by Daryl Conner
Certainly one of my grooming prospects is a veterinarian. She requested me, “So, what’s the take care of holistic pet grooming?” The phrase holistic has been moderately overused lately. It smacks of woo-woo new ageism and sensitive really feel good-ism. She appeared skeptical simply saying it. I replied, “It’s taking your complete pet into consideration once we groom it. From selecting the absolute best merchandise and offering a secure and cozy setting, to creating certain that the not solely the bodily but in addition the psychological and emotional wants of the animal are supported throughout the grooming course of.”
She tilted her head and checked out me quizzically. “Isn’t that form of a no brainer?” A good query! It must be apparent to groomers that the animals they’re working with reside, sentient beings whose emotions must be considered when they’re present process the grooming course of.
Sadly, this isn’t all the time the case. In most conditions, it isn’t due to an absence of caring on the a part of the groomer; extra so an absence of training or understanding that choices can be found.
Right here is an instance. Yesterday we groomed a small combined breed which had bitten a number of folks throughout earlier grooming makes an attempt. I used to be warned repeatedly by the proprietor to you’ll want to use a muzzle. I do maintain muzzles available, however hardly ever use them. When the canine got here in I might instantly see that he was very anxious. Any biting on his half was from concern, not outright aggression.
Taking this into consideration, our method was to maneuver slowly and gently, ignoring him when he thrashed about and acted as if we had been making an attempt to kill him, and praising him when he was nonetheless for a second to catch his breath. Inside only a few moments he caught on, and the occasions we might reward him grew to become increasingly frequent. Though he was terribly matted, we had been in a position to groom him from tub to bandana in 70 minutes with out resorting to utilizing a muzzle.
When his delighted proprietor picked him up she requested how we had managed to get him fully groomed. We defined our methodology and he or she stated, “Oh, the opposite groomer tried to carry him actually tightly and he hated that. It made him worse.”
This instance exhibits that the earlier groomer knew one methodology of making an attempt to subdue canines that struggled for grooming. It I in all probability how she was taught. Though the canine in query just isn’t very massive, he IS very robust, and decided. Making an attempt to muscle him ended badly for everybody involved. The groomer was bitten, the canine went dwelling unfinished, matted and upset from the method. The proprietor despaired of discovering one other resolution, and waited so lengthy to attempt once more that the canines coat was a matted mess by the point we bought to him.
Working to calm his fears and de-escalate his conduct price us nothing, and gained us a brand new buyer. It’s not that we’re any extra expert than the earlier groomers, however that we labored with the canine’s persona to realize a profitable end result. In the long run, it’s essential to do not forget that working holistically isn’t simply in regards to the pet, it’s taking all the things into consideration; the animal, the shopper and the groomer. Nobody factor trumps one thing else. Each side is essential, and selections are based mostly on what’s greatest for all three.
“Integrative grooming,” is likely to be a greater and extra descriptive time period to explain this methodology. This implies to carry components collectively to create a complete. It generally means pondering in several and inventive methods to beat a problem.
Right here is one other instance. As an expert groomer, I’ve labored virtually each Saturday of the final 32 years. To be trustworthy, I’m uninterested in it. I’d wish to have Saturdays off to spend with my husband. Final yr I took a superb onerous take a look at my buyer checklist. There are solely a handful of consumers which completely should have Saturday appointments. All of them want grooming about each 6 weeks. With just a little juggling, I might get all of them on the identical rotation.
Now I work one Saturday each six weeks. It really works for my prospects, the pets and me. I’m a lot happier with this schedule, and my happiness makes me a greater groomer.
Placing all of the woo-woo and touchy-feely stuff apart, grooming holistically merely means contemplating the well-being of the pet, the proprietor and even the groomer. Integrative grooming is greater than giving a superb haircut, it’s pondering of the canine or cat as a posh, delicate, dwelling creature and treating it with the respect and kindness that may assist its psychological, psychological and bodily well-being.
A very good groom is anticipated from all of us, however an important groom leaves the pet feeling pretty much as good because it seems, the proprietor feeling happy, and the groomer completely happy to work one other day.
