There are things you can do to help set yourself up for success from the time you book the appointment to the time you’re actually doing it. First, make sure you book yourself enough time. It is no secret that these giant breeds take a long time and are a process to groom, so don’t try to squeeze them somewhere on the schedule they don’t fit.

Another thing to think about is if you need a second person to help you. Yes, you could do them alone, but it may take an unfair amount of time for the dog, so it’s okay to book these dogs as a two-person job. It makes things easier for you, your employees, the dog and the owner.

With that being said, make sure you are charging appropriately. Prices are different for every groomer, depending on a number of things, such as location, experience and education. Understand your market and set your prices as necessary. Most large-breed owners won’t complain about price because a lot of groomers won’t even take them, so they are just happy someone is willing to help them out.

Another thing you can do to set yourself up for success is to establish realistic expectations with the owners beforehand. Make them aware of how long it may take, what the price range could be, what type of trims you will be able to do, etc. The more information you can give the owner beforehand, the better.

Finally, the last thing you can do is make sure you have the right tools to get the job done. A lot of these breeds require a fair amount of deshedding and dematting, and if you don’t have the right tools available to you, it will create twice as much work.

As groomers, we usually try to teach dogs the behavior we want from them and how to play by our rules. But with giant breeds, that doesn’t always happen. Have you ever had a Newfie decide to sit down and you physically cannot pick them back up? It’s times like these when you have to accept that sometimes they get to make the rules.

During long grooms it can get hard for these big guys to even hold themselves up. They need those sit-down breaks or a quick drink of water. So, it’s best to learn to work with them and not against them.

If you are dealing with a dog that’s a permanent sitter, do everything you can while they sit—scrub, dry, brush and trim whatever areas you can. When you get to the point where nothing else can be done, then that’s when you can ask them to stand up for a while. Chances are the dog will be a lot more willing to stand some after you’ve let them rest.

Don’t exhaust yourself trying to force a process that works with smaller dogs; these breeds are not the same. It is okay to use a belly band, ask for some help or spot-shave a tight mat. What is important while grooming these gentle giants is to focus on keeping the experience positive and as stress free as possible—not just for the pet, but for you too.

When the Pyrenees, St. Bernards or Newfies come in with matted rear ends and tails or neck and chest areas, you may think to yourself, “Oh boy, how am I going to get this out?” Well, it all starts in the bath! Whenever you’re grooming a giant breed, know that you are going to be in the bath longer than any part of the entire process; however, it will save you tons of brushing time.

First, start with whatever shampoo the dog requires and scrub away. Once they are all sudsed up, use your high-velocity dryer to help push the shampoo deep into the coat. You are not trying to get the dog dry; you are simply breaking up the thick or matted areas and pushing the shampoo through. Once you have gone over the dog with the dryer, you should already be seeing hair flying free and mats loosening. Then you are going to rinse the dog thoroughly.

Next, and this might be the most important part of the whole process, you are going to use some sort of dematting or deshedding conditioner to completely coat the dog and scrub it through. The trick here is to find a conditioner that makes the coat slippery. You want all the junk in their coat to slide out as easily as possible. You’ll then use a good slicker brush to brush the conditioner through the coat as well.

Then, for the second time, you are going to use your high-velocity dryer and push the conditioner into the coat, really focusing on the areas that are matted and loosening as much hair as you can. Afterward, rinse the conditioner out and move on to fully drying the dog. Once you have the dog completely dry, you will be astonished at how little brushing you will have to do.

The biggest complaint you hear from groomers when it comes to giant breeds is the toll they take on their bodies. You hear about back problems, knee problems, hand problems…the list is endless. While it is true that these bigger dogs will put more strain on your body, when was the last time you did something to help your body?

Strength training to help strengthen your core and back muscles to give yourself more support; yoga to help stretch out your body and increase mobility—it is no secret that grooming can be hard on one’s body. So, why not combat that in order to stay healthy and lengthen your career?

There are so many different ways to take care of yourself, and it really should be a top priority for anyone in our industry. It would be nonsense to choose a career known for causing wear and tear on the body, then be surprised or upset when that wear and tear happens—especially if you did nothing to prevent it.

It is time we groomers start taking accountability and set ourselves up for a long and healthy career full of dogs of ALL sizes!