"I don't mean to disrespect...." started a post on a forum I frequent. The gentleman went on to tell us that he and his wife are soon to retire from the military and they have decided that in their "after" life they are planning to be pet professionals. Frankly, we see a lot of this. Grooming is an unregulated industry and so anyone that chooses to pick up a clipper and call themselves a groomer can do just that. Craigslist's pet sectiuon is a testament to this phenomenon, as are the other "freebie" sites that litter the web.
But this gentleman is ambitious! They want a grooming/boarding/daycare facility with which to fund their golden years and he's come to pick our brains and find out exactly how it is that we are successful. After all, we spend the day playing with puppies for money! How hard could it possibly be? Surely, the exchange of a couple of dozen posts should bring him right up to speed! The fact that he asks us about how to start up such a business, from procuring a building to licensing demonstrates just how little he knows. Local ordinances and requirements vary from state to county to city. We can't help him with this.
What we can help him with is to start addressing the questions that he didn't ask.
"Do you have any grooming, training or experience with dogs?"
The answer comes swiftly. They love animals and they've owned a few dogs. It sounds like fun!
::Sigh::
The answers come trickling back across the web. I recognize the names. They are all well established owner/operators, most of whom have decades of experience.
We speak of the need to learn to groom (at least the basics) before you open a grooming salon. The need to know medical and physical care of dogs before you open a boarding kennel. The need to know animal behavior and to have the "instinct" for them before you turn dogs loose in a "daycare" type setting. The vast amount of knowledge that one should have before opening a professional pet care business. Some suggested that he and his wife divide and conquer and get jobs in the industry for a year or two before trying to open their own facility. Some suggested that their idea of "just finding experts" to work for them was unrealistic because 1) they have no idea who or what "the expert" is or should know 2) the people they would need would likely be unwilling to work for someone that has no understanding of what we do and how we do it and 3) anyone with the experience to anchor such a business more than likely already has their own business as that is what the majority of pet professionals do once they reach a certain point (and number of years) in their career.
He isn't listening. He's already skimmed over the advice being offered by a small group of professionals who collectively have over 100 years experience as pet professionals. He states that he appreciates our replies and then dismisses everything we've said. What he really needs to know, he explains, is whether or not one applies for a business or kennel license first. He's got everything else handled. After all, he loves dogs and he's had a couple of pets....
They are determined. They will try. They will also likely fail.
Still, it started me thinking about the public perception of exactly what it is that we do.
I'll start with my own history. I started showing dogs in obedience at 12. I won a statewide 4-H competition with a grooming demonstration at 13. While in college I worked as a groomer, vet tech, a junior handler and at a pet store as a obedience trainer.. In addition to obedience work I've bred and shown several generations of dogs that have excelled in conformation and agility. I've certified dogs for therapy work. I've served as VP for a national rescue group and I've personally fostered, rehabbed and placed over 100 dogs. Twenty six years down the road and I've owned my own grooming and boarding business for a decade. I know my stuff.
So really, what DO professional pet groomers and caregivers offer that a unemployed person with a pair of pet clippers from Wal-Mart advertising $25.00 grooms on Craigslist can not?
We are professionals who are part vet, chemist, behaviorist, trainer and dentist. We evaluate your pet's skin, coat, ears, teeth, behavior and general condition. We save lives by alerting owners to medical conditions that they didn't notice themselves. We use the highest quality products and equipment money can buy. We know how to do nails on a dog with dysplasia or luxating patellas without causing them pain and can gain the trust of a nervous or frightened pet even if we have to sing to them while we groom. We have the experience to discuss any training issue you need help with and can answer almost any dog care question you could ever think to ask. We handle razor sharp instruments around wiggly and sometimes uncooperative bodies all day long without injury to them or ourselves and when your pet is in our care you know that they are in a clean, secure, licensed and inspected facility. If your pet does have a medical emergency while in our care we know CPR and the quickest route to the nearest animal hospital. We never stop learning. We attend seminars, attend trade shows and aspire to competition quality work. We are active in online forums populated by the best of the best, both across this country and the world. We use positive training methods to teach your new puppy how to accept grooming happily and cry with you when the final light fades from that puppy's eyes 15 years later. We celebrate with you when once again there is the smell of puppy breath in your home and chew toys scattered about the floor.
We do these things because we have a love and a passion for animals. Is there a good living to be earned? Yes, but it doesn't come without many years of hard work and dedication. Does your dog's hair cut cost more than yours? Absolutely. Is it harder to get an appointment with us than some hack for whose talent there is no demand? You betcha! We are your best friend's second best friend and by joining forces we can form a partnership that will keep your pet healthy and happy for a lifetime.
Oh, and yes, we enjoy playing with puppies too...... :)
Monday, May 6, 2013
Saturday, May 4, 2013
My dog has ants!
She walked into the grooming area, Lhasa in tow and declared "My dog has ants!"
"Do you mean fleas?" I say hopefully. Perhaps she's just confused or has misspoken.
"My dog has ANTS! SEE?" she exclaims again, pointing at her dog.
I look the dog over. It's very thin coated, you can easily see through the hair. There is nothing.
I am reminded of James Herriot and his story about the paper mache Pug that had fleas...
She points again, more dramatically this time.
I look again. Nope, nothing.
"Here are the bites! Here and here! Every time she goes out they attack her! Sometimes I see them in the house trying to climb on her!"
I studiously bend over the little dog and pull her hair aside. I see nothing but perfect pink skin.
That is not the right answer.
"Oh yes" I say. "I can give her a medicated bath that will take care of the problem and soothe her skin"
The lady is happy and she leaves.
At pick up she looks her little pup over and is thrilled to announce that she sees no ants and that the bites are completely gone.
This goes on at every grooming for several months.
Then one day she comes in and announces that the dog now has fleas.
Again, nothing. No fleas, no flea matter, no bite marks. Nothing.
I assure her that I will use the same special shampoo for the "fleas" that I did the "ants". She is happy and goes home. As usual, she checks the dog over and declares her "cured" at pick up.
This goes on for a couple more months and then one day, out of the blue, she calls to cancel her standing appointment. Her pup, you see, is sick because she has so many fleas. She just doesn't understand. Her house is clean and she takes care of her dog. She doesn't understand how this has happened. It is implied that she feels I'm to blame. Clearly the "special shampoo" isn't working any more. I tell her I can use another product on her pup but it's clear that she's now distrustful....
I never heard from her again.
In the time I groomed this dog, every two weeks, it never had a single parasite on it.
I sometimes wonder about this pair and what kind of bugs are attacking them now...
"Do you mean fleas?" I say hopefully. Perhaps she's just confused or has misspoken.
"My dog has ANTS! SEE?" she exclaims again, pointing at her dog.
I look the dog over. It's very thin coated, you can easily see through the hair. There is nothing.
I am reminded of James Herriot and his story about the paper mache Pug that had fleas...
She points again, more dramatically this time.
I look again. Nope, nothing.
"Here are the bites! Here and here! Every time she goes out they attack her! Sometimes I see them in the house trying to climb on her!"
I studiously bend over the little dog and pull her hair aside. I see nothing but perfect pink skin.
That is not the right answer.
"Oh yes" I say. "I can give her a medicated bath that will take care of the problem and soothe her skin"
The lady is happy and she leaves.
At pick up she looks her little pup over and is thrilled to announce that she sees no ants and that the bites are completely gone.
This goes on at every grooming for several months.
Then one day she comes in and announces that the dog now has fleas.
Again, nothing. No fleas, no flea matter, no bite marks. Nothing.
I assure her that I will use the same special shampoo for the "fleas" that I did the "ants". She is happy and goes home. As usual, she checks the dog over and declares her "cured" at pick up.
This goes on for a couple more months and then one day, out of the blue, she calls to cancel her standing appointment. Her pup, you see, is sick because she has so many fleas. She just doesn't understand. Her house is clean and she takes care of her dog. She doesn't understand how this has happened. It is implied that she feels I'm to blame. Clearly the "special shampoo" isn't working any more. I tell her I can use another product on her pup but it's clear that she's now distrustful....
I never heard from her again.
In the time I groomed this dog, every two weeks, it never had a single parasite on it.
I sometimes wonder about this pair and what kind of bugs are attacking them now...
What I've learned about rescue groups...
As long as there are too many pets and irresponsible people, there will always be rescue groups. What started out as a few local folks here and there has morphed over the past couple of decades into behemoth groups reaching across state lines and in some cases, the country. While most rescues are good groups, there does seem to be a certain faction of them who are in "the business" of saving dogs. That it's now considered more politically correct to adopt than to purchase a puppy from a breeder has only fueled the rescue craze.
Before I go further I should say that I was involved, very involved, with several rescue groups for a decade in my younger, pre kids and business life. I stepped away from rescue when the placement of foster dogs became emotionally too much for my young children and the business became too demanding of my time. I've fostered, trained and placed over a hundred homeless dogs. In short, I've given my pound of flesh to the effort. I've done my time.
As the "new groomer" with a fledgling business I began to be contacted by a large assortment of people. They would show up at my door. They would corner me at the grocery store. Wouldn't I like to be their friend? Wouldn't I like to donate a groom for their fundraiser? What a coincidence, I had a small farm and a kennel license and they had so many dogs needing foster homes, wouldn't I like to volunteer? They'd just saved ten matted solid dogs from a mill, wouldn't I like to groom them for free?
The truth is, there are times over the years that I've wanted to say yes to their requests. I just can't. Why not? Because I know all too well from experience how these situations turn out.
It begins with a phone call. A rescue angel notes that there is a new business in town and of course, they'd love to bring in one of their rescue dogs. A sweet face with a sad story and they're off to the races. They know that you love animals or you wouldn't be doing what you do.... "I'm just fostering this dog you see, she really isn't mine, I just wanted to do the right thing. How much would you charge me to groom her? Oh, that much? (Sigh) Ok, I just couldn't afford that. The most I could afford would be (insert ridiculous amount here)" The other scenario is that they DO book the appointment and then go into their song and dance whilst acting like you are snatching the food from their table. What is a groomer to do? Well, if you are gullible you think "of course I want to do the right thing and if she's a foster home then she has dogs of her own and she might be a valuable client. She will refer her friends. Perhaps even the adoptive owners of this dog will come back." You agree to groom the dog at a ridiculous discount and the lady gushes about what a wonderful person you are.
They've got you.
The next week, she has a new foster and she's referred you to her friend, who has two fosters. They show up, singing your praises, pay their newly negotiated fee and then head out for lunch and shopping while you wrestle with unmaintained dogs who are not used to being groomed and who are not excited about the process. Your afternoon is shot, you've made half what you need to meet your own needs and your reward is that when your new friends come back, relaxed and full after their girls' afternoon out, they promise to tell all their friends. They keep that promise.
Congratulations. You are now the newest, least appreciated, member of their rescue group!
The new friends refer their friends and soon you are losing a days' income every week. When they pull dogs out of a puppy mill, you are their first call. Dogs infested with fleas, ticks, mites? They call you as an emergency before taking the dogs to their facility. They gossip while you work and are long gone before you finish sanitizing and cleaning the entire salon to ensure that tomorrow's clients don't go home with parasites. They've run out of foster homes? Who better than a groomer to foster their dogs? You say you have vet tech experience? You're invited for lunch and oh by the way, could you please clean these ears and trim those nails? It will only take just a few minutes....
The dogs run together and "fosters" reappear again and again. One day they slip up and tell you they adopted the dog. Six months ago. Their personal dogs start slipping into appointment slots and they come with their check made out for the exact amount - the discounted "rescue" amount for their dogs too. You cringe when you see their name on the caller ID, because you know that if they're calling you, they're about to ask the unreasonable. Of course, the more you do the more stretched their funds seem to be. If you try to set boundaries they will try them like a velociraptor testing an electric fence. They are constantly on the look out for a breach, no matter how small, that will allow them a firmer foothold on your time and energy.
One day, for the sake of your own sanity (not to mention your wallet) you must put an end to the freebies, the deeply discounted work, the space they are taking up in your business and your life. If they can get you to show any weakness at all the cycle continues. If you do stick to your guns they disappear as soon as they can find someone, ANYONE that will agree to charge them $2.00 less than you do.
There is no appreciation for what you have done. There is no loyalty to you or your business. The entire episode will transpire without one viable client to show for it. They have used you for what they could get and since they are no longer able to feed off of your resources, they are headed down the road looking for the next gullible soul....
This is why I don't offer discounts to rescue groups. Why I can't be the rescue groomer.
Please be assured that this is not an indictment of all groups but rather an explanation of what I've learned through my own observations and why I refuse to combine business and rescue. My most recent experience is with a HUGE group that spans the entire eastern seaboard. They exclusively rescue fluffy toy dogs. Shih Tzus, Maltese, Yorkies and mixes thereof. Because these darlings are in such high demand they charge ridiculous adoption fees. In my dealings with one of their foster homes, I have been told that they don't reimburse or build in any funds for grooming and that it is the sole responsibility of the foster homes. Thus, in her mind, it is my obligation to share her noble sacrifice. Perhaps it's just me, but how can any group charge north of $500 for an adoption fee based on the fact that it's an adorable fluffy toy dog but have no resources for grooming?
I'm just not buying it....
Some day I will probably be active in rescue again. At a date, time and place of my own choosing :)
Before I go further I should say that I was involved, very involved, with several rescue groups for a decade in my younger, pre kids and business life. I stepped away from rescue when the placement of foster dogs became emotionally too much for my young children and the business became too demanding of my time. I've fostered, trained and placed over a hundred homeless dogs. In short, I've given my pound of flesh to the effort. I've done my time.
As the "new groomer" with a fledgling business I began to be contacted by a large assortment of people. They would show up at my door. They would corner me at the grocery store. Wouldn't I like to be their friend? Wouldn't I like to donate a groom for their fundraiser? What a coincidence, I had a small farm and a kennel license and they had so many dogs needing foster homes, wouldn't I like to volunteer? They'd just saved ten matted solid dogs from a mill, wouldn't I like to groom them for free?
The truth is, there are times over the years that I've wanted to say yes to their requests. I just can't. Why not? Because I know all too well from experience how these situations turn out.
It begins with a phone call. A rescue angel notes that there is a new business in town and of course, they'd love to bring in one of their rescue dogs. A sweet face with a sad story and they're off to the races. They know that you love animals or you wouldn't be doing what you do.... "I'm just fostering this dog you see, she really isn't mine, I just wanted to do the right thing. How much would you charge me to groom her? Oh, that much? (Sigh) Ok, I just couldn't afford that. The most I could afford would be (insert ridiculous amount here)" The other scenario is that they DO book the appointment and then go into their song and dance whilst acting like you are snatching the food from their table. What is a groomer to do? Well, if you are gullible you think "of course I want to do the right thing and if she's a foster home then she has dogs of her own and she might be a valuable client. She will refer her friends. Perhaps even the adoptive owners of this dog will come back." You agree to groom the dog at a ridiculous discount and the lady gushes about what a wonderful person you are.
They've got you.
The next week, she has a new foster and she's referred you to her friend, who has two fosters. They show up, singing your praises, pay their newly negotiated fee and then head out for lunch and shopping while you wrestle with unmaintained dogs who are not used to being groomed and who are not excited about the process. Your afternoon is shot, you've made half what you need to meet your own needs and your reward is that when your new friends come back, relaxed and full after their girls' afternoon out, they promise to tell all their friends. They keep that promise.
Congratulations. You are now the newest, least appreciated, member of their rescue group!
The new friends refer their friends and soon you are losing a days' income every week. When they pull dogs out of a puppy mill, you are their first call. Dogs infested with fleas, ticks, mites? They call you as an emergency before taking the dogs to their facility. They gossip while you work and are long gone before you finish sanitizing and cleaning the entire salon to ensure that tomorrow's clients don't go home with parasites. They've run out of foster homes? Who better than a groomer to foster their dogs? You say you have vet tech experience? You're invited for lunch and oh by the way, could you please clean these ears and trim those nails? It will only take just a few minutes....
The dogs run together and "fosters" reappear again and again. One day they slip up and tell you they adopted the dog. Six months ago. Their personal dogs start slipping into appointment slots and they come with their check made out for the exact amount - the discounted "rescue" amount for their dogs too. You cringe when you see their name on the caller ID, because you know that if they're calling you, they're about to ask the unreasonable. Of course, the more you do the more stretched their funds seem to be. If you try to set boundaries they will try them like a velociraptor testing an electric fence. They are constantly on the look out for a breach, no matter how small, that will allow them a firmer foothold on your time and energy.
One day, for the sake of your own sanity (not to mention your wallet) you must put an end to the freebies, the deeply discounted work, the space they are taking up in your business and your life. If they can get you to show any weakness at all the cycle continues. If you do stick to your guns they disappear as soon as they can find someone, ANYONE that will agree to charge them $2.00 less than you do.
There is no appreciation for what you have done. There is no loyalty to you or your business. The entire episode will transpire without one viable client to show for it. They have used you for what they could get and since they are no longer able to feed off of your resources, they are headed down the road looking for the next gullible soul....
This is why I don't offer discounts to rescue groups. Why I can't be the rescue groomer.
Please be assured that this is not an indictment of all groups but rather an explanation of what I've learned through my own observations and why I refuse to combine business and rescue. My most recent experience is with a HUGE group that spans the entire eastern seaboard. They exclusively rescue fluffy toy dogs. Shih Tzus, Maltese, Yorkies and mixes thereof. Because these darlings are in such high demand they charge ridiculous adoption fees. In my dealings with one of their foster homes, I have been told that they don't reimburse or build in any funds for grooming and that it is the sole responsibility of the foster homes. Thus, in her mind, it is my obligation to share her noble sacrifice. Perhaps it's just me, but how can any group charge north of $500 for an adoption fee based on the fact that it's an adorable fluffy toy dog but have no resources for grooming?
I'm just not buying it....
Some day I will probably be active in rescue again. At a date, time and place of my own choosing :)
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