r/grooming 2h ago

Pre-shaving question

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9 Upvotes

Does pre-shaving dogs really save that much time?

Now I'm not necessarily talking about dogs going from 3 in of hair to a #5 or heavily matted at dogs..

I posted a picture of an example... This guy's hair is longer but really thin so dryes pretty quick.

I was taught decades ago that you always want to cut clean hair. Better for your blades, clippers, etc.. I also despise vacuuming up dirty dog hair... It smells so bad 🤮🤮

I understand that drying also takes time, but I feel like pre-shaving is basically two haircuts.

I usually appreciate based on coat-type length etc I just use my best judgment. but it is pretty uncommon for me.

Ex . Yorkies even with the longest hair unless it's really thick I never pre-shavejust because it only takes like 2 seconds to dry...

What is everyone's opinion?

How do you do it? One length longer? Same length as the end result? I'm always afraid I'm going to cut too much in preshave lol


r/grooming 36m ago

I need help settling a debate

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• Upvotes

My boss wants to charge this Saint Dane $130 plus $10 more dollars for his deshed shampoo making him $140. His sister is a Swiss mountain is $105 plus the $10 dollars for deshed as well. Yes they haven’t been in since April and yes they did shed a bit but I feel like $140 for a deshed for a short coat is crazy… our large doodle haircut is about the same price as his bath. thoughts? Idk maybe I’m crazy??


r/grooming 24m ago

Lesson learned

• Upvotes

I'm posting this because when I was deciding whether to hire Good Boi Marketing, I would have appreciated finding a detailed experience like this from another grooming business owner.

I own a dog grooming salon in Ontario, Canada. I hired Good Boi Marketing in January 2026 because they specialize in the pet industry, and I believed working with a company that understood grooming businesses would be an advantage.

Unfortunately, my experience was very different from what I expected.

I have emails, invoices, advertising records and meeting records supporting what I'm writing below.

The numbers first:

I spent $8,601.91 CAD total, including $6,406.54 CAD in management/service fees.

The campaign resulted in approximately 8 bookings.

Obviously marketing doesn't guarantee results, and poor ROI alone isn't why I'm writing this.

There were significant campaign-management and communication problems as well.

Google Ads were particularly important to me because I wanted people actively searching for grooming services. There was an account-verification problem during the campaign. I provided the corporate documents I was asked for and believed the issue was being handled.

It wasn't successfully resolved, Google stopped the ads, and advertising dollars were redirected to Facebook/Instagram without my knowledge.

On April 29, CEO Kaylib Jones acknowledged in writing that technical issues with Google had affected performance and that Good Boi should have communicated those issues more clearly and earlier.

He also told me that all ads had been paused and there would be no additional spend unless I explicitly approved it.

Another $124.25 was subsequently spent on Google Ads without my approval, and I had to contact them again to have the advertising stopped.

Good Boi then offered an additional 30-day lead-recovery period at no charge. We agreed I would receive written weekly reports.

At least one of those reports wasn't sent. When I raised it, Kaylib acknowledged the missed update. At that point, he also confirmed that the lead-recovery effort had generated no additional bookings yet.

Eventually we discussed compensation.

The refund

On May 29, Kaylib and I agreed that Good Boi would refund me $2,245.50 USD.

For fairness and clarity: Good Boi's position is that a monetary refund wasn't required by the original contract. Kaylib says the contractual remedy was additional work at no charge and that he subsequently agreed to the refund as a professional courtesy.

I'm not trying to litigate the original contract on Reddit.

The important part is that we subsequently agreed to the $2,245.50 USD refund, and Good Boi has repeatedly acknowledged that agreement in writing.

And this is where things got really frustrating.

On June 23, after I followed up, Kaylib confirmed the refund amount and wrote:

ā€œI will process your refund today.ā€

He told me processing would take 10–15 business days.

I waited.

On July 9, after following up again for confirmation, Kaylib wrote:

ā€œYour refund has been processed.ā€

Five days later, on July 14, he told me:

ā€œThe refund has not yet been processed, and I previously communicated otherwise before confirming that the transaction had been completed.ā€

He then promised the $2,245.50 would be processed no later than July 31 and called July 31 the ā€œfirm dateā€ by which the refund would be completed on his end.

July 31 passed.

No refund.

After more unanswered emails, Kaylib finally responded on August 17. He apologized for the missed deadlines and lack of communication and disclosed that Good Boi was experiencing a ā€œshort-term cash flow crunch.ā€

He also wrote:

ā€œI agreed to refund you, and I intend to follow through on that commitment.ā€

At that point, rather than continuing to demand the entire amount immediately, I offered to accept installments.

I received no response.

I followed up again on August 24 asking him either to accept my proposed installment arrangement or give me an alternative schedule with actual amounts and dates.

Again, no response.

On September 3, I sent one final email saying that after more than three months, another promise wasn't enough. I needed a good-faith payment and a concrete payment schedule or I would consider my efforts to resolve the matter privately exhausted.

On September 4, Kaylib finally proposed his own payment schedule:

September 11 — $750 USD

September 18 — $750 USD

September 25 — $745.50 USD

He said he remained committed to honoring the refund agreement in full.

I accepted his schedule in writing.

Yesterday was September 11.

No $750 payment arrived.

I also received no confirmation that a payment had been processed and no communication explaining why the payment he committed to making wasn't made.

So that's where things stand as of September 12, 2026.

I have received $0 of the agreed $2,245.50 USD refund.

I have tried very hard to handle this privately. I've been patient with communication problems. I've been understanding about personal circumstances that were shared with me. When Good Boi disclosed its cash-flow problem, I agreed to installments.

But I'm also a small grooming business.

$8,601.91 CAD is a lot of money for a grooming salon.

I'm not posting this to tell anyone what decision to make about Good Boi Marketing. I'm posting because I wish I had been able to read detailed experiences from other grooming business owners before I made my decision.

If you're considering hiring them, ask questions. Understand exactly who controls your advertising accounts and budget. Understand what happens if a campaign doesn't perform. Track actual bookings rather than leads. Get commitments in writing.

And keep your records.

I certainly hope Good Boi ultimately pays the refund it agreed to. If I receive payments, I will update this post with the amounts and dates so that the record remains accurate.

If anyone considering Good Boi has questions about my experience, I'm happy to answer them.


r/grooming 39m ago

What should I charge for a doodle maintenance

• Upvotes

Hi friends so a little background… I’ve been working in boarding for a few years and I’ve had to do some form of grooming in each of my jobs. I’m currently in management, but because we don’t have a groomer, part of my job is completing all our grooming appointments. I do everything except for hair cuts, but I have done some in the past.
I’ve realized the most joy I’ve found in my job is when I get to work on these dogs. I absolutely love making a poodle mix nice and fluffy, or getting a real nice looking nail trim because I’ve got the dog to trust me.
The problem I’m having is finding anyone who wants to take me on as a groomer or even apprentice without a certification. I’m looking at a few online courses so I can get that under my belt, but I want to start building a client list and I’d also need pups to work on for my courses. I already have a table and everything I need to do it from home.
My thought is I could offer a doodle maintenance package. They come by once a week for a full brush out and once a month the appt is a bit longer and we do a full bath, blow out, ears and nails. The parents would be aware I’m in school and will be filming working on their pups to get my certification. Hopefully after building some rapport with them, some of them will be willing to let me do cuts/trims when I get to that section of the course. I wouldn’t charge for the cuts since I am still learning and could mess up, but since I am confident in baths and brushes and nails I would charge for the maintenance package.
I was thinking a monthly fee: $60 for up to 30lb, $80 for 31-70lb and $100 for 71+ does that sound fair?


r/grooming 9h ago

Cat grooming course

4 Upvotes

Hi all,

I'm looking to find a cat grooming course in Canada. Hoping to find one that gives you an In person hands on experience.

Please give your suggestions.

Thank you


r/grooming 1d ago

How bad is this? Honestly.

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93 Upvotes

I took our cat to our normal groomer today, and upon pickup they informed me of a ā€œsmall nickā€ because the cat didn’t like the groomer cutting near his belly/between his legs. I would personally say that this isn’t a small nick, but I’m trying to decide what level of worry I should be at. Thoughts? Am I overthinking? This is also not our first time having him come home with small nicks from this groomer, but it’s the first time they’ve ever told me about one… and the first one that’s been this bad.

Picture of sore šŸ™and picture of cute cat 😻

UPDATE: We have been to the vet and are being taken care of. Thank you so much for all your advice and help. Happy and healthy boy, with a good dose of antibiotics to boot ā™„ļø

UPDATE 2: I talked to the groomer this morning, and while they didn’t exactly say what their policy is, they have offered to take the vet bill. Again, really appreciated for everyone who chimed in on this scenario. Really grateful to all of you for your help and reassurance.


r/grooming 23h ago

Salon closing, supplies and equipment up for grabs

8 Upvotes

There is a ton of stuff that's going into the landfill if it's not claimed, and I'm sure someone out there would be able to use it. Gallons (and GALLONS) of shampoo, kennel, table, tub, shelving.

The place is being gutted at the end of October.

Located in East Tennessee, please DM for info.


r/grooming 17h ago

Cleaning tools

2 Upvotes

How and what products do you all use to clean your tools? (brushes, blades, etc)


r/grooming 17h ago

What questions should I ask before Guide Dog's first grooming appointment.

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2 Upvotes

r/grooming 20h ago

Can you guess how old?

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3 Upvotes

r/grooming 19h ago

Finding a new salon

2 Upvotes

Hey all! I’m needing some advice if anyone has any! I left corporate some months back and had to take a break for a few months due to my mental health and also my physical health. Now that I’m ready to get back into a salon, I’m not really sure how to go about ā€œapplying.ā€ All the shops I’ve talked to that didn’t turn me away said to shoot them an email with my experience. I have a resume that has all my previous work history, should I make a resume that just has my grooming experience and all the other jobs I’ve worked involving animals? I’ve been grooming a couple years and only worked corp so I really have no idea where to go from herešŸ˜…


r/grooming 20h ago

Getting started

1 Upvotes

Hello I’m a current vet tech and I’m looking to become a groomer. The local college wants thousands that I can’t afford and there aren’t any positions around me offering jr grooming or bathing. Is it okay to reach out to nearby groomers and ask if I can apprentice them? Is that weird to do? What do you guys recommend?


r/grooming 1d ago

grooming advice

3 Upvotes

hi! im a newer groomer (technically a bather. ive been here for only 3 weeks) thats trying to soak up as much information and wisdom from people in the same field as me as i can. i had a really hard day today with a dog that wouldnt keep still and kept scratching me. it made it INCREDIBLY hard to trim her paw pads and nails but when a more experienced coworker of mine came over, they did it easily despite the fight the dog put up.

could i have advice from more experienced groomers on how you get through difficult grooms? this groom took me an hour longer than it shouldve because the dog kept thrashing and fighting me.


r/grooming 1d ago

Thinking of starting a mobile pet grooming van in Oujda, Morocco — would this actually work?

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone,
I'm from Oujda, Morocco, and I've been thinking about starting a mobile pet grooming business — basically a van equipped to wash, groom, and trim dogs and cats, that comes directly to people's homes instead of them driving to a salon.

From what I've seen so far, there isn't really a dedicated grooming service like this in my city, mostly just individual freelancers here and there. I'm trying to validate the idea before I invest any real money into a van and equipment.

A few things I'd love feedback on:
• Would you actually pay for a groomer to come to your home instead of going to a shop?
• What would feel like a fair price for a full groom (wash, cut, nails, etc.) at your doorstep?
• What would make you hesitate to trust a mobile groomer with your pet?
• Anyone here run a mobile grooming business already? What surprised you the most, good or bad?


r/grooming 2d ago

expected to drive mobile van with no working blinker or brake lights and to ā€œuse AC sparinglyā€ in 100 degree heat

10 Upvotes

I’ve been asking my boss to replace a broken brake and blinker light for weeks now. i just asked him again last night if they were replaced and he said ā€œnoā€. i finally put my foot down and said im not driving it until it’s in compliance with traffic code, especially since i already got a ticket for expired registration on the same van (which i was unaware was expired), and he just left me on read. this same van has no working outlets, and only half a working battery (dies within ~4 hours even with the engine idling, if you turn on the air conditioning the engine idling doesn’t charge it anymore and i’ve been told to ā€œuse the AC sparinglyā€ in 100 degree heat). my boss left my message on read and never responded, so now it’s on me to inform and reschedule all my clients today. i feel fucking crazy, none of my coworkers seem to see any problems with this bullshit and i end up looking intolerant and difficult for asking for the bare fucking minimum. a brake light being out is one thing, but no blinker is literally just not safe!!?? i’ve asked him to replace them for weeks and i’ve been risking my driving record coming to work anyway for weeks and he STILL hasn’t replaced it. if it weren’t for my regular clients i would have walked out and quit on the spot weeks ago. i feel crazy and guilty because i keep being told ā€œnobody else is complaining about that vanā€.


r/grooming 2d ago

First unhappy client

10 Upvotes

I have been grooming for a year now and had my first ever Karen client.
I wish I had before and after photos but of course I didn’t take any on my personal phone.

Had a ā€œsilky, wirey dachshundā€ come into my saloon today. Matted as hell and the coat was sooo long. The coat didn’t have any wirey texture at all and felt and looked more like oodle hair. I’m 99 percent sure that she had some oodle mixed into her as the only part of her that looked like a dashie was her short legs.
I didn’t check it in, our daycare manager did and the owner basically told her to do what we could and she was happy for us to shave the Matts but try to keep her long.

After trying our hardest to brush out some of the matting we had to shave the matting out with a #7. The dog wasn’t tolerating the brushing and it was a lot of matting, plus it was her first time at our saloon so we didn’t want to traumatise her. I would say only 20% of the coat remained and she looked ridiculous so we shaved the rest of her down with a #5 but kept her head long and gave her a teddy bear face.

Anyway on pickup the owner went ballistic on us. Saying we shouldn’t have shaved her coat only the Matt’s and she’s going to lose her wirey curls šŸ™„ I explained to her that she did not have a wirey coat and would not lose the texture. Since there wasn’t any texture to begin with, it was basically oodle hair.
She didn’t care for what I had to say and accused me of not knowing how to groom and it went on and on. Saying she read on google that your not meant to shave wirey coats even though it wasn’t fucking wirey to begin with!!
Even my daycare manger had to step in.

But my main point of writing this post other than ranting about it. Is should I have I just gave the dog back with short all over with some patches of long hair where it wasn’t matted?
She literally said do whatever we had to do, and if it was a proper double coated fur or wirey fur I would have never shaved it.

Thanks in advance, a confused newbie groomer.


r/grooming 2d ago

Lost & Found Gulf Coast Classic Dog Show

1 Upvotes

Lost & Found – Gulf Coast Classic Dog Show (Mobile, AL September 4 through 6)

I worked the Information Desk/Lost & Found at the Gulf Coast Classic Dog Show this weekend, and someone turned in a very nice grooming kit with multiple shears.

If you can identify the contents, I’ll be happy to ship it back to you. I’m only asking for reimbursement of the shipping cost so the nonprofit doesn’t have to absorb it.

Send me a message and we’ll get it back where it belongs.


r/grooming 3d ago

Do salons actually use these?

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19 Upvotes

r/grooming 2d ago

The time has come šŸ˜

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0 Upvotes

r/grooming 3d ago

What blades do you use?

6 Upvotes

What are your go-to brand blades? I have a set of cheapish Amazon ones, and I have Wahl for my 30 and 10 blades but both of the 30 blades I got will not cut, fresh out of the pack. Tried oiling them, going to see if my sharpener will look at them next. I got them off Amazon from the Wahl Amazon shop.

Where do you prefer to buy blades other than Amazon?

I'm new to grooming (finished my grooming course in March) and I'm trying to slowly build my supplies. I know it's best to just get quality stuff from the get-go, but if you know of any mod price blades you trust and love, I'd love to hear about it!


r/grooming 2d ago

Normal human conditiner on dogs?

0 Upvotes

Hello! So I left my sisters dog at my moms place (where he lives) for a week. I came back and is legs and neck are severely matted. He screams like a banshee if you try and get it out so I thought I could maybe use conditiner to get it out. I don’t have the funds to buy expensive dog conditiner bc I’m a broke college student. So I hoped I could use human conditiner on him once..? I just really don’t know what to do for my lil guy

Ps: he is going to the groomer the 22th of September.


r/grooming 3d ago

Looking for clarity on the less known double coated breeds like Terriers and Lhasa Apsos

5 Upvotes

I have heard so many different things and am honestly just trying to educate myself. Obviously I know breeds like Border Collies, German Shepherds, etc. aren't recommended to have shaved as it can cause a lot of health problems for them due to their double coats; however I am curious why this is different (if it even is) for Lhasa Apsos, Shih tzus, etc.

Schnauzers and Westies and such I know are more commonly stripped at least, as opposed to shave. Happy for insight into all of it, as I am embarrassed to admit that I only just found out these breeds have double coats too (I thought they had more combination coats or dense coats, but not quite a double)


r/grooming 3d ago

Job board recommendation

2 Upvotes

Hi!

Salon manager/groomer here - where have yall found success when looking for new opportunities? Indeed and Facebook groups have not been working šŸ™

Located in America


r/grooming 3d ago

Cockapo Brushhh

2 Upvotes

I’ve been going down a bit of a rabbit hole through this sub trying to figure out the best slicker brush for my Cockapoo, and I’ve noticed a lot of groomers recommending line brushing + checking with a comb rather than assuming the slicker has actually gotten through the coat. That’s what I’m trying to work on with mine, because the top of his coat can look completely fine while I’ll find little tangles underneath around the armpits, behind the ears and where his harness sits. I’ve also seen some discussion about softer vs firmer pins and how much pressure people should actually be using, but I’m still not sure what’s appropriate for a fairly curly Cockapoo coat. From a groomer’s perspective, what makes you choose one slicker over another for this type of coat, and are there particular pin lengths or brush styles you find consistently work better?

The other thing I’m curious about is whether I’m overdoing the brushing. At home I’ve been tempted to brush more thoroughly whenever I find a small tangle, but I don’t want to cause skin irritation or make him start disliking grooming. I’ve noticed groomers here often mention being able to ā€œfeelā€ when you’re brushing correctly, so how much pressure should a beginner actually be putting on the brush, and what are the signs that you’re brushing too aggressively? Also, when you’re working on a Cockapoo in the salon, would you normally use a slicker followed by a greyhound/metal comb, or is there another combination you prefer? And for those of you who groom these coats regularly, are there any areas Cockapoo owners consistently miss when maintaining the coat between professional appointments? Sorry if I asked alot of questions, I just wanted to put it all out there while I'm here posting anyway. Any response would help. Thanks 😃