"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...... :)
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