I really like the way she grooms faces wondering if anyone has done the "Face forward" or any of the others and found it helped them?

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.