School vs Shop Grooms

[CuttingBetty]

I am currently working in a grooming shop and going to grooming school too! It is very noticeable that my dogs come out better at school and I am more confident in my grooming skills at school but when I am at the shop, my confidence is lacking and the dogs don't come out too good. My boss/mentor at the shop is an excellent groomer and sometimes I get really stressed grooming to her expectations that I worry more about messing up rather than focussing on the basics. I also am growing tired of asking my boss to help me "finish" a dog--she'll come over and do ten clicks of the scissor and it's unbelievable how much better the dogs look after that.

Any advice how to bring the confidence I have a school to the shop? Anyone else out there understand??? I don't want to get burnt out but our shop is busy and I feel like the flat tire slowing us down most of the time.

[Dawn125]

I can totally relate to how you feel. There have been so many times that I have been finishing up a dog and futzing around with the head or face and had my boss walk up and snip, snip, snip and it looks completely professional. When your boss helps you, have her just do one side. That way you can do the other and each time you are learning. I have finally gotten to the point where I hardly ever have to get help anymore. Accept the help and learn from it. Don't let it bother you. Your boss wants you to succeed as much as you do. It won't be long before you realize that you haven't need help in a long time.

[rapuzzled]

I can totally relate to how you feel. There have been so many times that I have been finishing up a dog and futzing around with the head or face and had my boss walk up and snip, snip, snip and it looks completely professional. When your boss helps you, have her just do one side. That way you can do the other and each time you are learning. I have finally gotten to the point where I hardly ever have to get help anymore. Accept the help and learn from it. Don't let it bother you. Your boss wants you to succeed as much as you do. It won't be long before you realize that you haven't need help in a long time.

That's a great idea. When I was learning that is what my boss did. If I was having problems with something, say the head, she would do one side, and then I would do the other and try to make it look like hers. But your right, she would walk over, and fix a head in ten seconds that I had been working on for 20 minutes, lol.

As for the confidence, I am sure that many will offer you suggestions, but just remember that will come with time too.

[DAPER DAWG]

Been there and still go there.

Practice, practice and more practice and a lot of repetition of the same breed which is hard to come by some time. But it sounds like your boss is very supportive. I know what you mean though in school we had 2 or 3 dogs a day and just went really slow and took our time. For me it was the push to speed up and do more a day to make money but still want perfection that stressed me out. Or I don't know if you don't understand what she dd to make it look so perfect cause she did it so quickly. Just ask how did you do that and how can I do that to make it look the same.

[Helly]

A good teacher will show you what to do, a great teacher will tell you how to do it. Ask your boss to tell you what you need to do to finish, not finish it for you.