DOG GROOMING FROM HOME - Groomergraphix

everyone in the family happy. Most single garages are just theideal size, although you may find that a double garage will give youthe scope to include a reception area for customers. A receptionarea is a nice touch and always looks professional.Porta-kabinIf you have the room around your property Porta-cabins offer asolution without the need for planning permission. Providing theyare sited within a certain distance to your house, distances can bedifferent accounting to local council/county. Buying a new portacabin is expensive but often they can be bought second handmuch more responsibly. They will be sited by lorry so access toyour property must be considered. Once installed, they are usuallypre-fitted with electrical sockets and lights; this makes life easier.Floors are generally tiled and windows provide good light andventilation.Garden ShedsNot as silly as it sounds. Your best option is to go to a shed builderwho can build to you own requirements for not a lot more than offthe peg prices. Buy the best you can afford, it will last for yearsand because grooming involves a lot of water and moisture in theair you want to make sure wood does not rot. Sheds can be hot inthe summer and cold in the winter, but will warm up when driersare running. Allow for good ventilation, and if necessary ask forextra windows or vents to be added when being built.Stables or BarnIt is fairly easy to refurbish existing building. Old stables & barnscan be cold and if it is at all possible at the planning stage, replaceor enlarge windows for good natural light. The installation ofelectricity means if you have poor natural light fluorescent tubelighting can provide you with plenty of light. Draft proofing the doorcan be difficult but the addition of a curtain inside can eliminatecold winter drafts, while during the summer you will have goodventilation.9

FITTING OUT YOUR GROOMING ROOMPlease use a qualified plumber and electrician, I cannot emphasisethis enough. You simply do not want to mix water and electricity. Ajoiner can build benches, holding cages and shelves for you but agood DIY friend may well be able to help, and worth their weight ingold!Design your layout on paper, accurately, with graph paper ifpossible as it will make it easier for your plumber, electrcian andjoiner. If you only ever want to groom small dogs you may notneed a hydraulic table but be happy enough to use a bench whichwill save a lot of money. It very much depends on what sort ofdogs you will be grooming. Some home groomers keep to thesmaller breeds simply because working alone can be backbreaking when manoeuvring larger dogs.Where space is a premium the use of collapsible grates mayappeal to you but generally once they are up they stay up so theywill take up as much if not more space than built in wall units. Agood joiner can built you a wall unit with large cages at the bottomand smaller above that. Most home groomers won’t need a hugeamount of holding grates, however if you do this is a verysatisfactory solution.PlumbingYou will obviously need a constant supply of hot water. There aretwo methods you can use. Drawing water from your existinghousehold supply, you will have a hot and cold tap and use ashower head connector or the use of an electric shower unit. Whilethe shower unit will cost more to install it is a much better job, youdon’t have to take hot water away from the house and thetemperature is easily controlled. You must have this fitted by aplumber & electrician but it should be easily installed via copperpiping running from your existing household water supply. Yourplumber will advise. The installation of the dog bath can also bedone by your plumber, he will need to install outlet pipes anddrainage. There are many dog baths available on the marketranging in prices up into the thousands. The choice is yours, onlyyou know how much grooming you will do and the type of businessyou will run.10

A Typical Electric ShowerElectricityYou will need an electricity supply; usually it is easy enough toextend your supply from the house when using a detachedbuilding. An electrician is the best person to do this; you will needlighting and wall sockets. In the clipping area install at least 2sockets and the same at the drying area. Good lighting isimportant, if you can have a fluorescent light installed directlyabove where you will be clipping. Good lighting above the bathingdrying area is very important too.If it is possible install waterproof sockets to prevent electrocutionas groomers are constantly changing around plugs. Install at leasttwo plugs at your drying area and another two at the groomingarea. Most groomers will also have a radio plugged in so you cannever have too many sockets!A waterproof wall socket11

JoineryYou may need a support for your bath, drying bench, holdingcages and clipping bench. The joiner should be able to completeyour grooming area. In the case of a room that will be totallytransformed into a permanent grooming room you may wish to itdivided to allow for a reception area. You don’t need much spacefor reception area just enough for the customer to come in withtheir dog, close the door and you will have a second door toprevent any dogs escaping.A drying bank is an old fashioned term, but in an area where spaceis a premium it is a very practical solution and any joiner should beable to build one very cheaply. You use a wall to install a frame ofcages, usually a couple of large at the bottom with smaller on top,with opening and lockable doors.Painting and decoratingDepending on the walls in your room you can either paint or tile.Tiling will cost a lot more but if you can afford it plain white tiles willbrighten and enhance the area. Plain plastered walls can also bepainted, and if you don’t want bright white, a more subtle shade ofmagnolia can be used. Painting opens up the possibility ofstencilling which can look very attractive. A good quality vinylemulsion will work on most walls, but you may need advice from aprofessional painter with regards to gloss or waterproof paint, orpainting unusual surfaces.If grooming from a shed, you will need to install somewaterproofing boarding around your bath. Dogs shake a hugeamount of water from their coats just as you finish bathing. PVCboard can be bought in any DIY store. Ideally it should bit fittedbehind your bath about 3ft above it and at least a foot either side.Your drying area should also be protected.FlooringDepending on where you will be grooming you will need to giveconsideration to the flooring. In most instances the floor will beconcrete which although hard for standing on will at least be leveland to some degree water resistant. The concrete floor can bepainted using specialist garage paint. There are different colours to12

choose from but the brighter the colour the better, for some reasonwe have always gone for bright red! There are garage floor paintsavailable in non-slip which is ideal. Although you will be bathingand drying in a specific area the moist air will fall and can make thefloor slippery and hazardous. Around the bath mesh tiles can beused to allow the water to drip through and provide a non-slipsurface but be careful with stepping off these tiles onto the normalfloor as your feet will be wet and you could slip.If grooming from a shed, you will need to put waterproof flooringdown. There is a textured rubber flooring material available that isused in gyms and swimming pools, but it is very expensive.However if the shed is small, you may be able to purchase a ‘cutoff’ much cheaper or even some second hand. Alternatively plainvinyl flooring such as those used in kitchens and bathrooms willserve your purpose well with the addition of rubber mats at thebathing and drying station.Never underestimate the importance of good flooring, you mustprovide yourself with the best you can afford in the terms of gripand comfort. Slipping and falling while carrying a dog could injureyou both, and you don’t need to spend time off sick.Grooming room plansDrawing plans is a great idea to see just how much space youhave and how to best utilise that space. You can draw plans onpaper or use an internet or computer based CAD (computer aideddesign) designer program. Begin by measuring the area you haveavailable to you, mark this area out on your paper or program andadd in your table, bath, drying area, crates etc for a realistic idea ofwhat you could end up with. Don’t let you imagination run riot, youcan groom in a surprisingly small area if you need to.Good ventilation will help with drying dogs, if the atmosphereremains moist from steam it will be more difficult to dry dogs.Extractor fans will help with the humid atmosphere and are easilyfitted.Dog bathsProbably the most important single item and where you will spenda lot of your time, so you will require some degree of comfort.13

There are a variety of dog baths on the market ranging in pricefrom around 50 to well over 1,000. Some groomers still use anold household bath but for grooming of smaller dogs it can be verydeep and cumbersome to bend down into. Your choice of bathvery much depends on space available and budget. Dog baths arebest installed at waist height to prevent back problems, large dogscan be walked in by a ramp.Two styles of dog rampsThe majority of dog baths have a waste pipe plumbed to drain thedirty water some of the cheaper ones will only have a hose forwaste. A plumber should be able to fit a standard waste pipe andU bend if you wish. The small hose outlet that is fitted will quicklyclog with hair so it is recommended that you have a proper wastepipe fitted, unless you plan to only groom a very small number ofdogs. Most baths won’t use a plug but if you want to be able touse a plug say to the plumber as the outlet waste fitting will bedifferent, don’t assume it will be a standard sink outlet as used inthe home.Most dog baths will come with a textured floor to prevent slipping,if using a bath without a textured floor a standard non-slip bath matcan be used. Many years ago it was advised not to have grip in abath as grip only gave dogs leverage to pull and resist pressure. Ithink that is now a very old fashioned idea, it is more stressful on adog’s joints to be sliding and slipping around the bath.At the bath you will require at least two wall rings, fitted about 3feet from the base height of your bath. Dogs can be clipped by anoose or belly band when being bathed.14

Neck nooseBelly StrapAbove the bath, if you have the room a small shelf is ideal for yourshampoos and conditioners. 5 litre containers are quite heavy andyou will have more than one so be sure the shelf can support thisweight. Alternatively you can decant your shampoos into singlelitre bottles diluted with water ready to use. The 5 litre containersthen can be stored under the bath. Your shelf can also hold yourspecialist shampoos and flea treatments meaning you don’t haveto walk away from the dog to fetch other products.It is useful to keep some old grooming tools at the bath to help withdead hair removal. An old slicker brush, rake and wide toothedcomb are great. To help remove water before starting to blast thedog a horse sweat scrapper will scrap a huge amount of water ofthe coat and you will be surprised at just how much. The sweatscrapper comes with a rubber edge (use on fine coated breeds)and a rigid plastic edge (best used on longer coated breeds).Sweat scrappers can be bought from a horse tack shop and onlycost a few pounds.Ideally your blaster hose should reach into the bath, if you canremove as much water as possible from the dog’s coat in the bathit will reduce the amount of dog towels you need to use at thedrying station. Your blaster wall unit can be fitted between thesetwo areas.15

STYLES OF DOG BATHSPlastic bath approx 50Tin bath approx 60Stand alone bath approx 165Fibre glass bath approx 200Galvanised bath approx 695Camon Bath approx 1,2002008 prices16

THE LOW BUDGET GROOMING ROOMYou may have decided to groom from home but do not want gointo grooming as a full time business. Perhaps you are a showexhibitor wishing to groom a few extra dogs for fellow exhibitors oryou simply want a small part time business. You will want a cheapas possible set up using the minimum equipment and alterations.Your requirements will be small, your outlay very little but you maybe more confined in what you can do.Your main outlays would beDog bathPlumbingDog poosThe bath can be installed by a plumber against a wall and thewater drawn from the household hot and cold water supply via theextension of copper piping. The taps will look like two garden tapsbut a plastic mixer can be fitted. The outlet must drain via a Ubend out through the outside wall and down a drain. This may beyour only professional outlay.If you already groom your own dogs for showing you will have agood range of equipment and only possibly need to upgrade yourdryer. However if you need to buy additional items you shouldconsider that clippers, blades and scissors should always be goodquality, time is money and if these tools are inadequate you wastetime. Andis, Laube and Oster are good value with a vast range ofblades and attachment combs available. Scissors should becomfortable in your hands and not too heavy. I always advise newgroomers to go along to a grooming supplier or trade show and‘feel’ scissors as it is such a personal choice.17

Second hand equipment can certainly save you money, but it isscarce and not that much cheaper than new. A lot of groomingsuppliers will allow you to spread the cost over 3 or 6 months,which can help considerably.Ask family and friends for towels, everyone has old and worn ones,the older the better. Dog shampoo doesn’t have to be expensivesome companies offer 5 litres for around 15 which is good value.Clipper oil, cotton wool, ear cleaner and cologne will complete yourinitial set up. Cotton wool can be bought in bulk bales from hairdresser supplies.If you can survive the first few months with the minimum ofequipment and putting all the grooming money back into thebusiness to buy new equipment you will have set up a smallgrooming business without the need for loans or investing a lot ofmoney.18

GROOMING EQUIPMENTAgain depending on your operation you can choose to install thevery best of equipment or just the basic. As long as yourequipment is well maintained, serviced and replaced if dangerousthen the choice is yours. A vast saving can be made by using thebasics and this will suit most people, certainly for the first fewyears.Luxury EquipmentElectric tableNooses & body supportBlasterStand dryerHydro-surge bathHigh absorbency towelsCage bankClippers x 2Blades 3f 4f 5f 7f 10 40 x 2 setsAttachment combsScissors x 2Thinning scissors x 2Slicker brushes x 3Combs x 2Nail clippers x 2Undercoat rakes x 2Stripping knifes x 2Coat kings x 2ShedderShampooConditionerNail quick stopEar cleaner & ear powderClipper oil & coolantCotton woolCologneBows, bandanasOveralls apronsBasic EquipmentHydraulic tableNooses & body supportBlasterStand dryerBath & showerTowelsHolding cages x at least 2Clippers x 2Blades 3f 4f 5f 7f 10 40 x 2 setsAttachment combsScissors x 2Thinning scissorsSlicker brushes x 3Combs x 2Nail clippers x 2Undercoat rakes x 2Stripping knifes x 2Coat kings x 2ShedderShampooConditionerNail quick stopEar cleaner & ear powderClipper oil & coolantCotton woolCologneBows, bandanasOveralls aprons19

CARE OF GROOMING EQUIPMENTDo not attempt to operate your clippers without first oiling theblades.Do not use WD 40 or other similar solvents/scouring agents toclean the clipper or the blades.Do not attempt to sharpen the blades yourself - they need aspecialist machine.Comb attachments should not be taken apart other than foradjustment purposes at the place of sharpening.Blades need to be regularly sharpened to keep a good cuttingedge, and they must be constantly oiled during use.Cleaning of the blades and inside of the clipper head should bethoroughly carried out after every clipping session to avoid a buildup of hair and dirt.Remove all traces of oil and hair with a small stiff brush and wipeclean with a dry clean cloth. Try to avoid a build up of dirt and hair– it makes cleaning easier!The foam “hair” protector located at the top of the housing onsome clippers is designed to stop hair from getting into the headassembly. With the cleaning of the head this may becomedislodged and come away. This is not a disaster and the clipperwill continue to function quite happily.When the machine next goes for service the sponge hair protectorwill usually get replaced at the Service Centre included in theservice.When completely free from hair clippings and oil, re oil all workingparts within the head and likewise to the blades to prevent anyoccurrence of rust.Remember even the smallest spots of rust can have an adverseeffect on the cutting performance of the blades - in some casesmaking clipping impossible.20

Scissors should be lightly oiled at the screw and a light wipe overwith oil should prevent rusting. They should be sharpened whenrequired by a trained tools man.When scissors are not being used for any length of time wipe overwith oil and wrap to prevent rusting.Your drier should be cleaned every night, hair should be removedfrom the filter and the lead checked.The wheels of your drier can collect hair, the best method of hairremoval I have found is to spray Nair onto the hair and leaveovernight, the hair should then drop out the next morning, then oilthe wheels.Check your brushes and combs regularly for rough or damagededges, as these can hurt the dog and make your job a lot harder.Nail clippers should be checked for sharpness as blunt clippers willhurt the dog. Replacement blades can be used on guillotine typesothers types may just need to be replaced.Disposing of used equipmentIn the case of combs, brushes, nail clippers and other small itemsit can be beneficial to replace them well before they are completelyworn out and sell on second hand to customers. The life left in aslicker brush can be enough to last a customer for much longerthan the groomer. The small amount of money made in the sale ofthese items can either be used in the purchase of new items ordonated to a dog charity.Electric clippers can also be sold off second hand once out ofwarranty, and usually for quite a lot of money. You can then addthe difference, buy new ones under warranty and in theory have amuch more reliable set. Local free ads papers, ebay and shop adswill ensure these clippers find a good home.21

Daily Blade CareMany years ago as groomers we NEVER let water touch ourblades, we had always been taught that blades would not toleratewater, would rust and shorten their life. Now I believe this musthave been taught by blade manufacturers, retailers and bladesharpeners. For many years now we have adopted this bladecleaning routine, we have saved a small fortune in sharpening andblade replacement.You will needFairy liquidA small nail brushAn old towelAn old slicker brushBlaster (HV drier)Clipper oilDirectionsAt the end of every day our bather has a small additional job of‘bathing’ all the used

There have been many books written on Dog Grooming, some as training manuals, others on starting up your own business, but few give much information on 'Grooming from Home'. I have been dog grooming for over 30 years, at home, kennels, with a vet, mobile & a shop, but for me grooming from home was the most rewarding,