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New Release: General Table Handling for Pet Grooming & Special Needs Dogs

Don’t you wish all dogs had excellent table manners? Poor behavior puts any pet at a higher risk for injury and makes grooming more time-consuming.

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to promote and train proper table manners, and much of it stems from you! Khris Berry has been a canine behaviorist her entire working career of over 35 years, and is an excellent teacher. In this Double Feature, she shares many of her best-kept secrets on how to win the trust and cooperation from a pet in a grooming setting. These ideas are easy to understand and apply instantly.

In this video you will learn:

  • How to compare a dog’s brain to a rubber ball
  • How to effectively manage canine energy
  • Why heart placement is critical in dog body language
  • What is the key form of communication with a dog
  • Highly useful holds to support the pet allowing you to groom easier

Start Learning with Khris

If you’re a member, be sure to Log In and check out the video HERE so you can add it to your favorites and get the full details! If you’re not a member, click below to watch a free preview of the video.

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New Release: Personality Pet Handstrip on a Small Black & White Mixed Breed

What do you do with a dog who has a sparse, wiry coat? Shave it close with a clipper? Leave it slightly fluffy with a guard comb? Handstrip? All three options could be the right choice for the dog – and the client. However, if you know Jennifer Hecker, she will ALWAYS head down the handstripping route.Why? It’s the easiest option for her with this type of coat. It allows her to bring out the true characteristics of the pet to the forefront. Plus, she gets to have fun with a quirky head style the owners love. An added incentive, this method lasts a long time for the owner. But best of all, it’s the healthiest way to maintain this coat texture. Bonus – it’s fast!

In this video you will learn:

  • How to avoid blisters if you are not used to handstripping
  • Which tools are her ‘go-to’ tools for handstripping
  • How to work with a fussy pet
  • When and how often to bath this type of coat
  • How to play up key points on the dog

Start Learning with Jennifer

If you’re a member, be sure to Log In and check out the video HERE so you can add it to your favorites and get the full details! If you’re not a member, click below to watch a free preview of the video.

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New Release: Starting Over on a Dog Who’s Never Been Professionally Groomed

We’ve all had that one groom where the dog was so matted or pelted, you had no choice but to completely start over. What makes these grooms even more challenging, is that the dog usually doesn’t have much experience on the grooming table. This could mean disaster for all involved without the right expertise.

In this lesson, veteran pet stylist, Lorri Keller, steps up the table to give this dog a total coat reset, tackling this huge job while keeping both the dog and herself safe. Lorri also discusses how to communicate and educate the owner, leading to easier grooms in the future.

In this video you will learn:

  • How to remove tight, matted coat safely
  • How to talk with a pet owner about the condition of their dog when to needs a total reset
  • How to work on the head safely
  • Effective communication tips for the pet owner
  • What are the ultimate end goals for this type of work

Start Learning with Lorri

If you’re a member, be sure to Log In and check out the video HERE so you can add it to your favorites and get the full details! If you’re not a member, click below to watch a free preview of the video.

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Preparing for Dog Grooming Certification Programs

Certification Tips Video Roundup

Becoming a National Certified Master Groomer can help grow yourself and your business exponentially! Below are videos, podcasts and resources for your pathway to Certification Success!

I Want To Compete with guest Victor Rosado

All About GroomTeam USA with guest Kathy Rose

Where Can I Certify?

National Dog Groomers Association of America (NDGAA)
International Professional Groomers (IPG)
International Society of Canine Cosmetologists (ISCC)


Practice Makes Pooch Perfect: An Interview with Groomer Contestant Deb Compton

How do you go from an everyday bather to Pooch Perfect all-star stylist? If you’re Deb Compton, the answer is that practice makes perfect.

“Never stop learning. Always seek out judgment, and learn to take critique because you can’t grow without it.”

Compton and her son Jordan Jones made their debut on Rebel Wilson’s Pooch Perfect. The pair joined ten top groomers competing from across the country in ABC’s latest canine fashion reality show. At stake is a $100,000 grand prize.

Striving to be the best is, according to Compton, in her blood. But it really wasn’t until she experienced working alongside nine other top groomers that she felt she belonged there.

“It was so awesome to meet all the Facebook friends and people whose work I’ve followed for years – to be there with them shoulder to shoulder. I felt like a fan-girl,” she said. Read the rest of this entry »


Melissa’s Top 4 Tips for Getting Through the Holidays

Most of you with any experience under your belt in the United States – just complete Phase 1. Phase 1 of the holiday marathon grooming. Getting all those pooches ready for family and friends.

Those of you in the United States, you have just gone through grooming marathon Phase #1 for the holiday season. Thanksgiving. How did it go? Smooth as silk? Or would you like to make improvements as you move into Phase #2 – Christmas and Hanukkah? Most of us are involved with the pet industry are here because the passion. We simply love working with the pets. However, even the most passionate groomer can feel the pressures of the holiday demands.

If you are one of those professionals who felt the pressures of the Thanksgiving crunch, take heart. It’s time to review what you did right — and areas that could use some improvement in the areas of time management in the grooming salon.

Here are My Top 4 Tips for Getting Through Your Day with Ease.

#1. Mental Control

Stay focused. Pay close attention to what you are doing at all times. You’re working with live animals and sharp instruments. Chatter between your coworkers and pets breaks your focus. You lose time and you make mistakes when you don’t stay focused on the pet.

Always practice the three C’s; stay calm, stay cool, and stay collected. When you’re working with a pet you want to be friendly but aloof. You want to correct any undesirable action before it becomes a major problem. Frustration and anger have no place in a professional salon setting. If you feel yourself getting frustrated, take a break. Breath. Step back to the grooming table when you have regained your composure.

Work methodically with all pets. Don’t get flustered. Set an even and steady pace when it comes to handling, bathing, drying, brushing, clipping, and scissoring. Set time goals for every step of the grooming process and strive to achieve them.

#2. Invest in Yourself and Your Equipment

What is the condition of your equipment? Are you working with top-quality equipment?

It’s amazing how much time you can save when your equipment is in top condition. Or when you splurge on that new pair of blenders that cut like butter. Or you have a high velocity dryer that has plenty of punch. Oh, and all of your shears and blades have sharp edges on them — correct? There’s nothing more frustrating than working with dull and ineffective equipment when crunch time is on. Right now you’re in crunch time.

#3. Organization in the Salon

Do you have a smooth process for client check-in and checkout? If you’re computerized, is it easy to pull up client records in a flash? If you’re still working with a card file, are all the records pulled the pets that are scheduled for that day?

Most stylists in a salon setting find working in a minimum of three or four hour blocks of time can be highly advantageous to time management. The more you have to stop to check-in or checkout clients the more you lose your focus on the pet that is on the table. By working in blocks of time, you can check multiple pets in and out in tight windows of time when it comes to dealing with customers.

Do you have a method to track all the collars and leads that accompany the pets? This is no time to be looking for that lost collar or lead! Do you have a bright assortment of those pre-made? Do you have festive bandannas cut and ready to go on the dog?

#4 Mental & Nutritional Stamina

When the rush is on, you need to be at your peak — mentally, physically and nutritionally.

You’re not going to be at your peak if you’re not getting enough sleep. I know … I know. With all the demands between work, family and holiday festivities, slumber can be hard to come by. Normally, a professional groomer is so physically exhausted that when your head does hit the pillow — sleep comes easily. Just make sure you’re getting enough hours each night so you can perform at high levels the next day.

With the holidays upon us, most salons find themselves overrun with holiday treats from their clients. Be careful with this one. Personally I learned the hard way you are not good to feel your best if you consume all those goodies all day long!

I learned in my early 20s to pack healthy food options to keep me nourished all day long. I was mobile so in between every client by reward was to eat. If I had healthy options at my fingertips, it was easy to keep my energy level in high gear. In a salon setting, this might be a little bit more challenging. Still, eating healthy small amounts on a regular basis is the best way to keep you both mentally and physically content.

Pack a nutritional lunch plus snacks. (You know your days are to be long!) Or do a potluck between staff members. We’ve done this for years at the Paragon School of Pet Grooming with great success. The rule is: Healthy, quick food options only. No sweets. No desserts. Our clients do a great job with that. The potluck is set up so everybody can grab a quick bite in between dogs quickly and easily.

If you’re not a cook – have a stack of local takeout menus available. If they deliver – BONUS!

The holidays are a great time to really test your skills. We’ll find out quickly just how successful you are. If you have a full book and struggling to fit into just one more pet each day, you know you have arrived. Be thankful for creating a service that your customers desire. If you take care of them well — they’ll take care of you. That’s what successful customer service is all about!

Happy trimming and happy Thanksgiving!

~Melissa

If you need a brush up on any time management lessons, here are a few titles from Learn2GroomDogs.com that could help you.