Things To Make Your Job Easier

[Jenneversage64]

I was thinking about this today while driving home. The right products and tools really make for an easier groom the client is likely to notice and like. The Stuff is one of these. The recirculating bather, I can not do without. The suction type unit with my clippers. My variable speed HV dryer. Good shampoos and blueberry facial ( and butt cleaner). A good muzzle. LOL Also my red LP matt zapper brush.

You probably agree and know this. But maybe newbies don't.

[gottalovegracie]

Don't forget the Groomer's Helper! Gosh, I don't know how I groomed so long without it. Love it!

-glg

[keyray]

My list is my Clipper Vac, my Bathing Beauty, the Groomer's Helper, Southbark's Blueberry Facial, my Wahl Bravura, my Chris Christensen combs (and brushes),.....

Oh who am I kidding, I have a HUGE list of things I never want to groom without, but those are at the top.

[sittingpretty]

Easier grooming

Don't forget a hydraulic table! "Oh, my (no longer) aching back!



sittingpretty

[petgroomaustralia]

Coat Kings, clipper vacs, Laube clippers, HV dryers, The Stuff or equivalent, Wahl stainless steel clipper combs...some of the things I wouldnt be without.

[Helly]

Top of the list; Groomer's Helper. In fact, if I had to give up my GH I'd retire.

Don't really care that much for The Stuff, but LOVE Groomer's Edge Solution. It's concentrated, you mix it to the strength you want. Way more cost effective than the other leave in sprays.

Hydraulic table. No doubt about that one.

Good HV dryer. Again, that's a no brainer.

Pinking shears.

Keep your clipper vacs. I can't stand 'em.

[desertdogs64]

NO,I hope no one was going to say that

it's not a helper,

Don't forget the Groomer's Helper! Gosh, I don't know how I groomed so long without it. Love it!

-glg

[Helly]

it's not a helper,

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. But let's not deny that a product is what it says it is.

There are far to many people who disagree with that to try and say it's not a helper. In fact, you're not only in the minority, you're practically standing out there by yourself.

[desertdogs64]

Been grooming for over 27 years

today's pet groomers need to go treat their clients as pets ,not animals that you quickly tye down for a quick fix, spend time with the pet,pet's should be able to listen to the groomer,they do have brains you know ,not be held down.Over the years I have re trained many of pets that other groomers scared and hurt them,by not responding to the pet as an individual. The groomer's helper reminds me of something you see in a Vet's operating room when a cat is being spayed.I've been out of grooming school for over 27 years now, and I've always stood out from the crowd,that's how a professional stands out and lasts in the grooming world, and the biggest help the groomer's helper every helped has to be the inventors bank account.

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. But let's not deny that a product is what it says it is.

There are far to many people who disagree with that to try and say it's not a helper. In fact, you're not only in the minority, you're practically standing out there by yourself.

[PAWS]

No offense here, but I have never used a groomer's helper type system to 'tie a dog down'. If it came to that, I would stop the groom! Why would anyone force a dog or cat and cause an injury?? I love being able to keep an older dog's butt off the table with no effort on their part. I love to secure the dogs front end when they are unpredictable biters. Sure, I use muzzles when needed, but I prefer to not make them wear it the entire grooming. In my experience, a lot of difficult dogs have improved leaps and bounds. They have learned trust and have made amazing changes. I like using grooming loops and belts under chests and tummmy's etc., to avoid tracheal irritation. I also like to keep spinners in one place. Dogs that I groom are not bouncing around and trying to get away. I do not make the restraints tight or awkward. It is just a little something 'just in case'. It is for safety and to keep my 'lifting hand' free. If I am scissoring a scaredy-dog who might suddenly sit or jump at the slightest noise, the belly and butt harnesses prevent them from sitting right on my tools. I can understand Desertdogs' standpoint if a cruel device is what you have seen these products use as, but don't assume that other groomers ALL use it that way. I don't care how many years of experience you have, if you don't know how to use the system then you don't know how to use the system. P.S. the cat and dog spay set ups keep the pets on their back, with all four legs extended, but not unnaturally, and tied on an anesthetised animal. Their head and neck are lined up in such a way that an endotracheal tube can be properly functional to keep them breathing and keep anesthetic going in and waste coming out. Not a fully aware and possibly scared pet that can twist and jump and bolt. I have never seen or heard of a pet that was tied down for grooming on their back, or had their legs tied up in any way shape or form for that matter.

[desertdogs64]

Restraining is the point here

I know all about animal spay service,witness many of times ,one of my first job was as a pet groomer in a large animal hospital , knowing that an animal is on their back yes. Still animal should not be restrained for grooming . when I purchased a mobile grooming trailer 3 years ago to add to my business,the mobile grooming trailer seller, was supposed it give me strong type of tires that's have a 60% chance of not getting a flat,he didn't have any in stock,so he offer me the groomer's helper,I probably should have looked into before I agreed to expect the trade off,but I didn't I wish I did,the tires where a great deal. when I look at it and seen and read what it was ,I closed up the box and shook my head , and it still sits today. I would never use that on any pet no matter how the acted . That's my option.

No offense here, but I have never used a groomer's helper type system to 'tie a dog down'. If it came to that, I would stop the groom! Why would anyone force a dog or cat and cause an injury?? I love being able to keep an older dog's butt off the table with no effort on their part. I love to secure the dogs front end when they are unpredictable biters. Sure, I use muzzles when needed, but I prefer to not make them wear it the entire grooming. In my experience, a lot of difficult dogs have improved leaps and bounds. They have learned trust and have made amazing changes. I like using grooming loops and belts under chests and tummmy's etc., to avoid tracheal irritation. I also like to keep spinners in one place. Dogs that I groom are not bouncing around and trying to get away. I do not make the restraints tight or awkward. It is just a little something 'just in case'. It is for safety and to keep my 'lifting hand' free. If I am scissoring a scaredy-dog who might suddenly sit or jump at the slightest noise, the belly and butt harnesses prevent them from sitting right on my tools. I can understand Desertdogs' standpoint if a cruel device is what you have seen these products use as, but don't assume that other groomers ALL use it that way. I don't care how many years of experience you have, if you don't know how to use the system then you don't know how to use the system. P.S. the cat and dog spay set ups keep the pets on their back, with all four legs extended, but not unnaturally, and tied on an anesthetised animal. Their head and neck are lined up in such a way that an endotracheal tube can be properly functional to keep them breathing and keep anesthetic going in and waste coming out. Not a fully aware and possibly scared pet that can twist and jump and bolt. I have never seen or heard of a pet that was tied down for grooming on their back, or had their legs tied up in any way shape or form for that matter.

[doggydivas]

Let's keep it on thread people...lol

I LOVE my Wahl SS Combs, my LP Mat Zapper, B3 shampoo and colognes, k-9 III (da bomb) and Crown Royale....just to name a few.

[mylady]

I love my Andis clippers, they have all been work horses. Love my Speed Feed clippers as well. My CC buttercombs and my original greyhound comes are fab. All of my Les Poochs brushes are priceless and I would hate to have to work without my Mars Flexi-King. LOVE my Kenchii shears. Hmm, and yes, my SS snap on combs are great too. Love my Hanvey Gold Hi-V.

In regards to a restraint. I don't use a groomers helper, that is my choice. I don't feel that those who do are in someway hurting the dogs, if using it properly. I just don't need it. Most of the dogs I groom I don't even need a loop on, but my table is also surrounded on three sides and I'm on the fourth. In a salon I would always use a loop, not horridly tight, but enough to keep the pet safely on the table and to help me stay safe as well. I work with every dog and alter my grooming as needed for different personalities. What works with one will not work with all. I have turned many dogs around over the years and do MANY dogs that no one else has been able to do without problems. I have one biter in the mobile that actually tries to bite me, a 10 year old Chih with 4 teeth. I have plenty that were purported to be biters, had been asked not to come back to other salons, and I have no problems with them. I don't think it has anything to do with how I am choosing to keep them on the table, but simply the environment in the mobile. Everyone has a right to their opinion, but I think we should refrain from making broad judgements based on one simple piece of equipment someone chooses to use(or not use).

[Helly]

Desertdog, as I said, you're entitled to your opinion. But if you never even tried the Groomer's Helper, how can you know if it's safe, humane, and effective?

I've been able to turn many a bad dog into a good, easy to groom dog by using the Groomer's Helper. These were dogs that have required anesthesia (not just a tranq) to be groomed in the past. Now they're happy to be here, easy to work with, and they're safe to work on. So it's not just about restraint. It's about retraining and gaining the dog's trust.

Restraint is not a dirty word. It's a fact of life when one works with animals, both for the handler's safety, and the animal's. Not every animal will stand quietly while some process or another is going on. I've seen horses castrated with no restraint, and, IMO, THAT is cruel. It would have been much kinder and safer to restrain and anesthatize the horse, even if it's still done standing, with a local.

There's nothing evil about restraining an animal for it's own protection. We use leashes, fences, and gates to keep our pets from running in front of cars. And I use the GH to restrain an animal that might otherwise injure itself by falling and hanging itself or being accidentally cut or losing an eye when it moves suddenly, . How is that any different?

The Groomer's Helper is a tool. Just like any other tool, it can be used correctly or incorrectly. 99% of the time I'm only using the tether, and it's not pulled up short. The dogs are more comfortable, and relaxed, than they are without it. Once they realize that throwing a hissy fit gets them nowhere, or they realize they can't bite, they just relax and stop trying. I can't tell you the last time I've had to muzzle a dog. But if it's a tool you've never used, you really can't know what it can do. And what it can't do.

It's also kept many a groomer from being bitten, including me. Bites are no longer something that should be viewed as "just part of the job" because now 90% of them can be prevented by using a safe, humane safety device. You may think all the GH is doing is lining the pockets of the inventor, but I can tell you from experience that it's preventing a lot of doctors and emergency rooms from lining their pockets. I know how expensive a dog bite can be, both in medical bills and lost wages. I know the pain of having my face bitten into pieces, and have the scars to prove it. If the GH can prevent me from experiencing that again (and it has), it's worth every penny, and then some.

I've never, ever used the GH to "tie down" an animal for anything. I work in a vet clinic, and IMO putting a dog on my table and hooking his head up so he can't get it down to bite when I'm doing nails is WAAAAAY more humane than having a tech hold a struggling dog on it's side and forcing the issue. And the techs here feel the same way. Dogs that have required 3 people to do nails can now be done by one. And done a lot faster, and with far less stress and struggling.

If you don't want to use it, by all means, don't. But don't villify it. It's not what you seem to think it is.

As we used to say in the '60s; don't knock it until you've tried it.

[bulldogmom]

My list: Vacuum System, Laube clipper (even though they break all. the. time.), Groomer's Helper, LP Mat Zapper, PEK Conditioner, Why B*tch shampoo, Buttercut blades, Wahl Bravura (for cats especially!), Bardel bows (never upside-down!), Wahl SS combs, and my amazing sharpener, Jeff! LOL!