Articles by Ryans Pet

Happy holidays groomers! This time of year is one of the busiest, yet joyful times of the year for us at the salon. Clients are racing to get their fur babies in to look especially beautiful for holiday cards and gatherings, tips are generally much more gracious, and of course- tons and tons of baked goodies line the counters for staff members to enjoy.

We are excited to do an employee highlight on our HR Manager, Nancy. Nancy has been with Ryan?s since 2006 and we are so excited to share a little bit of her story!

In a dream world all the pets we groom stand perfectly on the table and we play with puppies for the remainder of the day. In the real world we have some who love to be groomed, that it becomes an everyday part of life. Then we have others we remember more. Those are the ones that are fearful, that will bite or snap, that are wild and will not stop thrashing around. Usually they?re the ones who are not a good fit for salons. But, where do those clients go next?  

Never in a million years I?d think that one day I would be an obsessed Doodle Mom. It was not my choice ? my husband fell in love with an Australian Labradoodle Dog he met locally and before we knew it, Bruno became part of our family.

I have always loved animals, in fact in the very same place I chose to set up my ?Grooming Garden? this summer is where I used to have my childhood chicken coop and baby rabbits. If someone would have told me that in that same place a few decades later I would run my own professional business and people would be paying me to make flower crowns for their puppies, it would have blown my ten-year-old mind.

Losing your best friend comes in all shapes and sizes. For me, it was my beautiful spotted creature whose soul I named Sprinkles. I first met Sprinkles on an Amish farm as a Sprightly little puppy. She was to be euthanized because she was deaf if nobody wanted her. I instinctively knew in my heart that she was the dog I had always wanted since I was 14, listening to Sublime and them singing about their Dalmatian. It was love at first sight as she ran to my arms and I took her home. Sprinkles inspired me to become more involved in the dog world. Although I was already a dog groomer I wasn?t as devoted to it as I am now. We went everywhere together, from car rides to camping adventures. She always had my back.

I often think about my first competition. As I was headed to the completion or a trade show, I was uncertain as to what to expect exactly, causing me to be a bit nervous; and is a clear reminder of how this all started. My friend Natalie and I made a pact to do our first competition together and we chose the Bichon. Many people thought we were crazy for choosing such a challenging breed, but our hearts were set on it and we were in love with the breed.

Partnering with local shelters, rescues, and black-owned pet businesses, the Pandemic Pup Relief Tour (PRT) is a nationwide initiative to help pups and pet owners who are experiencing hardships during these unprecedented times. Originally including a road trip for pop-up grooming events to 6 cities, the PRT has now grown ever larger. Gloria Hardaway aka @GloriaTheGroomer participated in the PRT and wants to share her experience with the grooming community.

As a groomer, when it comes to building a successful relationship with the dog you are grooming the number one step seems obvious, right? Train the dog to act accordingly on the table, in the tub, with the equipment, blah blah blah. Wrong (in my opinion ? even though that is very important). Of course you have to train the dog, but you also need to train the owner. Even more so with ?doodles? because almost everyone that buys them seem to be first time animal owners. It?s not a bad thing whatsoever! No matter how much learning they attempt to do on the internet ? at some point they inevitably need the assistance of a professional. That is our chance to shine, to educate, and to build a relationship that will benefit not only them but us as well.

Everyone loves a clean dog and since Tub Dog Tuesday is a big hit with groomers, I wanted to share some tips that I've found has aided me with dogs, old and young, in the tub. They may just aid you or a friend in a time of need. And as I have said, during this time of high stress in our society, a clean, snuggly puppy is what we all need!