If you are a new owner, someone new to an area, or just ready for a change, finding a pet groomer can be as important a decision as your own choice in hair stylists. One thing to remember though, pet groomers don’t work with people, they work with pets! So first look for animal people. Animal people are:

• Relatively introverted (minus the need to connect with the pets’ owner, so don’t expect them to pipe up, and talk about the weather)
• Experienced (long standing reviews on social media and the community of vets and surround community)
• Extroverted (when in the company of animal)
• Understanding of your requests and provides clarification with personal experiences:
  a. Has history of working on your pets needs by explaining past experiences with similar pet breeds.
• Knowledge of pet breed standards and coat and skin conditions:
  a. Affects clippering has on coats
  i. Double coated dogs might have significant hair loss if cut below the undercoat
  ii. Cats skin can tear like tissue paper!
  b. Different pattern choices available:
  i. i.e. “lamb cut”, “sport” cut”, “teddy bear” face, “Clean” face, “lion
  “ cut
• Provides feedback on your pets after grooming:
  a. Informs you of possible skin, ear, teeth conditions
  b. Explains temperament and aversions they might have during the grooming process
  i. i.e. cage aggressive, dryer/fear aggressive, clipper fear or “hates” nails or feet touched?) helpful for example when deciding to have clean feet on a poodle that has an aversion to feet being touched.
  If your pet doesn’t want something done that is requested by the owner, it’s difficult to blame the groomer when the pet is scared of the procedure.
• Committed
  a. Works to meet your needs but has a balance in life to continue for the long haul.
• Is an animal advocate
  a. Love ALL pets, pure bred and mixed, abandon and “for sale”.
  b. Focus on pets needs and not human
  c. Remember the small needs like: petting, patience and “love”

Your pets are family! They might not like change as much as the next pet, and they might like a groomer you don’t’, so consider them when picking your next groomer!