Home grooming?

So I was casually looking through my Facebook page recently and came across various different home grooming equipment. For example, the recent craze of scissors with what looks like a comb attachment on the blade. Now I'm all for trying new equipment out and there seems to be plenty of good reviews for this product online:

‘I recommend the grooming kit to anyone. As a complete novice I found them very easy to use and my puppy was very calm. I think he quite enjoyed actually!’

On the other hand, there were also some very different opinions on the product:

‘Just did not cut my Jack Russells Hair. I wasted my money with this purchase.’

These aren't the only online grooming tools I have seen either. Amazon and many supermarkets also sell grooming packages, including clippers, blades and comb attachments. Many of which are deemed owner friendly and cheap to buy (around £30 for a set).

So why have I brought up this subject? Well I can’t say I have purchased a pair of these scissors or clipper packages; nor do I think I will be purchasing some in the near future. However, it did get me thinking about owners grooming their own dogs. What are the advantages and disadvantages of grooming your own dog? Now I will start by saying yes I am a dog groomer so I do appear to be a little biased in this area, however I will try to make this argument as neutral as possible.

Advantages:

1. You know your dog.

You know your dogs strengths and weaknesses. You know what they can tolerate and what they can’t. This means the dog is likely to be much less stressed during the grooming process.

2. You have all the time in the world.

You may only have 1 or two dogs to groom every few months. This means that you can spend much more time grooming your dog. Giving the dog plenty of breaks and even doing the full groom over a few hours or days.

3. You know what you want.

Now us dog groomers may be able to read your dogs pretty well but reading a clients mind has never been one of my strong points. You, on the other hand, know what you want. You have control on how long or short you leave your dogs coat and the style you wish to give the dog.

Disadvantages

1. You may not have the specific training

I have spent the last 2 years, and hopefully many more, training to become the best dog groomer I can possibly be. We know which equipment is best for your dogs coat and which styles best suit which breed.

2. You may not have the correct equipment at hand.

I have multiple pairs of scissors, comb attachments, blades, combs and brushes all specifically designed for different coat types. Owners are more than welcome to buy their own, however, I can tell you now it gets expensive.

3. Dog grooming can be dangerous

Dogs move; a lot. Dog groomers use a lot of sharp equipment. Take this into consideration when you are putting them near your dogs ears, eyes and mouths. I have heard many horror stories regarding owners cutting off the tips of tongues and ears. If you do still choose to groom your dog yourself make sure you have lightening fast reflexes.

So as you can see there are plenty of advantages and disadvantages to grooming your own dog. However, please remember that if you wouldn't trust yourself to cut your own hair then maybe find a qualified dog groomer to do your dog. You may think we can work miracles on your dogs but sometimes a bad haircut really does just need to grow out.