Is it a big deal to give your ‘clients’ a little bit of valium during a grooming? It’s true that a lot of dogs have a hard time settling down and relaxing while they are being clipped and groomed, and if the owner is ok with it, sometimes a little bit of help is just what the doctor ordered. Make your clients aware of the potential risks, though, and check to be sure that the pet hasn’t had any prior reactiosn to any similar drugs. I’d love to hear what comments people have ont his one!
Archive for February, 2009
Valium on the Dog Grooming Table
Saturday, February 28th, 2009The Cell Rules of Grooming School
Friday, February 27th, 2009A fellow groomer with a small business send me this message the other day: “Do you have policies in place at your work place about employees using cell phones on the job? My assistant got a cell phone last fall and I am having a problem with the constant interruptions. He is constantly taking out his phone and stopping to either read a text, return one, take a call, etc. it is not the time so much, as it probably doesn’t add up to 30-40 minutes per day, but it is the break in concentration. How can you give your work full concentration when your personal life is intruding every few minutes? He does not go an hour without being on his phone.
It got really bad this past Saturday when there was a relationship crisis going on. I know I don’t have a right or any means to control what goes on in my employee’s mind while he is at work. But Saturday he was stressing over personal stuff to the point that it affected his work. He ended the day with a near melt down. What kind of rules have you experienced about cell phone use on the job? What did you feel about the rules?
This was and is my response:
You may not have any right to control what goes on in someone’s head, but you have every right to expect your employee to actually WORK for the money you are paying them! My solution is usually to hit them in the wallet- “Suzie, this is the third personal phone call you’ve taken in the last 10 minutes. Why don’t you clock out, and take all the time you need to get everything settled so that you can focus on your work?” or “Billy, you seem pretty distracted today, why don’t you just take the rest of the day off to take care of things. We’ll see you tomorrow when you are more focused.”
Everyone has emergencies that must be dealt with, and if this is the case, they may appreciate your understanding. However, when it is coming out of their paycheck, they may discover that the matter isn’t quite as important as they first thought!!
Tooth Talk on the Dog Grooming Table
Friday, February 27th, 2009Not all groomers offer the brushing of an animal’s teeth as part of their regular service, as technically it’s considered ‘medicine’ and is the job of a certified veterinarian. However, many pet owners will ask for the service, or something similar, if chew bones, etc., aren’t working to keep a dog’s teeth white and healthy.
I personally don’t particularly care for the pre-filled toothbrushes. They don’t have enough paste in them. I like the latex gloves with the brush on the index finger. I rarely have dogs that fight it. Just BE CAREFUL: I had a dog with teeth that were bad and the gums bled a little and the owners freaked. I asked my vet about that and he says you have to be really careful because if a tooth comes out or any plaque comes off, they can have a case against you for “praticing veterinary medicine without a lisence.” Stupid. I know, but just the same, I now only offer a spray on dental rinse. If you do decide to offer this service, make sure the client is aware of any ‘risks’ so they aren’t surprised by a not so perfect result.
Getting Ripped Off After Grooming School
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009I’ve heard recently about a lot of people not paying for their pet’s grooming services or boarding services. Most states have laws protecting the pet OWNERS but not the business providing the service. You cannot hold a pet until payment is made; your best hope is filing a civil suit against the customer.
At our clinic, we get a difinitive (or maximum) amount of days that the pet(s) will be staying & have an estimate ready to sign stating they know the amount being due & that they agree to pay the amount when picking the pet/s up. If the pet is going to be left with us for longer than just a few days (than a week usually) then we require that 1/2 down is paid up front before leaving the pet/s. We’ve even had situations where the people didn’t come back for their pets when stated & when called & message left, we didn’t get a return phone call). If on the second day & we still can’t get an answer or a return call, we leave a message that if we do not hear from someone apprising us of the situation that we will be turning the pets over to animal control as abandoned. This usually gets their attention. If we STILL don’t get a return phone call or someone to collect the animals, then we send a registered letter stating as above with a turn over date (usually 5 days). If at that time, we still have no answer, we call animal control or a rescue group. Also a good reason why we MUST have an emergency contact # as well when they leave their pets with us just in case something really has happened with the actual owners that we’re not aware of in which case we would make concesions for. I’ve only known of us having to do this a couple of times in the last couple of years (which is 2 times too many I think) & only once that we actually did end up placing all 3 of the pets with a rescue group that managed to find them all wonderful homes, all be it not together.
If you’ve had a lot of these problems in the past, requiring a 75% payment at the beginning of the service is another option. It shouldn’t be a problem for customers that plan on paying anyway!!
After Dog Grooming School, Then What?
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009Looking into starting your own grooming business rather than working for someone else? This takes space, and although a lot of people want to work right out of their home, this is not everyone’s cup of tea. There are many reasons for this including fleas, fur (and any allergies other household members might have!) and quite simply, the smell of wet dog. 
Buying your own portable metal building of 10×12 or so, insulating it and putting in wiring can cost around $5000. Another option is just buying a little pre-fab trailer for about the same cost but without as much of the work and putting it on a piece of your property. Then you have your own little business space without having too invest too much time or money, and without having to go through the trouble of finding and renting building space.
Returning Pet Grooming Supplies to the Manufacturer
Monday, February 23rd, 2009I usually use Wahl clippers, and I recently noticed that the springs have started to stretch on one of them. I tried to replace the springs and it’s more difficult than it looks, so I’ve been using my older pairs. Digging through my supplies, I realized that one of tne of the other pairs I own never worked properly. Thankfully, I talked to the lady at Wahl, she said that they would take back the guard combs that don’t work properly. So I can send them back to my supplier who will send them on to the Wahl, and they will credit me. Problem solved! It’s another reason to use a name brand, I suppose.
Critter Country Wins Best Dog Grooming School Award
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009Critter Country has been selected for the 2008 Best of Omaha Award in the Dog Grooming School category and Pet Sitting Services category by the U.S. Local Business Association. Congratulations! It’s always so good for a business to be recongized this way.
Pet Show for Pet Grooming Suppliers and Pet Owners
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009The inaugural Ultimate Pet Show which opens at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre, (NEC) on 2nd May, has announced a late incomer to its stable of sponsors: Petplan, an insurance company for dogs and cats. This will be a neat add to the show this year, and as I think they offer a great product, I’m hoping they get some news coverage.
Dog Grooming Courses Help Tangled Fur
Saturday, February 21st, 2009I saw this the other day: “Our dog has a long, silky coat, and she is always getting mats, even though we try to stay on top of the grooming. I’m a little nervous about trying to cut them out. What can I do? I’m sure she’s uncomfortable.”
I hear you on the grooming front. I have two longhaired dogs, Clara and Ilario. Ilario has a rougher coat texture that resists matting, but Clara has a silky, long fur. Taking courses for grooming really teaches you how to care for these types of difficult to groom animals. Regularly brushing are important, but there are even products, that when used sparingly, can be very helpful in preventing matts. Once they’re in there, sometimes cutting is necessary, so regular, preventative grooming is your best bet.
Hollywood Grooming School Receives 2008 Best of Award
Friday, February 20th, 2009Hollywood Grooming School has been selected for a 2008 Best Of Award in the Pet Grooming category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA). If you’re thinking about going into business yourself, this might be the first school to check into!