How Clients Can Help Reduce Their Groomer's Stress

A groomer does her best work when she is calm and comfortable. A rushed, distracted groomer is more likely to make mistakes, resulting in accidents that injure us or the pet we're working with. An unhappy, stressed-out groomer projects her emotions, creating an uneasy environment for the pets in her care.

Groomers know this, but no matter how thoughtful and strong-willed she is, no groomer can simply will her stress away. She can't force herself to find inner peace. She has to eliminate stressors as much as possible and take time to self-soothe.

"Just a minute, please!"

That can be difficult to do in a service-based industry. Groomers tend to be people-pleasers by nature. We care deeply for animals and want only the best for them. We also want our human clients to be happy, even if it's at our expense. So we need your support and cooperation to take the very best care of your pets.

Everyone benefits when grooming shops and the groomers who work in them are calm and happy. So read on to learn what you can do (and stop doing) to help lower your groomer's overall stress.

The problem: Compassion Fatigue
Empathy is both a gift and a burden. Feeling the emotions of others without the need for words is one of the things that helps groomers work well with animals. A cat can't say, "You're combing too hard," but an empathetic groomer can read his body language and understand his message. The problem is that, when you're so open to feeling everyone else's emotions, it can be exhausting and overwhelming. When animals are uncomfortable, for any reason, we feel their pain. When people are angry or upset, we feel their anger and upset. When pets die, we grieve with their parents. When clients are unhappy with a haircut, it bothers us. When we accidentally injure a pet, it traumatizes us, far more than any injury to our own body might. Some groomers build emotional walls and come across as cold or gruff. It's difficult to be open and warm all the time when it means letting in an onslaught of emotions.

How you can help
Take excellent care of your pet. Neglected animals break our hearts. Untreated veterinary issues both infuriate and devastate us. We do our best to treat your pets like they're our own, so treat them well.

Matted pets often suffer from poor circulation, chronic pain from pulling, and skin infection from trapped moisture. If your pet develops matting, understand that the humane thing to do is take it short and start over. Then, get on a regular schedule. Shorter-haired dogs with undercoat can mat as well and trapped fuzz interferes with their coat's natural ability to regulate their body temperature.

Overgrown nails can interrupt your pets natural stride, putting strain on their back and shoulders. Nails left long over time can warp the shape of the feet, leading to arthritis and other painful conditions. Many pets are prone to ear infections that can be prevented with diligent ear cleaning. Teeth require almost daily brushing to keep tartar at bay. Oral infections are just as painful for pets as they are for people, so follow your vet's recommendations for teeth cleaning.

In addition to proper grooming, lifestyle factors like nutrition, exercise, and mental enrichment are important for your pet's well-being. Anxious pets in pain are challenging to groom. Seek knowledge and apply it toward having as healthy, well-adjusted a pet as possible.

The problem: Working Too Hard
Groomers hate to say no, so when the phone is ringing off the hook, many of us will keep on taking appointments until we're grooming at a dead run 12 hours a day for days (or weeks) on end. That's fine in the short-term (like during the holiday rush), but grooming is hard work and all those extra hours can take a heavy toll on how your groomer feels, both physically and mentally.

How you can help
If your groomer is overbooked, don't guilt trip her or beg her to "fit you in." Tell her you're happy the business is doing well and take her next available appointment. To ensure your pet gets groomed when he needs it, start scheduling your appointments well in advance, especially around peak times like holidays. Remember, the harder your pet is to work with and the more hours he requires to spruce up, the more considerate you should be of your groomer's time.

The problem: Vacation Deficit Disorder
Not only do groomers work too much, they tend not to play enough. Taking time off and away from the shop can be impossible for groomers who feel obligated to be available to their clients year-round. But a week or two of quality time spent on a beach is often exactly what a groomer needs to refresh and recharge herself.

How you can help
The most thoughtful clients ask groomers about their vacation plans and adjust their own schedules accordingly. You may have to shift your regular five week appointment because it falls in the middle of your groomer's meditation retreat. And since it's easier on us to groom your pet earlier than usual rather than later, we appreciate it when you decide to schedule the week before our vacation and wish us a relaxing time.

The problem: Difficult Pets
Every pet can benefit from regular grooming. For continually growing coats and undercoated dogs, it's an absolute requirement. Unfortunately, pets don't always like to cooperate with what's best for them. This can be frustrating for your groomer and greatly increases your pet's likelihood of stress and injury. If your pet is large, strong, and/or aggressive, they can cause very serious problems for themselves and your groomer. Our backs can only take so much abuse and a bad bite in the wrong place could end our careers for good.

How you can help
Be open and honest with your groomer about your pet's behavior. Do not keep your dog's bite history a secret. If your groomer tells you that your pet is argumentative, don't take it personally. It doesn't mean they dislike you or your pet. It just means they need your help making grooming run more smoothly in the future. Listen to their training recommendations and follow them.

You may be asked to simulate grooming at home to get your pet more comfortable with things like electric clippers, brushing, and standing still on a table. Often, groomers will ask you to bring your pet in more frequently so that each session can focus less on hair trimming and more on training and building a rapport. Tiring your pet out with a long walk or playtime before grooming can help greatly with aggression, nerves, or excessive exuberance. You may be asked to withhold food or water in the morning before grooming for pets who have accidents. And no, it will not make things easier if you stay and try to help. Most pets are better-behaved when their owner isn't around to distract them.

The problem: Style Miscommunication
There's nothing better than hearing, "This is the best my pet's ever looked!" On the flip side, groomers get frustrated when they can't make a client happy. Sometimes it's not possible to give you what you want (sorry, but matted pets DO need to be shaved short) but if Fluffy is tangle-free and well-behaved, don't let miscommunication create a style disaster.

How you can help
Be specific whenever possible, but be a little flexible, too. Groomers are artists and pet styling can be highly subjective. The best relationship you can have with a groomer is a collaborative one, where you work as a team.

Not specific enough: "Short but not too short"

What "puppy cut" means

Too specific: "Make sure you clean her ears and trim her nails. Shave her with a #5 blade with the direction of the hair. Oh, and bathe her, too!"

Just right: "Half off her body, with a light trim on the tail and ears."

If you're not sure what you like, ask for recommendations. If you have a specific issue (a messy beard, for example), let us help you solve it.

Keep in mind that groomers have varying levels of knowledge and skill. They may excel in some aspects of grooming and struggle with others. Sometimes groomer and client style just doesn't mesh. Give your groomer a few chances to get things the way you like them, but if it's not working, wish her well and find someone who better fits your needs.

The problem: Lack of Consideration
Managing the flow of pets and people into and out of a grooming salon can be tricky. Each individual human and animal has its own individual needs. Sometimes pets are more work than expected (sometimes a lot more) and throw everyone off-schedule. Medical issues, behavioral issues, early drop-offs, late drop-offs, space constraints, excessive phone calls, power outages -- there are lots of ways an otherwise normal grooming day can be disrupted. So when your groomer says, "I'll call you when your pet is done," please don't show up an hour later expecting your pet to be done. Wait for her to call.

How you can help
A little awareness and common courtesy goes a long way towards making a grooming day less stressful for everyone involved. So obey all posted signs, read through policies and procedures that your groomer shares with you, and remember that there are other clients and other pets who need your groomer's attention, too.

• If you absolutely need to pick up before a certain time, tell your groomer about it when you make the appointment and again when you drop your pet off. 
• If you can, pick up your pet immediately after you're called. If you can't, let your groomer know when you expect to pick up. If you're given a pre-set pick-up time, come then.
• Pick up before closing time. Don't make your groomer sit around waiting for you. If you have an absolute emergency, call and expect to pay a late pick-up/boarding fee. 
• Always bring your pets in on-leash or in a carrier. Don't use a flexi-leash (or if you must, keep it short and locked). 
• Don't let your dog jump on random cars in the parking lot.
• Don't let your dogs play with other dogs in the waiting area.
• Don't let your dog's leash get tangled around other dogs/people/objects in the waiting room.
• Don't let your dogs jump on people/pee on the walls/etc. 
• Always walk your dog before grooming and clean up after them. 
• Be on time for your appointments (neither late nor early). Call if you expect to run late. Be prepared to reschedule at your groomer's discretion.
• Give your groomer at least 24-48 hours notice when you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. If you have an emergency, call as soon as you can and expect to pay a late cancellation fee. Don't make an appointment and neglect to cancel it. No-shows cost groomers time and money.
• Keep your phone charged, turned on, and on your person in case your groomer needs to contact you. 

The problem: Financial worries
While there are plenty of groomers whose prices adequately reflect their work, there are still many who struggle to earn a comfortable paycheck. Grooming prices vary from region to region, based on supply and demand, but owner/groomers have overhead and business expenses to consider. Too often, people-pleasing groomers cave in under pressure from clients looking for a deal. Many groomers are afraid of the criticism that may come from raising prices, so they avoid it year after year, even as the cost of living and prices for supplies goes up.

Everyone has budgets. Everyone is concerned about money. But if your groomer isn't charging enough for your pet's haircut, she isn't going to be as relaxed and happy about doing the work as if she were appropriately compensated. A professional isn't going to take her frustrations out on your pet, of course, but animals are great mood detectors, and they will certainly feel her stress at being undervalued.

How you can help
Never, ever say that your groomer is "too expensive." If her services are out of your price range, feel free to try out a lower-cost groomer. If you're happy with those services, stay there. If you're not, return to your regular groomer with a renewed appreciation. As they say, you get what you pay for.

We understand that grooming can be a significant financial investment. If you need to spread out your grooming appointments to save money, that's OK. Adjust your styling expectations accordingly. If you can only afford to groom your poodle every three months, ask for a haircut that will last that for three months (spoiler alert: it'll be short). Some groomers do in-between brush-out services that are less expensive than a full groom. Some may barter for services. Other groomers may offer basic grooming classes that can help you maintain your pet at home. We're happy to help find a solution that'll help you afford your pet's maintenance, but don't expect us to take a pay cut.

Remember that well-maintained, well-behaved pets are the key to maximizing profit for your groomer and minimizing cost per appointment for clients. Don't be that client who brings in a matted mess once or twice a year with rotten teeth and a biting problem, shows up late, and then complains about the haircut and the price.

The problem: Feeling Under-Appreciated
Often times, it's the most rule-abiding clients with the most well-behaved pets who offer the best compliments and the most generous tips. If that's you (or you've decided to become one of those clients after reading this post), thank you. We love you dearly. You are the backbone of our business and the bedrock upon which we build our low-stress life.

How you can help
No matter what your groomer's price range, tip her well, always. Tell her that you appreciate her. Praise her around town and refer new clients to her. Support her shop in every way you can. If you don't like her or her work, don't bad-mouth her or her business, just find a groomer you do like.

available at Groomerisms.com

Now that you've made it through the list of do's and don'ts, don't worry too much if you're a "less than perfect" client or you have an unusually challenging pet to groom. If every pet and every client was sweet and easy to handle all the time, we'd probably get bored. We often find our more cantankerous clients the most rewarding to work with. And it makes our day when a stressful client acknowledges our patience and thanks us for taking such good care of them and their pets.

Groomers are hard to rattle and easy to please, so there are plenty of ways to make us happy. Here are some of the things that give us a notable thrill:

• When an aggressive pet parent refers lots of non-aggressive pets to our shop
• When a matted pet parent apologizes for waiting too long between appointments and pre-books their next appointment for four weeks
• When a formerly matted pet comes back soon enough to get a cute haircut
• When clients who decide to try another groomer come back to us
• When someone who misses an appointment offers to pay for the grooming anyway
• When clients give extra-large tips because they know we work hard
• When clients give personal gifts (a trinket featuring our favorite breed of dog or a copy of my book, The Pet Groomer's Guide to a Low-Stress Life, for example)
• When clients have lumps and bumps etc checked out at the vet and report back to us
• When a client squeals with delight when they see their pet's new haircut
• When clients ask us to groom pets for photos, weddings, and other special events (admittedly, that's a little nerve-wracking, too)
• When clients bring in unusual breed pets (we don't get to see nearly enough chinese cresteds)
• When we change jobs and a favorite client tracks us down
• When we raise our prices and a client says, "Good for you!"
• When aggressive pets learn to behave for grooming
• When clients ask for and value our advice on things like finding a new pet, spaying and neutering, training, and of course, grooming
• When clients say, "Trim him however you want" (and actually mean it)
• When clients say, "No rush. I'll pick up whenever you're ready."
• When we have to reschedule a client and they're totally cool with it
• When clients understand that nicks and quicks upset us, too
• When clients who can't care for their pets allow us to find them a new home
• When clients have the same taste in bows and nail polish as we do
• When clients acknowledge how challenging it is to be a pet groomer
• When we realize we've been grooming your pet his whole life
• When clients take a bunch of our business cards to hand out to their friends
• When clients write us great reviews, testimonials, and thank you notes

Look at me!

In order to make Groomerisms work, I have to get comfortable with being noticed.

Like "regularly finding multiple four and five-leaf clovers" Irish.

I've never been the "look at me" type. I came from a big Irish family where only the loudest get heard. Rather than compete, I opted early on never to shout. I preferred to go my own way, by myself. As a child, I spent free afternoons visiting animals. I didn't know the neighbors but I knew all their dogs and cats and ponies. I retreated frequently to quiet places, and lost myself in books.

I never disliked people. I just found their company draining. In high school, I performed in all the musicals, not because I liked the attention, but because I realized it was important to put myself out there, to socialize, and be a part of the community. I'm still about as introverted as an introvert can be. I'm not shy or aloof, but keeping company with animals is much easier than keeping company with human beings.

I'm not bad at selling myself either. In fact, attracting grooming clients was easy. A little chatting, a little sharing of knowledge, a little understanding goes a long way. People just want to know that their animals are in good hands. Empathetic groomers with a good eye and a steady hand are always in demand. I'm especially good at asking clients the right questions to get at the heart of what they want and need in a pet style. I don't say, "What do you want your pet to look like?" I say, "How do you want your pet to feel? How do you want to feel when you look at him?"

Attracting Groomerisms clients is much harder, though. What are the right questions?

As a groomer, I know what I want, but not all groomers are like me. In fact, we're an extremely diverse bunch with a variety of backgrounds and motivations and needs. Marketing to other groomers feels a bit like standing on a street corner wearing a sandwich board display, hoping that something I've put down will catch someone's eye.

Today, among the older scribblings and doodles, there's a message on my sandwich board that says:

Here I am. Look at me!
What do you see?

I have the best neighbors.

Groomerisms is about taking good care of yourself and the pets in your charge. It's meant to offer a little something to everyone connected to the grooming industry. Education for clients, support for groomers, humor and beauty for everyone.

I want to write useful, compelling, and informative pieces. I want to create compelling illustrations and infographics. I want my comics to be funny and relevant. I want to make pet portraits that capture the spirit of the bonds we hold with animals.

How am I doing? Please browse around Groomerisms.com and take a look at my offerings. If you think of something you need that I don't have, please let me know. If I can't help you, I can probably track down someone who can.

I'm Vania. This is my face. And my tattoo. And my fish portrait in my bathroom. Hi!

Join me on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter handles are all Groomerisms) and share your thoughts, wisdom, and stories. Thank you for looking.

The Whole Story

My last post to this blog was 4 years ago. I thought about cutting ties and starting a brand new blog, but some of these older posts are good. And although my life has changed drastically in many ways since I wrote them, even the cut threads of my personal narrative are part of the continuous woven tapestry of my life.

Since you're probably new here, let me introduce myself.
My name is Vania Velotta and I was a professional groomer for almost 20 years. I started this blog while I was running my own grooming shop because I had thoughts I wanted to share with clients and other groomers.

The Groomerisms concept was born out of a desire to find a playful way to bridge some of the communication gaps between pet owners and pet professionals.

I'd like to share the whole story, though, so let me back it up to the beginning.

April 1997
I was an undergrad at Oberlin College, taking classes in biology and chemistry and writing. It was a tough semester academically, but I needed some spending money, so I applied for part-time work at a grooming shop in a western suburb of Cleveland.

My resume listed one previous employer: the boarding kennel in my hometown where I'd worked the register, scooped poop, and dished out Iams for two and a half years.

My only actual grooming experience was with the family sheltie, who came to work with me on Sundays, so I could bathe and neaten him up in their walk-in tub.

Sampson hated having his feet trimmed
almost as much as I hated hairy Grinch feet.

I got me the job, but I learned pretty quickly that I far from qualified to be a professional groomer. I did a lot of bath dogs and shave-downs to start.

The shop was clean and professional, with four talented, generous groomers on staff who helped me pick out equipment and showed me how to use it when they had time. They scissored up the worst of my mistakes and complimented me on my animal handling skills.

I earned a small but steady paycheck, learned a little technique, and considered it a fun experience. But I had no intention of making a career of it.

I wanted to be a veterinarian. I thought there was no higher calling in life than saving animals and I thought that's what vets did.

Growing up, we always had cats and I was always crazy about them. My parents were pretty laissez-faire about pet ownership, though. The cats went in and out as they pleased, unaltered, often unvaccinated, and took their chances.

I estimate the average life expectancy of my childhood cats was about four years. I loved new kittens but I bonded with every cat. I was devastated by every loss. By the time I was three, I was telling people I wanted to be a "veteran" when I grew up. Eyebrows raised, "A what?" they'd say. "You know. An animal doctor." A saver of cats.

June 1997
I was working with a cat rescue organization on campus and had a steady stream of foster cats keeping me company as we searched out forever homes for them. We had them tested for FIV and FLV, vaxed, fixed, and made adopters sign a no-declaw, indoor-only contract. Although we didn't the facilities to do anything other than have sick cats humanely euthanized, we were having a huge positive impact on the number of unwanted kittens born around town. As we kept up our TNR efforts, we saw the number of FIV/FLV positive cats go from 50% to less than 10%.

We were saving cats.

This baby is turning 16 in a couple months.

During summer break, I got a job as a veterinary assistant in a busy five doctor practice back home in Connecticut. I cleaned cages, folded towels, and wrapped surgical packs for sterilization. I assisted on surgery days, shaving bellies for spays and watched the dials on the anesthesia machine.

Working there made me realize how fallible medicine is. Sometimes the vets could save cats hit by cars, but usually not. Also, it became painfully clear that animals didn't like going to the doctor any more than I did. They got poked and knocked out and cut open and euthanized there.

I still wanted to be a vet, though. I liked learning, I liked the idea of being called a doctor, I loved working with animals. I accepted the fact that a vet's office was a stressful place. Emergency drills left me shaking and feeling like no amount of schooling could ever make me feel adequate. But I was determined to push through it.

And then I started having trouble observing surgeries.

I remember a day watching the overhead lights dance on the beautiful pinks and blues of a big dog's innermost places and I thought,"All living things look like this on the inside." My dogs, my cats, my family, me.

I went vegetarian when I was 12 because I decided I didn't like consuming stolen body parts. A dead animal was an empty shell, not a tasty snack. But this was a living body. The tissue and blood and bone was full of living nerves, speaking to a brain still capable of feeling fear and pain. As the vet examined the length of intestine, white gloves palpating, searching for blockages, healthy coils lay glistening on the blue surgical drape. This part of the body was never meant to be so exposed.

I was hit with a cold sweat and creeping blackness at the edges of my vision.

I never actually fainted, but I came close a few times. I found that I could still watch surgeries as long as I stayed seated and didn't try to stand. I figured I could power through and get past the baffling squeamishness. But when I got instantly woozy watching one of the vets put a big needle in a tiny kitten's chest, I realized that I was getting worse instead of better. I couldn't detach myself. I couldn't dial down my empathy enough to deal with animals turned inside out. Not even to help them.

How could I be a doctor of veterinary medicine if I couldn't even watch a simple procedure without getting dizzy and nauseous? And yet, how could I not be a vet? I'd never even considered any other life path. My high school class ring was custom-made with a dragon on one side and a veterinary caduceus on the other. The point of going to school was so I could be an animal doctor.

And my body wasn't having it.
Junior year of college, I gave it up and decided to go into web design instead.

My earliest work was actually kind of cute.

HTML coding was a hobby I'd picked up freshman year. I was far from home, living in a dorm, and uninterested in drinking. I had free time, free internet, and not a lot of friends, so I'd stay up late, reading terribly designed internet tutorials about web design and coding.

In the narrow gaps between the biology and chemistry I was still committed to study, I fit in a javascript programming class and several studio art classes. I got work/study jobs as webmaster for two different offices at the college.

December 1999
I graduated and made my way into the world. The dot-com boom was in full swing and I had just enough experience to qualify as an entry-level web designer. That was the heyday of comic sans and blinking text, but I had better taste than most, so I didn't have any trouble getting interviews, which led to job offers.

Giving up on vet school was disappointing, but now I had a chance to start making money instead of spending more on education. I'd pivoted at the last minute and landed on my feet. I felt like a grown-up person with a real job. I bought my first new car and then my first home - a two bedroom condo with a Metroparks view.

But the dot-com bubble burst, marketing budgets quickly dwindled and disappeared, and with them went the fancy Silicon-Valley-wannabe start-ups with their ping-pong tables and free lunches. I was laid off twice by failing companies in as many years. After 9/11, it got even worse. Then it was hard to get an interview, let alone a job offer.

But I had a mortgage to pay, so I answered a groomer wanted ad. Groomers are always wanted. By May 2002, I was working six days a week, doing upwards of ten dogs a day.

September 2006
Fast-forward a few years, past a few more grooming jobs. I was married, living with my husband near Cleveland. Together, we opened a grooming shop called K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming in a cute little village bordering one of the area's top-ranked suburbs.

My first groom client at K9 Design

Thanks to a stellar credit score, I'd managed to finance the whole thing with some low interest credit card cash advances, but that meant we didn't have the budget to hire help with the build-out.

We worked fourteen hours a day for several weeks getting the space ready to open. We did all the painting and installed about a mile of tile. We acid-stained and sealed the concrete floors, working through the toxic, chemical fumes and their headache-inducing high.

The cage bank I ordered from Canada wasn't due to arrive for another month, so I bought some wire cages to tide me over. I had a cheap, wobbly grooming table set on a wooden box because it didn't go up high enough. I had a shop vac and a mish-mosh of brushes, clippers and dryers.

On opening day, there was only one client on the books. He was cute, but typically cocker: full of mats and cranky about it. His owner wasn't interested in shaving him down. We compromised with spot shaving and she pre-booked him on a maintenance schedule.

My earliest clients all paid by credit card, so technically it was my mother-in-law who gave me my first dollar bill. She scribbled "good luck!" on the front and framed it to hang in my lobby.

After my years in high-volume shops, I welcomed my slow early days as a chance to finally study my craft. Between stamping stacks of advertising postcards, I joined email lists and read grooming articles. I learned what a proper bichon is supposed to look like (you can imagine my surprise). I got a copy of Notes From The Grooming Table by Melissa Verplank and began to see the art of dog grooming in a new way.

I couldn't find appointment tracking software that I liked, so I used my web programming know-how to build something myself. The clients loved it. They loved my work and referred their friends and neighbors. I never did finish sending out all the postcards. After a while, my website and a line in the yellow pages were the only marketing outreach I did.

Over eight years, I stayed small, serving about 1500 clients total, many of them on a regular repeating 4-8 week schedule. I can't say how often I introduced a puppy to the clippers for the first time or made an old dog clean and comfortable for the last time. My records show I did about 11,000 grooms at K9 Design. I always had trouble finding good help, so almost all of that was me, check-in, bath, brush, clip, and check-out.

I had a big space and my rent reflected that, so I had to work hard to stay profitable. I'd made more working for other shops than I did working for myself. And everything was my responsibility - from the clients to the pets to the clean-up.

After a few years, I got pretty run-down. I didn't have enough energy for other things. The canvas on my easel sat blank for months, then years, at a time. I chopped my hair off because it required too much brushing. Though I regretted it - short hair is not a good look for me - as soon as it grew out, I'd chop it again.

It started out so shiny, though!

I rallied for a while, setting stricter limits on how I booked my days and firing clients who asked too much of me. I began playing audiobooks while I worked to give my brain interesting things to chew on. In the winter, when things were naturally slower, I started working on a draft of a novel in between haircuts.

Writing again felt wonderful but it made grooming harder by comparison. Incoming client became unwelcome distractions from what I really wanted to be doing. Telemarketers and door-to-door sales calls infuriated me. I still loved working with the animals, but I had less patience for chit-chat with my clients. I knew that I needed a change but I wasn't in a position to make one. It also didn't help that my marriage was slowly falling apart.

February 2011
My husband and I called it quits but continued to share the house. I had too many pets to rent and move into my own place right away. We finalized the divorce a year later. I owned K9 Design outright, along with just enough savings to put a down payment on a tiny house.

The shop was a good earner for a two-income household, but it was a stretch to pay the bills by myself. My landlord was steadily edging up the rent on the building. I could try to find a smaller, cheaper space, but I didn't have the money or the know-how to do another build-out. Or I could close down and groom for someone else.

I couldn't stand the thought of going backwards.

But I was lucky and I met someone amazing. A brilliant tattooed vegan cat person, like me.

That's a whole different story, though.

He moved in and we made plans together.

September 2014
We closed the shop and got married in Cape Cod, just before the weather turned cold. My "temporary" grooming career had stretched in highs and lows across two decades. And then it was over.

Sort of.

My last haircut at K9 design.

You don't ever really stop being a groomer, do you? It's not my job, but I still do it. I bathe my German Shepherds in my bathroom tub and blow them out in the driveway when the weather's nice. I carry nail clippers with me everywhere so I can trim claws in need. Sometimes I offer to makeover pets for close friends and family. I've been dreaming about acquiring myself a mid-size white poodle so I can play with color and style.

I miss my set-up and my long-time clients. I miss the animals I worked with for so long. I miss the income - especially the tips. But professionally, I'm happier as a struggling artist/writer/whatever than I was as a successful groomer.

Time will tell if my body will someday force me onto yet another path, but for now I've fallen back on another old hobby of mine - thinking up ways to help other groomers with their businesses. I started Groomerisms back in 2008, enlisting the help of nationally syndicated cartoonist Jenny Campbell to draw up The Tangle Chart and the "You Charge More Than My Hairdresser" comic. I didn't have enough time while K9 Design was open to make a real effort at selling the brand. It was more for me than anyone else.

But now I want to make Groomerisms products something that you want.

Good advice from The Gumroad Small Product Lab.

I've certainly not been idle these last eight months. I landed an internship with CraftFoxes.com. I've been learning the ins-and-outs of modern marketing, social media, and the blogosphere.

You may have noticed that I'm actively trying to build Groomerisms' social media following. I redesigned the website and created a bunch of new offerings as well.

I'm hustling, as they say, from a desk chair that my two Oberlin cats have been using as a scratching post for the past sixteen years.

What a journey. And here we are starting up a bumpy, uncertain new road.

Most days, nobody buys anything from Groomerisms. But there's usually a re-pin or a like or a share somewhere that I can celebrate.

I literally do a happy dance every time I get an email letting me know that someone decided to purchase a copy of the Tangles Are Trouble or the Double-Coated Breeds Dog infographic.

The positive reviews that came back on my first stab at an e-book were equally as precious to me as its few sales. Daryl Conner called the The Groomer's Guide to a Low-Stress Life "helpful, thought-provoking, and fun." I've been Daryl's fan for ten years now.

So what's next?

• Creative Grooming / Color Workshop - just the other day I volunteered to organize something in the Cleveland/Akron, OH area. A worthy challenge, and a little daunting. But I'm confident I can pull together something awesome, even if nobody shows up. There's already a lot of interest, though, which is exciting. If you want more info on that, out the survey and I'll put you on the mailing list: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DZLKQ5S (Also, advice welcome.)

• Trade Shows - In all my years as  a professional groomer, I only went to one grooming event. It was a Super Styling Sessions seminar with Sue Zecco and Jay Scruggs. I always wanted to go to more, and bigger events. Maybe see what it's like to compete. Sit through a few classes and meet some groomers I only know online. Now I could go as a vendor and peddle my posters. I wasn't ready this year, but there are lots of possibilities for next year.

• Groomerisms and the Art of Zen - I'm excited to start blogging regularly again and create posts that are useful to both groomers and pet owners. Groomtracker.com has some newer articles on it, but I will likely bring those over here and keep everything in the same place. (Groomtracker is the name of my grooming appointment software that will someday be available for sale). 

• More Art - Though writing is my first love, it's been a lot of fun working on pet portraits. I wish they were more popular and requests for them would start pouring in. I want to draw until my hands cramps and who better to draw than your pets? In the meantime, I'll keep working on Groomerisms infographics and t-shirts and posters...

• Bylines -- I've been thinking about submitting articles to the major grooming magazines but I'm not sure how to approach them. I'll be looking into it soon, though.

So, that's my story. It's not over. It's just beginning, I think. Thank you for reading and thanks for supporting Groomerisms.com!

Operant Conditioning

Many clients ask me for training advice and help with specific behavioral issues. It's tough sometimes to give them a short answer! Changing behavior can be very challenging out in the world with all of its complications and conditions and distractions. And there are so many options! But when you boil it down to its most basic level -- at the level of operant conditioning, as described by B.F. Skinner -- there are five types of stimulus that can be used to change behavior. So here's the crash course:
Positive reinforcement: a desired behavior is encouraged through the use of a reward.
     ie. giving a dog a cookie for sitting on command
Negative reinforcement: a desired behavior is encouraged by removing something unpleasant.
     ie. letting up the tension in the leash when the dog sits
Positive punishment: an undesired behavior is discouraged through use of an aversive.
     ie. saying "No!" to a dog who has just jumped on someone
Negative punishment: an undesired behavior is discouraged by taking something good away.
     ie. taking away the dog's toy because he is starting to destroy it
Extinction: an undesired behavior stops because it produces no result
     ie. a dog is completely ignored while he is jumping - finding no reaction, he moves on to other behaviors
...
It sometimes seems that there are as many methods of dog training as there are dog trainers, but here are some key things to keep in mind while working with your own dog:
- You cannot change the past. You must always start from where you are today. And from here you can go in any direction you like. It doesn't matter where you've been or how fast you're moving -- just remember to enjoy the scenery.
- Your ultimate goal is to create a positive relationship with your dog, based on mutual respect. Be kind, patient, and curious. A sense of humor helps, too.
- Good trainers need excellent timing! Dogs don't hold onto the past, so if you wait too long, they won't understand what they're being rewarded or punished for. We're talking on the order of seconds here, not minutes and certainly not hours.
- A good reinforcer is specific to the animal you're working with. Take the opportunity of training to find out what your dog really likes to work for. Is it food? What kind? Is it a toy? A belly rub? They are all unique, so experiment!
- Never try to train your dog when you are upset, angry, frustrated, or otherwise unhappy. Training should always come from a loving, rational state of mind. Plan ahead -- don't react and overreact.
- Remember free will! When you get down to it, it's really impossible to force any creature's compliance. All you can do is make desirable behavior more rewarding and undesirable behavior less rewarding. So make sure you really appreciate every good behavior your dog gives you. He didn't have to!
&nbsp&nbsp For some detailed (and really technical) info on operant conditioning, check out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning
   For a much more in depth discussion of operant conditioning specific to animal training, head over to:
http://www.wagntrain.com/OC/
   And for info on the wonderful world of clicker training, visit:
http://www.clickertrain.com/whatis.html
There's a whole world of information out there, so have fun learning what you and your dog can accomplish together. (Hey, and when you've gotten the hang of it, you might want to try training your cat and your bird and your fish, too!)

Winter Grooming

The best kind of grooming is regular grooming. Whether your pet is a fluffed out poodle princess or a seasonally shedding sheltie, there is an appropriate grooming interval that a discussion with your groomer about the specific needs of both you and your pet can help reveal. If that interval is 4-6 weeks, as it typically is for most drop-coated or curly-coated breeds, or closer to 8-12 weeks, as is often the case for short-coated shedding breeds, it's generally a good idea to stick to that interval year-round. Often, however, winter gives pet owners pause when it comes to their regularly scheduled grooming.

"Well, it's cold now, so we're going to wait a bit," is a common comment heard at grooming shops across the un-temperate parts of the country. The reasoning usually is that a pet whose coat is allowed to grow out a bit longer will be more comfortable in the cold weather. Unfortunately, skipping or stretching grooming visits often results in exactly the opposite -- a less comfortable pet. Why is that?

First of all, drop-coated and curly-coated pets who are prone to matting get a double whammy. The extra length of coat combined with the snow-balls and moisture the coat is exposed to creates an ideal environment for tangles to form and tighten and grow. So now your longer coated dog's matted coat actually does the opposite. A matted coat dries more slowly, leaving your pooch wet and shivering after a romp through the snow. Additionally, the tangles in the coat prevent it from insulating efficiently -- an unmatted coat insulates by trapping a pocket of air close to the body while a matted coat just traps dirt and moisture. Of course, this can be prevented by being more vigilant in brushing and combing at home, but that's a lot of extra work without the extra benefit you would expect. Adding a bit more length of coat doesn't really add to the insulating power of the coat the way putting a cute doggie coat on your pet would. By the way, those coats will help accelerate the formation of tangles as well, yet another reason to keep up with a tidy, insulating haircut!

Second, a dog who spends the majority of his time indoors is really not going to appreciate any extra insulation while he's inside, enjoying an otherwise comfortable life with central heating. If he suffers in the cold, doggie clothes will keep him cozy while he's in the cold, without his having to wear his "winter gear" while he's indoors as well!

And while they don't suffer from the cold nearly as much as our designer dogs do, a dog with undercoat often needs a bit of help keeping his coat's insulating power in top form. Undercoated dogs often run into trouble when hairs that were released but didn't shed out properly mat up or otherwise block that nice double-pane window effect and interfere with natural insulation as well. Brushing at home can certainly help keep the coat in top condition, and you should feel free to put off grooming for however long you can stand the eau d' ungroomed dog!

If the points above don't convince you to keep to your schedule, bear in mind that the haircut is usually the most apparent, but arguably, not the most important part of professional grooming. You can certainly request a longer haircut in the winter time so that you can enjoy all the benefits of a professional bath and comb-out, nail trimming and ear cleaning, without taking as much (or any) coat off. Your groomer can make sure your pet's rear end, pads of the feet, eyes and other problematic, debris-catching areas stay clean and tidy while preserving the length of the rest. There's no reason to miss out on the joys of a clean, styled pet just because the snow flies, now is there?

Welcome to the Snow

My favorite aspect of the independent grooming shop is the sense of community. I've always believed that grooming should be cooperative -- not simply a service provided but a real partnership that exists to enhance the lives of dogs and cats and the people who love them. I strive to create this in my business, to communicate openly and honestly with my clients, and to share my years of animal care experience with anyone who is willing to listen. My passion comes through in my work, in my words, and in my sometimes off-putting tendency to lecture clients as if they were the merely human custodians of my animals instead of the other way around.

But on a morning like this one, when the winter storms are bearing down and the roads have disappeared under a white blanket, it is a pleasure to call and be called by clients and agree, as a community, that the shop will not be open today. It is official, the referee has called it, it is a Snow Day. Like friends meeting for coffee, the safety of others is a priority. There are no cancellation fees or managers called or policies upheld. There are no excuses, no accusations, no frustrations. The important thing is that everyone is safe and warm. This is the pleasure of owning a small business.

Of course, rescheduling those appointments is going to make the rest of the week difficult, with increased tangles and overbooking and stress. Clients will also be making up for lost time, cranked up and in high gear. Their inconvenient time constraints and the constant phone calls and assorted interruptions as my clientele reboots will slow down the work flow of the shop. And all around, clients and neighbors and strangers on the street will be cursing the snow and the winter and all its trappings for weeks yet to come.

But today is a different kind of day. Today is a day of enforced leisure, meditation, and the easy kind of zen that comes from working hard, building relationships, making decisions and taking responsibility, and then, when the opportunity arises, simply embracing the weather.