The Evolution of Pet Grooming Salons

The roots of today's salon lie in the marketplaces and palaces of the past. This is where groomers were first advancing our chosen field. Pet grooming salons as we know them today simply did not exist. More recently, kennels offer grooming services so pets return to their owners clean and smelling fresh. Also, many veterinarians have added pet grooming services so their client's pets are clean and fresh when picked up. Some neighborhood pet shops and major retailers have also expanded into the service business by offering pet grooming services.

Before the 1940's, "doggie barbershops" went into business. These shops had very little room. The entire operation consisted of three or four cages, a table, and a bathing and drying area. Pedestal and blow dryers were not yet introduced. Some doggie barbershops still exist though their number is decreasing. The burgeoning pet population demands modern and professional pet grooming services.

Some of the shops provided grooming using unsafe and ineffective cage dryers. Lacking air conditioning, these "sweat shops" were already hot. With the introduction of pedestal stand blow dryers in the 1940's they became nearly unbearable for employee and pet. Trimming was laborious without electric clippers and modern supplies. No more than eight dogs a day can be in this environment and owners can only earn a limited income.

The late 1940's introduced new grooming tools. Yet, the biggest contributing factor to today's vast pet grooming market occurred in the middle 1950's. This is when the population explosion of dogs and cats began. The opportunity for pet grooming to become a viable profession had arrived. Pet grooming began to move out of the back room and away from the edge of town in rundown buildings. It moved downtown, to main street.

Through the centuries the pet dog and cat became an integral part of the family. When the United States zero birthrate became a near reality, Americans brought more pets into their homes than ever. The population, especially of smaller breeds like the Poodle, Pomeranian, Sheltie, Lhasa Apso, Shih-Tzu and Pekingese, exploded. People loved the furry cuddliness of their little friends. With the movement toward townhouses and condominiums, the smaller breeds fit better in the confined spaces of the new homes. They took up minimal space and were well-mannered travelers in automobiles. Perhaps the preference for smaller breeds is a functional necessity for today's lifestyle. The question is, will grooming salons make the adjustment demanded by the changes in our modern day clients and their pets?

Pet Grooming Salons Into the Next Millennia

The poor conditions of early pet grooming salons are simply not suitable for the coming new millennia. Today, there are more modern pet grooming salons than ever before, but there are still too many that have not progressed into what is possibly a state-of-the-art grooming salon. Think of your current operation, or the salon you are considering. Compare it to this brief vision of a state-of-the-art salon.

The ideal salon has stainless steel tubs with special drain traps designed specifically to catch the pet's hairs. It has an automatic lift to set the larger pets in the bathing tub and a washer and dryer for towels. It includes ceiling-mounted blow dryers. No more hairballs in the dryer's wheels and enough blowing power on medium heat to dry pets efficiently. The clippers have special wiring that boost amperage and yet operate at cooler temperatures. It has the latest design in cages built to last many years. Improved lighting enables employees to inspect the quality of their work. An emergency generator for power outages allows business activities to continue uninterrupted. The tiled bathing department has maintenance procedures posted. The advanced sanitation procedures include a "potty-walking" area.

These are just a few of the attributes of the state-of-the-art salon (ed. note: many more are included in From Problems to Profits).

On the next page we have another fascinating article for you on the history of pet grooming.