Groomer to Groomer March 2016

THE GROOMING INDUSTRYS TRADE MAGAZINE!

VOL. 35 ED. 3 MARCH 2016 WWW.GROOMERTOGROOMER.COM

MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU THINK

FINISHING TOUCHES

ASK THE GROOMING TUTORI NCLEMENT WEATHER

HEALTHY SKIN AND COATFROM THE INSIDE OUT

Teruko Miller, Champion of the World Cup Grooming Games at Groom Expo West 2016 with Mary Meeks of Natures Specialties.

Photo by Animal Photography.

GroomertoGroomer.com

ANDIS

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Copyright Mar. 2016. Groomer to Groomer is published monthly by Barkleigh Productions, Inc, 970 West Trindle Road, Mechanicsburg PA 17055. Postmaster: Send change of address to Groomer to Groomer c/o Barkleigh Productions, Inc., 970 West Trindle Road, Mechanicsburg PA 17055. Annual U.S. subscription rate $25. Outside U.S. $79. year, surface rates. Groomer to Groomer is free to current Barkleigh Productions, Inc. customers. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Editorial offices: 970 West Trindle Road, Mechanicsburg PA 17055. (717) 6913388 FAX: (717) 6913381 Email: [email protected]

EDITORIAL STAFF

COLUMNISTS

Kathy Rose

Teri DiMarino

Kathy Hosler

Dawn Omboy

Gary Wilkes

Mary Oquendo

Daryl Conner

ALSO INSIDEConner: What You Said, What They Heard 6

Healthy Skin & Coat from the Inside Out 14 Wilkes:10 Steps to Housetraining Success 24

Omboy: Lucy Lab - The Cats Meow 32

Demystifing Groomer Pay 42

Oquendo: Website Security 46

Training & Hiring Persons With Disabilities 54 Groomer Stories: Genesis Cuen 60

Rose: Pet Pomeranian Profile Trim 62

Product News 66

Classifieds 68

Calendar of Events 70

34 by Melanie Haber

CONTENTS | MARCH 2016

EDITOR/PRESIDENT

Todd Shelly [email protected]

ASSISTANT EDITOR Gwen Shelly [email protected]

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Adam Lohr [email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR Rebecca Shipman [email protected]

ART DIRECTOR

Laura Pennington [email protected]

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Jennifer Barraclough [email protected]

WEB DESIGNERS Lance Williams [email protected]

Luke Dumberth [email protected]

DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING James Severs [email protected]

50

by Kathy HoslerPAGE 20

ON THE COVER: Teruko Miller, Champion of the World Cup Grooming Games at Groom Expo West 2016 with Mary Meeks of Natures Specialties.


THE GROOMING INDUSTRYS TRADE MAGAZINE!

VOL. 35 ED. 3 MARCH 2016 WWW.GROOMERTOGROOMER.COM

MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU THINK

FINISHING TOUCHES

ASK THE GROOMING TUTORI NCLEMENT WEATHER

HEALTHY SKIN AND COATFROM THE INSIDE OUT

Teruko Miller, Champion of the World Cup Grooming Games at Groom Expo West 2016 with Mary Meeks of Natures Specialties.


MORE IMPORTANTTHAN YOU THINK

A LOVING BOND WITH EVERY

GROOMING PET

By Michell Evans

Ask The Grooming Tutor: INCLEMENT WEATHER &

EMPLOYEE BLUNDERS

GroomertoGroomer.com6 Groomer to Groomer Vol 35 Ed 3 March 2016

I t is a sad fact that many hurt feelings are caused by very simple miscommunications. One person says something,

believing that they are being crystal

clear with their words. The person

they are talking to misunderstands

what was said and feels unhappy. In

our line of work, misunderstandings

can carry additional emotional

weight because people love their pets

very much, and can become very

sensitive if they believe their pet

care professional harbors negative

feelings about their dog or cat. If

someone thinks you dislike their pet,

they are not going to want to leave

it with you, no matter how good you

are at your job.

Here is an example. I was given

our Pug, Smooch, when he was

about 5 months old. I took him

to my veterinarian for a checkup.

He received a clean bill of health. I

gushed to the doctor, Isnt he cute?

I mean, really, a black Pug puppy?

Cuteness overload! The vet replied,

Well, I guess, if you like space

aliens. That pug is now 10 years

old and I still vividly remember that

conversation. It hurt my feelings.

I took the comment as an insult to

my beloved puppy. I had to really

reign myself in. My veterinarian is

a great guy, and a skilled doctor. I

had to push down the feelings this

conversation brought up in me and

realize that he didnt mean anything

bad by it; he was trying to be funny.

If I got really practical, I had to admit

that Pugs do sort of look like aliens.

But the fact of the matter is this;

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people are sensitive about their pets.

A recent conversation with a new

customer gave me the idea for this

article. A woman brought in her

two mixed breed dogs. As she told

me about them, it was very clear

that the younger dog held a special

place in her heart. I didnt have to be

psychic to realize this, she said, Earl

is special. She hugged him tight,

He is just the best boy. Then she

said, My other groomer says he is a

challenge when she trims his nails. I

made a note of that and went about

my work. Earl was fine for his nail

trim, but is a nervous, high strung

dog, and grooming him was a little

bit like trying to pat a squirrel. He

was jumpy and fidgety, and to be

honest, sort of annoying to work

with. Not difficult, really, but less

than fun to be sure. When his owner

returned she greeted both dogs, but

gave Earl extra loving. How did he

do? she asked. He was fine when I

did his nails, I told her. She looked

incredibly relieved, Will you be their

new groomer? she asked. The other

groomer doesnt like Earl. Since I

happen to know the other groomer,

and found it unlikely that she

disliked the dog, I asked, What gives

you that idea? The owner looked

very sad and said, She always tells

me how difficult he is, I can tell she

just doesnt like him. I am imagining

the conversation went something

like this, I did the best I could with

his nails, but he is really difficult.

Those words (or some like them) are

innocuous enough, but the owner

read more into them.

Misunderstandings

happen, and

sometimes there is

no way that we can

prevent them. What

we can do is make sure

that customers know

that we do genuinely

like their pets.

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When people are communicating,

they rely on more than just words

to convey ideas. The person

speaking uses body language, facial

expressions, inflection and tone of

voice. All of this is wrapped up in

one package which is delivered to the

person they are speaking to.

The person who is listening takes in

the information in two stages. The

first stage is fast, automatic and

without effort. They hear the words,

and register the tone, inflection,

facial expressions and body language

in an instant. The second stage is

when the person purposely thinks about the communication, analyzing

what was meant. For instance, if

your best friend says, We need to

talk, your first, automatic response

is, OK, we need to talk. Next you

will begin to examine how your

friend looked and sounded when he

or she said those words. Will this be

a pleasant talk that will involve ice

cream or a confrontation to dread?

In the case of Earl and his

owner, she was clearly interpreting

the groomer telling her that Earl

was a handful for a pedicure into

something with a lot more emotion.

I have no way of knowing if the

other groomer genuinely didnt

like the dog, or if she happened to

have a bad headache when she told

his owner about the difficulties

she experienced. What I do know

is that I now have a new customer

that brings her two dogs in every 5

weeks, tips generously, and plans

to tell all of her friends about my

service, all because of a simple

misunderstanding.

Let me give you an example of

a time when something I said went

horribly wrong. A regular customer

with a small dog had her sister pick

the dog up from grooming one day.

We were having a very bad tick

season, and the dog had a tick on his

chest. The skin around the tick bite

was deeply red and angry looking.

When the sister picked the dog up

I said something like, He had a

tick on his chest, and it left a red

mark. I suggest you keep an eye on

it. Weeks went by, and the dog and

owner reappeared for grooming. I

greeted the owner cheerily, but she

would barely meet my eyes. Normally

a friendly, chatty person, she was

clearly unhappy. I pushed the issue,

Is everything ok? She took a

deep breath and said, My sister said

you thought I kicked my dog. I was

gob-smacked. Kicked your dog?

I asked. Yes, she said he had a red

mark on his chest and you thought

I had kicked him. It took me more

When people are communicating, they rely on more than just words

to convey ideas. The person speaking uses body language,

facial expressions, inflection and tone of voice.

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than a few moments to sort out what

had really happened.

Misunderstandings happen, and

sometimes there is no way that we

can prevent them. What we can do

is make sure that customers know

that we do genuinely like their pets.

It is not difficult to find something

positive to say even about a dog

that has really tried your patience. I

am not recommending that you be

untruthful, but do find something

upbeat and complimentary to

say. Even dogs that are horribly

challenging to groom have obvious

good points. If you are at a loss you

can say something like, Bosco has

such pretty eyes, or Look how

happy he is to see you! He has the

cutest wag! As pet owners ourselves,

we can understand how important

it is to us to have people like and

accept our pets. Convey the fact that

you like the pets you work on to

their owners. It is an excellent way to

retain customer loyalty.

As pet owners ourselves, we can understand how important it

is to us to have people like and accept our pets. Convey the

fact that you like the pets you work on to their owners. It is an

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The skin is a pets natural barrier to the outside world. As one of the bodys largest organs, the skin plays many vital functions to keep pets healthy. It protects the underlying internal organs, bones and muscles, provides sensory information, and acts as part of the immune system to guard against pathogens and external threats to health and safety. As part of the skin, fur also acts as a barrier and protects the skin, maintains body temperature, and contributes to the esthetic appeal of pets. Excellent grooming and proper nutrition ensure the health and beauty of a pets skin and coat.

CHOOSE A HIGH QUALITY FOODThe first step to helping your

clients achieve a coat that glistens and skin that is smooth and supple is guiding them to choose a high quality dog food. When it comes to ingredients, select foods that have their ingredients sourced from trusted partners as close to the manufacturing facility as possible to ensure freshness. Whole food ingredients, like fresh meats, fruits, and vegetables, provide the essential nutrients, antioxidants, and plant-based nutrients to support optimal health.

It is also important to select a food that has detailed nutrient

information readily available. Choose a brand that has consumer support available so your clients can pick up the phone and talk to someone who can help them with nutritional problems or questions should they arise.

FATS AND ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDSFats are a necessary part of a

balanced diet for dogs and play a key role in the maintenance of the skin and coat. For most healthy dogs, a diet that provides about 12 to 18 percent fat on a dry matter basis is best for health and maintenance. Fats are made up of building blocks called fatty acids. There are certain

E by Dr. Jennifer Adolphe e

OUT

FROM THEINSIDEHEALTHY SKIN & COAT

15

DOUBLE KAY


fatty acids that pets require from their diet because their body cannot make them. These are called essential fatty acids and include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Including both types of fatty acids in your pets diet is important because these fatty acids are metabolized in the body into substances that affect inflammation. Omega-3s are considered less inflammatory than omega-6s and may help pets experiencing irritated and inflamed skin.

Linoleic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid that is considered to be the most important essential fatty acid for dogs and cats. It plays a critical role in skin health by maintaining the outermost water barrier of the skin. In addition, many other important molecules in the body are made from linoleic acid. Dietary sources of linoleic acid include chicken fat and canola oil. Arachidonic acid, another omega-6 fatty acid, is found in fats from animals and fish, such as chicken, lamb, and salmon.

Omega-3 fatty acids are important for normal metabolism and optimal health. ALA is considered an essential fatty acid in dogs and cats and is found in oils from flaxseed and canola. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosaheaenoic acid (DHA) are marine-based omega-3s found in de-boned salmon, salmon oil, and algae extract. Animals can make EPA and DHA from ALA, though the rate of conversion is low. For optimal health, it is recommended that dietary sources of all three types of omega-3 fatty acids are consumed.

PROTEINFur is mostly made of protein,

thus adequate protein is vital to ensuring a healthy coat. Proteins are the building blocks of your pets body and consist of chains of amino acids joined together. There are 22 amino

Omega-3s are considered less

inflammatory than omega-6s and may

help pets experiencing irritated and

inflamed skin.

GroomertoGroomer.com 17Groomer to Groomer Vol 35 Ed 3 March 2016GroomertoGroomer.com

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Fortified with organic Baobab Protein from the African Tree of Life. Nourishes hair from the roots to the tip. Helps with heat protection and damage recovery. Instantly hydrates, moisturizes and rejuvenates skin. No Xanthan gum thickener added for quicker foam and rinse time.

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acids that dogs and cats require, but they can only make 12 of these (i.e. non-essential amino acids). The remaining 10 are essential amino acids that pets must get from food.

Complete and balanced pet foods must contain all of the essential amino acids in amounts that meet the requirements for cats or dogs. Protein and essential amino acid requirements can be met by animal protein sources, complementary plant sources, or a combination of both animal and plant sources. Good sources of protein that are commonly used in pet foods fall into three main categories: meals (e.g. chicken meal, lamb meal), fresh meat/fish/poultry (e.g. de-boned turkey, de-boned venison) and plant-based protein (e.g. pea protein, corn gluten meal).

VITAMINS AND MINERALSVitamins and minerals are

required in the diet in minute quantities, but they serve many important functions in maintaining a healthy skin and coat. In particular, deficiencies of vitamin A, vitamin E and zinc have been implicated in skin conditions in some genetically susceptible breeds. However, the vitamin and mineral content in

complete and balanced pet foods are more than adequate to meet the requirements of healthy pets.

Vitamin and mineral supplementation is used in kibble and canned pet foods to balance the nutrient composition and to ensure the healthiest pet foods possible. These supplements act like a nutrition insurance policy to provide essential nutrients in the correct ratios required by dogs and cats. While nutritionists formulate pet foods to use nutrient-rich ingredients that minimize the need for supplementation, nutrition science tells us that optimal nutrition cannot always be achieved by natural food sources alone, making supplementation of pet food necessary.

ADVERSE FOOD REACTIONSPets that experience itchy skin,

irritated eyes, frequent ear infections, chronic vomiting or diarrhea, and/or paw licking may be having an adverse reaction to food. Most food allergens are proteins, so this is the component to consider when trying to determine the offending ingredient. The length of time a pet has been on a food does not seem to affect the risk of developing adverse food reactions.

A pet can react to a food after just one feeding, or after many months or years on the same food. With adverse food reactions seemingly on the rise among dogs and cats, many pet parents are looking for solutions. Limited ingredient diets with novel protein and carbohydrate sources, hydrolyzed protein diets, and home-cooked elimination diets have all been reported to be useful in treating adverse food reactions.

THE RECIPE FOR A BEAUTIFUL COATIn addition to regular grooming,

proper nutrition is fundamental to maintaining a healthy skin and coat. For pets with irritated skin or a coat that lacks luster, consider adverse food reactions as a potential cause. Although all components of a diet play a role in health maintenance, fats, protein, and vitamins and minerals are particularly important for creating a glistening coat to bark about! Dr. Jennifer Adolphe graduated with her Ph.D. in companion animal nutrition from the University of Saskatchewan. She previously completed a masters degree in human nutrition and is a registered dietitian with the College of Dietitians of British Columbia. Her Ph.D. research examined the effect of carbohydrates on metabolic and cardiovascular health in lean and obese dogs. Adolphe is the recipient of more than 20 awards and scholarships for her academic work. Her work in the pet food industry has focused on product development and ingredient procurement. She is currently the senior nutritionist atPetcurean Pet Nutrition, a Canadian, family-owned company committed to offering superior quality pet foods.

In addition to regular grooming, proper nutrition is fundamental to maintaining

a healthy skin and coat. For pets with irritated skin or a coat that lacks luster,

consider adverse food reactions as a potential cause.

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A lmost everyone has a favorite restaurant. A place you love to visit and tell your friends about. Of course, that restaurant has to serve great food, but a lot of restaurants out there sell wonderful food. To become your favorite, and to win your loyalty as a patron - they have to do more. They have to do something special that makes you choose them over their competition.

The same is true for grooming salons. There are lots of great pet stylists. To be one of the ones who are always in demand, you need to turn out superb grooms...and more. You have to do things that make you stand out from everyone else. And, often it is the finishing touches that you put on the pets you groom, that keeps you head and shoulders above the rest.

Many salons put bows on all of

their finished pets. The bows can be as basic or elaborate as you like - the skys the limit. You can make them yourself or purchase professionally made bows. Some stylists opt for collar bows or neckties. Bandannas are also a favorite finishing touch for many salons.

I keep a nice selection of bows so I can match them to the dogs collar, says pet stylist, Joni Frank. And, if they arent wearing a collar,

MORE IMPORTANTTHAN YOU THINK

E by Kathy Hosler e


I have a basket of material for bandannas. Oh, and new puppies go home with a squeaky toy!

Pet safe nail polish or nail caps can be used to coordinate with the bows and bandannas. If you make your own bows and bandannas, you might even order ribbon and bandanna material that is personalized with your salon name or logo.

Many stylists and salons have finishing touches that are a signature item for them. I get bling mesh in a huge variety of colors and designs. The elastic makes it easy to slide over their heads, shares Kim Geidel of Barking Beauties. A lost dog was found by animal control, and because it had one of my pearl bling necklets on, someone recognized that it had to be a Barking Beauties client. The pet was quickly reunited with its owner.

Some salons have a signature cologne that they put on every pet. Others let their clients choose from a variety of colognes and they offer

special seasonal scents. Colognes could also be made available for purchase in your retail area, if you offer this. That way clients could keep their pets smelling their best in between grooming appointments.

Finishing touches can go far beyond the bows. Feather extensions are my most recent finishing touch, says Krista Creekpaum, of Kristas Grooming. I get bags of feathers at the craft store, cut to size and glue two together. They are attached to the pet with a crimp bead. Its durable, easy and quick, and can be washed with the dog at home.

Many pet parents like to bling up their pets with jewels and/or color. Jewels can add sparkle and a touch of elegance. They are affixed with pet safe adhesive. Body bling in the form of jeweled butterflies, flowers, ladybugs and more are available. Pet safe glitter or fairy dust can give a little pizzazz to any pet. To complete the look you want, you can even apply larger than life faux eyelashes to the pets.

Lots of pet parents are really enthusiastic about having color applied to their pets. Temporary color can be applied with pet safe blow pens, chalk, crme chalk pens, hair mascara, or hair crayons. If you are just starting to experiment with hair colors, you can begin by putting just a touch of color on the tail or ears. You can use stencils to place designs on short or long hair pets. As you become more confident, you can graduate to airbrushing colors on the pets and using permanent colors.

Another super important finishing touch is one that will not cost you a penny. Its the way that you present the finished pet to the client. When you call or text the owner to let them know that their

Pet safe nail polish or nail caps

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pet is done, do you sound like this: Hi, your dog is done. The charge for today is $55 and we close at five oclock. Bye.

If you are smart, your call or text will sound more like this: Hi, this is Karen from Best Pet Grooming. Your dear, little Suzie is finished with her makeover, and now the cutest pup in the world is ready to be picked up. She cant wait to show off her gorgeous new blinged-up hairdo to everyone!

When the owners arrive at your salon, make giving them their pet as special as if they were receiving a prestigious award. Say something like, Here he is...the most purr-fect kitty in the world! Doesnt Mr. Whiskers look spectacular? And, how about those jazzy bows and matching nail caps?

This is the time to make your client feel like their pet is the most important one that you groom - because, at that moment,

it is! Finishing touches are more important than you think. Pet parents go wild about them and post endless photos of their pets on social media. Then, they rave about you and your salon to their friends.

Make every visit to your salon unforgettable. Add some new finishing touches to the pets that you groom. Give their owners plenty to talk about!

Finishing touches are more important than you think. Pet parents go wild about them and post endless photos of their pets on social media. Then, they rave about you and

your salon to their friends.



THE BACKGROUND: Once, at the Everett Animal

Shelter in Everett, Washington, we got in about twenty 12-week-old German Shepherd pups at the same time. I think they were seized from a breeder but the source really isnt important. We put them in two side-by-side kennels. Five minutes later, the floors of the kennels were sloppy with pee and poop and the puppies were rolling and mock-fighting in the ooze. We dutifully switched them to two other kennels so we could clean up their mess. We intended to bathe them as soon as we could. That was a stupid thought. Five minutes into their next kennels they looked exactly like the first two. We moved them back to the now clean kennels. Repeat.

They had absolutely no concept that pee and poop were at all things to be avoided. A lot of people say that a dog wont soil where it sleeps. I have my doubts. I did see something odd, however. The puppies would break off play and stand stock still for a second, move a foot or two away from the fence and pee or poop. I didnt know what to make of that at the time.

BACKGROUND PART 2: A few months later I was called

to a house where a woman had died. She was elderly and a former conformation exhibiter. In a sealed bedroom she had 19 purebred Cocker Spaniels in crates stacked two deep. I had to borrow oxygen from the EMTs to be able to remove the dogs.

The ammonia was at toxic levels. (I also made the mistake of having a conversation with the deceased. She was sitting in a chair perfectly still. The firefighters had a good laugh over my speech.) I took the dogs to our kennels and saw a repeat of the behavior of the German Shepherd pups. These dogs would get a funny look on their faces, move a short distance and pee and poop. They also had no problem with pee and feces. It was all over them in ten minutes.

ONE SOURCE FOR THE PROBLEM: There is a connecting thread

here. Both sets of dogs spent a good portion of their lives in an area that had no separate potty area. The pups of both groups we raised in whelping boxes. Whelping boxes are designed

BEHAVIOR CLIPSby Gary Wilkes

HOUSETRAINING SUCCESS

STEPS to


to give relief to a mother dog who is being chewed unmercifully by nursing puppies. When the mom leaves, the puppies attempt to follow. That is what happens in the wild in a den. In a whelping box, they hit a brick wall. Then they pee and poop where they stand.

If they have any tendency toward eliminating other than where they sleep, they can only move away from where they are when they feel the need to go. That means they will have to sleep in the pee and poop of their litter mates. They soon lose any

concern over stepping in or rolling in a soiled world.

Note: About half of the German Shepherd pups were adopted. All of the Cocker Spaniels were adopted because they were gorgeous and the local newspaper featured them. All of the Cockers were returned. Why? They couldnt be housetrained.

While common knowledge suggests that dogs do have some sense of cleanliness, it doesnt really matter if you or your clients have one that doesnt. The same is true of dogs that pee and poop in their

crates. It doesnt matter that they arent supposed to do that; its a problem that eventually needs to be fixed or the owners may decide to get a different dog. In that light, I offer you my foundational formula for such a dog:

FUNDAMENTALS: TEN STEPS TO SUCCESS

Assume that a species that would ingest feces doesnt mind

stepping in it. Assume that your task is to create a behavior from scratch

It doesnt matter that they arent supposed to do that, its a

problem that eventually needs to be fixed or the owners

may decide to get a different dog.

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with no instincts to help you out.

We know that the majority of dogs like food. Many dogs

become insufferable beggars to get

snacks and treats by looking as if they are starving. If a dog will freeze and wait for 20 minutes to get a scrap of your dinner, you have leverage over their behavior.

The secret to housetraining a difficult dog is to correctly

identify the task. This is best done with a clicker. It marks a single instant in time and denotes end of behavior. Yes, you can say good boy if you want. It will work, but it will take longer to connect the right behavior to the consequence. The goal is to mark the instant the last drop of pee or poop hits the ground with the

click. Then shove a food treat into the dogs mouth. Do not make noise or chant go potty while the dog is thinking about peeing or pooping. Keep your mouth shut.

Use a single door (at first) as the exit connected with the potty

area. Take the dog to the potty area and move around a little. Moving their muscles will speed up the sensations connected to elimination.

Pick a surface that makes sense. If you have grass or gravel, pick

one surface and stick with it. If you need to use a leash at first, do so. If the dog wont go when it is on leash, get some temporary fencing at a home improvement store and block off part of your yard.

If the dog does not soil its crate, use that to create periods where

A) You dont have to watch the dog constantly and B) The dog has no opportunity to make a mess in the house.

Pick times when the dog is most likely to eliminate after eating,

drinking, sleeping or playing.

Click and treat every time the dog pees or poops. When the behavior

starts to be predictable, start saying hurry up or go potty BEFORE the dog does the behavior. You are initially just guessing. Only say the phrase once. Practically speaking, it is going to take a couple months before the phrase starts to trigger the behavior. Just stick with the program. It will pay off in the future.

Help your clients with problem urination, house training, destruction, aggression and more!

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Ignore accidents. The worst thing you can do is scold a

dog for having an accident in front of you. This will cause the dog to

distrust your presence when it must eliminate. The most common result

is a dog that sneaks off and pees in

your absence.

Repeat, repeat, repeat. Dont

change this pattern. Always have a clicker and treats available. Put them in a sealed container outdoors. Difficult dogs dont get housetrained overnight. They get housetrained over the long haul. Remember, you are working with a dog that doesnt care about where it pees and poops.

THE GOAL: The goal of any housetraining

program is simple. You have to create a passion for peeing and pooping in a specific place or on a specific texture. All thoughts need to revolve around that goal. The specific actions arent that tough. Sticking to the program is essential. You are trying to create something from nothing. The outcome may mean the difference between a client keeping their dog or not. Its worth the effort.

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Putting a tiger in your tank, or at least the back seat of your vehicle, is exactly what this particular client of mine decided to do. As a surprise birthday gift for her adult son, who is a fan of Auburn University, she decided to have me dye her sons yellow Labrador Retriever, Lucy to resemble a tiger.

The results have been - to say the least - Traffic Stopping. As they were making the drive home to another state, a lady pulled up beside them at a rest stop gas station just to look at the dog. Laughing, she told them she was so happy and relieved to see the tiger dog. She thought she was going to have to punish her young child for telling lies when he kept insisting he saw a tiger in the SUV!

Lucy began her tiger transfor-

mation with a visit to my salon and grooming table. I already knew that I would need to mix the colors to get the shade I was looking for. I did not want this to be as bright orange as the product would be straight out of the bottle, so I deepened the orange dye by adding red to the mix. When you are mixing color, be sure to keep up with the ratio so that you will be consistent should you need to mix more as you go.

Fig 1) I then free handed the color mixture over the top of Lucys head and face using a combination of small dye applicators and paint brushes, taking care not to get any dye near her eyes.

Fig 2) Moving on to the body, I brushed the mixture onto the top of the coat in the direction the coat lays using a large application brush. I did

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not try to saturate the dye all the way to the skin. I wanted a more natural looking tiger rather than a bright orange one and the undercoat would just suck up the dye and be very bright if I did.

Fig 3) Once all the orange/red dye was applied to the body, head, and tail in the desired areas, it was time for our Lucy to kick back and relax on the grooming table while waiting about 25 minutes for the dye to set.

Fig 4) To save time on this dye job and shorten the session for Lucy, I mixed up the black dye and hand painted the black tiger stripes right over the orange dye without first rinsing the orange hair color. l knew this rich black would cover her hair texture and also pull the look together.

This process took about 20 minutes, after a processing time of an additional 25 minutes. The dog was then rinsed, bathed, and dried. Lucy became the talk of the town and a true traffic stopper! You might say she's the cats meow. Making the World more Colorful, one dog at a time...

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Check-in, wash, dry, clip, check-out. Seems like every work day can be a fast-paced and hectic experience for you and your grooming pets. Many times it can even be difficult to remember the exact interaction with each pet because you are in such a hurry. Trends have changed though, many of our grooming clients are expecting their pet to receive a full-on spa experience, the same as what they would get when visiting a human spa.

In their minds they visualize their beloved pet being placed on a satin cushion feeling the absolute joy of a leisurely massage followed by a luxury soak with a bubbler and warmed

towels awaiting them. We all know that, in all honesty, we just need to get things done and dont have time for that!

But times are changing and many groomers have decided to take the grooming experience to the next level and become competitive with spa practices that make more money per pet with fewer clients per day. They work smarter, not harder. But how do they do this?

One thing I have found when I get the pleasure of working and talking with groomers of this caliber is that it seems to come natural to them. They actually adore the dogs that come through their doors. They

seem to have a complete relationship with these four-legged dolls that they only see once every 6-8 weeks. You never see these pets put on the brakes at the front door when entering; they fly through the threshold and greet their groomer with love and affection. While this may come naturally to some dogs, you certainly dont see it with EVERY dog. So, what do these beloved groomers do to be rewarded with this many loving and cooperative pets?

It is quite simple; they make sure that everything the pet experiences comes from a positive and gentle interaction. They are empathetic to the pets situation and put

with EveryGrooming Pet

E by Melanie Haber e

GroomertoGroomer.com 35Groomer to Groomer Vol 35 Ed 3 March 2016GroomertoGroomer.com Groomer to Groomer Vol 34 Ed 6 June 2015

with EveryGrooming Pet


themselves in a position of thinking about and understanding what the pet is going through. From start to finish, these amazing ladies and gentleman think about the impact of their attitude, their treatment, their smell, their touch, their products, and the atmosphere from a pets point-of-view.

To learn how to do this, first set your personal positive tone. A pet can pick up on a persons feelings very quickly and will reflect them. This is bad news if you are in a bad mood; pets pick up on this and can be negatively impacted. The good

news is this works if you are in a positive mood too. And dont fool yourself, talking nicely and smiling doesnt fool a pet when it comes to reading body language and scent. If you are genuinely calm, relaxed, and happy, it will help the pet relax.

Second, it is important to note that you can impact a pets perception in your treatment of them during the bathing and scissoring process. Even if you are in a hurry, you can still be really gentle with the pet during bath time. During the bathing process, you can really use this time to connect with the pet.

This is a very intimate experience that you share one-on-one with the pet because you are laying your hands on and interacting at a basic level through TOUCH. This is when your relationship of love and trust really begins. Connecting with the pet from head-to-toe passes your energy (negative and positive) to the pet.

This is the time you are able to learn where the pet allows you to touch them, how to respect the areas of their body they are sensitive to, and if there are any abnormalities, lumps, bumps or painful areas on the body. When a pet feels the safety

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of your touch, an intimate trust begins. Bathing is also the perfect time to offer a soothing massage while passing the shampoos and conditioners through the pets coat. Since it can take 5-10 minutes for a shampoo and conditioner to do their jobs properly, this gives you the opportunity to spend time with the pet on a basic level and time for the bond to develop.

While doing table work, it is important to be available to scissor from start to finish without moving the pet on and off of the table excessively. Every time a pet is taken off of the table it goes through a plethora of feelings. They think they are finished, they think they are going home, they think they can finally relax from standing etc Now imagine feeling all of that and then being placed back on the table.

At one time, our spa had been experiencing a huge amount of interruptions during check-ins and check-outs and the pets were showing signs of anxiety, confusion, and some displaying physical responses like diarrhea or inappropriate urination. By simply waiting to start the grooming process until all check-ins were in and assigning one person a day to do all the check-outs, it decreased the negativity in the atmosphere tremendously. Just the simple act of refraining from putting the same dog on and off of the table several times made the pet trust the groomers actions instead of being confused by them.

Next, take time to think about smells. A dog relies on his sense of smell to interpret the world, in much the same way as people depend on their sight. The part of

the dog's brain that is dedicated to investigating smells is actually 40 times larger than that of a human. It's been estimated that dogs can identify smells somewhere between 1,000 to 10,000 times better than humans can. This being said, what do you smell like? What does your spa smell like? What do your products smell like? One wrong smell can make or break a bond with a dog.

Make sure you have a change of clothes/apron in case of a potty or anal gland accident. Wash your hands between handling pets. Make sure your spa is clean and doesnt smell like hundreds of dogs or molds and mildews. Use inoffensive smelling products that are gentle. Wash your towels each time for smell and health reasons. Some groomers may take short cuts and just dry their towels in between dogs rather than

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run them through a wash thinking that the pet being dried was clean anyway. However, just drying a wet towel does not remove the odors of the other pets and it can also potentially pass disease and illness between pets. Also, it is important to take the time to determine the least smelly cleaning products and laundry detergents too.

Now lets talk more about touch. While we discussed how to have a loving interaction during bath time, lets think about how touching the pet at other times can create a bond. Always offer a gentle hand for sniffing first, dont just grab the pet, tug it around or toss it in and out of the cage. During human interactions, we practice politeness through handshakes, giving way and respecting each others space. This holds true for human-dog interactions too. Introductory, smooth, steady

movements while touching helps keep the pets calm instead of quick jerky movements that put a pet on guard. Practice polite interactions with the pets even when speaking to them.

Sometimes it can get pretty crowded by the dog gate in our spa and I find myself, to the laughter of others, politely saying, May I pass through please? Rarely do the dogs move for me but it enforces a level of respect for the pets in our care and sets the stage for a courteous physical communication when I have to touch the pets to move them as I pass. Treating pets with this level of respect while greeting them, speaking to them, and touching them can increase your chance of building a strong bond.

Finally, create a loving atmosphere that emphasizes TRUST and SAFETY, from the pets perspective. Ever wonder what a dog experiences

while at the groomers? Once our spa director was training the staff on handling fearful dogs and she did a video from a dogs perspective two feet off the floor. She walked around with a camera lowered with a dogs picture on it and instructed everyone to act like it was a real dog from front door to back door. It was amazing to see how many hands, feet and faces were shoved into the face of our dog. Also seeing the venue from the floor up showed us how clean or not our facility was. And how many potentially dangerous tiny things could be consumed, licked, or touched by a nose. I can only imagine what it would have been like if we could have recorded smells too.

We learned what it was like from the other side of the cage, with noise, dryers, shouting, laughing, and barking. It really gave us an empathic view from the pets perspective. Now pets have a much different experience with soothing music, calm voices, gentle dryers, and exceptionally clean facilities. We also use D.A.P. diffuser plug-ins that release a synthetic mother dog hormone in the air that instills the same feeling of well-being that puppies experience when nursing. Talk about building a loving bond!

There are many more ways you can create a unique loving bond with each grooming pet, outside of these suggestions, but it all starts with you. Developing the ability to empathize with every pets perception gives you the insight to provide the loving experience every grooming pet deserves.

GroomertoGroomer.com 41Groomer to Groomer Vol 35 Ed 3 March 2016GroomertoGroomer.com


G roomer pay is a polarizing and well-debated subject in the pet service indus-try. Visit any social media outlet

frequented by groomers and you will

find the industry seems polarized.

Groomers, shop owners, and even tax

advisers are at odds with one another

meanwhile the clients are unaware of

the looming controversy behind the

scenes.

Sweeping changes and reform

in how pet stylists/groomers are

compensated for their work has

begun. To fully understand the issue

and the reason for controversy,

it is helpful to review the various

methods which groomers were

historicallycompensated for

their work.

There are three basic ways which

groomers have been traditionally

compensated. The independent

contractor (IC) method was the most

widely used method and is deeply

ingrained into the foundation of the

industry. Beginning in the late 1970s

and early 1980s, the pet entered

a new phase in the american (and

international) household; the need for

pet grooming services became more

constant and an industry was born.

Traditionally, grooming services

E by Khris Batts e

GROOMERPAY DEMYSTIFYING


were offered at boarding kennels and

veterinarian offices as a necessity

and an additional revenue source.

Due to previous standards in

taxation, insurance, and employee

codes, it was both beneficial and

fiscallydesirable to hire a groomer

as an independent contractor. The

hosting business did not provide

regular wage, workers compensation,

benefits, or share taxation burden

with the groomer IC. Groomer ICs

were compensated based upon a

predetermined percentage of their

work. Those commissions varied

widely throughout the industry with

percentages typically ranging

from 30-70%.

As the pet owning publics

demand for services grew, stand-

alone grooming shops began to open

and the burgeoning pet industry was

well on its way to the American Pet

Products Associations staggering

estimate of over 60 billion dollars in

pet expenditures in 2015. For those

business owners, hiring groomers as

independent contractors became the

normal way to compensate for the

work completed.

As either hosting business

owners or the groomers themselves

began to look for different ways to

maneuver the changing landscape

of business ownership, insurance

pitfalls, and the ever-present

authority of the IRS, the option of

booth/table renting became another

consideration. Based upon a similar

concept from the beauty and salon

industry, the groomer operated as a complete and separate entity from

GROOMERPAY

Traditionally, grooming services were offered at boarding kennels and veterinarian offices as a necessity and an

additional revenue source.


the hosting business and merely utilized the premises to conduct their business. Basically the booth renter became a sublet within the existing business. Enter more regulation and stricter definition of the roles of the parties who participate in this business arrangement. Today, this has become perhaps the most difficult relationship for the involved parties to create and manage legally within the jurisdictions of respective federal, state, and local government entities.

The final option for compensation is for the groomer to become an employee of the hosting Pet Service business. The employer/employee relationship is the most desirous for the entities which regulate employment as they can ensure that proper taxation occurs, employees

are working in safe and insured environments, and employees have adequate benefits provided in accordance with established guidelines. The weight of the relationship shifts from the individual to the business owner. And that is where the controversy begins. It is more expensive for companies to employ persons than to farm out the work with ICs. It does not allow ICs to avoid taxation or opt out of purchasing their own insurance policies, their own advertising, or their own company infrastructure.

The groomer compensation issues that have arisen as the IRS has enacted sweeping legislation are not going away. Ignorance of the law is not an acceptable defense of the violation of running a business

illegally. The IRS has provided many resources so that groomers and business owners alike can become educated and choose to conduct their operations legally. The IRS 20 Factor Test is a simple way to self-diagnose the correct relationship between a business and a person providing the services.

Its time that every pet owner

begins to ask if their chosen pet

service provider is operating legally.

The well-being of the people who take

care of pets should be a concern of

the customer; if someone is willing

to operate their business or conduct

illegally, are they the right choice

for your pet? Its time that every

Groomer accepts that the reform

has been created by the richness

and success of the industry; it was

inevitable that the organization would

follow. Its time that every business

owner chooses to become educated.

Professionalism should go hand in

hand with success and prosperity.

Khris Batts has been involved in the Pet Services industry since the early 1990s. She has owned grooming shops, boarding kennels, and obedience training schools and is a Certified AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator. She is the co-founder of See Spot Grooming & Daycare which currently operates 3 locations in 2 states. Her vision has led her to create a Groomer - centric company which provides education, a positive work atmosphere, and benefits for all Spots. She owns and competes in a variety of events with Wirehaired Vizslas including dock diving and obedience.

Ignorance of the law is not an acceptable defense of the violation of running a

business illegally.


I set my free security plug-in to alert me whenever someone tried to hack into my website. I would get the occasional notice so it wasnt annoying, until one night there was over 30 alerts. My phone dinged all night long. The free plug-in I installed would lock out a user after 20 failed attempts. That means there were over 600 attempts at logging on to my website. And thats hardly unusual.

Most websites are subject to hacking. You may not even realize your site has been compromised and malware has been installed. Malware is software or code that is embedded into the files of your website and is designed to disable or spy on your site, log keystrokes, install links,

and retrieve sensitive data such as passwords, client emails, and financial information. If your site appears untouched, why should you care?

Because search engines such as Google and Yahoo will blacklist a website if it is infected with malware. Blacklisting means that the search engines put your website on page 100 of a search or place a warning

notice on the search listing that your website may be compromised. Why do hackers hack?

1. Malicious competitors, disgruntled ex-employees, or bored teenagers looking to disrupt your business.

2. To obtain financial information for identify theft and email lists for phishing. Phishing is when emails are sent to appear as if

000WEBSITESECURITY

E by Mary Oquendo e

Most websites are subject to hacking. You may not even realize your site has been

compromised and malware has been installed.


coming from a legitimate company asking for account information. In addition to phishing, as most emails are sent in HTML code rather than plain text, even opening an email may result in viruses and other forms of malware that may taint your computer. Thats due to a hacker intentionally adding an infected hyperlink embedded in any graphics in the email. That hyperlink automatically opens to the internet and may start the download of viruses or malware. In your email control panel, you may be

able to change the settings from HTML to plain text. https://www.us-cert.gov/publications/virus-basics

3. They want your host internet server to conduct business without it being tied to them. Hackers are looking to hide their identity. Most cheaper hosting sites do not dedicate a server to your particular website. You share the server with hundreds of other websites. While it keeps the cost down, your website is located on a busy highway instead of a private road. Private servers usually run at least

$50 a month or more. 4. Install hyperlinks to their

business. You may not even see them, but anytime someone visits your website, the search engines pick up the links, which improves the ranking of the hyperlinked site. This is why Google and Yahoo are now penalizing websites that have an excessive number of embedded hyperlinks that are not related to your business.

5. Embed viruses or malware on your computer and website that record your keystrokes or even have

Blacklisting means that the search engines put your website

on page 100 of a search or place a warning notice on the

search listing that your website may be compromised.

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GroomertoGroomer.com48 Groomer to Groomer Vol 35 Ed 3 March 2016 GroomertoGroomer.com

the ability to transfer a virus onto the computer of your website visitor.

6. Steal your images. Images are very easy to lift off of a website. How can you check to see if your site has been compromised?

1. To check for stolen images, go to http://images.google.com. In the search bar is an icon of a camera. Click on the camera and the option to upload or paste an image appears. Once you add your photo click the search image button. Everywhere that photo appears will show up in the search results.

2. A free site to check if your website has malware is www.quttera.com. If your website is infected, there are service providers that can help you. You could start with recommendations from your website hosting company or friends.

3. Google Analytics can check for malware as well if you have set up an account and installed the tracking number onto your site. What can you do to prevent your website from being compromised?

1. Do not open emails from unknown sources and be wary of unexpected emails from friends.

2. Install firewalls or other computer security software from reputable companies.

3. Update, update, update. The reason for most computer, phone, website, and plug-in updates are due to security weaknesses. It does not take long for hackers to find holes and exploit them.

4. As shared servers can impact your website, use reliable hosts. Cheaper is not always better.

5. Keep plug-ins and widgets to a minimum on your website and only install them from reputable sources. Read the reviews and visit their websites.

6. Install a recommended security plug-in or program for your website. There are free and paid versions of most applications. I upgraded to the paid program after my phone dinged all night long. Paid programs have more options. I now have login attempts set at 5 instead of 20.

When it comes to website security, dont cut corners or look for deals. This is the biggest investment Ive made in my business and it was worth every penny when my site was hacked. There was no downtime and I didnt lose my work. Considering what I gained, this investment is priceless.

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7. Back up your website. You can do this yourself as Adam Lohr does for Barkleigh Productions.

We take protecting our data very seriously and take a few different precautions in case of a computer failure or if something would happen to the building. We do a daily backup that is stored in the office in a fire proof safe and then at least once a week we do a secondary back up that is stored in a separate off site location. Much of our data that we have complied over the years is only stored electronically so we need to make sure that we take precautions to protect it.

Adam Lohr, Barkleigh ProductionsThere are backup service providers

who will do this for you and store your backups. However, choose carefully. If the provider goes out of business, you may lose access to your files. For all three of my websites, I use a

free plug-in that backs up the entire site (not just the database) to my Dropbox account. In addition, I use a paid service for my larger website that backs up to my providers cloud service. A lot of hard work and time goes into designing and maintaining a website, you want an easy way to recover and upload all your hard work back to the server should it become necessary.

8. Do not use obvious user names such as admin or your email.

9. Passwords should be at least 8 digits with all sorts of capital letters, numbers, and symbols. There are services that will remember your crazy password such as LastPass. Passwords should not be the names of your pets, date of births, mothers maiden name, or any word or phrase that can be found in a dictionary. Here is an easy way to make a complicated password

by converting a sentence. Ill convert Lets Go Fido to L3t^$G0F!d0 by using similar numbers or symbols to replace the letters. This password now has 11 digits with 3 numbers, 3 capital letters, 3 symbols, and 2 lowercase letters.

10. Log out of shared computers and delete inactive users and ex-employees.

Hackers do not want to spend a lot of time trying to get into your website. They have thousands of sites to choose from. Do not make it easy for them. If they have to work at it, most hackers will move on to easier quarry and leave your site unaffected and thereby not blacklisted by Google and Yahoo.

Pew Internet Data states that over 3.5 million people use search engines looking for products and services every single day. So where on the search list do you want your business featured: Page 1 or Page 100?

www.MrGroom.com; E-mail [email protected]/MrGroomPetSupplies

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Hi Judy. Your job is to insure the safety of your employees and customers of the two and four legged varieties. There is no reason to risk the safety of your employees and customers for a pets bath and/or haircut.

I suggest watching the weather. Now that you can see what the weather is doing on your tablet, phone, TV and transistor radio all at the same time, it is easy to get updates in real time. Watch the news for school closures and

delays. They are good guides for safety.Know your responsibilities as

to the clean-up and management of snow and ice. If you rent or lease your landlord may be responsible. Read your contract. If you own, you and you alone, are responsible for making the parking and walkway of your establishment safe.

You may need to hire a service to plow the snow depending on your climate. Shoveling and sanding are your safest bets for the walkways. Salt

can be helpful but it can be irritating to dog paws and bad for the environment.

Make sure that you have done all you can to avoid a slip-and-fall accident at least one hour before you expect your first client. This might mean that you open two hours late, at noon, or not at all. Have a sign for your lobby explaining that the floors are slippery when wet and make sure that you have good liability insurance.

It is very important that your employees stay safe and un-injured

EMPLOYEE BLUNDERS

INCLEMENT

We recently had a few episodes of inclement weather, flooding followed by snow and ice storms. As a salon owner, how do you choose whether to stay open or not during these events? JUDY B.

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52

so that when you are able to open you have someone to do the work. Do not worry about lost income. Most of the customers are going to re-schedule anyway. And remember, a snow day for a groomer just means that the next three days are going to be long, very long. Heres to sunshine! Dear Michell,

I own a small grooming salon. I have an employee who is loved by my clients and groomers, enjoys her job very much, always shows up on time and is flexible about her schedule. She

is a receptionist/groomer assistant. She has more contact with the clients than I do. The problem is, she is not very good at her job. She needs direction constantly, she forgets to do the things that she is told, and she has a hard time communicating the prices and pick up times to the clients with any degree of confidence. I have looked into possible training programs for her but my small business does not really have the resources to pay for that. I am having a hard time firing her but she is costing my business money. Sincerely, Sandy W.

Oh Sandy, this is always a tough situation. As an owner, every decision you face has an impact on each person who makes their living from your small business. Sometimes your job as the owner is to determine the needs of the many over the needs of one. Here is my suggestion:

Have a meeting with the employee. In this meeting, ask the employee for a list of 3 reasonable things that you could provide to help them be more productive and confident. In turn, ask them for a list of 3 things that they could do. Give them 30 days to utilize these 6

n

It is very important that your employees stay safe and un-injured so that when you are able to open you have

someone to do the work. Do not worry about lost income.



things. By the end of that time period you should have a clearer direction for this persons role, or not, in your business. You may not want to tell the employee about the 30 days. This may feel like a threat and rather than being effective it may make things worse.

Examples of things you could provide; a clutter free workspace, a certain lunch break time, weekly meetings to discuss successes and challenges of the week, incentives for add-on services sold.

Examples of things the employee could provide; self-affirmations in the mirror every morning before work, a daily task list, scripts to practice the sale of add on services, maintain a well-organized workspace.

Always be sure to document these discussions and your procedures

in handling the issues and always know your states laws for firing an employee. This 30 day plan gives you the time to look for a replacement.

If, after the 30 days, they revert back to old behaviors you will have to decide if you will continue to employ them. If they successfully maintain better job performance you can repeat this 30 day improvement process.

Firing someone is never easy. Keep in mind that this person is not thriving in your environment. It may very well be that they need a new one to truly enjoy themselves. Take care.

I am a multi-Best-In-Show and Best-All-Around groomer. I am the recipient of many Barkleigh Honors Awards. I am a Silver and Gold medalist for GroomTeam USA. I am the winner of Show Dog Groomer of the Year. I am an educator for andis Clipper Company.

I have been teaching as The Grooming Tutor since 2000. And I groom to make a living, just like you. Please send questions to [email protected]

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T he therapeutic value of people with disabilities working with dogs is well established. Therapy dogs in hospitals and nursing homes have scientifically documented positive returns in health and well-being benefits; children strug-gling in schools learning to read have much better outcomes when they read to a dog; service dogs can literally be life-savers for their handlers.

Studies with veterans have demonstrated that there are even health benefits for the trainers that work assisting people with disabilities to work with a dog.

Our societys almost universal embrace of the benefits of people with disabilities working with dogs, beneficial for both the dogs and the people, has been one of the most elevating and transformative discoveries of modern time.

A NEW ERAWe are living in a new era of

higher consciousness about the human-dog bond, where even federal law in the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) protects the special role that only dogs play; an era where our culture has begun to truly internalize that special relationship that has so profoundly affected the evolution of both species for thousands of years.

The grooming industry has surely benefited from this elevated consciousness about the beneficial nature of the human-dog relationship. Groomers and grooming schools can build on and enhance this new awareness, and can make substantial contributions in return that benefit dogs and persons with disabilities, as well as ourselves and our businesses.

We can do this by being deliberate in our efforts to include persons with

disabilities when we consider who to train and hire. MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL

We are all aware of reported shortages in numbers of skilled groomers or bathers and groomer assistants in our industry. Grooming is, after all, very hard work that requires significant training, extraordinary patience in working with live animals in sometimes stressful situations, and often for a paycheck less than we know we deserve.

My commitment to open some slots in my grooming school, and to do some hiring of persons with disabilities, grew after a family member developed a psychological disability. A lot of doors were closed for her and vocational training options were extremely limited. Her love of animals inspired me to add into my

PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Training & Hiring

E by Jennifer Bishop-Jenkins ICMGe


B-AIR


business a way that I could be helpful.While clearly some disabilities

would exempt someone from being able to complete the entire task of grooming dogs, I have since found that the people with disabilities that I have trained at my grooming school and hired in my grooming shop, who had fewer choices in fields of work that were open to them, were that much harder working. They were also sometimes more appreciative of the chance to prove themselves when they did get meaningful work. I have observed that these members of my team are not as focused on what rate of pay they receive

but more focused on the privilege and joy of the work itself.

Citing the groomer/bather supply shortage, even international training programs such as PetsAustralia.org recruit and advertise openly encouraging persons with a disability not to be discouraged from trying some aspects of a pet grooming career.

Not everyone can be a groomer or groomer assistant obviously, no matter what their abilities or possible disabilities. After working for decades as a professional teacher in public and private high schools, with all the attendant special education

training, and after decades as a Master Groomer, I have begun to develop helpful guidelines to assist in matching candidates for jobs in the grooming field. SAFETY FIRST

Any person wishing to work in pet grooming must be willing and able to work with live animals safely, calmly, and patiently. The tools we use in grooming can be sharp and dangerous, so the same standards apply. Any consideration of the potential of any person with a disability must begin and end with their ability to be safe with the animals, the tools, and themselves.

There are many types of disabilities affecting physical, mental, and emotional functioning. Often people may present to you with several diagnoses, and sometimes they may not present to you at all - they may certainly choose to keep their disabilities private. Top groomers in our industry have had to hide their disabilities and heroically struggle alone. Today we all can provide help to each other in an era where ignorance and stigma are being washed away with new understandings about what is possible. LEARNING AND GROWTH

People who have some form of cognitive or developmental disability may still be able to learn how to be very helpful in a grooming business. Some that thrive only with a reliable and well-ordered schedule may not be able to comfortably adapt to the

Today we all can provide help to each other in an era where ignorance and stigma are being washed away with new

understandings about what is possible.


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flexibility and even chaos sometimes present in a busy grooming shop.

But the most important criteria to address early on is their ability to retain what they learn from day to day. Grooming is a complex skill that requires any trainee to acquire first the basics, and then build on that with increasingly technical proficiency.

If a person with a disability is interested in working with you, they will often have expert professionals that have assisted them in their schooling or their transition to more independent living. These professionals should be able to help you honestly assess if the learning and growth necessary to the job will be possible.

Even a person confined to a wheelchair whose hands work well can learn to cut hair, as long as they have assistance in bathing dogs and moving them around. RESOURCES AVAILABLE I have been struck by the commitment and skills of the hard-working professionals in support positions that have come to my business to aid in the transition of the person with a disability to work in the grooming profession.

One such program is Total Link To The Community (www.totallink2.org)in Northbrook, Illinois. They provided staff regularly to help a trainee named Lindsey who is now a part time employee. Total Link staff developed

written and visual organizational charts as she trained to staff our indoor doggie playcare. They helped translate expert books on the subject to clearer language. They supervised her developing a comfortable routine. They stayed in the picture for months, even after she began to work more independently, and they are still available to step in at a moments notice if I have an issue.

Another area program provided a sign language interpreter to a student with hearing loss. Be sure to ask these experts during the transition training about what financial arrangements or regulations are applicable. It may be beneficial to some receiving government assistance to find meaningful work as a volunteer.

If a potential student or trainee with a disability has come from high school in recent years then you may be able to examine a copy of their IEP (Individualized Education Plan) or their 504 Plan. These carefully prepared documents could give you insights into what will and will not work for your trainee. WHAT THEY CAN DO

The focus should be on what they can do - not what they cant. Not every attempt will be successful, but that is true for all people in all types of jobs.

If cutting hair is not an option, their ability to dry a dog may be adequate and helpful. Since drying

dogs can sometimes be one of the time-consuming aspects of a groom, being able to have help to blow dry dogs for several hours a day is still a very marketabl

Documents

Groomer to Groomer March 2016