by Blake Hernandez
hen it comes to grooming pets, we can stress over a hundred things—cleanliness, client satisfaction, the perfect finish—but the top concern of every single groom should be safety. And not just safety for the client’s trust in you, but also for the safety of your body and the animals in your care. Here are 10 of my biggest safety secrets for the dogs on your table:
Fig. 1) Working on animals that are too low or too high for your reach can make your job harder not only to execute the groom, but the toll it takes on your body is far greater. Your shoulder should be level with the dog’s shoulder for the majority of the groom. You can lower the table to reach the head and raise it to work on the feet.
Fig. 2) The rear legs can swing back and forth as well as rotate outward like when a male dog lifts their leg to urinate. However, you should never lift the dog’s leg higher than parallel to the hip. It’s best to keep the foot low and close to the table.
Fig. 3) The front legs only swing front to back. Never force the leg to rotate outward sideways like a wing. Lifting the leg forward as though the dog is taking a natural step allows you plenty of access to the same area.
Fig. 4) When using a styling spray or cologne of any sort, it’s important to avoid the eyes being open and in the line of fire. To shield the eyes, use your hand in a horseshoe shape to cover both eyes and while spraying.
Fig. 5) A grooming loop that is too tight can irritate a collapsed trachea, as well cause other physical harm. And a loop that is too loose can give the dog too much space to walk around and potentially step off an edge. This shows the correct level of restriction for a grooming loop, which will also provide some support for the dog when they are tired of supporting the entire weight of their head.
Fig. 6) When shaving the ear, always take the length on the inside of the ear one length shorter or more. This makes edging the ear leathers safer, as you are able to focus on the outside panel of the ear.
Fig. 7) Never cut in towards the dog’s face when doing ear leathers. Point your shear tip outwards towards the ear tip for maximum safety.
Fig. 8) Do not avoid or over simplify the flaps on the inside of a dog’s ear. Always make sure to deliberately spread them apart so you can more easily access the edges of the ear.
Fig. 9) Some dogs will flail and panic when held by their chin hair. Instead, try standing behind the dog’s head with your hand in a horseshoe shape, touching the base of the ears to more safely and gently restrain them.
Fig. 10) There is nothing wrong with accessing the belly by standing certain dogs on their hind legs, but for others it is irresponsible or impossible. Next time you need to shave the belly on a large or athletically-challenged dog, try using your hand to rotate the belly skin upward on the side and access it that way.
Fig. 9) Some dogs will flail and panic when held by their chin hair. Instead, try standing behind the dog’s head with your hand in a horseshoe shape, touching the base of the ears to more safely and gently restrain them.
Fig. 10) There is nothing wrong with accessing the belly by standing certain dogs on their hind legs, but for others it is irresponsible or impossible. Next time you need to shave the belly on a large or athletically-challenged dog, try using your hand to rotate the belly skin upward on the side and access it that way.
Always remember—safety first, style second. You’ll keep yourself and the dogs you groom safer, and your clients will love you forever.