Before

This is a great lesson on how to fix common grooming errors we see coming out of grooming salons everywhere. Sharp lines. The dreaded buffalo crest. Bushy tails. The diaper butt. All problems you see in every day pet grooming.

 

Award-winning stylist, Jennifer Hecker uses an overgrown Kerry Blue Terrier for this demonstration but the tips are universal. They can be transferred to many other purebreds or mixed breeds.

 

This is a breed she does not have the opportunity to work on very often - and that's OK. She shares how she personally works through a breed that's unfamiliar. She shows you that if you have strong foundation skills, you can groom any breed. The key is finding excellent representation of the breed you are working on. Jennifer even gives you some great ideas as to where you can find great resource images to work from.

 

After

Jennifer says if you have good basic skill sets, you can room any dog reasonably well. Bring out the proper breed profile. Balance out the dog. Set angulation. Camouflage faults. Highlight good points. Jennifer makes it look easy. She uses primarily clippers to set in the trim using a wide range of blade lengths. She only pulls out her shears to deal with the legs, crest, and a little on the head.

 

The trick to grooming any breed (or mixed breed) well is learning how to translate what your eyes see using solid pet grooming core skills.

• the order to work with your blades for maximum efficiency.
• where to get great images of purebred dogs.
• how to work safely on the undercarriage when you're trimming it close.
• how to quickly remove coat on and overgrown leg.
• what your goal should be when adding the crest.