Winter is coming!!!!!!

This time of year is often a worry for groomers - will clients still have their dogs hair cut in the winter months?!

The advice that we would give to trainees here at 'The Grooming Room' is that you need to educate your clients that winter is just as important a time to keep regular grooming appointments as summer time when the weather is warmer.

As a groomer will need to tailor the haircuts that dogs are given to suit the winter months, you may find that clients are reluctant to come if they get the same short hairdo that they requested in the summer in the middle of October!! For some breeds this may mean that you use a longer clipper blade on the dogs back so that the dog stays warm, this is especially relevant to dogs that do not have a very dense coat and feel the cold in the winter months; examples of such breeds would be small terriers such as Westies, Cairns and Yorkshire terriers. Another good idea would be to perhaps find a supplier of cosy dog coats that you can have on display for sale for your clients.

With breeds such as Cocker Spaniels we have found that the wet and muddy conditions experienced this time of year mean that these poor dogs are often very wet after their daily walks and are even more prone to matting of their heavy feathers. This time of year is a good time to suggest to owners of such breeds to have the feathers taken shorter and make sure the feathers are suitably thinned out so that grooming is made easier.

Another tip is to always look after clients that visit you on a regular basis - offer them some financial incentive for being a loyal customer and they will keep coming regardless of the season!!