Malaysia Veterinary Forum (Archive)

Dr. TanDY

More to pet grooming than meets the eye

Source: The Star

Date: 29 March 2006

TO DOG groomer Gan Wee Yet, his job is more than just providing professional grooming services for pets.

Gan, who runs a full-fledged grooming centre in Subang Jaya called House of Groomers, said the place doubled as an academy offering grooming courses to students.

A beautifully groomed poodle whose fur has been trimmed according to the cut called the Continental Clip.

“We run courses of between three and six months, depending on each individual’s experience and skill.

“And these are some of our students,” said Gan, referring to a group of some five or six adults who were busy trimming, brushing, and de-matting the coats of various pooches using special brushes and scissors.

“By teaching fundamental and traditional grooming techniques, we aim, ultimately, to educate and transform our students into ethical, responsible and creative dog groomers,” continued Gan as he showed StarMetro a confined, laboratory-style area where each student was given a dog to practise on and perfect his or her skills.

“Our job is also to expose students to veterinary services and kennel management. Besides having seminars on current issues like nutrition and new styling ideas for dogs, we teach students how to manage a grooming business.

“We also assist graduates in securing employment,” said the academy owner.

Gan has been surrounded by pedigree dogs since young, as his family owns them.

“I was exposed to dog grooming 15 years ago while studying in the UK. I frequented dog shows and went on to specialise in professional dog grooming in the US when I decided to make this my career 10 years ago.”

As one of three core instructors at the academy, Gan said grooming was not just about washing and trimming fur.

“There are two types of pet grooming. The first is for easy maintenance yet retaining the pet’s beauty – called maintenance grooming. The second is show grooming – which is to maintain elegance while exaggerating the beauty of a show dog.”

Students grooming the dogs they have been assigned, using the special tools and equipment provided.

Chief instructor Annie Goh, recipient of the Best Creative Groomer 2005 award at the 225th MKA All Breed Championship Show, said the most basic element of grooming was to maintain healthy skin and coat and to bring out the best in each pet.

“In order to enter a show grooming competition, show dogs have to be groomed according to standard ‘clips’ (cut styles).

“As for creative grooming, it unleashes the groomer’s imagination and creativity to give the dog a 'fashionable' look. Here, you have the freedom to use special dog colouring, which can last for two months,” said Goh as she stroked her poodle which had been coloured orange and light green.

Creative grooming, she added, had huge potential for growth as it was still in its infancy in Malaysia.

“Creative grooming is more like a fashion show with elaborate dressing and hair-do that are not applicable to daily life.

“Nowadays, pet grooming is a much sought-after service, compared with five years ago when grooming was almost unheard of.

“Besides giving soothing massages, we are also 'dog whisperers”, talking to stressed dogs to calm them down.

“Clients have often told us they were stunned that their untrained pooches would sit still for us to groom them,” said Goh, who was trained in Australia, Canada and Thailand.

She said her daily grooming work involved about 18 services, from the basic bathing and body trimming to de-ticking and anal gland cleansing.

When asked how she had got into the grooming line, Goh recalled that it all started while ahe was studying in Australia. She had adopted a stray puppy and had sent her to a nearby grooming salon which turned the 'ugly duckling' into a 'beautiful swan'!

“From then on I became interested in dog grooming, and worked as an apprentice to the owner. That was 10 years ago.”

Goh said she helped her sister at the latter's pet salon on her return as a fresh graduate.

Both Goh and Gan readily agree that the greatest satisfaction they derive from their job is seeing the smiles on the owners' faces when they present the well-groomed pets to them.

“We also want to educate owners on their responsibility to keep pets clean and well groomed, in line with the responsible pet ownership campaign!” added Gan.

There is no guessing the kind of treatment these two groomers' pedigree pets, which include Golden Retrievers, Papillon, Maltese and Shih Tzu, get.

Dr Kwok · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 130 Location: Selangor

Dear Dr Tan Do you think as vets we should learn some grooming or provide grooming service also ?

Dr. TanDY · Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 11:11 am Post subject:

Kwok wrote: Dear Dr Tan Do you think as vets we should learn some grooming or provide grooming service also ?

Just my personal opinion, if you have the time and interest, why not? In Singapore some vet clinics have a "grooming shop" next to them. Although the grooming services are provided by someone else it is very convenient for the pet owners. Very much like a "one-stop service centre" to "fix up" their pets into its original healthy and beautiful state :-)