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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Pets have a turn at beauty


Sheryl Allen gives Rodney a haircut at Classie Pets on north Nevada. Classie Pets grooms dogs and cats of all sizes. 
 (Kathryn Stevens / The Spokesman-Review)
Treva Lind Correspondent

Your poodle comes home more than once with cuts from grooming tools. A neighbor’s dog seems traumatized anywhere near a groomer.

These could be bad signs.

Donna Convery, owner of the Spokane pet grooming business Classie Pets, has made dogs and cats beautiful for more than 40 years. She recommends that pet owners first visit a shop without their dogs to watch how pets are treated.

She got into the business of grooming because, years ago, she didn’t like the way another dog was being handled by a groomer.

“The guy was yanking and pulling on the ears that were matted,” she recalls. “The dog was screaming. I don’t think he knew that there are other ways to get that out.”

“I took my dog home and I didn’t let the man in there groom my dog. That was in the 1960s,” Convery added.

Convery later trained herself to groom her poodle and then got started grooming show dogs. “People asked me who groomed my dogs and I said that I did, so they asked me if I would groom their dog. It started as a hobby and grew into a full-time business.”

For pet owners looking for a new groomer, Convery says any shop should be open to people walking through – without their pet – for an initial visit.

“Don’t bring your own dog in to begin with,” she said. “It’s better to check out a shop before. If they object to you coming in without your dog, I wouldn’t go there. If people see how the other dogs are being handled, then they can go by that. We have dogs that run in excited to be here.”

Jeffrey Reynolds, executive director of the National Dog Groomers Association of America, Inc., said his No. 1 recommendation is for owners to check that a pet groomer has some kind of professional certification.

“You want to look for some kind of recognition or certification status,” Reynolds says. “There is not a state yet that requires certificates or licenses for groomers. Certification is optional.”

He encourages pet owners to check to see if the groomer has participated in the many professional trade shows or seminars put on by the grooming industry around the country.

Convery thinks groomers should update their knowledge regularly.

“I’ve gone to a lot of classes and seminars over the years. No matter how long you’ve been a groomer, you’re constantly learning. The products are changing. There are new techniques. The breeds are changing.”

Another of Reynolds’ most-important tips is similar to one that Convery offered:

“Look at the shop and how it looks, how clean it is, how it smells, how people take care of their business and the dogs, and whether they have a professional appearance.

“If you want to take it a step further, check with the local humane society or Better Business Bureau to see if there are any complaints posted against the groomer.”