By Jessica Pinera Benton, Safety-Certified Professional Pet Stylist
Grooming is important for your pet’s health and happiness, so here are some tips to make it a positive experience for both of you.
What is Pet Grooming and How Does it Benefit My dog?
Bringing your pet into a salon regularly from an early age is a good way to socialize your pet and to make grooming a more positive experience. Pet grooming is an important part of keeping your dog’s coat and skin looking and feeling good. Regular bathing, brushing and haircuts can help your dog avoid tangles and matted fur, which can be uncomfortable and, if left uncared for, painful.
Caring for nails regularly is important as overgrown nails can cause discomfort, pain, splitting and cracking that can cause bleeding and pain and even change the way your pet needs to walk. Regular teeth and ear care during grooming can help prevent infections. You can bring your dog in for a PAWdicure package for nails, ears and teeth that can keep your pet healthy and comfortable.
Have you noticed your pup “scooting”? This could be a sign that they need a little assistance with expressing their anal glands. During check-in, your groomer can assess if your pet needs an anal gland expression.*
What Happens to My Dog During a Grooming Appointment?
- Hands-on Pets Assessment: At the beginning of your service, your Pet Stylist will perform a personalized assessment to help assess your dog’s overall wellness and tailor the service to the needs of your pet – whether it’s a unique haircut, specialized shampoos & conditioners, nail grinding or teeth brushing.
- Prep: After the assessment, your Pet Stylist will place your dog in a private kennel with a bowl of fresh water. When your pet isn’t being serviced, they will be placed comfortably in their kennel which is monitored at all times.
- Bath: Selecting the best products for your dog’s skin and coat, your groomer will use our state-of-the art bathing system with our oxygen-infused water. We offer specialized shampoos & conditioners that tackle shedding, dry skin and dull coats.
- Drying: Now squeaky clean and fresh, your pet will be ready to be dried. Just like at a hair salon, your pet will be comfortably positioned, towel dried and blown out with our professional grade dryers. Drying can be loud, so our groomers always monitor for stress and give our pets a break when needed.
- Hair Cutting: After your pet is bathed and blown out, your Pet Stylist will cut your dog’s hair, following the notes you’ve agreed upon during the Hands-on Pet Assessment to provide your pet with their tailored trim. Throughout the process, our groomers will monitor your pet and give them breaks when needed.
How Do Groomers Learn Their Job?
There are no national standards for becoming a pet groomer and the amount of training it takes varies.
That’s why PetSmart created our own Grooming Academy. In order to qualify for the Academy, our salon associates undergo training in how to handle and bathe dogs, work at least 60 days in a salon bathing at least 125 dogs and build a Pet Safety track record. Once accepted into the program, candidates master their craft with:
- 800 hours of supervised instruction & hands-on training at a PetSmart Grooming Academy
- Grooming over 200 different dogs
- 6 months of apprenticeship
- Annual safety certification
How Do I Prepare My Dog for a Grooming Appointment?
Our salon associates are trained to provide positive reinforcement throughout the grooming process, and we always focus on your dog’s comfort and well-being. Our safety-certified stylists can work slowly for pets who are not as keen to being groomed and may stop grooming if the safety of the pet or associate becomes a risk. If your pet is new to grooming or less than enthusiastic about it, here are some things you can try:
- Visit our salon in-between services to get them used to the different sights, sounds and smells and get to know our associates
- Brush your dog in between grooming services to help get them comfortable with being handled and familiar with the tools like brushes and combs
- Be patient, gentle and calm when touching your dog’s paws and ears, which will help them get used to having a Pet Stylist work on these sensitive areas
- Use positive reinforcement—praise and tasty rewards—when you are touching your dog’s paws and ears. And bring treats for your Pet Stylist to give your dog during their grooming appointment.
How Can I Make Sure My Dog’s Grooming Experience is Comfortable?
When you go to get your hair done with a new stylist, do you just sit in the chair and say, “make me look good”? Probably not. You tell them what you’re looking for and point out any special requirements you might have. Communication is also key when you’re taking your dog into our Grooming Salons. So, consider the following:
If your dog is a Senior or has special needs:
- State when you’re booking that you prefer someone who is known for being extremely patient & slower with dogs
If your dog does quirky things or things that would seem out of the normal (but are normal for them):
- Please let your Pet Stylist know at check-in
If your pet doesn’t like certain things when being groomed:
- Doesn’t like males – request a female Pet Stylist
- Doesn’t like females – request a male Pet Stylist
- Doesn’t like their back legs touched, nails trimmed or ears cleaned – let your Pet Stylist know at drop-off
- Isn’t a fan of big dogs – request they keep your pup away from bigger dogs when kenneled or in the same room
- Doesn’t like loud noises – let your Pet Stylist know so they can keep them in a quieter area of the salon & keep the blow dryer on low around their head and ears
If you are looking for a “master stylist” or “show quality” type groom:
- Request a Pet Stylist with more experience who specializes in your breed’s specific haircut. Simply asking for someone who loves to groom your type of dog, will result in a finished product more in line with your expectations.
If you are nervous about leaving your pet:
- Ask for an express groom so their time is much more limited in the salon
- Ask for a more experienced Pet Stylist so you feel comfortable knowing they are in the hands of someone who has been doing this for a long time
If you don’t have experience owning your current breed of pet and need help in determining what type of groom they should get:
- Ask questions! Don’t forget to explain your pet’s everyday lifestyle so the groomer can tailor the cut/trim to what will work best for you and them:
- If you don’t want to brush your dog every day – tell them so they don’t recommend a longer hair style
- If you like to put clothes on your pet & not pull them off regularly to brush out the coat – tell them so they don’t keep the fur too long
- If your pet has a best friend at home who likes to chew on his ears – tell them so they can keep those specific areas, trimmed to a length that would help prevent matting
- If your pet likes to run and play a lot – tell them so they can ensure their nails are short enough to accommodate their active lifestyle
- If you live in a colder climate or your dog likes to stay outside most of the time – tell them so they can ensure the pet will have enough coat left to keep them warm when necessary
If your pet has any allergies (especially with their skin) or YOU have sensitivities to perfumes:
- Request allergy specific shampoos/conditioners to reduce the likelihood of skin irritation
- Request no after-bath perfumes on your pet so it doesn’t drive your allergies crazy
go to the main Grooming page >
*Except where prohibited by law
