The Dog Club PO Box 2058 1 Bellavista Road SOUTHDALE C/o Rifle Range Road 2135 HADDON JHB RSA Telephone 011 433 1442 Mobile 082 411 4156 Telefax 011 433 1442 email juliebdogs@gmail.com Pet Grooming - Canine Obedience Training - Personal Protection Training - Behaviour Consulting - Puppy Socialisation - Therapy Dogs - Private and Group Courses - Licenced Public Animals Performing Act Wrangler - Casting Agent Executive Member South African Board for Companion Animal Professionals - www.thedogclub.co.za - THE PET GROOMING INDUSTRY/PROFESSION WHAT IS GROOMING I am a pet groomer and I love my occupation. I have a team of eight people and we at The Dog Club are incredibly proud to have built a lucrative business and excellent reputation from our passion. And animals love to be groomed so I have a perfect occupation. Lots of people have no idea what grooming entails, how it is done, and what actually happens during the process, so I will endeavour to enlighten you. Grooming is to wash, dry, clip, style and cut nails of domestic dogs and cats, within a safe comfortable environment. As pet grooming has migrated from an occupation to a profession, we are able to assist clients with skin care treatments, parasite control and diet within the para veterinary sphere. It is best to begin grooming pets from a young age at regular intervals so that they become sensitized to the process. Animals are groomed for hygiene reasons, to renew a positive relationship between animal and owner, necessity, and sometimes animal owners are ordered by animal welfare to have their pet cleaned up. HOW TO SELECT A GROOMING FACILITY FROM THE ANIMAL OWNER (CLIENT) POINT OF VIEW Animal owners should take responsibility for having their pets groomed. They have a choice to own an animal of a high maintenance profile, and should be responsible for the upkeep, health and hygiene of their animals. Owners should: 1. Have made adequate enquiries, asked appropriate questions and even seen the facility where their animals are groomed to ensure:- a. That the welfare of animals is of utmost importance;
b. That the facilities are adequate and can fulfill the needs of the animals being groomed; c. That the groomers are adequately qualified and experienced to groom and handle an animal of the various breed profiles. d. acknowledge that there are risks associated with grooming elderly, sick, pregnant, problematical or aggressive animals. FROM THE PET GROOMERS POINT OF VIEW Animal Groomers should take responsibility for the pets in their care. There are occasions, however, where animal owners omit to inform the grooming facility of health problems of which they are aware, that may present itself at the Grooming Facility. Pet Groomers should: a. Ensure that the welfare of animals in their care is of utmost importance; b. Provide facilities and equipment that are adequate and are able to fulfill the needs of the animals being groomed; c. That all groomers and other staff, including office staff are adequately qualified and experienced to groom and handle all animals in their care. d. Have excellent communication skills with animal owners, so as to avoid any unnecessary problems that could arise so easily. WHY PROFESSIONAL GROOMING: Grooming should be an experience that is enjoyable to the animal and the groomer. It should be an outing that is fun and as stress free as possible. It becomes a valuable asset to animal owners in that: They do not have appropriate facilities at home; They will not own the appropriate equipment; Do no have time Do not have skills PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED BY BOTH OWNERS AND GROOMING FACILITIES AND CAN THEY BE AVOIDED Grooming Facilities have had a poor reputation with certain sectors of the general public. Unfortunately it s poor publicity that professional groomers don t need, and it s usually based on ignorance. On ground level, we are told about what this one did and what that one did, without any substantial evidence. Experience has taught us how to deal with these issues and reassure owners that their pets are safe with us.
The bottom line is we enjoy animals just as much as the owner and certainly will gain nothing by intentionally hurting or not immediately resolving an issue that could cause potential harm to an animal. Pet owners are notorious for blaming grooming facilities for alleged injuries caused to their animals or acquiring a condition or disease as a result of making use of the grooming facility. Often lesions only become visually apparent when the coat has been cut, and there is often 7-10 day incubation periods for contractable diseases. It is virtually impossible for a puppy to acquire a contractable disease the day after he visited the parlour. Whilst grooming facilites do from time to time experience a mishap, it should be dealt with immediately, effectively and professionally by the senior staff of the Grooming Parlour. Many difficulties can be avoided if animal owners ensure that their animals are adequately vaccinated and dewormed, and not a target for catching something. Animal owners should also make an effort to socialize their dogs and sensitize them to the grooming process at a young age. Some selfish owners are willing and prepared to groom their pets while still young, (when they are cute and adorable) and then find themselves not coping as the animal reaches adult age due to aggressive or boisterous behaviour, the size of the mature animal, and the lack of proper grooming equipment. FACILITIES Our baths are elevated and our geyser is set for warm water only; Our driers do not have adjustable heat levels and only blow warm air; We have a variety of blades for longer or shorter cuts; We only use humane soft collars and leads and do not use choke chains. We have a variety of holding cages, the largest which can fit 2 St B s from the same home, with adequate space to turn around and stand up; Our shampoo is specifically formulated for the pet industry with correct PH levels We have adequate security in the event of an escape artist trying to escape We use firm gentle kind handling and do not use tranquilisers or sedation of any form; We do not wash, dry, cut or clean animals outside and all grooming takes place indoors. We do not make use of hosepipes other than to wash our vehicle. Animals are constantly supervised and are never even left unattended. Hygiene and cleanliness and regarded as a top priority and cheap ineffective cleaners and not used. Our facility is run as a business with a banking account, insurance, employment contracts, rental agreements, credit card facilities in place. We collect and deliver animals from their homes. The animals are put into carriers or holding cages and they are only opened once indoors. We do not use force, and will rather sacrifice the visual appearance of the animal and the owners instructions for a happier less stressed animal.
THE BUSINESS Every member of our team enjoys and is passionate about animals, enjoys working with them, and are blessed to be able to have a grooming facility which results in earning an income. Many animal owners misrepresent our passion for animals, and accordingly expect to only pay a minimal amount for grooming and cannot justify paying a market related price. Like any other business, we are entitled to make a profit within acceptable levels. SPECIFICS Aggression: Usually when the dog owner is not present, the average dog does not display aggressive protective tendencies. Other aggression is anxiety related as the dog does not know what to do when, or does not know what is expected of him. Territorial aggression presents itself when dogs prefer to remain in the holding cage; Fear aggression takes time to conquer, but with patience and kindness, it diminishes relatively quickly. All staff are trained to identify and deal with most aspects of aggression. Aggression is most usually, from understimulated unsocialised large dogs, fighter breeds to little anthropomorphic house pets. Staff are well trained to identify behaviours resulting from specific breed profiles. Holding pens or cages should be of such a quality that difficult dogs cannot break out, and escape artists do not get their way. Some animal owners think it s funny or amusing when their dog indicates his unwillingness to be groomed, by attempting to bite the groomer, especially during handover of the animal. We request these clients to put the lead on, hand it over, and leave, before attempting to touch the animal. Vaccinations: We prefer all animals to be vaccinated and dewormed. Due to our wide clientele from differing economic areas, it becomes difficult to police whether pets have been vaccinated or not. We utilize signage reminding animal owners to have their pets vaccinated and encourage sterilization. Qualifications: Any body can open a grooming facility on any street corner. It will not develop into a viable business in the absence of even basic learning, but remain a nightmare of risks and potential places of injuries to animals. Unfortunately every profession has fly by nights, which reflects negatively on the industry. Groomers have migrated from an occupation to a profession, and client s should choose a grooming facility, in the same way as they would a Doctor, Dentist or Optician.
Knowledge and experience is the key to successful grooming, and potential clients have the right and responsibility to their pets to ask questions before participating in grooming.