By working to a standard “method”, the groomer can reduce the amount of time and effort needed to a bathe an animal. First, gather all the necessary tools and supplies that you will need for the job.
Have All Necessary Tools and Supplies Within Reach
You will be surprised at how quickly a nervous or fidgety animal can get tangled or fall from a grooming table. By first gathering all your tools and supplies beforehand, you won’t have to leave a dog or cat unattended.
Remember The Five P’s
When bathing a pet, there are certain chores, which should be handled prior to the bath itself. We call this “prepping.” And I like to remember it as the 5 P’s. Professional Prepping Produces Pretty Pets.
The purpose of “prepping” is to get the dog or cat ready for its’s final grooming without having to worry about whether or not the ears or nails still need work. The groomer can then relax and focus on trimming the animals coat and creating all the pleasing “lines” of a professional grooming.
Here is a Groomer’s Prepping Checklist.
Tips & Time-Savers
- Inspect the pads and clip or trim in-between, using cordless professional trimmers. They are easier to maneuver around the pads. Make sure they are fully-charged.
- Check for mattes, burrs, and ticks, before gently brushing out the pet’s coat. If you are going to clip the pet short, doing a basic or “rough” clipping will save drying time later.
- When clipping nails, be aware of where the “quick” starts, as the animal
- Inspect the ears. Pluck or trim the dead hair if necessary. Clean the ears. Add cotton balls to protect the ears from water in the ear canal.
- Clip the dog’s hygiene area.
- *Many groomers chose not to express the anal glands, but this can be done first thing after getting them into the bath water.
Washing:
Every dog should be secured in the bathtub with a neck safety yoke. The dog should stand on a rubber mat. All the equipment you will need should be close at hand: shampoo, a scrub brush for feet and cotton balls for the dog’s ears.
Next, settle the dog into a warm water bath. Lather and scrub, rinse and repeat a second time. Then do a thorough rinsing. Shampoo left in the coat can irritate the dog causing it to scratch itself excessively.
Drying:
The high velocity dryer is kept beside the tub along with a supply of dry towels. Never leave a dog unattended in the tub while you search for supplies.
Use heavy bath towels to dry the coat as much as possible before the final blow- drying.
*The secret to achieving professional results is to finish drying every dog on the table. Directional brushing and fluff drying will help you shape the coat correctly.
Conclusion:
By taking the time to correctly bathe and dry every dog, your efforts will et you apart from your competition. Pet owners won’t know the effort you have made, but will see the results and that will keep them coming back in the future.