Grooming is a Relationship, Not a Test of Tolerance Volume II: Accessibility, Education, and Omissions of Care
Grooming isn't about making a dog tolerate us. It’s about building a relationship where they don’t have to. While empirical research on grooming accessibility and welfare is still developing, the lived experiences of groomers and pet parents already reveal clear patterns of omission, misunderstanding, and systemic gaps in care. McDonald et al. (2022) emphasize that grooming is essential to the welfare of the animal,
“Pet grooming is a health maintenance activity that is fundamental to the welfare of companion animals. Most companion animals require some degree of grooming, which can include basic hygiene care such as brushing, clipping, and trimming hair, bathing, cleaning the ears, and trimming claws. Inadequate grooming can lead to pain and discomfort for the animal and other threats to animal health and wellbeing.”
Through continued conversation with other groomers in the industry as well as the exhausted pet parents of behaviorally complex pets, I continually find myself thinking, “It doesn’t have to be this way.”
Behavioral difficulties in pets do not automatically label them as “good” or “bad”. When we assess a dog and quickly identify anxious behavior- typically caused by a variety of internal and external factors- we are trained to work in restraint-based handling methods in order to get a groom finished successfully. If a dog is heavily matted, has not been seen by a professional in months and is reactive on top of this, yet the behavior presented by the dog does not allow for safe handling in a traditional environment, the next (and last) step is typically full sedation.
Clients of behaviorally complex pets feel this chronic push and pull between what is accessible, ethical, and realistic. Take a look at these two excerpts from McDonald et al. (2022) documenting both the reasons why grooming may be difficult to access, and also empirical data showing general statistics for pet owners and their frequency of grooming - and how that grooming is complete.
“There are diverse reasons why a pet owner may not maintain their pet's grooming needs, some of which may be unintentional (e.g., lack of access to services, lack of knowledge regarding pet's grooming needs) and/or due to circumstances beyond their control [e.g., financial hardship, disability, mental illness, aging;”
There is limited empirical data on pet grooming in the U.S. However, a recent report from the American Pet Products Association (12) indicates that in 2020, 81% of U.S. dog owners had groomed their pet in the past 12 months. Results of this survey suggest that at-home grooming is the most prevalent form of grooming (41%), followed by taking dogs to a full-service salon (30%), mobile grooming service (9%), retailer (8%), and self-service center (6%). On average, dogs were groomed professionally about four times during the past year, with the average number ranging from 3.2 (< $45K) to 4.6 ($125K+) across household income quartiles (i.e., < $45K, $45K-74.9K, $75K-124.9K, $125K+)
But… it doesn't have to be this way.
Every person that owns an animal should be properly educated on the benefits and necessity of proper grooming for their animal.
If grooming is essential to welfare, then we must ask, “Why is it so inaccessible, misunderstood, and reactive in practice?”. The issue is not that pet parents or groomers are failing - it is that the current structure of grooming does not support accessibility, education, or behavioral understanding.
Grooming as Welfare Necessity
Grooming is imperative for proper hygiene for animals. Dogs and cats oftentimes will groom themselves, but to fully remove dirt, dander, and matting (if applicable) they require consistent, proper professional grooming. From short coated breeds such as Mastiffs and Beagles to long haired breeds with drop coats such as Shih Tzus and Maltese, regular grooming provides basic hygienic needs to be met.
Having proper hygiene ensures the pet is maintaining their best health possible. As dogs do not need to see a vet as regularly as a groomer, groomers can help identify any new health concerns that may be identified during a grooming session (new lumps, coat changes, potential infections, behavioral shifts, etc) which can then be relayed to the pet parent, and then followed up properly with a vet.
Staying up to date with grooming not only keeps your pet feel their best, but it ensures that there are no gaps in their health history - an ethically appropriate route would be documenting any signs of change in their client, even if it does not directly relate to the groom - new lump located on the right hindquarter, for example - this gives a point to monitor, and continue to assess to ensure no new growth etc.
The pain point? Accessibility and education for most. Research presented through empirical data proved that there is in fact a problem, and daily grooming environments demonstrate the impact of this observed data. The gap between knowledge and application is where animals suffer.
The Accessibility Problem
There is a knowledge gap between groomers and pet parents, yet we have everything in common: their pet!
Lack of education and knowledge for pet parents not knowing the proper frequency to bring their pet to grooming, not understanding coat types, and not recognizing early signs - which in turn leads to matting, delayed care, and sometimes emergency grooming. This furthers the cycle of mental exhaustion, especially for those who have behaviorally complex pets, because they’re trying - yet they just simply don't know where to begin.
Financial barriers
Grooming oftentimes is seen as an optional luxury, the costs of the groom often increase with neglect, and reactive care is MORE expensive. If someone is already struggling to find an accessible groomer, they may be entirely turned off from even attempting to, further delaying essential care. I have heard from my time in the field hearing histories of my behaviorally complex animals and my heart goes out to my clients - often times I hear from them for the first time and they tell me they’re just at a loss - they’ve exhausted all options but the last resort for their pet was to have regular, full-sedated grooming at the vet. What gives?
Behavioral Complexity
Having worked in a corporate salon, there have been countless times I have had to refuse service at the very beginning because a dog will not allow me to approach. Despite the dog needing care (extensive matting, nails curling under paw pads), the recommended next step was to refer out of our salon elsewhere. This alone can discourage clients from even wanting to bring their pet to grooming - if it can't be a simple process, and they have to jump through hoops for a service they didn't even think was necessary to begin with, they will not be set up for success.
For behaviorally complex pets who are unable to acclimate to a busy salon with no environmental control, sedation is the default option provided to alleviate behavioral concerns, or at least slightly dull their reactions.
There is an industry lack of behavior-informed groomers. Restraint is used most often to prevent the animal from causing harm to themselves or those who are working on them, however it is more common to see an increase in anxiety once restraints are placed. An already fearful dog experiencing fight or flight in a moment of panic then being muzzled to push through a service they are uncomfortable with will only open the door to higher risk for both the groomer and the pet.
System Gaps in the Industry
Speed focused salons are the cornerstone of grooming. It makes sense when you think about it - picture hair salons, for example. When we go to salons, oftentimes it's a relatively open concept with multiple people working at the same time, multiple clients moving around, noises coming and going nonstop. An uncontrolled environment, but we as people can regulate and adapt to that much easier than animals can.
Oftentimes in busy salons, there is no room for supporting emotionally complex cases. Reduction of external stimuli is imperative for the success of reducing anxiety and stress in an animal. Controlling the environment as much as possible - quiet, calm, slow, and intentional - is almost impossible in a traditional salon setting.
Lack of client knowledge in grooming settings - having the time to be able to teach our clients the proper ways of holding, brushing, nail clipping, scheduling - ANYTHING - is impossible in a traditional salon setting. You are only given the time to do a brief check in, as prelim health screen questions, and take the dog back before you repeat the process with your other clients. Check out is prompt, as efficient as possible, but again - not properly formatted to allow for proper client education.
There is not enough middle ground between corporate grooming and veterinary sedation.
The Human Experience
Pet parents are exhausted by the concept of grooming. Not because they don't want to be well informed, but because we have not made proper space in the industry to allow for proper education explicitly for PET PARENTS.
Clients come to me feeling guilty, ashamed, overwhelmed, feeling judged, and feeling like they’re failing their pet because they just simply don't know what to do, don't know where to go, and don't know who to talk to.
That's where I come in. By making relationships the focus of my work, I help to completely eliminate all preconceived anxieties and fears around grooming - on both ends of the leash.
In corporate grooming I experienced a lot of personal disappointments with cases I knew I could dedicate my time and energy to, but the corporate structure simply did not allow for this type of relationship building to form. What gives? How can I trust that proper care exists in this area of the world, and elsewhere, for my clients?
Across each of these barriers - financial, behavioral, and systemic - one common thread remains: a lack of accessible, consistent education.
Education is the missing link
Client education is not emphasized enough. At its essence it is preventative care, not extra effort.
There is no standardized care in this industry, both for pet owners and pet groomers, to provide consistent, safe, relationship-focused care. A majority of the industry is heavily centered around volume - in and out as fast as possible in a chaotic environment.
To provide well informed care to a pet and their owner, it is essential to provide education before a dog or cat even enters a salon. Pet parents have a right and a duty to understand the needs of their pet, and each pet is unique in care required, yet fundamental basics can be applied across the board. Proper education on providing nail care, brushing maintenance between grooms, etc. Providing proper information for clients, by professionals in the industry, can bridge the gap that I see throughout this industry. This will allow for a pet parent to feel more confident, well-informed, and well-equipped to handle an area of their pet’s life that they may have had no prior knowledge on. Being well informed not only alleviates the owners stress, but the animal’s as well.
What Needs to Change
Industry standards, communication gaps, accessibility of services, pricing transparency, and behavioral awareness must all shift in order to see improvements across the board in the grooming industry.
These omissions of care (delayed grooming, untreated matting, behavioral avoidance, lack of access, lack of education) are rarely the result of neglect - they are the result of inaccessibility, lack of knowledge, and systems that do not support proactive care.
This is where a relationship-based, education-focused approach to grooming becomes not just beneficial - but necessary.
Citations
McDonald, S. E., Sweeney, S. J., Niestat, L., & Doherty, T. S. (2022).
Grooming-related concerns among companion animals: Preliminary data on an overlooked topic and considerations for animals’ access to health-related services.
Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 9, 827348.