....when you are waiting for a dog to finish soaking in a Medicated shampoo.
I am sure that you know the ones.
The dogs that come in with a shampoo from their Vet.
A shampoo with instructions to let the Medicated shampoo soak for anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes.
It is so hard for a groomer to just stand there and wait for something in such a time oriented job.
I have heard some groomers say that they put the dog up in a kennel to soak while they bathe another dog.
I don't like to do that, because I don't want the dog sitting in a kennel wet and shivering.
I also would not want the dog licking the Medicated shampoo off of their body while they are soaking.
I had a groomer that worked for me awhile back get upset, because I would not let her put another dog in the tub to bathe while the other dog was in the same tub soaking.
For one, the dogs where not even from the same household.
Why would you want to bathe a dog in the same tub with another dog that has skin issues.
This particular groomer saw nothing wrong with what she wanted to do, and was upset that she had to waste time waiting.
Today I had this guy in.
He has the misfortune of having one of those types of coats where the hair gets very oily between groomings, but his skin is dry and irritated in areas.
So, what would normally be a 5 minute bath on a dog this size, with such a thin coat, turns into a 20 minute bath.
Or, I should say three baths.
Yes, I give him three bathes.
His first bath was a quick degrease bath.
I use a degrease shampoo.
I like Pure Pet D'Grease shampoo.
Then I used Coat Handler 15to1 Clarifying Shampoo.
I really like that shampoo for getting residues off of the coat.
For me, it prepares the coat and skin for the Medicated shampoo.
The Medicated shampoo was from the Vet.
It needed to sit on the dog for 15 minutes.
So, after I soap up the dog, I need to find something to do.
But, I can't leave the dog.
So, I slowly massage him all over, really working that Medicated shampoo in.
Here and there I give a little squirt of warm water, and work up the lather again, to keep him from getting cold.
I check the time.....still 10 more minutes.
It is amazing how long 15 minutes takes when you are waiting.
I rub the dog a little more, thinking about the fact that I could have had him dry and finishing him by now if I didn't have to wait for this shampoo.
Lets see, what else can I do?
What do you do while you are waiting for that Medicated soak?
I play of course.
With the dog.
With his hair.
I make hair designs.
I think that he looks great with the mohawk down the back.
What else is there to do?
Look how nice and fluffy he turned out.
I keep meaning to ask his owner how long his coat stays nice after a grooming, before it gets oily again.
I'll find out.
He is coming in again for a bath a couple of days before Christmas.
Then I get to play with his hair again. :)
Happy Grooming, MFF
You did a beautiful job on him :)
ReplyDeleteHe looks excellent! Such a transformation.
Thank you. :)
DeleteHaha I do the same thing when soaking dogs...everyone gets mohawks, dorky parts down the middle of the head, etc. That dog came out so adorable, and I just want to run my fingers through his fluffy coat:)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of skin conditions, do you mind sharing what products you use and what steps you take to disinfect your grooming area and tools? I have had a few new doodles in recently with crusty skin infections. Their parents say the vet said they are not contagious, but I am paranoid and have been going crazier than usual disinfecting. I am curious about what products others use.
Hi Mindy,
DeleteYou may think that I am crazy, but I don't like a lot of chemical cleaners. The smell of Bleach makes me sick and I don't like the dogs to smell it either. I have also read that you should not use bleach around dogs. I have also used some of the disinfectants that my Vet uses and it ate up the skin on my hands....not using that around my dogs.
Anyway, I like to use baking soda and white vinegar to clean. I have read that the vinegar will kill fungus. I also like to rinse down the tub with very, very hot water. As hot as it will get.
I clean my tools with rubbing alcohol. I like the Wintergreen scent. It drys quickly and cleans them very nicely. I also use the alcohol on my blades, just make sure that you dry them immediately and well.
You should use what you feel safe using, just make sure that it is pet safe. I think that good old scrubbing is the best cleaning.
Lisa, MFF
Thank you Lisa! I like the vinegar and baking soda idea, and also the alcohol:)
DeleteI love the before and after effect.. i often take pics for my own fun. I have two tubs if i have two that need to soak ill get one soaking then put the other in the other tub and get them soaking then go back and rinse and dry the first one while the other soaks.. or ill do a quick bath in a second tub while the soaking dog soaks.
ReplyDeleteI have also been interested in a blog discussing What is the average # of dogs groomers do each day?????
Hi Stephanie,
DeleteThe average number of dogs depends on so many things. The speed of the groomers, the types of clips being done, the sizes of the dogs being groomed, the amount of time that you work in a day.
When I was a fresh, young groomer, I was able to groom 8 to 11 dogs a day by myself. A mix of bath&trims and clipdowns.
When I had a good bather, I was able to do about 16. One Saturday the two of us did 20 dogs. Boy, you should have seen what the grooming and bathing room looked like by the end of that day.
Now, after 28 years of grooming, I average around 5 to 7 depending on the dogs. I do a lot of biters, special needs,and hand scissoring now. They all take extra time.
I don't think that groomers should judge themselves, or put pressure on themselves to match what another groomer does. I go for quality over quantity. The quality has helped me build my business by word of mouth, with very little advertizing. That is how I have managed to keep my shop open for 25 years. :)
Lisa, MFF