Tail Talk Grooming Chronicles with Hound Therapy

Dollars and Scents: The Economics of Modern Pet Grooming

• Shannon & Tanya • Episode 19

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What Are The Trends And Issues On Grooming Styles?

Learn about the pet grooming industry in this revealing conversation with professional groomers Shannon and Tanya from Hound Therapy. They tackle the economics behind those Instagram-perfect pet photos and TikTok grooming trends that have pet parents everywhere wondering why their local salon doesn't offer the same services.

Ever wondered why your dog doesn't come home from the groomer smelling like a tropical paradise? Shannon explains that specialty shampoos now cost $50-$80 per gallon, making it financially impossible for most salons to stock a wide variety of scents. "The difference between human shampoo and dog shampoo is the pH balance," she notes, debunking myths about pet grooming products while explaining why most professionals opt for mild, unscented formulas that work well for all skin types.

The conversation takes a fascinating turn when addressing those adorable bows and bandanas that dominate social media. "I spend probably four to $500 a month on ribbon and fabric," Shannon reveals, while Tanya admits to "spending hours literally five, six hours on days off just making bows and hot gluing my fingers together." This behind-the-scenes look at the time and financial investment required for decorative accessories explains why many salons have moved away from offering them as complimentary services. The groomers also tackle the realities of nail painting, explaining which breeds can actually showcase painted nails and which simply can't due to their coat types.

Whether you're a pet parent curious about industry practices or a groomer feeling the pressure of social media expectations, this episode offers valuable perspective on balancing quality care with business sustainability. Call 469-367-0009 to schedule your pet's next appointment with Hound Therapy, where humanity comes before vanity in pet grooming.

To learn more about Hound Therapy visit:
https://www.HoundTherapy.com
Hound Therapy
3509 E Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
469-367-0009

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Tail Talk Grooming Chronicles with Hound Therapy, the podcast where we talk all things pet grooming, daycare academy and more. Hosted by Shannon and Tanya of Hound Therapy serving pet owners across North Texas, we're here to share expert tips, hilarious pet stories and the inside scoop on keeping your furry friends happy and healthy. Our motto humanity over vanity. And don't worry, we don't bite. Let's get started. Who let the dogs out? Who?

Speaker 2:

let the dogs out. From TikTok-inspired trends to budget-friendly grooming hacks. This episode dives into the latest style trends, how salons are staying efficient and what time management really looks like behind the scenes. Welcome back everyone. I'm Sofia Ayiveth, co-host slash producer, back in the studio today with Shannon and Tanya, professional groomers at Hound Therapy. Hi ladies, how are you doing today? We're good, thank you. Good Hope you are staying cool with all this heat outside.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it's August in Texas. Who doesn't love that?

Speaker 2:

Right? Well, ladies, I hope you brought your trend radar today, because we're about to sniff out what's hot and what's practical in grooming right now. So let's talk about scents and sensibility, specifically grooming trends, cost-saving solutions and time management. I'll let you take it from here.

Speaker 3:

All right, let's start with scents. We use very mild shampoos for everybody. Shampoos back in the 80s, back in the 90s, you know things were. They weren't as expensive as they are today. It's become an outrageous expense for pet groomers. And here's the deal for shampoos. I mean, I'm going to break it down a little bit.

Speaker 3:

For shampoo, the difference between a human shampoo and dog shampoo is the ph balance. Right, human ph is very different than dog ph and I will hear other groomers, um, you know, talk caddy about. I can't believe they're using human shampoo on dogs. Well, it should not be done on the daily basis. I am not advocating you go out and buy some suave shampoo and wash your dog in that every day you, as a pet owner, are going to almost have to, at least in our salon, go out and provide the scent, the type of shampoo, that you want.

Speaker 3:

We have a very basic, mild version of shampoo that is a concentrate, watered down. It's got a nice no smell to it. We are not trying to get it in competition with every aerosol cologne. We're very low-key and environmentally friendly, as as well as we are skin friendly. So we do a lot of dogs that have bad skin or yeast or um, you know. We just don't know what every single dog is going to need, and if we had to plan in advance for every shampoo for every single dog that's in here, we would go broke.

Speaker 4:

I mean we would have what sense people are allergic to or don't like or want.

Speaker 3:

Not everybody wants their dog to smell like it's coconut.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I would like that Pina Colada or rose I had. I would like that Pina Colada or rose.

Speaker 3:

I had somebody that was like she hated the smell of roses, like I. Just, we have to get a lot of information and we dealing with a lot with your dog. It's just a basic haircut If it's going to make you happy. We make sure your dog is clean. We do an all over check of your dog. The smell of your dog, the smell of your dog when it goes home. It should just be clean, it should be. Your dog should smell clean. If it's got bad breath, mouth is still going to smell. If it's got rotten teeth, if it's got an ear infection, his head's still going to smell like an ear infection. We're going to clean it out. We're not vets. We can't cure you know things that are medically wrong with your animals. So keep that in mind when you go to your dog groomers and you're like, how come my dog doesn't smell this or it doesn't smell that, we're happy to do it. You just need to bring it.

Speaker 3:

The other thing that is just recently kind of come to our attention are bows, bandanas and nail painting. I love all those things and I think that's super cute, oh, adorable. I dress up my dog all the time, but to do that in a shop. Um, you know, brick and mortar stores are going out of business in order for me to order the right type of fabric or bandanas. It's costly. I can pass that on, or I can just say, hey, look, here's your clean, well-groomed dog. And you know, we, we, we hand that back with nothing.

Speaker 4:

As groomers, it's hard for us definitely me to hand that back with no bandana or a bow, but I love making bows and it's really hard for me to hand a dog back to an owner without a bow on it, but they're time consuming. I would spend hours literally five, six hours on my days off just making bows and hot gluing my fingers together.

Speaker 3:

Hot glue, tooling, rubber bands it's all supplies that we have to get in and order in. Buying ribbon is expensive. I spend probably four to $500 a month on ribbon and fabric which is. I can pass that cost on or we can stop doing it. And we're to the point now where most of our clients they would rather not have our choice of bandana on them for an extra cost. They would rather they'd rather hey, like we're going to work, we've got our own clothes and a lot of people. Just he rips it off as soon as he gets in the car. So it's a hard, it's a hard thing to do. We still do some nail painting. That's not as.

Speaker 4:

that's not as it's time consuming, it's very hard to do on fluffy footed dogs.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, say that three times. If you're going to have your nails painted, it's got to be on a smooth coat or a dog that's gotten poodle feet. We can't shave between the hair. You won't see it anyway. It's too hard to paint between the hair.

Speaker 3:

That said, those are some things that a lot of people are doing. You know some of these gel nails for the dogs where they, you know, put those on, we will do anything. Yeah, anything that you bring in we'll do, but the cost for your local groomer. And if you have a good local grooming shop that's near you, I assure you they're going to be struggling with the same things that we are. Try to make that easier. Let's they're they're gonna be struggling with the same things that we are trying to make that easier. Let's focus on the groom, let's focus on what looks good and what looks cute. Cut wise on your dog and let's try to give him the best. If your vet recommends that he needs to be on a medicated shampoo, or bring it with you, um, if you know, we're happy to do it.

Speaker 4:

We follow the directions. Shampoo yeah, we of course bring it yeah, please, we follow through with that.

Speaker 3:

You know we let it set for the full 10 minutes. You know we definitely have the equipment to get it on and off, but we do not have the money to spend $50 to $80 a gallon on a different cologne for or shampoo for every single dog that walks in here. We just don't have it. It's and there's very few people that are willing to pay for that. So, uh, I I'm willing to do it if you want to give me an extra 80 a month to spend on your dog. You know, uh, special, I don't get a discount. There's no discount for me buying. I don't.

Speaker 3:

There's no magical grooming supply warehouse somewhere that we get that you don't. I mean it's. It's. It's the same places you find online, or the same places that I get, so you can see the price. It's not cheap and I don't. There's no discounts for dog groomers. There's no dog grooming shop. So keep that in mind. A lot of people don't realize that and it's difficult to keep up with those trends, especially when they're all over Facebook and TikTok and Instagram and in your face.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, and they're adorable, they're super cute, but you know we don't have a sewing machine up here to make a tie for your dog. We don't have a seamstress in house, not yet, I mean maybe one day yeah. So hopefully that helps and we, you know we've had somebody that's called with the dog and said hey, you know, my dog usually smells different. Well, you know, I get that your dog should have no smell other than clean when it leaves here and want a fresh little sound, then we can definitely do that for you.

Speaker 2:

Well, Shannon and Tanya, this was such a fun and informative ride through the world of grooming trends and time-saving magic. Thanks for sharing your wisdom and we'll catch you next time. Thanks.

Speaker 4:

See you.

Speaker 1:

That's a wrap for this episode of Tail Talk with Hound Therapy. Ready to book your pet's next groom daycare stay or grooming academy tour? Call us at 469-367-0009. That's 469-367-0009 to schedule an appointment, or visit us online at wwwhoundtherapycom. Serving North Texas with expert pet care. Until next time, keep those tails wagging.