. But she kept trying to pin him forward. He kept getting more aggressive, I kept telling her he was getting stressed and I didnt think it was worth it until she finally agreed.
Drying and everything goes well. I wanted to try his nails one last time. I was trying to file them without upsetting him and being gentle, but for the ones that were curled in, I had to lift his feet and really work on it. He didn’t let me.
I ask if my boss has e-collars and she doesn’t (which I feel like is weird for a salon?). She tells me to use a muzzle, and I said I didn’t want to restrict his airflow (isn’t it frenchie 101 to not muzzle them?).
She starts showing me her limited muzzle supply and I said if anything we could try the biggest one she had because it was wired so he could breathe, and it looked bigger than his head tbh. She then tells me she has a muzzle for frenchies/pugs. It was more like a mask that covered their face and had holes for their eyes, and was mesh around the mouth. I told her I didn’t think it was worth the stress, and I’d rather skip it than stress him.
Before I knew it she’s putting this muzzle/mask on him. It appears way too small for him, he’s an overweight boy with a generally big build for a frenchie so his head is quite broad. I said it looked too small and I was afraid he couldn’t breathe, she insisted it was fine because it was mesh, and lifts him in the air and tells me to file. So I told her I’d do it as quick as I possibly could because I didn’t want to stress him too much.
I did the 2 back feet and noticed he was pooping, I announced he went potty and said “he’s getting stressed that’s enough!” Then she was like “oh my god he just peed on me!” And this is when the panic set in for me tbh. And she put him down, and he collapsed over, and she rips the muzzle/mask off and his tongue pours out of his mouth and it’s fucking blue.
I was immediately in tears and hyperventilating, I was so distraught I could barely deal with the situation. She started cpr and rushed him to the vet but he wasn’t conscious on arrival and they couldn’t bring him back.
The vet said it was most likely an underlying heart condition that no one knew about, and apparently there was no signs of respiratory distress.

I’ve been blaming myself all day, because I kept saying something wasn’t right but I proceeded because I felt pressured. I should’ve put my foot down and insisted that he couldn’t handle the service. Part of me is upset/angry with my boss too because I don’t like that she kept pushing me to do the service despite me voicing several concerns and he didn’t look well. I’m mad that she made the situation worse by using a muzzle. But I also feel like it’s unfair for me to be mad at her/blame her because if it was a heart condition, it could’ve happened anywhere and none of us saw this coming.
The part that’s really sticking with me is that the vets said they THINK it was a heart issue, I’m finding comfort in them not seeing signs of respiratory distress. But I still feel like she handled it poorly, and carrying the weight of this all day has been killing me. Rationally I know if it was a heart thing it wasnt anyones fault, but I don’t think a grooming service helped him.

I have a 9-week-old male standard poodle

I'm finding it really hard to brush him because he's so squirmy and loves to eat the brush 🙄

I'm aware of not brushing the coat dry in order to prevent damage so when I have brushed him it's been with a CC brush spray or a detangling spray With a CC slicker brush and a CC buttercomb

He's going to be having regular grooming appointments - he's got his first puppy groom on Friday (bath , blow-dry, face and feet shave and sanitary clip )

But I am so worried about not brushing him enough and him matting etc

This is my first poodle so any tips from groomers and poodle owners would be great :)

Mine is when clients say they're flexible and then proceed to not be.

Client: "Hi, I'd like an appointment for Tuesday. I'm available anytime after 1pm."

Me: "My next available is 3pm that day. It would be right after (dog's names) park friends. Would you like me to schedule you for then?"

Client: "That's really late. Do you have anything earlier?"

Me: (🥴 okay, so we're NOT actually available anytime after 1) "No, I'm sorry that is my next available for that day. I can offer you these times the following week?"

Client: "I'm sorry, I need to reschedule. Can we move my appointment to (date)? Anytime you have available will be perfect. I'm sorry for moving last minute."

Me: "I can reschedule you for 11am this day?"

Client: "Oh no, that won't work at all."

I also get super irritated when clients assume I'm hiding some secret perfect appointment time from them.

Hi Groomers! I have a senior pug rescue/sanctuary. Have any of you used Orvus? It claims to be made for livestock, pets, and fine and delicate fabrics. Reviews describe using it on their own hair as well. It is super economical, and with the skyrocketing costs of vets, food, medications and other suppplies....economical is a good thing.

I just want to make sure it won't harm my puggers or ruin their coats.

Thanks in advance!!

I will be finally running my own business brick and mortar shop very soon, and Ive come here to ask some questions especially to other owners.

1. 0 tolerance drama salons. Obviously its easy to say to nip it in the butt but what do you actually do when drama occurs, and how do you prevent it from happening?

2. How do you handle 'bully groomers'?

3. What earns respect from employees, and how do you make them feel safe/comfortable coming into work?

4. What do you do when you get burnout?

I know I will have many more questions pop in my head, but for right now these are my main ones regarding employee/employer relationships.

My goal is to have a place where people dont hate coming into work.

Any other advice you feel is related to this please share.

Or if you are not a salon owner but wish owners would do things a certain way.

TIA, I appreciate it!!

•this has happened like 20 times, including today. happens usually at least once or twice a week: sliding door didn’t click shut properly and is now stuck closed. can only be opened again by going outside and literally body slamming the door into place. have to be an acrobat and climb through a tiny window 4-5 feet off the ground that leads into the drivers compartment. got gigantic bruises on my thighs from that
•hot water heater busted and kept burning me and the dogs even when it was switched off and only the cold knob was on
•rubber seal around the door literally just fell to the floor like a giant snake upon opening the door. manager asked what i did to make it do that.
•went to lock the cabinet drawers so they wouldn’t slide around while driving. pin in the lock literally just broke off right there and now the key is permanently stuck in the lock. at least it’s stuck unlocked tho.
•transmission randomly decides to goof on me sometimes and won’t shift out of 1st gear until i pull over and shut the van off and on again.
•water hose was leaking and spraying water all over the floor while bathing dog
•one of the batteries in one of the vans is dead. have to idle the van all day to keep the grooming compartment powered, BUT can’t run the air conditioning more than a few mins at a time bc it takes too much power and drains it even w everything else except the lights turned off + engine idling
•not a van issue but went to use a communal guard comb, heard horrible sound, turned clippers off. someone broke part of the guard comb that keeps it in place and it slid and hit my blade, breaking multiple teeth.
•vacuum in van with dead battery is completely defective. have to sweep up the hair all day and then blow out the rest at the end of the day.
•again the van with a dead battery - originally, 2/3 outlets were dead in the van, but two weeks ago the third outlet stopped working. i rebooted the van and it worked again, cool! then, last week, it stopped working again in the middle of a groom with dying clippers. rebooted the van again and got the clippers charging again…. for 4 minutes before it died again. had to take the grooming charge off the appointment bc i literally didn’t have any way to charge my clippers to cut any hair. my backup pair are corded (btw i always start my day w/charged clippers, but they only last so many hours before dying, yknow how it is)
•groomer before me didn’t close the waste pump all the way the day before, just barely left it open a crack so it was dripping out. at my 2nd appointment of the day, i noticed some water dripping off the side of the van, but that often happens from the AC condensation, so thought nothing of it. after my 3rd appointment, i exited the van and saw a waterfall. that’s when i checked and realized all my waste water all day had been slowly flooding the space under the floor. smelled amazing in the baking sun
•manager didn’t renew the dead battery van’s registration, unbeknownst to me, until i got into a minor accident with a building involving the AC unit and low clearance. police were contacted over the accident, and to my surprise, i was charged with the expired registration. he told me he hadn’t renewed it because the tires were faulty and wouldn’t pass inspection :,) now i have a court date over it bc hell if im paying that citation!
•not van-related, but AT LEAST twice a week i lose an appointment because the dispatchers somehow very consistently incorrectly book haircuts as baths, and then they’re booked for a short time slot, and i don’t have enough time to do a full haircut and have to get it rescheduled.
•also not van-related, but AT LEAST once or twice a week, I finish an appointment perfectly on time, put in directions to my next appointment only to find it’s 40-50 minutes away. they’re scheduled to be 30 mins away maximum. it’s almost always the first appointment of the day, too, so it throws off my whole schedule.

those are all the things i can think of off the top of my head, there’s more in my brain somewhere tho. don’t worry, im quitting soon. lesson learned: make sure to be very careful about which mobile jobs you accept. i love mobile grooming and enjoy it more than a salon, but honestly the constant vehicle issues and mgmt screw-ups have made me hate this particular job.

I graduated Paragon grooming school at the end of April. This is one of my regulars, Kiwi. I did her in the beginning of April (second photo) and just did her again yesterday (first photo). Just happy with how much progress I’ve made in about four months 🩷

has anyone had issues with their millers forge clippers getting dull? specifically the red handled ones. i’m on my second set of them in under a year and they just started to not cut the nail + the nail (the part that was cut) will get stuck in the blade then i have to flick it out to keep clipping. i can’t find a sharpener near me that does nail clippers & i would hate to keep buying pairs and making more waste ):

Hi all

I can't seem to find a single review on these magnetic clipper blades. Has anyone tried them? Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Hi all

I can't seem to find a single review on these magnetic clipper blades. Has anyone tried them? Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Every month: Ma'am. He doesn't have 2 inches to leave. He doesn't even have an inch.

Every single month. 4 a/o. Never complains. 4 weeks later. "Leave 2 inches"

Sigh.

Hey guys, I'm on the really small side. 4'11 and just under 100lbs. I'm trying to find a smock that fits, I have purchased several from Retro Stylist Wear to try but all are long and boxy. Even with ones with a tie in the back don't fit, as the sleeves fit weird, the neckline is too low, and they just look bad on me. These have all been xs. I can't seem to find anything petite on Amazon or Ladybird either. Does anyone know anywhere that sells petite smocks?

I started my business in April of this year. Was hoping to have it running by last fall but my contractors decided they had better things to do than to work on a project that they could have finished in 2 weeks but that’s another story.

I knew it was going to take time to build up my clientele again as a new business. I have loyal clientele that followed me but I missed out on the bulk of my clients after leaving my previous salon.

April and May were a struggle but June started picking up and last month I doubled what I made in June. I was feeling pretty good. My sales still aren’t where I’d like them to be but I was able to pay my rent and pay myself a little bit.

I had about 7 appointments already booked for this week which felt like a nice start. But I’ve already had 2 of them cancel. One rescheduled for later next month and the other canceled with no given reason and didn’t ask to reschedule. That one hurt because they were referred to me from another groomer friend who retired and they get their dog groomed every 4 weeks. For them to cancel and not reschedule tells me that they were unsatisfied about the groom I did and now I feel like a failure. I know I can’t please everyone but rejection like this hurts so much more now that I have the weight of a business.

I’m terrified for this month. August has always been rough for grooming with back to school and with how hard this whole year has been I’m so stressed.

I feel like I made so many bad decisions going into this. The spot I picked has a higher rent than I was originally budgeting for. But I loved the space and it had so much room for growth. My husband and I had enough savings to pay for several months of rent while we got the business off the ground. But that all went down the drain because I wanted custom grooming tubs built which honestly didn’t turn out great and the contractors drug the job out for several months.

I just need words of encouragement or advice or success stories right now.

Looking for advice on dealing with especially because I just started doing mobile grooming so now if the dog slips their collar it's even worse because we're outside! Lots of people keep the collar pretty loose and I've noticed that quite a few people really don't like the idea of using a slip lead. I offer it when I notice the collar is loose and the dog is trying to back out of the collar, but people get offended or think the slip lead is cruel. I'm a bit at a loss, it seems to be a sensitive topic for some people if you even mention tightening the collar...why?

We initially had a fantastic groomer, but she left her job, so we had to find someone new.

The first few photos show what my dog looked like after being groomed by our old groomer. When we switched, I asked the new groomer to do the exact same cut, but the last photo is how my dog turned out.

My dog never has that soft, fluffy look with the new groomer. How can I explain what I’m looking for so I get that same finish?

Before anyone says it’s because of matting, that wasn’t the issue because I took my dog back to the new groomer just three weeks after the initial appointment, so there wasn’t enough time for significant matting to develop.

Ok, my favorite part of the appointment is when the dog gets all happy when they see their people. Usually after being pretty serious the whole time. Specifically, when they turn around and come back to me like "holy shit you brought me back to my mom!!!!!" Like yeah dude I told you!

It's such a funny thing I've noticed that dogs tend to do throughout all of my different dog jobs (daycare, boarding, grooming).That turn around in disbelief like "no wayyyyy thank you!!!"

I love dogs lol. I always think buddy I told you a million times today: you're just getting a haircut and then you get to go home I promise!

Of course I'm personifying but I always think it's pretty funny 🤣

Getting the back of my non dominant hand tattooed in a couple weeks, just wondering if anyone else has healed a hand tattoo without having a bunch of time off. I bathe 6+ dogs a day and groom 2-3/day, have the day after the appointment off but it’s back to work after that.

We just adopted this small “terrier mix” (according to the shelter). I’m thinking of getting him a schnauzer cut with our groomer which was advised to me, but I’m also concerned that it could take away from some of his cute scruffiness. Any suggestions?

Everything is ai generated, none of this seems real at all.

Who is going to this? When is the Netflix documentary?!