 Sweet little Tabitha is just a baby, and still getting used to the loud noise of the dryer. Working to help make her comfortable with the process is a long-term project, but we don't mind going the extra mile to keep her happy. She can't handle the dryer on the table yet, so instead she sits in my lap, on the floor, cotton balls in her ears and a Happy Hoodie on her head. She snuggles into me and lets me maneuver her as needed to slowly but surely dry her coat with the low setting on the dryer. That's The Beauty Pawlor difference- compassionate, co-operative care, even when it means sitting on the floor, cradling your pet in our arms, two-fold ear protection, and taking the extra time to use the lowest dryer setting to make the experience less jarring and scary, because Your Pet's Comfort Comes First here.
It happens at some point in every grooming salon, every spring-winter cycle. "Would you like to book your pet's next appointment today?" "No, I want to wait to have him groomed again until after wintertime." Then, when spring comes, clients are presented with the choice between having their pet shaved naked, or paying an added fee for de-matting. Often, clients leave the salon feeling disappointed with those outcomes, even angry with the groomer. So they find a different groomer and are happy for a year, only to face the same thing next year. So what gives? What's with all these mean, greedy groomers shaving dogs bald and up-charging clients? Let's clear the air! It makes sense at first glance- you want your dog to be warm for the winter, so you don't cut his hair so he won't get cold. Upon closer examination, however, that's not really how it works! Most coats require a minimum of weekly brushing plus a regular 4-8 week professional maintenance schedule no matter the season, because a clean, mat-free coat keeps a dog warmer and more comfortable than a dirty, oily, matted coat. And as for length- they only need about ¼-inch to ½-inch of coat to insulate themselves (with the exception of double-coated dogs like the Husky or Golden Retriever, who need the full length of their coat to help regulate their temperatures). Think of your puffy winter jacket. When you unpack it after the first cold day of the year, it's all packed-down and flattened, which reduces the efficacy of its insulation. But once you fluff it out again, it's good to go for keeping you warm all winter. A dog's coat works much the same way. Poorly maintained, the coat won't do much to keep the dog warm no matter how long the hair is! Not only are dogs who aren't groomed enough during winter less equipped to handle the cold and snow, but they're also more prone to the discomfort of matting and a dirty coat. Imagine going 2 months without washing or brushing your own hair, and the only time it makes contact with water is when it gets wet with snow. It will be heavy, maybe itchy, and the scalp beneath it will surely suffer. And if your hair is long enough to tangle, you'll also have some pain from the weight pulling at your scalp, like a bunch of too-tight ponytails. This is what happens to a dog's hair when it isn't properly taken care of, too! Just as it would be painful to have a hairstylist tug and pull at your head for hours to free it from its mats, it is painful for a dog to sit through it all over his body on the grooming table. And it's expensive! It costs your groomer a lot of money to spend an extra hour on one dog, when he or she could have groomed 2 dogs in that time. This leaves us with a choice between shaving the dog for his own comfort, which usually makes the owner unhappy, or to try to de-mat as painlessly as possible, which also usually leaves owners unhappy, since we have to charge to avoid losing money on grooming the dog. When you go too long without having your dog groomed, nobody wins! So there you have it! Grooming during the winter is just as important as in the summer. Going without is counter-productive to the purpose of keeping pets warm and comfortable, and can result in a less-than-flattering haircut and additional grooming costs in the long run. Maintain your pet's coat year-round, and both your furry friend and your wallet will thank you! This article is available in print form in the December 2018 issue of The Beauty Pawlor's quarterly newsletter,
The Pawlor Post. |
AuthorKatelyn Parker, groomer and canine behavior consultant. Member of New England Pet Grooming Professionals and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Dog Division. AKC Safety-Certified Groomer. Certified Low-Stress Handler. CPR & First Aid Certified. Certified in Principles & Practice of Animal Behavior Consulting. Archives |
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