Almost every job has some aspects to it that most people don’t know about.
Whether it’s the nightmarish stories that retail employees can tell, the chaotic things that are likely going on behind the scenes when you go out to eat, or what all the different codes in hospitals mean, there’s a lot we can learn from those who have experience in their industries.
And although there are likely a number of hidden challenges that come with being a hairdresser, one pet groomer wanted to make it very clear how different those challenges are when your clients are animals.
Clearly, this groomer was getting tired of people asking one specific question: Why does it cost so much more when a dog gets a haircut than when its owner does?
And if the customers got more aggressive and said, “Give me one good reason,” this groomer would actually have 10 for them.
They start off with a bang, too, as reason number one is hairdressers don’t wash and clean their customers’ butts.
That’s already reason enough to give these darn pet groomers top dollar.
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How many of us can say that part of our day is to wash someone or something else’s butt? Not many! Except maybe new moms and nurses.
The second big reason is simple, but easy to forget: We don’t go eight weeks without washing and brushing our hair.
Groomer Laura Gedgaudaite explained to Bored Panda why this is number two on the list.
“Some dog breeds have naturally long hair that grows non-stop, so it’s necessary to shampoo, brush, cut and trim their coats.”
She also said these breeds should have their hair brushed every day, but that’s not always what happens. Realistically, these dogs go weeks or even months without a proper cleaning, which can make for a nasty situation when the come into the grooming shop.
As if the butt cleaning wasn’t enough, there’s also what the groomer who made the poster calls a “sanitary trim.”
This apparently involves trimming the fur around the groin. Let’s just say that making a request like that at a hair salon is probably the fastest way to get kicked out.
A hairdresser is also not generally expected to clean your ears or remove gunk from your eyes.
After all, somebody has to do that kind of stuff and even if a dog somehow wanted to do that themselves, they’d have a rough time without hands and fingers.
Even though we may not have sat still for the hairdresser when we were kids, most of us have since realized that makes everything much easier.
Pets don’t really have that understanding, which is why Gedgaudaite said you have to have a lot of inner strength to do her job.
She explains why some dogs can react poorly to groomers who are not confident in what they do.
As she told Bored Panda, “The dogs can feel if you are afraid or angry, they feel the adrenaline in your body and respond to it.”
Not only are hairdressers generally not expected to tackle hair anywhere besides our heads, they’re also not known to give out manicures and pedicures.
Gedgaudaite said the first part of this is particularly important when the dog’s fur is matted because that irritate their skin.
It’s also important to remember that most people don’t bite, scratch, or poop on their hairdressers.
Again, this is a very fast way to get kicked out the salon.
When it comes to these occupational hazards, Gedgaudaite said, “It takes a lot of energy to handle a dog if it’s not calm, especially if it’s a larger breed.”
“But if they are aggressive or bite, I usually choose not to groom them and they have to go home,” she explained.
So yeah, before you come face to face with a bill from the groomer, try to remember this poster.
It makes it perfectly clear that groomers aren’t just being paid to hang out with cute doggies all day.
h/t: Bored Panda
