Setting up Dog Grooming Business-Advice

Hi,
I'm thinking of opening a dog grooming salon above my partners petshop..we get so many people asking about grooming dogs and its been something ive been thinking of doing for a while...I have a few ideas of how i want to run things but would like to hear from and have plenty of advice from you lot


Groomers
Could anyone give me an idea of how a day at their salon goes?

How many dogs do you try and fit in a day?

Do you charge extra if a dog fouls or bites you?

What equipment do you swear by using? e.g. what brand of clippers and shavers.

What do you think is the easiest breed to groom and what do you think is the hardest?

What sort of prices do you charge?

*Also looking at a few starter packs and wondering whether to just go for it or to buy individually or second hand??
With the crate dryers we were thinking of making our own...
what do you suggest?

Customers
What do you expect when your dog is getting groomed?

Anyone had any bad experiences at a groomers?

What sorts of prices would you like to pay?

Any info or tips or absolutely anything anyone thinks can help me.. i'm like a sponge

Thankyouuuuu!

First off, have you trained to be a groomer yourself?

I'd imagine you'd get a lot of answers to your questions from the tutor.

Hi

I do think that you need to get your self on a taster course first to see if its for you.

Check out Myerscough college for the introduction to dog grooming courses.

It might be worth while asking your local groomers can you help out just bathing and drying for free, and you will learn a lot of them.

As for if a dog poops or bites you. NO WAY do you charge extra. As a loving dog groomer, its your responsibility to ensure the dog has 1. toileted prior to coming into the salon, and if its a biter, there is a reason. Dogs dont come into a salon with a plan to attack a groomer, if they are scared, they will either fight or flight, and as they cant get away they will bite. The trick is to not put them into a position to make them bite.

It might also be worth considering learning how to read dogs body language, what you need to appreciate, is that dogs on a table dont generally give signals out, so you gotta be quick.

As the previous person said, you really need to get on a course first.

You might find its not for you, or it is.

Hope this helps and good luck.

First off,the first comment had nothing constructive in it at all!!

Anyway,

Ive had work experience just bathing,blasting and doing odd jobs and I had an aprenticeship at a groomers that i had to cut short due to personal reasons,its more hands on experience i am lacking rather than knowlage but thats what you need for this job so i am currently looking at courses and practicing on friends and families dogs.

I also have a diploma in dog psychology.

Of course I have asked millions of questions at the old salon... and plenty of others and I asked on here to get of different opinions and answers ive had a few total opposites,Like you said you should never charge for dog mess and injuries other people i have asked said they would charge more as they think its the owners responsability to walk their dog beforehand etc...i personaly would never charge for dog mess,but it would depend on the circumstances of the aggressive dogs,but im sure it would just be put down to putting a dog on a list to inform any other groomers or whoever that this dog is a little bit touchy with,getting say hand dryed or... trimming around their face for instance.
Dogs should be well handled and groomed as pups,my dogs dont require much grooming as they are short coated but i always make sure to handle them and brush their teeth when they are small so they dont associate my hands going near their mouth as anything negative.

And some groomers do collection and delivery things like that i like finding ot how other groomers run things and see if i can take the best qualities and put them into my buisness ideas,after all its not something im going to set up tomorow lol

I would probably disagree about the dogs on tables part,but its just my opinion and from what ive seen,that if the dog is scared because he has nowhere to go he will communicate with much stronger signals mostly postural and vocal as to really warn you "i will bite you!" as contact with you is the last thing he wants.

Just having a look at the Myerscough college webpage thanks for suggesting that