I spent the first ten years of my grooming career working for veterinarians. Because of this I had the unique opportunity of caring for dying pets and grieving customers. There were times when clients couldn’t manage being with their pet during euthanasia and since I was close with their pet, I would offer to take their place so their pet could have someone familiar at their side.
Planning Ahead For Pet Loss Read More
The Westminster Dog Show is held every year in mid–February in NYC. I’ve always loved going, especially as it’s just a train ride away. Last year I shadowed Leah Shirokoff and Finn. As I walked through the staging area, I realized I knew half of the groomers from our own trade shows. No wonder these dogs look so good!
Grooming At Westminster Read More
As I sit here, answering one last Facebook message for the night, I am struck by how important communication is in our lives. Communication can be verbal, or with body language and even the tone we use to convey a message.
Communication And Education: Everything Depends On It Read More
This month’s column isn’t exactly about behavior. It’s about the broader effects of behavior and why I became a trainer and behaviorist. It all started about 35 years ago. I was out of college with no real desire to pursue my chosen profession: architecture.
Why Dogs Lose Their Homes Read More
The days are gone when we can assume that emergencies and disasters happen someplace else. Weather patterns have changed dramatically over the last several years. Large cities built on fault lines are growing. We are overdeveloping land, which reduces or even eliminates natural protective barriers.
Disaster Preparedness Read More
Trade show season is opening soon! Just thinking about it puts a smile on my face. I adore going to trade shows: the people, the vendors, the classes, and the driving. Yes, the driving. I love to drive and think it’s a treat to travel two days to the Atlanta Pet Fair. In fact, I have been known to break out in song.
We have all heard the saying, “Nothing is certain except death and taxes,” and you may agree. If you make your living in the pet care industry, you can add one more thing to that list: dirty laundry. Towels, cage pads, pet beds, blankets, etc. You can’t get away from it.
Grooming professionally wasn’t always what the now 28–year–old, Nadia Bongelli had in mind. But since her grooming career began nearly seven years ago, she has become completely immersed in grooming, competing, and dog shows. Bongelli is the sole proprietor of The Purple Dog Groomer, out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
“Before I was grooming, I was attending York University in Toronto,” says Bongelli. Although she enjoyed her studies, Bongelli could not clearly see a future goal for herself that would make all of her hard work feel purposeful, leading to feeling unhappy as a student.
Much More Than A Left Handed Groomer: Nadia Bongelli’s Story Read More
If not for DOGS where would we all be? Dogs provide us, the grooming professionals, with the opportunity to showcase our creativity. In addition, there is our chance to earn a living doing something that we truly enjoy and find rewarding, while providing a health benefit for the dogs and their owners as well.
The Real Heroes of Our Industry Read More
“My mother was a public school teacher,” said Debi Hilley. “She taught first grade and Head Start. She instilled in me the importance of education and went over and above teaching her kids. Maybe her work has something to do with me wanting to help teach other groomers.”
Every family is unique. An outsider could flip through the pages of a family’s scrapbook and only imagine the feelings attached to old ticket stubs, pressed flowers, scraps of paper, and photos. For the family that created those memories, every piece gives them the chance to live the memory again.
Grooming As A Family: Alexis Sanches’ Story Read More
You have primped and pampered them for a lifetime. No matter how fussy a dog or cat might be when they come in to be groomed, each and every one of them has made a way into your heart. Pets are never here as long as we would wish. When it comes time for each to pass from this earth, the simple truth is that you feel the sadness too! Imagine the void that it has left with your customer whose pet has crossed the rainbow bridge. These pet parents have trusted you with their fur babies, many since they were puppies or kittens, and that tells a lot about you! So honor that relationship by finding a way to recognize a beloved animal.
Recognizing A Pet That Has Crossed The Rainbow Bridge Read More