Commercial Grooming Versus Show Grooming

As many as 99% of all pet groomers provide what we call “commercial grooming services” and not “show grooming services.” Those awesome pets you see at dog shows are usually groomed by their handlers. In fact some groomers later become handlers. Grooming to the strictly defined standards expected of a show dog is conveniently termed “show grooming.”
 

Overall there is little demand from millions of pet owners for absolute show grooming. Part of the reason for the low demand rests on the fact that the typical grooming business serves a majority of mixed breed pets, not purebreds. Even large numbers of pet owners with purebred pets will ask groomers to provide non-breed standard styling. Therefore, most groomers provide commercial grooming services satisfying the service requests of pet owners of mixed breed pets and purebreds not groomed to precise standards.

There are commercial groomers that also provide show grooming services. They are exceptional groomers and commonly certified by a pet grooming association only after rigorous training, experience and testing. No one told them to become certified, and there are commercial groomers with the same certifications. Certification is about self-improvement and taking a serious pride in your education and skills. For some it was expensive and inconvenient, but they did it. You will have to make your choice.

What you must keep in mind as a business owner is that the largest share of pet owner demand for your services is likely to be for commercial grooming, not show grooming. If your business resides in an area where there are large numbers of purebred enthusiasts you can create a large following once you qualify as a show groomer of their breeds.

Dog, Cat, Exotic, Livestock & Creative Grooming

Grooming is not just about grooming dogs. "Pet Groomer" is a loosely-define term when it comes to identifying what animals the groomer serves. Logically you would think that a pet groomer grooms more animals than dogs. However, there are pet groomers that only groom dogs and only sometimes refer to themselves as "dog groomers." Historically the term "dog groomer" has been in use the longest. In the 1980's a trend started wherein many dog groomers adopted the term "pet groomer."

Where cats were not popularly groomed before by most dog grooming businesses a growing number of groomers added cat grooming services. Not only were cats being bathed regularly but an increasing number of cat owners requested their longhaired cat coats be shortened. Today the majority of pet grooming businesses serve cat owners, but it is not a vast majority. Some groomers still refrain from offering cat grooming.

Cat grooming can be a challenge when the pet has not been introduced to grooming from an early age. They require special handling and patience, and they are best groomed in a quiet area separate of dogs. Typically cat grooming costs $5 to $15 more than a similarly sized dog because of the special attention required. You should be prepared to provide every cat with extra time, never rush them. Sometimes a second of hands is absolutely necessary to safely restrain cats especially if they have become overly matted or fear water. For this reason most of the businesses that don't offer cat services are one person grooming businesses.

You can learn more about cat grooming by clicking here and don't miss our Cat Grooming Forum on the GroomerTALK™ Message Board. If you need help in the future grooming cats, we have members that specialize in feline grooming.

There are very few cat only groomers. Actually it is open territory that has not been maximized at all. Indeed it is possible to become a cat grooming specialist and gain enough clientele to support your small business. Cat owners know other cat owners and referrals should develop a steady base of clientele for the skilled cat groomer. Not all schools or home study teach cat grooming. If you have an interest in cat grooming ask your educational provider if instruction is available.

Exotic grooming generally refers to rabbits, ferrets and sometimes birds. Not all grooming businesses serve these various creatures. It's entirely up to the business owner, but generally they do far more dogs and cats than exotics. Livestock grooming is not usually associated show or commercial groomers. Some have a background in 4-H, stables, hobbies and the like wherein they learned livestock grooming. However, the public doesn't regularly call upon pet groomers to do livestock grooming. If you see yourself as a commercial groomer you will groom almost entirely dogs, or dogs and cats with an occasional exotic.

Creative grooming is a special art. Today's creative grooming includes blo-pen designs applied to pet coats, artistic coat sculpting with themed patterns, and artistic coat dyeing. In creative competitions even the groomers are thematically costumed and don't forget stage props too! There are groomers who regularly use their pets for creative grooming, or participate in creative grooming contests. Sales of your creative grooming skills to pet owners will be very limited when compared with standard grooming services. There are states and local communities where some forms of creative grooming are not allowed by law. Yes, it is illegal to dye your pet colors in some places. To see what we mean by creative grooming check the PetGroomer.com Creative Gallery, click here.

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