THE EVOLUTION OF PET GROOMING SALONS (excerpt)
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 grooming
services so their client's pets are clean and
fresh when picked up. Some neighborhood pet
shops 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 stand blow dryers, such
as the Bonet "fluff-drier," 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.
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Kennels provided grooming in much the same
manner using unsafe and ineffective cage
driers. 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.
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If you have an interest in researching the
history of grooming further we suggest the
references listed at PetGroomer.com, http://www.petgroomer.com/history.htm
and at Groomer Pedia™,
http://www.groomerpedia.com. |
Through the centuries the pet dog and cat
became an integral part of the family. When
the United States zero birthrate became
actuality, Americans brought more pets into
their homes than ever. The population,
especially of smaller breeds like the Poodle,
Pomeranian, Sheltie, Lhasa Apso, Shih-Tsu and
Pekinese, exploded. People loved the furry
cuddliness of their little friends. With the
movement toward town homes 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?
Next it's time to introduce you to grooming
as an industry. Click the
Next bone now. |
