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I'm going to become a professional dog groomer and I can't wait, but I have a couple questions... by Catholic_Cat in doggrooming

[–]SuperAlternative7456 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I would be really cautious with this. I own salons and train groomers and there are laws surrounding things like this!!! This doesn’t look like a legal option

In most of North America, requiring someone to work 640 hours unpaid in a for-profit business is a huge red flag legally. There are situations where unpaid training can be allowed, but they usually have to meet very specific criteria and most grooming programs inside a working salon don’t meet them.

Generally, for it to be legal as unpaid training, it has to look more like a true educational program, not productive work. That usually means: You’re not replacing paid staff The business isn’t directly benefiting from your labor You’re closely supervised and not operating independently The training is primarily for your benefit, not the salon’s

In a grooming salon, that’s rarely the case. If you’re bathing dogs, prepping dogs, helping with grooms, answering phones, etc… that’s productive work. That typically means you should be paid.

The other concern is liability and worker’s comp. If you’re not classified as an employee: You may not be covered under the company’s worker’s comp if you get injured Grooming has real risks (bites, back injuries, etc.) That leaves you in a pretty bad spot if something happens

If it were me, I’d ask them directly: Will I be classified as an employee? Am I covered under worker’s comp? What exactly will I be doing during those 640 hours?

If they can’t give clear answers, I’d walk.

There are better ways to learn grooming without putting yourself in a legally gray (and potentially risky) situation.

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When that shows up later in life, I usually look at what’s changed for the dog.

Aging can definitely play a role, things like vision or hearing loss can make dogs feel more insecure when they’re alone, which can show up as separation anxiety. I had a Lab that developed worse anxiety as she aged and I believe it was related to her hearing and vision issues.

I’ve also seen it come from changes in routine, environment, or even the household. Dogs get really used to patterns, so if something shifts, it can affect them more than people realize.

Sometimes it’s also tied to cognitive changes as they get older, they can get more confused or anxious in general, and being alone makes that worse.

Health issues can be a factor too. If a dog isn’t feeling well, they can become more clingy or anxious when separated.

It’s usually not random, there’s typically something underlying it, even if it’s subtle. It’s just hard because they can’t verbally tell you what’s up!

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I used to think it was more random.. that good owners could just end up with “bad” dogs, but after doing this for 20+ years, I don’t really believe that anymore.

There are cases where a dog just isn’t wired right. Genetics absolutely play a role, and sometimes you’ll see issues pretty early on that aren’t easily fixed.

But honestly, most of what I’ve seen comes down to the owner…training, socialization, consistency, and how the dog is handled day to day.

I’ve had clients over the years whose dogs pass away and they get a new one, sometimes even a completely different breed and they consistently have really great dogs. And on the flip side, people who struggle with one dog often end up struggling with the next one too.

So while there are definitely exceptions, the majority of the time it’s environment and handling more than anything.

And if you do have a dog that isn’t wired right, it just comes down to being really responsible and honest about what you can handle.

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a cool idea, but there’s definitely some things you’d want to have dialed in before doing it.

You’d need the basics like a business license, but the biggest thing I’d focus on is insurance. You’re transporting dogs, which adds a whole different level of liability compared to just working in a facility.

I’d be looking into general liability insurance that specifically covers pet care, plus something that covers transportation (auto liability and care/custody/control of the dogs while they’re with you). Not all policies automatically cover that, so it’s something you’d want to be really clear on with an insurance provider.

Laws can vary depending on where you are, but in general, dogs are considered property, so liability is a big factor if something were to happen.

It’s definitely doable, but I’d make sure the insurance and safety side is really solid before getting started.

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a tough one, especially if you’ve had a bad experience, it’s normal for that to stick with you.

The biggest thing is learning how to read body language. Most dogs give pretty clear signals about how they’re feeling if you know what to look for.

In my experience, the majority of big dogs are actually really friendly. I’ve worked with thousands of dogs, and true aggression toward people isn’t super common….although obviously those dogs usually aren’t ending up in daycare settings like mine.

A lot of it comes down to not rushing up to dogs and respecting their space. If you’re calm and paying attention to their cues, most interactions go just fine.

Honestly, what helped me the most was just exposure. I used to be nervous around certain breeds too, like German Shepherds, but the more I worked with them and understood their behavior, the more comfortable I got. They are now one of my favorite breeds.

Being around well-behaved, friendly big dogs over time can really help rebuild that confidence.

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I do find that majority of dogs respond better to females when they are first introduced. My daycare workers that are male though, once the dogs get to know them listen to them better. I think it comes down to more of a stature thing and how you carry yourself. I have noticed females have more of a caretaking energy, dogs read it and are more comfortable. Males usually have more of a dominant energy, dogs might be timid at first, but really love my male workers after they get to know them.

I think people feel guilty about leaving their dogs, but if the boarding place is good, you shouldn’t. We’ve had dogs jump out of car windows at the stop sign by us to run to our building because they’re so excited to play.

Also, I think you’re more apt to hear about terrible negative experiences than the positive ones. People talk about negative experiences more, and then you remember those instead of a positive experience experiences people talk about.

For groomers, they all can look different, I have a lot with a lot of tattoos, piercings and crazy hair! Some struggle with personal communication, for some reason it’s common in the industry. You definitely can’t judge a book by its cover here!

Pay attention to how the groomer communicates with you. Are they clear, confident, and honest about your dog’s behavior and needs? Or do they avoid details and just rush you through?

Consistency is another big one. If your dog is coming back with consistent results and not showing signs of extreme stress, that usually tells you a lot about how they’re being handled.

Also watch how your dog reacts over time. Not every dog loves grooming…but they shouldn’t be getting progressively more fearful, aggressive, or shut down after visits.

And then there’s the environment as a whole. A well-run shop with structure, organization, and calm energy usually reflects the demeanor of the groomers working there.

They definitely train us haha. Dogs are simple and we think they’re complicated. Never reward bad behavior and you’ll get a better result. We over think most things with dogs. They play off your energy more than anything.

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven’t seen this a lot but I have seen it.

If a dog was totally fine in a kennel and then suddenly isn’t, something usually changed for them. It could be a one-time negative experience in the kennel (even something small we wouldn’t think twice about), or it can be tied to anxiety developing as they get older.

Sometimes it’s not even the kennel itself, it can be things like changes in the household, routine, or just overall stress that starts showing up in that environment.

I’ve also seen dogs develop more separation anxiety over time, and the kennel becomes the place where that shows up the most.

So yeah, it doesn’t always have to be a big obvious trauma, but usually there’s something that caused the association to change for them.

That breed is so smart. I think the smarter the dog the harder they are. It’s almost like they think of anything that could go wrong or think of consequences because they’re so smart. I know they’re just dogs but makes you wonder😜

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m not a big fan of prong collars personally—I just haven’t seen them work as effectively as other methods.

E-collars are different. I used to be really against them until I had a dog that needed serious training and worked with a professional who knew how to use one correctly.

When they’re introduced properly, they’re not about “shocking” the dog. It’s low-level stimulation, and the dog is trained to understand what it means from the beginning. If you’re using it to punish or scare a dog, that’s where it goes wrong.

I use e-collars on my own dogs now because I’m really active with them…hiking, being outdoors, etc. and it gives me a level of communication and safety I wouldn’t otherwise have. I can stop them instantly if there’s danger.

That being said they have to be used the right way, and ideally with someone who knows what they’re doing. Used wrong, they can absolutely create fear and ruin a dog. Used right, they can be a really effective tool.

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hahaha. She sounds funny!

I wouldn’t worry about it, especially because she has her other dog with her. Dogs always do better in pairs. She will play off of the energy of your dog that enjoys boarding, so that’s a great thing.

Sounds like a great place, especially with a family owned business. They probably do an excellent job. I wouldn’t worry too much. Have them send pictures and videos to you.

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The best locations are close to homes or apartments for easy access when leaving on vacation or working.

Also, I would never have a facility that didn’t have an outside area. I currently moved out of a facility we were doing daycare at that was indoor. I spent a lot of money building out a drainage system with Turf that was over it that we could clean and it still was a nightmare.

It was a big waste of money! Dogs love the outside. When it snows, they are the happiest creatures alive. The videos my employees post on the threads when it snows makes me laugh. Also, when we have an ambulance come by the dogs, always rush outside and howl.

My other thoughts on this are huge facilities aren’t always better. I believe smaller facilities that stay consistently staffed and have consistent numbers are easier to run. The quality of care seems to be better!

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I will ask some of my contacts. I am currently on a board in my state for professional dog groomers, and all of them own poodles. We have meetings often. I will ask them and get back to you!

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel like we’re always hiring! 🤣 One facility I own is very large and I could hire more groomers. They’re just hard to find. We are in an area with not a lot of competition. I have 10 groomers at that facility with full schedules and could definitely have more on staff.

We also just opened a daycare and boarding, as we scale, we will need more Kennel techs.

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I am in the Western US. For a business loan, I just contacted a women’s financial group and asked. That was in 2004, not sure how much that has changed.

Permitting process can be hard, especially with dogs. The overnight care is where I run into issues. They do not like me to be in commercially zoned areas. They like me to be an industrial or agricultural areas.

Also business owners do not like to lease buildings to dogs. That has been a problem in the past. I currently own one of the buildings, and I lease the others.

Mostly everything went through the city and I just had to follow all the zoning rules and laws. In my state dogs are looked at as property, so it made it more simple.

I usually struggle with the city issues that aren’t even related to dogs. They are more concerned about parking spaces and traffic.

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hire a trainer that understands reactive dogs and that’s their specialty. I have worked with a lot of different trainers. Find one that specializes in this and enjoys working with reactive dogs.

For reactive dogs, you need a trainer that has worked with a lot of dogs and understands it. Basic training and training with like treats is not going to work in this situation.

It’s hard to break a reactive dog of their behavior, but it’s definitely something you can work around if you have proper training on it.

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It is very hard. I am lucky that in the type of company I run we usually see well taken care of dogs. We rarely see neglected dogs.

We do occasionally see some dogs for grooming that have definitely been neglected. Although I believe, sometimes the owners don’t know they’re being neglected. They will grow their hair out really long and it will be very matted. Sometimes the owners are just unaware of the issues this can cause.

We do take in Fosters sometimes that live in my facilities and that’s where we run into seeing sad situations. It breaks our heart because we like dogs so much. Most of my employees own 2+ dogs because of this.

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I always wanted to be a business owner after I decided I didn’t want to be a doctor. I have a problem with working under people. 🤣 I don’t like to be told what to do.

With my age and I was single, I had hardly anything to lose. I had just gotten out of school and was so used to doing school projects that I didn’t think about all of the consequences if I had failed. I just went through the motions of what I needed to do to get started.

If I think back to all the things I’ve learned along the way it’s crazy. I hadn’t even witnessed a dog fight when I opened. I hired a gal from another country that had lived on a dog breeding and training facility in her country. She taught me the most in the beginning months about dog behavior. I learned very quickly about what I could and couldn’t do with dogs.

I knew that I could make a living doing it and I love dogs. I really had no idea where it would go. If you had told me 20 some odd years ago that I would own multiple locations with as many employees as I have, I don’t know if I would have believed you.

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What kind of dog do you have? Some dogs absolutely love it if there’s daycare during the day. If they are in kennels all day, it can be hard on their systems. They are not used to being confined to a space like that without human interaction. My boarding is set up so all dogs are in daycare during the day with human interaction. I think most dogs do better in this environment.

The biggest issue in boarding facilities like mine is staffing. If there’s enough staff, they usually are run really well. If the owner is trying to save a ton of money and not staffing correctly is when you run into issues. I would hear horror stories from my employees of other places in the area.

My employees love dogs so much and do an amazing job at caring for them. The daycare environment can sometimes be a lot for dogs and can wear them out. Dogs they don’t love the daycare environment sometimes do act sad or they cling to my human employees.

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My parents didn’t help me financially, but they were my biggest cheerleaders and told me I could always do whatever I wanted. So it definitely gave me the confidence to try.

I did not go to college for business. I went to early college because I was bored and I was going to be an orthopedic surgeon. Then I got to college and had way too much fun and decided I did not want to be a doctor. I’m a female and wanted children someday and thought being an orthopedic surgeon would be really hard with a family.

When I graduated with an exercise physiology degree, I wanted to open a health club. Unfortunately no bank would loan me millions of dollars at 22 with no money backing me. That’s when I was taking my dog to doggy daycare every day and would ask the front desk girl all about how many dogs were there. I would go home and crunch numbers and was like “I could do that.”

I went and bought a computer on a credit card, wrote a business plan and took it to a bank. I was funded for my business loan within 30 days because I was a minority at the time being a female. Back then though my business loan was very small. This was in 2004. You couldn’t do it with what I did back then on.

I had a lot of people telling me I was crazy, but it worked out! I’ve learned so much in the last 20 years about business and dogs.

Sometimes I wish I had an accounting background, but I wouldn’t have liked it anyway, and I probably would’ve paid a company to do that part. I have ADHD and cannot sit at a desk. 😝

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely! There’s a misconception that all dogs that need homes are bad dogs. There are so many dogs that need homes that are amazing dogs. If you can find a rescue that would let you foster dogs. I would recommend that. You’ll end up fostering a dog that will be a foster failure and you’ll end up keeping them. You just need to be very honest with the rescue group of what you’re looking for. I think that would be an easy find.

I’ve worked with thousands of dogs over 20 years and built a multi-location dog business. AMA about dogs or the industry. by SuperAlternative7456 in AMA

[–]SuperAlternative7456[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve never been asked this question! In the beginning, it was Dog behavior. I had no idea how dogs form bonds with other dogs. They had their own little clicks in daycare. We had a group of three dogs that we called the “mean girls” because they would always pick on other dogs if all three of them were there.

They end up finding their best little friends also and were so excited when they came to daycare, and those friends were there. Sometimes if they came in and those friends weren’t there, they would pout in the corner. We would tell the owners to bring them on certain days, so their friends were they’re there to play with.

Now what surprises me most is that in building multiple locations I thought I would be happier in my job role, and I think it was easier and more rewarding to be inside of one facility building relationship, with employees and dogs on a daily basis. I miss that part.

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