Have you ever wondered what actually goes on at your dog groomer’s?

Curious about what sort of care a groomer can provide and what your pet might need?

This interview with Ariana Brittenden of Do’s 4 Doggies pulls back the curtain on what it’s really like to be a groomer, why your pet needs to be groomed, and some of the joys and challenges of the job.

Find her here –

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Now, let’s get to the interview!

 

 

Transcription:

Laura Wombwell: Hi there, it’s Laura from Laura Wombwell Photography and I am here today with Ariana Brittenden of Do’s 4 Doggies. Hi Arianna!

Ariana Brittenden: Hi! I’m so happy to meet you.

Laura Wombwell: I am so excited to be chatting with you today. So you are currently a pet groomer, but you’ve been involved in pet care for a really long time. Can you tell me a little bit about how you got started? 

Ariana Brittenden: So I started off at the Guelph Humane Society. I started when I was 7 years old. I did the kids program for about 12 years. So I was in the program myself and then I became a volunteer with the program, so over that span of time, I learned so much about the different animals and I mainly love dogs, but all the different animals – amazing. And then I became a volunteer for dog walking and that was kind of almost when I met my dog. So stemming from that I became a reactive dog walker. So I was allowed to walk the dogs with more issues. So I, kind of, I specialize in more of the behavioral dogs when I’m grooming, because of that, it’s really helped a lot. And then I also worked for a dog training company, which was also a walking company called Walk With Zoe. So, I got to work with the behavioral dogs. And also just working walking the dogs and having a lot of fun and then I went to school in 2019 for pet grooming and that was only a year program. So I only stayed there for a year and we basically just learned the basics and it helped a lot but then as soon as I went to a salon that’s where it really really blossomed and I got to learn everything of what I know now. 

Laura Wombwell:  Perfect So as far as the training that’s required for pet groomers, you said you have to go to school. What are some of the key things that you learned either in school or once you got out and started into that salon environment?

Ariana Brittenden:  More so, how to do nail trimming and shaving the pet is definitely one of the most complex. You have to go over the lines and make sure that your work is really good. When I was in school, the program was good, but it’s so much better learning from an actual mentor. If I’d known before I think I would have just done a mentorship and have someone else train me. That’s what I would recommend if anybody wanted to get into grooming but it’s much better to personally work with somebody rather than a whole class. You learn a lot more. Everything was different. 

Laura Wombwell: So you mentioned that you worked a lot, both as a volunteer and now as a groomer, with reactive dogs, you must have all kinds of patience to be in that environment. I know just with my own pets, like, just trying to clean them up is a nightmare. So how do you deal with pets when, you know, they might be a little stressed or this might be new for them? 

Ariana Brittenden: We like to take it slow. They’re allowed to go around the room and smell all the little spots,and go around and see, just check out the room and get comfortable. And we let them come up on the table by themselves. So we – my table goes all the way to the floor. So they are allowed to go up on the table. We’ll encourage them with treats just so that we don’t have to invade their space and pick them up and then we do it like we do have to sometimes be more persistent to get the growing process done, but we we do try and be be calm and careful with our actions as well because our behavior towards them can trigger them in the slightest way. So we have to be careful and watch for their warnings in case they give us the side eye or something that will trigger them and we just have to watch their body, their body behavior.

Laura Wombwell: So do you have any tips for owners who like, for example, there are so many folks who have new puppies during Covid. Do you have any tips for those owners getting their dogs ready for that first groom? 

Ariana Brittenden: Yeah, there’s actually lots of things that people can be doing from home. The first is to have two people and have one person giving them treats and the other person playing with their paws, touching their ears, playing with their tail. Just getting them used to having every part touched. Grooming is very invasive and a lot of dogs don’t like that. So I always encourage my puppy owners to always touch and just play with their ears, just anything to do with getting them socialized. So, even with the hair dryer just so that they can listen to the hair dryer. Because when I use my big high velocity dryer that normally scares them a lot. So normally people will put their pets away when they’re blow-drying their hair, but it’s actually better so that they can get used to the loud noise. 

Laura Wombwell: Huh, yeah, let your pet experience that whole run of, you know noises and stimulation before they even get to you. 

Ariana Brittenden: Yeah, it helps a lot. 

Laura Wombwell: Are there any particular breeds that you really love grooming? 

Ariana Brittenden: I love the standard poodles. That will be my next dog for sure. Their coats are wonderful and their personalities are so amazing. They’re such good family dogs, and they’re so smart. 

Laura Wombwell: Oh yeah! Any breeds that are a particular challenge or does it really matter day to day? 

Ariana Brittenden: It matters day to day, but I do struggle with some of the smaller breeds. 

Laura Wombwell: I have a chihuahua. So I hear you. 

Ariana Brittenden: Normally it’s the shih tzus that I have trouble with and pugs. 

Laura Wombwell: Pugs, really? I wouldn’t have even known that you have to groom a pug.

Ariana Brittenden: They get deshedded and also their nails. Yeah. 

Laura Wombwell: So what is your very favorite part of grooming? 

Ariana Brittenden: Seeing the owners’ reaction and making the bond with their pets. When they come on a schedule they get excited to see you. So sometimes I’ll be outside and they get so excited. The owner just has to drop their leash and they’re just so excited to be here. And then seeing their transformation after their groom is really nice. 

Laura Wombwell: Wonderful and what are some things that you wish that the general public knew about grooming in general? Like, for example, I didn’t know you had to groom a pug. What can help to educate the public about what you do? 

Ariana Brittenden: Sorry, could you say that again?

Laura Wombwell: For sure. What’s something that you wish that the general public knew about grooming?

Ariana Brittenden:  Well, a lot of people associate grooming with just haircuts, like people haircuts, and it’s really not that and especially since the virus and the lockdown. Everything has kind of change for grooming. So people have just been seeing it as, oh my dog is just getting a haircut. It is so much more beneficial than just a person haircut because you’re helping their skin and you’re helping any of the knots in their fur. Their ears, I have helped a lot of people realize that their dogs ears had ear infections, which has actually completely changed how they have to feed their dog and bring them to the vet and check them out. Even when I’m blow-drying the dogs. I can see right down to their skin so I can help find any lumps or bumps or things like that. So it’s not just a haircut. They are getting haircut so that they can be pretty but they’re also getting it for their health and a lot of people don’t see that because a lot of people do keep their dogs on schedule so they don’t see the matting or they don’t know that there is knots underneath the top layer of their fur. It’s definitely been a controversial thing the past couple of months that people are fighting whether or not it is essential or non-essential, but it is totally essential.

Laura Wombwell: So, like, grooming is kind of an extension of preventive health care for your pets. 

Ariana Brittenden: Yeah. Yeah for sure. I have noticed many lumps and bumps and any like things that will have to get them to go to the vet that they have no idea that even existed. 

Laura Wombwell: I honestly never knew that so I am learning so much.

Ariana Brittenden: Even with your chihuahua, when I blow dry their hair, even though they’re short haired, I can see right down to the skin. So if there’s anything growing or like anything, I can see everything. We’re kind of like helpers to vets.

Laura Wombwell: So even maybe then if you think your dog, oh, you know, they don’t shed much or they don’t have hair that needs trimming, maybe a visit to a groomer isn’t a bad idea. 

Ariana Brittenden: Even once just to get like the groomers opinion and and I’ll see how they do. 

Laura Wombwell: Excellent. 

Ariana Brittenden: Especially nails. They always need their nails done. 

Laura Wombwell: So you’ve actually sent me a couple of pictures of Grooms that you’ve done. So I’d love to share those. So who is this? 

Ariana Brittenden: That is a new Cockapoo. I just did recently actually and she is coming for a puppy package. So my puppies, they come for a puppy package that gets them introduced to grooming and this was just a bath, brush and tidy up just so that they can get used to the grooming process. 

Laura Wombwell: Perfect. Do you find that puppies are generally a little bit more accepting of being handled that way or does it depend on the puppy? 

Ariana Brittendne: It does depend on the puppy a lot and any of the work that the owner has done. But many puppies, they really do need the puppy training package for grooming because a lot of dogs do not like, I hold their chin and they don’t like having their chin being held. Or the Clipper. I can’t clip inside their ears to get the airflow through and a lot of puppies don’t know how to stand on the table. So as soon as they come inside and go on the table, they lay down because they don’t know what’s happening. So I have to casually build up their trust and have them stand up and learn that it’s not a scary thing. 

Laura Wombwell: Oh wow. So this next one here, who are you holding? 

That is Callie. She’s at another puppy package client. She came for two puppy classes, and she was really good. 

Laura Wombwell: And then this one right here. 

Ariana Brittenden: That one, I can’t remember his name, but he had so much puppy hair – see even that length right there? That is so long for an order to maintain, there is so much hair. He’s a Bernese Mountain Dog Poodle mix. So he was really big, his head almost touched the pole.

Laura Wombwell: Oh my goodness. Wow, he’s gorgeous. So speaking of getting pets acclimatized to being touched and you know, just getting them ready for a groomer, what are some things that an owner can do to make sure that the owner/groomer communication is the best that it can be?

Ariana Brittenden: Please message your groomer and ask questions, like we’re always here to answer your questions. That’s the best thing and I always make sure that I tell the owner about any different behavior issues or problems and they can always message me to give me an update or anything. 

Laura Wombwell: What should folks look for when they are seeking out a groomer? 

Ariana Brittenden: Definitely take a look at their pictures and see different reviews. I have a lot of people asking on the Dogs of Guelph Facebook page for different recommendations, and you really have to look into the pictures and into who is recommending them and just just take a look at all the reviews and everything. 

Laura Wombwell: I guess just like with any relationship you want someone that you trust cuz they’re handling the most important member of your family and someone that you can talk to you openly about what you want for your pet. 

Ariana Brittenden: Yeah. Yeah. So a lot of people don’t realize that I’m so young when they see me so they don’t think that I have a lot of experience so that might take them aback a little bit. But I have had so much experience and I am very knowledgeable with the different breeds and everything that you need to do for grooming. 

Laura Wombwell: Well, I mean, if the reviews are to be believed, people think that you are phenomenal. So I have some questions that have come in from the group for you. So if you’re ready to jump in with those?

Ariana Brittenden: Yeah.

Laura Wombwell: Excellent. So our first question was are there any ways to reduce the red staining that happens with some breeds around the beard and sometimes around the ears?

Ariana Brittenden: I have something beside me that helps with that is called The Diamond Eye and it put it on a little cotton ball and you have it have it so that when after they’ve gone to the groomers, you get all the hair out from in their eyes, and then you just dab it and it’s like magic. It literally takes the red staining, most of the red staining out, and you just have to keep on that and help with that. It also helps going to the groomers frequently because then we do clear out the eyes then we’re getting rid of all that gunk but sometimes it is just because of their tear-stain ducts that they do they naturally just have that.

Laura Wombwell: Perfect and would work for the beards as well? 

Ariana Brittenden: There are shampoos that you can get. The diamond eye stuff doesn’t work for beards but there are whitening shampoos and brightening shampoos that you can use in the beards. 

Laura Wombwell: Do you find sometimes like, can you trim some of the red out? 

Ariana Brittenden: Yeah, a lot of times the dogs have hair on their chin, we just trim those out and then it looks better. 

Laura Wombwell: Question from a curly haired dog owner, they’re wondering when a dog gets mats in the winter. With lockdown, obviously, they weren’t able to see a groomer for quite some time. Is it a better idea to once you can see your groomer to shave them down and risk them being cold? Or wait until warmer weather but let the mat grow?

Ariana Brittenden: You definitely want to get that shaved because even if they’re outside in the snow or you want to give them a bath the mats actually form tighter, so if if they get wet at all and then they air dry, the mat will close up and they get way more tight. So that’s way more painful for your pet. You really just want to shave it off and maybe just put on a coat because if you do wait, it will be way worse and it could have potential health issues for your dog. 

Laura Wombwell: For dogs who don’t require regular grooming, is there a recommendation on how often you should be brushing them just to stimulate the oils in their skin? 

Ariana Brittenden: For short-haired dogs, I normally recommend every other month. At the most, three or four if they are a breed that can allow that. I do deshedding packages for them. So, they would get a bath with my deshedding shampoo and conditioner. And then once I blow dry them all the hair and the undercoat comes out and then I would brush them with an undercoat rake. So it even takes even more hair and yeah and that lasts them for a little while.

Laura Wombwell: I’m sure you knew this question was coming cuz it’s the number one question that folks wanted to know – tips for at home nail trims. 

Ariana Brittenden: Personally, I don’t recommend at home nail trim because it can mess up the way they see grooming. I have a couple clients that have said that they have gotten that they did their own dog’s nails and they cut too short and now they are absolutely terrified of even coming here getting their nails done. So if you actually have to do it at home, I would have one person holding the front part of the dog so that the head can’t see what the other person is doing and just to have them standing and hold up a leg like that. It’s way easier to do it standing but it is to hold them while sitting because then they could they could even snap at your face or and then some sometimes just like looking at you while you’re getting their nails done. Sometimes my boyfriend has to help us hold the head and give them treats as we’re cutting the nails because they just don’t like looking at me cutting their nails. 

But when they are distracted they’re a little bit better with it? 

Ariana Brittenden: When they are distracted, they love the attention and they don’t really pay attention to what I’m doing.

Laura Wombwell: That sounds like a much better idea if it has to be done at home. 

Ariana Brittenden: Also, I’ve seen that peanut butter on your head challenge. I don’t recommend that at all. That one gives me nightmares. 

Laura Wombwell: That’s just faces a little too close together yet. So as far as people interacting with their groomers, is there a best way that people can help to support both you, support grooming as an industry as a whole, how can people help you know be better pet parents for groomers? 

Ariana Brittenden: Pre-scheduling your appointment is always a plus because then we know that you were wanting to come back, and that you liked what we did, that helps a lot because we know that we have our job that is. That we know that we are coming into a full month. So, say I have a pre-booked appointment free book appointment. All tomorrow. That means that they came before and they and they really love what I did before so then they pre-scheduled their appointment and a lot of people don’t and then they miss out, so definitely that. And also sharing our name on Facebook. So, say when people ask for a recommendation to definitely give our name and even like send a link of our Facebook page or business on Google. That helps a lot.

Laura Wombwell: Or like share those cute pictures of your freshly groomed pup with a tag!

Ariana Brittenden: We’ve had a lot of those lately. I mostly use Facebook, but ‘ve had a fews tags on Instagram and I’ve gotten a couple of new clients just from that. 

Laura Wombwell: I wonder with all the press that grooming was getting about like is grooming essential is it not essential? I wonder if that drew people’s attention 

Ariana Brittenden: Yeah, because it was like people were seeing how many people wanted their dogs groomed and they were like, I should get mine done too. Like that was kind of the idea. 

Laura Wombwell: Well you’ve motivated me to want to get my dogs groomed too. So that’s amazing. Thank you for answering all of those questions for us. I’d love to chat a little bit about you and your personal experience with pets. So I know that you had a sweet pup named Luna who recently passed away. So how did she bring light and joy into your life? 

Ariana Brittenden: Well, so I met her when I was 12 years old. So I was, it would have been about eight years ago and I met her at a Santa Claus Parade when I was walking with them with the Humane Society. And I just loved her. She was so friendly with people and I talked about her non-stop and I noticed that she was on the shelter website for about 6 months. So she was there for a long time. She had a lot of issues. She has separation anxiety and dog aggression and sometimes male aggression as well towards people, but we really wanted to give her a loving home and it just worked out so well with us. It was really hard in the beginning, but we grew to know how she wanted things. When we got Luna she was very stressed out at home. She didn’t know how to do anything. She did walk on a leash but she pulled a lot and the separation anxiety. We had to try a lot of things out. So we tried the crate and she absolutely did not like the crate because of the separation anxiety when we tried having her in the basement and that didn’t work. So we just had her roam the house and we figured out that what she wanted was just to be able to see out the front window and we made adjustments as well because she would rip up plastic bags. Her thing was plastic bags and cardboard. We don’t know why, but she never wrecked anything else. So yeah, just just plastic bags and cardboard. So it was kind of her way of telling us to clean up. 

Laura Wombwell: Nice that she chose just like random things and not shoes. 

Ariana Brittenden: Never never an item. She got a hold of a muffin tin once with the plastic container and she ripped up the plastic container and the muffins and didn’t eat the muffins. She was really funny. 

Laura Wombwell: So how long was Luna part of your life for?

Ariana Brittenden: Almost 8 years. She was about 6 when they rescued her. When they did rescue her though, she had a lot of aging signs. So, she had broken teeth and her paw pads were worn and she had clearly been overbred. So it was definitely a factor that she was older, but not not too old but not too young. So we kind of just went with six years old. So, she was about fourteen but she never had any health issues. It was amazing, but she was so healthy for so long. 

Laura Wombwell: Wow, I also had a pup who passed away when she was about 15 who had also been bred and one of the things that was so important to me was that I gave her longer in her golden years and she spent in the terrible before place. And so I commend you on giving her such an incredible life because it changes your life like nothing else.

Ariana Brittenden: Yeah, and I almost turned 13 when I got her and looking back at it,  it’s crazy how much I had been able to rehabilitate her at such a young age. Just knowing what I did, that it helped her so much and let her, her life was so much better after we adopted her. 

Laura Wombwell: She looked like an incredibly happy girl. 

Ariana Brittenden: She was. She loved to smile and she just wanted to be with her people, she never loved dogs, but she loved being down here when I was grooming. That was kind of our thing. She would wait upstairs and then when I had put the dogs on the table, I would bring her down and she wasn’t allowed to jump up on the table. She would just be allowed to just be in the other room or lay down on the carpet and that was our thing. So she would come in on Wednesdays or evenings and and come in and just kind of hang out with us and watch.

Laura Wombwell: So she was a people dog.

Ariana Brittenden: For sure. Anyone with meat or cheese. That was her favourite.

Laura Wombwell: Did you have any favorite things that you would do together here locally? 

Ariana Brittenden:  really because of her anxieties and aggression that we didn’t get to do a lot of things outside of the house. We obviously would go for walks. But my favorite thing to do with her that we would order was actually a subscription box. So it has like toys and stuff in it. So we would just play with that and that would be kind of our thing that came monthly.

Laura Wombwell: So would she get excited every month when it came? 

Ariana Brittenden: Yeah, and she never wrecked anything when we were home. She would only wreck stuff when we were gone, of course, but that cardboard box that came in the mail she would wreck it. 

Laura Wombwell: I know losing a dog is one of the hardest things ever. Have there been any special people in your life who have helped you through or any resources that you can share with folks who might be going through the same thing?

Ariana Brittenden: There is actually a group called PVC pet loss, so it’s Pet Vet Corner Pet Loss, and they have tons of tips on who to talk to or like even talking to the group members and sharing your experiences that has helped me a lot as well. I also had, for me personally, I had a blanket made with her picture on it. So that helped me a lot just cuz she slept with me in bed, right? So they just kind of helped me once I got that to be able to sleep a little bit more. 

Laura Wombwell: Nice. Yeah, it’s those little things that bring back that memory once it’s not quite as painful. Thank you for being willing to talk a little bit about Luna and it was super super wonderful to hear about her. So I really, really appreciate talking to you tonight. I learned so much about grooming that I didn’t know – that’s incredible. Are there any last thoughts about you know, what pet parents should know about grooming, any last words? 

Ariana Brittenden: That getting your dogs nails done is absolutely essential, necessary, and that brushing your pet, even the slightest bit, helps. Even if you don’t think it might not be doing anything, just brush them and comb them out, just so that they’re not in pain. Because lots of people think that matting is just, oh well, it is really hurting your pet. Just brush your dog and get your nails done here. Oh my God. Get your dog’s nails cut. That is my 100% recommendation. 

Laura Wombwell: Excellent. Well, I will be taking you up on that recommendation. Thank you so much Ariana. It has been such a pleasure chatting with you .

Ariana Brittenden: Thank you so much for having me. 

Laura Wombwell: Thank you all for listening. This is Laura with Laura Wombwell Photography here with Ariana Brittenden of Do’s 4 Doggies and we both hope that you and your pets have an awesome day. Bye!

Ariana Brittenden: Bye!

 

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