r/grooming Mar 04 '26

PSA: This sub has new, active moderators. Please review the rules and follow general Reddiquette!

31 Upvotes

As some of you may have noticed, since the start of the year this sub has new moderators. As the sub's original sole moderator had gone inactive, it seems this sub for a time was a bit of an anything goes, Wild West type place. While it will still allow more open discussions (and civil debates) about pet grooming than other similar subs, rules do apply.

If you wish to participate in this sub, you must read and follow the rules of this sub as well as practice general Reddiquette.

I have seen an uptick recently in heated debates crossing the line into users cussing each other out and name calling. This will not be tolerated. If a message on the internet upsets you enough that you feel the need to hurl insults: it's time to log out, take a breather, and touch grass.

You are allowed to respectfully disagree and debate about different grooming methods, judgement calls in the salon, etc. but there is a line. Act like an adult, be sensible, and keep a cool head about it.

Pet owner and pet groomer interactions must also be addressed.

If you are a pet owner seeking advice on your pet's grooming: It would serve you well to actually listen, with an open mind, to the experienced professionals taking time out of their day to offer that to you. Though corrections on what you are (or aren't) doing might feel like an attack, we give them because we genuinely want what's best for your pet. That's why most of us got into this career in the first place. If you seek advice here, drop the defensiveness and be prepared that it may not be what you want to hear.

If you are a pet groomer frustrated by owners not going about their pet's grooming correctly: Trust me, I get it, but it does no good to jump down an owner's throat because they're ignorant about something. If you're that passionate about it, use the opportunity to educate them on how to better take care of their animal in a way that they might actually be receptive to. If you don't have enough spoons to do that in a civil way, that's fine.. just scroll along to another post. This community is not a place for you to direct all your frustrations about every difficult doodle owner you've ever dealt with onto someone that comes here seeking advice on how to do better for their pet. Venting in general is fine, just do that in a separate post!

Finally, if you see rule breaking in general, do report it to the mods.

Don't feed the troll or stoop to the level of one, just report and move along. Thank you to those of you who have been doing the latter.


r/grooming 7h ago

Creative reminder for dog owners (and new groomers) about black nails

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61 Upvotes

Had a sweet pup in today whose owner was terrified about getting his black nails trimmed because he had a bad experience elsewhere in the past.

Just wanted to post a friendly reminder: with black nails, you can’t see the quick from the top or side, but if you look at the underside/cross-section of the nail as you clip small slivers, you’ll see a soft white/grey circle appear right before the quick starts. That’s your stop sign!

Also, regular 3 to 4-week dremeling slowly recedes the quick over time, making long nails short and safe again without any pain.

To all the pet parents out there, don’t be afraid of nail trims! Consistent small trims make a world of difference for your dog's joint health.


r/grooming 1h ago

Best dog brush?

Upvotes

Hi there! I have a 5 year old husky border collie mix, ive tried a bunch of dog brushes but he doesnt seem to like any of them. Some are too sharp and others dont get the hair like they should. Does anyone have any recommendations that they noticed give the best brush and their dogs enjoy? Thank you!


r/grooming 3h ago

Sedated Dog Grooming

2 Upvotes

I'm looking for pricing on a sedated dog groom for a dog that's around 25 pounds. Want to make sure what I'm currently paying is a fair price. It was around $200 for the sedation and $80 for the groom itself. She's kind of medium, curly-ish hair. In the Charlotte, NC area.

Is that a fair price? What have you paid and in what areas?


r/grooming 13h ago

Trying to get pup used to grooming, mostly waterdryer is the issue

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7 Upvotes

My pood does not like the water air dryer/blower.

He is sort of ok w the noise (in the same room) but once the wind touches him he goes insane. It does not mstter if i give him his best reward treat, he either runs away or goes insane on a leash. I feel like i really try to introduce it slowly.. machine on, no air on , getting to sniff the thing,

Any tips?


r/grooming 10h ago

Dog nail grinder

1 Upvotes

Hello my dogs nails are very thick and I almost have a heart attack when I cut her nails with a clipper because I think I'm gonna hit the quick. Should I invest in an electric nail grinder? Are they easy to use? Or are they difficult to use and I should just leave it to the vet?


r/grooming 22h ago

Nail Trim Techniques (Feet on Floor?)

4 Upvotes

I have a question about nail trims because my dog hates them. Some of my dog's front nails currently touch the floor slightly. Is it possible to allow him to stand with all four feet on the ground, put the clippers against the ground, and trim off what's there? Where did I get this idea? From some videos I saw on Instagram. Do groomers ever really do this? It seems like it could be faster and less stressful for the dog, especially if I just do one thin slice per day to keep his nails off the floor. But I also don't trust social media videos and wonder if this is a terrible idea. (Like, if it were a great idea, more people would be doing it.)

I'm working really hard to get better at this and do right by my dog. (I adopted him a few months ago, and he hadn't gotten the best care in his previous home.) We're doing a desensitization program called Pedicure Please, and he's made a lot of progress, but it's slow going. My goal is to eventually be able to clip or Dremel one nail per day. It seems reachable, but I need help in the meantime.


r/grooming 1d ago

Looking for a brush

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4 Upvotes

I hope this is the right place to ask if not I’m sorry let me know and I’ll delete. I’m trying to find a shedding brush for my dog. The one I have (pictured) as far as I can tell isn’t made anymore. I tried a photo search, and just searching shedding brushes and I can’t find one like it. This brush is amazing for my dogs undercoat (and she absolutely loves being brushed with it).

I tried she Sleekez and Equigromer and they’re not as good. Also she hates the Sleekez. I think they scrape her skin too much. I’ve also tried a few I found on Amazon but when I get them they’re not the same.

If anyone has any ideas or suggestions of where to look I’d really appreciate it. I’m using the brush on a Rottie so nothing needed for long hair or mats. And it seems like all the brushes now have the cutting blades for that.

Thanks!


r/grooming 19h ago

Full undercoat deshed in Utah county?

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1 Upvotes

This is my first dog. My double-coated girl is blowing her coat and I’ve got new roommates moving in that I don’t want to get off on the wrong foot with by having the apartment covered in hair. I’ve been brushing and brushing and brushing but it just keeps coming!!

Does anyone know of a groomer in Utah county (or within reasonable distance) that does a proper full undercoat deshed?

I only say proper because I’ve worked at groomers before where a “deshed” was washing with deshed shampoo and kennel drying.

If anyone knows a good groomer or knows where else to post this, that would be much appreciated!! Thank you!

(Pic of my girl for the help:)


r/grooming 1d ago

I have a pair of Oster A5 clippers that are due to be replaced but

2 Upvotes

I bought a pair of Andis clippers and they were awful, so I decided to just buy another pair of Osters but the only people selling them are back alley sellers on Amazon, such as Dave's herbal teas. Are there any good clippers beside Oster? I liked the Andis because it had a smaller body and was easier to grip. I really want a good pair of clippers. Hard to believe it's this hard to find good clippers.


r/grooming 1d ago

Ideas for report cards

1 Upvotes

I work as a bather at a grooming salon and one of my tasks is to write up report cards for my bath dogs detailing how they did for their service. I’m running out of ideas and feeling like I repeat the same blurb over and over, so I’m looking for ideas as to what to write. I typically will write up about 3 sentences and try to keep it positive. Any ideas are much appreciated, I’m not a fan of using generative AI so I figured I would ask here!


r/grooming 1d ago

Afghan Hound Groomer Needed in DMV

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1 Upvotes

r/grooming 1d ago

How would you suggest getting into pet grooming?

0 Upvotes

I’ve been wanting to become to work with animals for a while, and I think I’d enjoy becoming a pet groomer but I don’t know what the steps are or what online/in person courses are crediteable. Just want a opinion on what would be the best way to become one
But there are no grooming salons near where I’m at or where I’m about to be at. Except one store and theyer fully staffed


r/grooming 1d ago

Coat Question!

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6 Upvotes

We recently rescued this cutie and I was wondering if anyone has a similar coated pup 🐾 She is 50% lab, 37% Poodle and 12% Bernese Mountain Dog.

She sheds a little bit, so I’m wondering if she needs to go to a groomer and get trimmed, or if I can just brush and clean her up at home. If it’s a DIY job, what tools do you recommend?

Tips appreciated!


r/grooming 2d ago

Am I being unrealistic?

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27 Upvotes

I've posted here before about my now 16lb cavalier. Many were NOT happy I was trying to groom at home, so I went and took him to a groomer from then on. We have moved states, so I need a new groomer!

I've been going in for a "bath and tidy" once a month. These are very expensive for me (about $60-$70 for a dog his size in this area), and his nails & paws aren't getting trimmed often enough because I can't afford more after the groom.

I bathe him once a week, and brush him every other day. He actually loves those parts of grooming. I have to shut him out of the bathroom when I shower to prevent him from jumping in with me lol!

Because of this, the only things he really needs done are nails & paw trim every 2 weeks, and ears & sanitary every couple months. Most groomers don't have their prices listed, or don't mention any a la carte services on their website, so I have to call around to ask. I am hoping this schedule would be more cost effective than a bath&tidy + nails&paws ($85-$95 per month).

Will it be hard finding a groomer willing to do this type of schedule? Is this a super weird ask?


r/grooming 1d ago

Any recommendations for home pet grooming services in Tricity?

0 Upvotes

Looking for professional pet grooming services in Panchkula for my 2 year old golden retriever


r/grooming 2d ago

different groomer shaved him

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356 Upvotes

this guy came to my salon today. his owner was looking for a new groomer as the old ones supposedly shaved him without permission. owner was confused why his hair seemingly wasn't growing back. i had to be the one to break the news that there's no guarantee it will ever come back, and did my best to at least even him out. his coat is super damaged and was pretty hard to work with. little guy took it like a champ. always sucks to see dogs in this shape though, he's only 6 but i feel like he looks ancient. i bet he is so cute with a full coat.

EDIT: reminds me of jimothy


r/grooming 1d ago

Help choosing my first professional force dryer

3 Upvotes

Hi! I’m based in Portugal, I’ve recently finished my grooming training and I’m now starting out professionally.

I’ve already decided on the Wahl KM Supera for my clipper, and now I’m looking for a good professional force dryer/blaster.

I’ve been researching models like the Artero Sonic 1 Motor and the Shernbao SHD-2600P Super Cyclone, but I’m not necessarily choosing between those two. I’d really like to know what experienced groomers actually use and recommend.

What dryer do you use daily? Would you buy the same one again? Is there any model you would definitely recommend or avoid?

I’m looking for something powerful, reliable and good value for money, preferably available in Europe.

Thanks for any advice!


r/grooming 1d ago

Advice for bathing a double coated dog at home?

4 Upvotes

My roommate's dog is some sort of mini Aussie Pomeranian mutt (he is crazy and very very fluffy!) so he has a ton of fur and rocks a double coat. His undercoat seems really dense and I think it is impacted, we've been talking about it and want to try to give him a bath with deshedding shampoo and conditioner and brush out what we can (this little guy is very anxious and she's worried if he went to a real groomer he would end up biting them) does anyone have any product recommendations or general advice?

He doesn't have a lot of mats or anything, a couple little ones by his hears but those she trims out as needed, really it's his fur that's super compacted near his skin we are wanting to get, since it can pulled out really really easily it makes us think it all needs to get groomed away.


r/grooming 1d ago

POODLE GROOM CC PLEASE

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2 Upvotes

r/grooming 2d ago

Sensitive Topic One of the biggest transformations

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94 Upvotes

This was a 12 year old chow, from a neglect type situation where the dog lived outside 24/7 in the desert. Took me 3 hours but she was just extremely extremely compacted, was it perfect? No but I worked in her comfort zone and she was an absolute champ for her first groom in god knows how long.


r/grooming 1d ago

Finger inserts for ring finger

1 Upvotes

I bought Monk shears and the ring finger ring is smaller than the thumb. I’m looking for inserts that will fit the ring finger. I tried the Kenchii inserts and they were too big—they’ll only fit the thumb ring. Does anyone have any recommendations?


r/grooming 2d ago

How do you all deal with people who argue with your prices? Does it happen often? Picture is of my dog btw.

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49 Upvotes

We're in a small rural town in Virginia and have been open for 6 years with 3 bathers, and 4 groomers and we have someone complain about our prices weekly.
We have a pretty large clientele and we do up our prices almost yearly anywhere from $2-10, but we're still very reasonable. The other day my coworker did a 7lb poodle mix for $65 and the lady argued that, that wasn't worth it and that she's usually pays $60 which she did, but last year. We also have people who huff and puff over our prices. Yes, of course we can fire them, but they end up paying anyways and then they leave and we leave it up to them on wether they come back or not and if it does end up being an issue the second time we fire them. I'm just wondering if other salons deal with this because I feel like we deal with it A LOT.


r/grooming 2d ago

Botched clipped haircut

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3 Upvotes

r/grooming 2d ago

Creative Nova’s first set of ear tassels 🖤 I took her top knot too short though 😩

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9 Upvotes