When a dog leaves your grooming salon, you want him looking and feeling his best. It’s one of the reasons why you chose to become a dog groomer in the first place! One way to make sure you provide dogs with an optimal grooming experience is by stocking your salon with the very best in grooming tools (and this takes a bit of know-how in terms of what gadgets are on the market).
We’ve previously covered 4 of the best pet grooming gadgets, but for every amazing grooming glove or silent grooming table, there’s a dangerous or harmful gadget out there that’s just waiting to be purchased. Read on for some of the absolute worst pet grooming gadgets on the market, and know how best to spend your money as a dog groomer!
1. Electric grooming combs
Let’s face it – visiting the groomer doesn’t rank high on the list of things dogs love doing. They’re in an unfamiliar environment and are being brushed, washed, clipped, and handled, and they might be anxious and tense as a result. As a dog groomer, you know how important it is to keep the pups in your salon totally at ease throughout the duration of their groom, and you depend on the very best combs and brushes to get the job done.
At first glance, an electric grooming comb looks like it will be super successful at removing tangles and mats quickly, without coming into contact with pet’s skin. However, this gadget falls short of its intended purpose! Known for jamming up within a few minutes, this tool is also loud and frightening for the dogs and cats subjected to it. It’s also usually manufactured with larger dogs in mind, so it’s certainly not a good investment for groomers!
Keep your eyes out (and save your money) for products that can groom several different sizes and breeds of dogs.
2. Dog grooming kits
At first glance, a kit full of grooming tools seems to be an excellent value and very convenient, featuring a range of products that often include steel blades, scissors, pet clippers, and several different combs. However, the quantity of the products is often much higher than the quality. The clippers, although touted as the jewel of these kits, are found by many pet owners to be time-consuming. The scissors are not far behind in their quality, but are much more useful than the clippers or combs. Just because these kits claim to contain all the tools you need to groom your dog doesn’t mean you’re getting a good deal!
Pro tip: Steer clear of dog grooming kits that claim to offer a package of high-quality products. Instead, do your research, take your time, and build your own dog grooming kit that contains trimmers and shears, a grooming table, and combs and brushes, to name a few. Yes, pet grooming tools can get expensive, but not all of them require a large investment. Check out our guide to building your grooming kit, and find out where to spend and save!
3. De-shedding brushes
Any pet owner can attest to the fact that hair is a fact of life. As long as dogs live indoors, their owners will be dealing with shedding, and it can be frustrating. There are de-shedding products on the market that claim to reduce unwanted shedding by up to 90% on regularly groomed dogs (so your clients can maintain their pups between appointments), and are sold for under $50, which seems like a great deal.
But issues abound with so-called de-shedding tools. Certified dog groomers are well-versed in brushing techniques, and know how important it is to use a pat and pull method in order to avoid scratching or scraping. Not only can these brushes be painful for pups, they’re often known for being lower-quality, only picking up several hairs after a series of strokes.
Being slow and steady with brushing and de-shedding is absolutely key as a dog groomer, so you want to make sure that you keep your brushing guide handy when you have a client who schedules this appointment. Know which products to recommend to your clients to keep their dog tidy in between appointments, and which ones they should avoid.
4. Dog washing machines
When you think about bathing a dog, you likely imagine doing so in your grooming salon, with a proper tub and restraints. As any dog groomer would! However, did you know that there is such a thing as a dog washing machine? Before you get excited, think about it for a moment – a dirty dog is locked inside a cleaning machine for a half hour, and depending on its size and how unclean it is, is treated like a load of dirty laundry. Traumatizing? We think so!
The brains behind these machines are adamant that they are not cruel, and that the pups actually love being placed inside and washed. As groomers, we tend to disagree, as we know that dogs are usually nervous and anxious when being bathed, brushed, or trimmed. The idea of placing a dog inside a machine sounds a bit unusual. Stick to bathing dogs in a comforting and calm way, and you’ll make sure each pup is happy and healthy when they leave your salon!
Honorable mention: Dog umbrellas
You would think that an umbrella specially made for pups would be a fabulous invention! After all, we don’t know many dogs that enjoy standing in the rain for more than a few minutes. Unfortunately, this is one gadget that just misses the mark completely. While not technically a grooming gadget, it still earns an honorable mention as one of the worst pet gadgets around! If you’re not familiar with this particular invention, it’s an inverted umbrella that points downward towards your dog, attempting to keep it dry while out on a walk.
This sounds like a great idea, but as a certified dog groomer, you know that dogs don’t stay right next to their owners when going for a walk. Naturally curious and energetic, dogs are not likely to stay under an umbrella while walking, making the gadget pretty useless. Dog owners are much better off keeping themselves dry with their own umbrella, and not worrying about their furry friends.
Stock your cupboards with our list of the top 5 dog styling products on the market, including shampoos and fragrances!
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