It can be worrying when going to a different groomer, or when you get a new dog that requires grooming. Many people have asked why it takes so long to have their dog groomed, so I thought I would give you a run down of everything that happens here at Canny Cuts Dog Grooming EVERY single time your dog comes in.
*PERSONAL CONSULTATION:
On your very first visit, you are required to fill in a "client card". This card asks for details of yourself and your dog, so we can gain an idea of the products and grooming equipment we will use on your dog. We will ask you if you are aware of any problems that your dog may have such as skin issues, lumps and bumps and behaviour issues. We will also be observing your dog to see how he behaves and walks/stands etc as this can give an indication to the temperament and how best to approach the dog. We will then ask you how you would like your dog to be groomed, discuss the best approach as to how to achieve the groom. Sometimes, we cannot groom the dog to how the owner wishes. this can be down to several factors such as matting, health reasons or the dog not having the right coat type.
Even on your 100th visit, we will ask you how you are, how the dog is. You may not realise it, but from just 2 or 3 simple questions like that, we have gained all of the information we need.
*HEALTH CHECK:
The health check starts as soon as your dog comes into the salon. We check the way it walks, the weight of the dog, excessive panting and temperament. Once you have gone, we put the dog on a table (sometimes we do this in the bath) and carry out a thorough check. We check the eyes, ears, nose, mouth and teeth, nails, skin, coat, genitals, anus and body. We are looking for things like discharge, soreness, dryness, lumps, warts and growth.
*BATH:
Once the health check is complete, we will usually proceed to the bath. We start by cleaning the ears thoroughly, shampoo the body, apply the facial, allow the dog to rest and the shampoo and facial to sit a few minutes to really soak in, trim the nails and rinse of the shampoo and facial to finish.
*DRY
Firstly, we use a synthetic chamois style towel to get as much water as possible out of your dog, followed by a thorough towel dry. They then are "blasted" using a high velocity dryer which forces the majority of water out of the coat. This is followed by the "finishing dryer", which is a heated dryer (a giant equivalent of the human hair dryer). The dog is also brushed throughout this process to straighten the hair ready for styling. When the dogs are being dried, they all wear a special snood called the "happy hoodie". This goes over their head to protect the ears and muffle the sound of the dryers whilst also helping to dry the head and ears.
Some dogs are afraid of the blaster and/or finishing dryer, or are unable to stand for long periods of time. Here at Canny Cuts Dog Grooming, we have a "cabinet dryer". This is simply a cabinet that the dogs are placed into and the heat is circulated all around the dog by a giant fan. The dogs are able to stand, sit or lie down as preferred and most dogs go to sleep they are so relaxed. Our cabinet is temperature controlled and the dogs are monitored constantly whilst in there.
*GROOMING
We start by removing the hair from the pads of the paws and tidying up the sanitary areas. The dog is then groomed to requirements using the appropriate equipments and methods.
*FINISHING TOUCHES
Lastly, a fresh smelling fragrance and bow or bandanna is applied.