Articles
Longer pieces on the parts of grooming nobody explains up front
What to Ask For at the Groomer
Why a puppy cut means nothing, and how to describe the haircut you actually want
Puppy cut and teddy bear mean nothing on their own. Blade numbers and what each leaves, guard combs, the five parts of a dog that need separate instructions...
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Grooming an Anxious or Reactive Dog
What frightens them, what good handling looks like, and the work that makes it better
Most grooming fear traces to something specific. Why the dryer is usually the problem, the handling work that helps, what to ask a salon, muzzles, split...
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When a Groom Goes Wrong
Which problems are ordinary risks of the work, which are not, and how to get it put right
Which grooming problems are normal risks and which are not. Clipper burn, quicked nails, the skin infection that appears two days later, and how to raise a...
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Grooming a Senior Dog
What changes with age, how a good groomer adapts, and the jobs that matter more than they used to
Old dogs still need grooming. Thin skin and lumps, arthritis and standing time, why nails become the bigger problem, split appointments, sanitary trims, and...
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How to Choose a Dog Groomer
What to look for, what to ask, and the warning signs worth walking away from
Grooming is unregulated in most of the US. What a good salon looks like, the five questions to ask before booking, warning signs, what certification means, and...
Read GuideLonger pieces on the parts of grooming that nobody explains until something has already gone wrong.
If you are looking for somebody to take your dog to, and you want to know what separates a good salon from the rest, start with how to choose a groomer. If you have booked one and you are not sure how to describe the haircut you actually want, what to ask for covers the vocabulary, including why asking for a puppy cut tells a groomer almost nothing.
If your dog finds the whole thing frightening, or has started to, grooming an anxious or reactive dog explains where the fear usually comes from and what good handling looks like. If your dog is getting on and the appointments have become harder than they were, grooming a senior dog is about adapting the groom rather than abandoning it.
And if something has already gone wrong, when a groom goes wrong sets out which problems are ordinary risks of the work, which are not, and how to raise it so that it gets sorted.