[iheartdogs]

I'm 14, and live right next to a dog kennel (seriously it's outside my bedroom window...lol) and the guy that owns it is going to teach me how to groom dogs, like an expert! I'm soo exited! But I was wondering if there was any info on Dog grooming u guys could give my... Websites, Personal Experiences, etc...I actully think it sounds pretty kewl! I actully am thinking about going to school to be a groomer or something. Anyways, anything can help! thanx!

[ThxForNothing]

Originally Posted by iheartdogs

I'm 14, and live right next to a dog kennel (seriously it's outside my bedroom window...lol) and the guy that owns it is going to teach me how to groom dogs, like an expert! I'm soo exited! But I was wondering if there was any info on Dog grooming u guys could give my... Websites, Personal Experiences, etc...I actully think it sounds pretty kewl! I actully am thinking about going to school to be a groomer or something. Anyways, anything can help! thanx!

That's cool, sounds like you are ready to learn.

Dog grooming is painful. (At least for me and many others). It hurts my back severly, even if I have them on a grooming table. You may be one of the lucky few that don't have this issue... but when I was grooming dogs, my back was K I L L I N G me.

You have to be very careful when you are grooming dogs because sometimes you'll run across a dog that doesn't like being touched in a certian spot. The owners might not know about this issue, or the dog might only act out around/with other people. To be safe, keep a close eye on any dog you are grooming. Watch their body language. You'll probably want to have every size muzzle near you incase you need them.

You will have hair all over the place. Purchase a lint brush.. or five.

I'm not sure about what other nice brands of clippers there are, but Shelly who owns Pyles of Smiles (a samoyed rescue I volenteer at) uses something called Oster I believe. I guess they last longer than most do, but i'm no expert when it comes to clippers so maybe someone else can offer some more advice in that area... *shrugs*



Hmmm.... what else can I add? Guess nothing. Goodluck with your grooming experience..

[bigdawgs]

We use Osters, and the big thing with clippers is keeping the blades cleaned and well oiled. Sand and tiny bits of dirt will ruin blades faster than anything.
Remember, in approaching any dog, get down to his level, and when you slowly reach out, do so palm up, open handed. NEVER reach to pet a strange dog on the top of the head!

[padred]

I think you should wait abit before getting trained to groom, your 14 and prob not going to be insured by the one teaching you because of your age. Grooming is not as easy as it seems. dogs don't always just stand still, some bite, skirm, scream (maltese like to scream, lol, you don't have to even touch them. funny babies, scissors are very sharp and can easily cut a dog, blades are sharp as well. sometimes you will be trying to scissor a dog while he is pulling back on the table , holding him up cause he's trying to sit down, leaning on you all at the same time. now this is a bouvier 100lbs. maybe ask him if you can bath the dogs. he could get in big trouble if you got bite or injured you are under 16. Not to discourge you , I love grooming, but i'm also concerned for the safety of a customer's dog and would want someone of age working on him. There was a huge discussion on another board of a groomer having her 14 yr old granddaughter grooming dogs. When the dog owner saw the girl working on her dog she threw a fit, the groomer lost some customers cause of it. wait till your sixteen then persue grooming, i'm sure you'll love it too. paddy

[imjennwhoareyou]

I agree with Paddy. Do you have any experience handling dogs? It can be quite stressful at times and you have to be able to maintain your calm under those circumstances. There are dogs who sit perfectly still while you groom them and there are other dogs who thrash around and scream bloody murder if you so much as set your clippers on their back. I bathed dogs for a year before I went to grooming school and I'm glad that I got that experience just to get a feel for dogs in the grooming environment. Even then, I found out alot of things about grooming dogs aren't as you expect them to be. And as Paddy said the equipment can be sharp and it is quite possible to cut a dog. Then there's the liability of the injury and all that. It is a really fun job, and I do love it, but maybe it is a good idea to wait just a little while. And you can always start out bathing first.

[mystic breeze]

I own my girlfriend ownes her own grooming shop and her 14 year old son comes in and helps her alot with bathing and brushing. I think if you just stick with bathing and blow drying and watch the shop owner on how he does things and ask alot of questions by the time your 16 you will have enough knowledge to be dangerous. her son also answers the phone and takes appointments for her when she is buisy. Just be carefull because like the others said dog are very unpredictable and can bite you at any moment through-out the grooming.
Right now she only lets him do the short haired dogs because they are alot easier to get clean but she also check every dog that he washes.
alot of her customers love the fact that she made her grooming buisness a family owned buisness.