You know that old saying: “You get what you pay for.” Here’s a list of ways you’ll receive better value at Tailored Tails Grooming Salon & Pet Spa:

DOGS

• All dogs have nails clipped and filed before the bath. There is no additional charge for nail filing as with most places.
• The ear canal will be plucked free of hair (if needed) before cleaning to keep a healthy airflow to the canal. Lack of airflow creates a warm, moist environment that invites possible growth of bacteria and/or fungus.
• All dogs will have their ears swabbed with cotton and ear cleaner prior to the bath. Our ear cleaner helps to eliminate bacteria and fungus from a normal ear canal.
• We use only high quality (and more costly) shampoos. We do not use the bargain brands, as they have ingredients that dry out the coat and leave dulling residues behind. Some will even cause your pet to feel itchy.
• Every dog is bathed twice. Our first wash is always with a clarifying & brightening shampoo. Your dog’s coat will never have a build-up of residues that dull the coat.
• Every dog gets a second wash with a shampoo that will rid your pet of the last bit of dirt leaving the coat squeaky clean and odor free.
• Faces of all dogs are washed only with a gentle, tearless shampoo.
• Every dog gets coat conditioner; it’s not an add-on option with us (or extra cost for you). They not only get a coat conditioner, but they get the one that is right for their coat type. Your dog’s skin & coat needs that moisture and nourishment. A good conditioner “lays down” the cuticle of the hair making the coat look more smooth and shiny. This also helps prevent mats from forming, which can be a time and money saver for you in the long run! More importantly, your dog is much more comfortable and future grooming is less stressful (and less costly for you).
• When all bathing is complete, every dog gets another droplet or two of ear cleaner in the ear canal just in case any water might have gotten in the ear while rinsing. We have been open for nearly 4 years and have never had a complaint about ear infections being caused by bathing. (Water is not the cause of ear infections, anyway.)
• If you have requested teeth brushing a new, never-used toothbrush will be used. The teeth are brushed to remove plaque and prevent formation of tartar. If you don’t wish to keep the toothbrush, it is thrown away. (Believe it or not, I have seen places use the same toothbrush on every dog. Gross!)
• Senior dogs or dogs with hip problems are bathed at our floor shower area so they do not have to be lifted or climb steps into a high bathtub.
• Your pet is wrapped in a fresh, clean towel after the bath to absorb excess water. This is an important step in drying your dog more quickly and limits your pet’s exposure to the loud noise of our dryers.
• Our towels are washed with industrial detergent and a disinfectant after each use. Towels are never re-used or shared from one pet to another. (Yes, I have seen several places that re-used towels without washing them. Disgusting!)
• Every dog is dried by hand. Your dog’s ears are covered to protect them. The coat is completely brushed, “every hair, everywhere”. If you have requested a de-shedding treatment, we remove as much dead hair and undercoat as possible. Curly coated dogs are fluff dried to stretch the curl as much as possible. This helps to set the coat for the prettiest finish haircut and makes it beautifully fluffy.
• Our drying room is separate & fully enclosed from the rest of the salon to contain the “flying” hair and to lessen noise.
• We will create the haircut that you request. We can do a Breed Standard trim if requested, OR we will listen to your details and do our best to give your dog the haircut you want.
• We do not use a grooming “noose”. We use only grooming loops that attach to a safety device on the grooming arm, or a type of loop that can be placed across the chest & under the dog’s arm. There will not be any pressure against the pet’s throat, and your dog is more secure from falling as well.
• Your pet may be kenneled at various stages of the grooming process. Our kennels are disinfected after every use!

CATS

• Grooming loops are never placed around a cat’s neck.
• Cats are kept in separate areas away from dogs as much as possible.
• All cats receive very thorough bathing; this is the most important part of grooming for cats!
• We dry cats using a dryer designed specifically for cats.
• All products used on cats are labeled specifically for safe use with cats.
• Finish grooming for cats is done in our “cats only” room. Separate from the rest of the salon, this room is smaller, quiet, and a more comfortable environment for kitties.
• We regularly use aromatherapy for cats to sooth and comfort them and at no additional cost to you.

ALL PETS

• Several staff members are trained in First Aid and CPR for pets.
• Every team member at Tailored Tails must complete our Safety Program before working with any pet. This includes study of body language and animal behavior as well as learning our protocols for safety, cleanliness, and disinfection of all areas and equipment. This is an important point – I worked at a number of places before deciding to open Tailored Tails and never once saw a Safety Program in place at a privately owned salon!
• Every Groomer at Tailored Tails has attended a professional grooming academy and/or has become Certified through additional education and testing.
• Sometimes it’s the little things that mean a lot. Is your pet a puppy or kitten new to grooming? We may need to go more slowly and we do not charge for this additional time. Is your pet a senior or a pet with special health concerns? We may need to go more slowly, we may need to use a special product, or we may need to provide some simple comfort like a heating pad.
• Pay by commission is common in this industry, and while it encourages faster grooming it also does not allow time for those little comforts that mean so much to your pet. Tailored Tails staff is paid hourly to focus on better quality in your pet’s care. We keep our atmosphere as calm and quiet as possible, and we always work as a team in meeting the needs of the pets.
• We have a Receptionist to handle our telephone and appointment scheduling. Your Groomer is not repeatedly distracted or taken away from grooming your pet – your pet gets the full attention s/he deserves!

Whatever the need may be, the pets are our first concern at Tailored Tails and we go out of our way to make grooming a pleasant experience for them!

Wouldn’t you think that all grooming salons do these things? No, remember that there is no regulation in the grooming industry! Anyone may begin working with pets with NO education, no experience, or without even first becoming a Groomer! At Tailored Tails we prefer to operate our salon as though regulation is already in place. But how do you know, really, that we do all these things? Our entire salon is monitored by video camera and displayed in our lobby on a 42” screen for all to see. You will always have peace of mind when leaving your pets with us!

We get the impression from folks occasionally that it’s believed pet grooming is a job that requires little to no education, but it is actually quite the opposite. A Professional Groomer understands that pets need more than just a quick bath and a haircut, and we must work together with a pet’s family to help meet their grooming needs. At Tailored Tails Grooming we have those trained Professional Groomers with the knowledge to help you out, and we are willing to share what we’ve learned.

We wonder what you’d find most informative…

• What information would be most useful to you?
• What can we help you with?
• Is there something you’d like to know about pet grooming in general?
• Is there anything you would like to know about Tailored Tails?
• Do you have a question about your dog?
• Are you curious about anything related to grooming your cat?
• Are there other services you want us to provide?
• Have you just casually thought about something related to grooming, but never took the time to ask?

Maybe there’s something you’ve thought wasn’t so important really, but it would still be interesting to know – this is the forum for your questions. Don’t keep wondering!

This web site, our blog, and our Facebook page is all for you. Please let us know what you’re thinking! Give us feedback or jot down your thoughts. Ask all those questions – there’s no such thing as a silly question!

We will compile a list for a few weeks. We may add to our FAQ section or address your questions in our blog. You may remain anonymous, or we’ll contact you directly if you wish. Just click on the Contact Us tab on the web site and type away!

It’s up to us to teach him. No pet should be stressed by grooming, and if Groomer and owner work together, it can certainly be accomplished. Dogs are taught to stand through the entire grooming process. Patience and repetition are needed.

A puppy (or kitten) should have their first visit to a grooming salon just after a Veterinarian has confirmed good health and the first set of vaccinations are complete, but no later than the age of 4 months.

For comfort we should begin slowly and start with a simple Bath & Brush. This would include a nail trim, ear cleaning, and possibly the first sanitary trim if the pet is ready to accept it.

The second visit 4 to 6 weeks later may advance to what we call our Neat & Tidy Package, but only if the puppy is ready and owners are doing the “puppy homework” we’re about to describe here. This includes all the same things as the Bath & Brush, plus we are now advancing to include a little trimming of the face, feet, and furnishings. (For some breeds, such as Golden Retrievers or Border Collies, this may be a complete grooming.) Some dog breeds still have one more step to go before they have reached what will be their complete grooming.

A truly Professional Groomer should be giving pet owners honest feedback on the pet’s behavior following each visit. A wiggly pet or one who is upset by any aspect of grooming does not mean that a pet is being “bad”! These are completely normal young pet behaviors and each animal is unique; some may advance more quickly than others.

If a puppy has made it through the first two grooming salon visits with no issues, we are now ready to advance to a complete grooming for breeds who will be getting an all-over haircut. If a puppy is not ready, we may need to consider a second Neat & Tidy followed by a little more puppy homework.

Below are handling tips for pet owners to ready their new pets for the first visit to the grooming salon! Take each section one at a time to avoid overwhelming yourself.

For each step you must be more persistent than your puppy. It may seem harsh to you, but don’t let go or back off. Doing so will only teach your puppy that if s/he resists or struggles you will let go or stop, and s/he will only resist more the next time you try. None of these things will hurt her; they are only unfamiliar to her. If you feel you are struggling, talk to us at Tailored Tails Grooming – we are here to help you with your grooming needs!

Why should you be the one doing all this? Isn’t this a Groomer’s job? We do not ask this of you for the Groomer’s sake; this is for your pet! No, if we are going to be completely straightforward and honest with you, we must say that your puppy will not understand and remember what is expected if s/he is taught these things only once every 6 weeks. While they are young, it must be repeated often for them to become secure and comfortable about this handling of their bodies. The ONLY reason this should be done is for your dog to become relaxed with handling so that grooming can be as stress free as possible for their lifetime.

HANDLE THE FEET

Feet should be handled daily in several ways.

Start by lifting each foot up and back so that the pad of the foot is facing upward, like these photos show. This teaches a puppy to stand quietly while balancing on three legs and prepares him for clipping of the hair from the pads, trimming of the nails, and filing of the nail edges.

Just standing on three legs may be an accomplishment! Remember, if you’re “thinking like a dog”, we are expecting him to balance on three legs AND to tolerate a buzzing clipper on his foot AND to allow his nails to be cut. That’s a lot for a baby, but he can learn if we are patient.

Next, handle the feet a little more by gently pushing on each nail, pulling on and wiggling each nail just a little, and splaying the toes a little by gently pressing on the pad as shown in these next photos.

This will be strange to your puppy, but s/he will become used to it.

Some dogs are sensitive about trimming around the feet. Playing with the hair on their toes may be helpful. Here’s a photo showing how we trim feet on dogs with longer hair.

We sometimes see that the slight movement of hair causes dogs to pull the foot away. One groomer’s “trick” is to lift the opposite foot forcing the dog to keep the foot being trimmed on the table. As you can see in the photo below, however, this causes the dog to lean just a little for balance and prevents the Groomer from getting an even trim around the foot.

HANDLE THE REAR LEGS

Most dogs will need a “sanitary” trim. This is trimming of the hair around the genitalia to help your pet keep clean after eliminating.

The rear legs are lifted for clippers to reach these areas. A dog’s rear legs lift outward to the side, like this:

Notice in the photo that it is important to support the stifle (knee) while lifting. Your Groomer will use the clippers under the pet with the other hand.

HANDLE THE TAIL

Get your puppy used to having the tail held up. Not pulling, just lifting, although it will be a puppy’s instinctive reaction to sit or move away and be alarmed by this. It may be helpful to place a hand on the abdomen to discourage the pet from sitting.

Continue to Part 2

Sometimes pets have legs that are too short for clippers to reach areas under the pet when lifting one rear leg. Then a Groomer may lift both forelegs standing the dog on his rear legs to do the sanitary trim from a better angle.

A word of caution: To prevent possible injury, this hold should NOT be practiced on dogs with a long back unless additional support is provided by a second person holding on each side around the rib cage.

Lift your dog’s forelegs one at a time, too. The first reaction of most dogs is to stand on the rear legs. Gently place a hand on the back near the withers to discourage this and repeat lifting one foreleg.

Natural movement of the leg is forward only; try not to pull the leg to the side.

HANDLE THE FACE

Some dogs need trimming of hair on the face. Others, like Poodles, may have all hair clipped very short from the entire face. All dogs need their teeth brushed regularly. Getting puppy used to having her face held will make her more comfortable with all these grooming activities.

(The dogs in our photos are not having clipping or scissoring done to their faces, but the lack of hair makes it easier to demonstrate for our purposes here.)

Some dogs may be alarmed by the sound and vibration of the clippers around their face. Lifting the ear to clip sides of the face makes the buzzing sound louder and takes some getting used to.

We suggest practicing at home with an electric razor (with the safety cap on or turned backward) and rub the face with it to get your dog used to the feel and sound.

A Groomer’s shears will feel and sound completely different from the clippers. Using a pair of blunt tipped safety scissors very carefully, place them near but not on the face, open & close them a few times so your dog will hear the sound they make.

Your Groomer may used curved shears (they are pointed) on the sides of the face and under the chin, but will most likely use blenders or safety tipped shears nearest the eyes. All work is done while your dog’s face is being held. If a puppy has not yet learned to hold still, very little to no trimming will be done on the face for obvious safety reasons.

Puppies will need to become used to having his mouth opened and fingers in the sides of the mouth. This readies him for checkups at the Veterinarian and for having his teeth brushed.

Don’t forget the neck area and under the chin. Lifting the head is another movement s/he must become used to for combing and clipping. Gently hold the dog’s muzzle or the hair on the chin and lift upward.

HANDLE THE EARS

Lift your puppy’s ear leather over the top of the head. Be patient. Instinct will be to pull away and shake the head to right the ear. Use positive encouragement and try again until he learns to stand quietly. Then touch the ear gently with a knuckle or fingertip to simulate the motion and sound of ear cleaning. Photos are shown below.

Your Groomer will wet a piece of cotton with ear cleaner and swab the ear. To your pet it will feel cold and make a strange sound, not to mention that your puppy has never had anything in his ear before.

Some breeds of dogs will also need hair finger-plucked from the ear canal prior to cleaning. This does not hurt, but it will definitely feel odd to the puppy.

COMB YOUR PUPPY

Combing is all a dog needs until you find a tangle.

(Dogs with very short hair may be brushed to stimulate glands in the hair follicles for healthy skin and coat.)

Tangled coat is one of the worst things that can happen to your pet! It causes many problems and will result with a Groomer being forced to give your pet a short haircut before s/he is ready, or result in a haircut you do not want.

The comb will never miss a tangle. When a tangle is found place the comb under the tangle, then use a slicker brush against the comb to brush out the tangle. This prevents the brush from hitting your pet’s skin.

All pets with longer hair must be combed all over the entire body on a regular basis – remember “every hair, everywhere”. How often a pet needs combing varies with coat type.

Don’t let all this cause you to feel overwhelmed! All this writing and the photos make it look like a big “project” and can appear more difficult than it really is. Break it down into sections and take it one thing at a time.

Much of this can be done during play or as you watch television and puppy is sitting on your lap. These actions will not only prepare your dog for grooming, but will help you bond as well. By being patient and gentle, s/he will learn to trust you. Communicate with your Professional Groomer and ask for help if needed.

We will say again: For each step you must be more persistent than your puppy. It may seem harsh to you, but don’t let go or back off. Doing so will only teach your puppy that if s/he resists or struggles you will let go or stop, and s/he will only resist more the next time you try. None of these things will hurt her; they are only unfamiliar to her. If you feel you are struggling, talk to us at Tailored Tails Grooming – we are here to help you with your grooming needs!

Remember, too, that during a puppy’s first several grooming visits, we are not striving for a perfect haircut; we are focusing on just getting a little accomplished as the puppy learns what it’s all about. The beautiful haircut will come later as your puppy matures.

Thank you for caring enough to invest the time and effort for grooming to be a relaxed and normal routine for your pet!

http://nationalcatgroomers.com/school/video-clips

Just about everyone already knows that cats and dogs can hear much better than us two-legged folks. But how much better is that, exactly? I sometimes wonder about such things around the house when the TV is turned up too loud or someone starts the lawnmower and I see how my own pets react.

So we thought we’d find out. These days you don’t have to look too far with access to the Internet. With the first search we found a simplified explanation about hearing. Vibrations cause sound, and the number of vibrations produced per second is called “frequency” (or pitch). Frequency is measured in hertz (Hz), with one hertz equal to one vibration per second. Here’s how we compare:

• Cats can hear up to 100,000 Hz
• Dogs can hear 35,000 to 60,000 Hz
• Humans hear about 20,000 Hz

Please note that this refers to the pitch of sounds (frequency), not loudness (decibels). Information combining the two can become quite involved and much more complicated than what we want to discuss here in our little blog. A pet’s hearing ability also varies from one breed to another, and their ability to hear varies with age just like humans.

A long time ago, when drying dogs in the grooming salon for a long period of time with one of our high-velocity dryers, I noticed that my ears would be ringing for a bit after I turned off the dryer. I can’t help but wonder how the dog’s ears must feel; are their ears ringing too?

Some time later, I read a blog written by a respected expert in the grooming industry regarding noise levels in a salon. Here’s a link to her web site and her blog posted in January 2010.

http://groomblog.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html

It was shocking to learn that noise levels were documented at over 100 decibels with the high-velocity dryers that every grooming salon uses. We immediately implemented a policy at Tailored Tails making it mandatory for all employees to wear ear protection when using the dryers. We hold the opinion that when we become aware of a safety issue (for either humans or pets), we should not wait for some organization to make mandatory rules forcing us to correct the matter. Common sense should tell us to do something about it! (This is yet another example of why we need regulation in the grooming industry.)

What about the pets, though? Just to be on the safe side (and using our common sense!), at Tailored Tails Grooming Salon we cover the pet’s ears when using the high-velocity dryers. Not all dogs will leave the cover over their ears, but we try. Cats are dried by hand in our Catty Shack Vac with a different type dryer; the design of this drying system shields cats from most of the dryer noise.

Taste & Smell:

These two are closely linked. Ever notice that when you have a stuffy nose you can’t taste what you’re eating? We suppose it’s much the same for pets. Here’s what we found:

Taste Buds:

• Cats have ~473
• Dogs have ~1706
• Humans have ~9000+

Scent Receptors:

• Cats have ~200 million
• Dogs have ~125 to 300 million
• Humans have ~5 million

Wow! The differences are huge. One source states that a cat’s sense of smell is 14 times greater than humans. The same source also says that cats lack a certain protein, one of two required for function of the sweetness sensory receptor.

We occasionally have pet owners tell us their pet doesn’t like certain pet foods. These few facts make it pretty obvious that we need to appeal to the sense of smell more than their taste if your pet is a finicky eater. (On the other side of that same coin, we should keep this in mind when we are tempted to give our pets too many treats!) Once again I wonder about these things around the house. What must our pets think when humans use cologne or smelly cleaning products? We do know that many chemicals can be dangerous or even poisonous for some pets. This is definitely food for thought (pardon the pun, I couldn’t resist)…

Sight:

We occasionally see some boarding kennels advertise that they have television in some boarding suites. Some even offer a choice between black & white or color, with the color TV being an “upgrade”. It was once believed that dogs could not even see color, so such a choice seemed odd. The latest research, though, indicates that dogs can detect part of the range of colors that humans can see. Most probably they cannot see colors from green to red, and they mostly see shades of yellow and blue. It is also believed that a dog’s ability to focus is lesser than humans, and estimates are that dogs see with about 20/75 vision. This means that they can see clearly at 20 feet away what a human would see clearly at 75 feet away. Based on what is known today, human eyesight is superior to dogs.

Cats, on the other hand, have excellent ability to detect motion due to greater peripheral vision. Because their pupils dilate wider, they have more of a panoramic view than humans. Cats also have excellent night vision. However, they can be a little nearsighted and not see what’s right under their nose because of a blind spot right under their chin. It is believed that cats are able to detect some colors, but specifics about this are not clear.

These are just a few little tidbits of trivia. Even so, in our daily association with pets we feel it’s important to understand as much about them as we can. Sometimes it’s the little things that mean a lot. After all, grooming is a necessity for their entire lives; we think every pet deserves to be comfortable with grooming!

Below are two photos of dogs with correctly clipped nails. Look closely to see the ‘quick’ at the center of each nail – it appears black in a dog with dark nails and pink in a dog with white nails. (A cat’s nails would appear the same, but they are usually too narrow to see this clearly.)

The perfectly trimmed nail, as shown in these photos, comes close enough to the quick to just barely expose the beginning of that tissue at the center, but without cutting into it. With some experience this is easy to accomplish with white nails. The pink quick is easily visible through the side of nail and cutting just below this achieves a perfect cut. (Please note that we do not say perfect length, but we’ll come back to that in a minute.)

On black nails, how do you see the quick? Ahh, we’ve arrived at what I like to call one of “The Hard Truths of Grooming”. The honest answer is, you can’t. Someone with experience in nail trimming can make a good guess based on:

• curvature of the nail
• tissue that can be seen from underneath the nail
• how far past the bottom of the pad the nail has grown, and
• dryness of the nail tissue toward the tip of the nail

Even so, at best it’s still only a good ‘guesstimate’.

We realize that for some pet owners this can be hard to accept, but we see no value in turning away from the truth; there is certainly no advantage in that for the pets. We see pet owners daily who truly love their pets and treat them as part of the family. We see daily that pet owners want to be as informed as possible about proper pet care, and at Tailored Tails our clients are very appreciative of our honesty and willingness to share our education. We often hear clients tell us that they’ve been taking pets to a Groomer for many years and they wonder aloud why some of these things were never discussed with them before. One of our goals at Tailored Tails is to share our knowledge with pet owners as much as possible.

Those who work with pets on a daily basis have seen first-hand what happens when owners avoid having a pet’s nails trimmed because they fear a quicked nail or because the pet doesn’t like it. Sometimes the nails will begin to curve twisting the animal’s toe, or they may curve under the pad and begin to grow into the tissue of the foot or side of the leg. Yes, we’ve seen this many times. Thus, our next photos:

Nails like these are painful to the dog with every step! But believe it or not, these nails will be easier to trim without cutting into the quick than nails that have grown out just a little. Why? That sounds completely ridiculous, doesn’t it? Yet, we must remember that Mother Nature knows how to protect these animals in some ways – in nails like these the body senses that the nail is in extreme danger of breaking off, and the quick draws back to protect the toe and foot. When nails are only a little overgrown, the quick grows as well and can be very close to the tip. At that point the quick is more likely to be cut when trimming the nails even a little.

So what is to be done when the quick has grown out along with the nail? We must get it to draw back, and there are only two ways to achieve that:

• Have the nails trimmed more often to expose the quick (as seen in the first set of photos) forcing it to draw back in protection of itself, or
• Walk the dog on hard or abrasive surfaces as often as possible; the tap, tap, tap on the nail is sensed by the body, again forcing the quick to draw back in protection of the body.

Now, back to the subject of proper length of the nails. Nail length should be even with, or slightly higher than, the bottom of the pad of the foot. When a dog is standing on a flat surface, the nails should not touch the floor or just barely touch. This is your Professional Groomer’s goal.

So what if the quick has grown past this point along with the nail? Here’s another one of those “hard truths of grooming” – the tip of the quick may be cut if your dog has dark nails. Will it hurt your dog? Maybe, maybe not – it is rare and this Groomer has trimmed more nails than I would care count. Each dog is unique, some more sensitive than others.

The reason it does not usually hurt is because only the smallest tip of the quick is close to the end of the nail. Remember, the body has sensed that tap, tap, tap on the end of the nail as the dog walks and the quick has drawn back – perhaps just not quite enough. Sometimes there is a small capillary extending into the tip of the nail that may bleed, but those sensitive nerves are likely not present. We may trim all of the nails and only one nail may be quicked. Don’t freak out! This does not mean that your dog has been harmed! This is what styptic powder is used for, and the nail will heal over within hours. Most often the styptic powder is not even needed and any bleeding will stop on its own.

Cutting deeply into the quick would be another issue; it would cause pain and would be considered an injury to the pet. This type of cutting should be done only by a Veterinarian and with the pet under sedation. (Tailored Tails never sedates any animal.)

Are you still wondering or want to learn more? We can provide more on this topic from our schoolbooks obtained at professional grooming academy. Also, Tailored Tails Grooming Salon & Pet Spa has a Nail Trimming Information sheet with even more information. Who would think there could be so much to discuss only about Nail Trimming? Our Nail Trimming Information sheet is given to clients at their first visit with us in the Welcome Packet along with some other great information. Please ask us about it!

We often hear clients say as they enter our salon that they don’t understand why their dog seems scared. We also sometimes gain new clients who arrive and tell us they’ve left their other salon because their dog acted nervous every time they went in, and they think something “bad” might have happened there. While we are always thrilled to gain new clients for any reason, we thought we might shed some light on why dogs act nervous about coming to the Groomer.

We first must understand that dogs are born as territorial creatures with a “pack” social structure tendency. These are instincts they’re born with, and nothing can take it out of them. At the same time we need to realize that most dogs have the mentality of a human toddler. The best we humans can do is to recognize these traits and deal with them in the correct way.

Let’s think like a dog! In your dog’s mind, your home and yard is her territory. In your dog’s mind, your family (both human and other pets) is her pack. The moment you put her in the car and drive, she is feeling stress at leaving her territory. Then she arrives at a new territory; she is now feeling even more stress. This can be any place you might take your pet – grooming salon, Veterinarian, pet store, or simply a quick trip to run errands – it doesn’t matter to your dog, all she knows is that it’s not her territory. Now to add to it all, she is led into this foreign territory and she smells other dogs (and people) that she does not recognize as part of her pack. Your dog has a lot of alarm bells going off in her head about now. Grooming has not yet even entered the picture!

What do we do then? At the grooming salon, we put her up on a raised grooming table when she is used to being at floor level. Then we clip her nails when she’s most likely not even used to someone touching her feet. We stick a piece of cotton in her ear that feels cold because it’s wet with ear cleaner. That’s gotta sound funny inside her ear, right? We haven’t even made it to the bathtub yet! On and on we could go with examples of what your dog must think about this strange business of grooming! If we’re remembering to ‘Think Like A Dog’ it must be pretty scary for them! Yet, it is very necessary to their proper care and good health.

What can we do to help our dogs? First, start grooming at a young age and ease into it slowly. Tailored Tails can offer suggestions for handling at home to simulate grooming at a salon. Second, make it a routine. Coming to the Groomer on a regular schedule will help your dog know what to expect. Next, properly socializing our pets at a very young age and learning as much as we can about their behavior and body language will help in many ways. Knowing the difference between our dogs’ stress signals and true signs of fear is another way to understand them. Once understood, it’s much easier to address their needs. The differences in body language and behavior can be very subtle. (One small example often misunderstood is a dog wagging the tail; it does not always mean that your dog is happy.)

Tailored Tails Grooming Salon has a couple of different DVD’s that may help you to better understand what your dog might be telling you. Our staff is trained on these topics to better provide your pet with professional care. However, these training tools are also available to our clients for viewing at our Salon just for the asking; there is no charge. Learn to ‘Think Like A Dog’ and we think your pet will love you even more!

Many cat owners still believe that old myth that cats groom themselves, but no, they lick themselves. Yech! Cats love (and deserve) to be clean & beautiful, but they need our help! They can’t clip their own nails or clean their ears, or give themselves a proper bath. Once again there’s an old myth that cats don’t like a bath, but we find they really don’t mind and many even enjoy it! No, not kidding! Please give us a call for a Professional Cat Grooming – you will be pleasantly surprised at how beautiful your cat can be!