Why We Don’t Shame Clients, We Educate Them

A matted coat, overdue nails, or an anxious pup can make even great dog parents dread the grooming appointment and not because they don’t care, but because they’re expecting judgment. We don’t work that way. Shannon and Tanya from Hound Therapy sit down with co-host and producer Sophia Yvette to explain why “humanity over vanity” is more than a motto, and how a shame-free pet grooming salon can change outcomes for dogs and the people who love them.

We talk about the biggest misconception in professional dog grooming: that groomers are there to criticize. Instead, we share how honest, supportive conversations help us create safer grooming plans, especially when life gets messy. You’ll hear what we want owners to understand when a dog comes in matted, what questions we ask to figure out what went wrong at home, and how a quick demo with the right brush and comb can clear up months of confusion. We also cover why kindness matters most at pickup, because embarrassment can keep families from returning and the dog pays the price.

Then we get practical. We break down how to build a simple dog grooming routine that fits your lifestyle, when to lean on pros for nail trims, and how consistent practice over a few months can help your dog feel calmer and more cooperative. If you’re a pet parent in North Texas or a groomer who wants better client trust, this is your roadmap.

Subscribe, share with a dog parent who needs a reset, and leave a review so more people can find humane, education-first grooming.

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

Transcript

Welcome And The Core Motto

SPEAKER_02 0:03

Welcome to Tale Talk Grooming Chronicles with Health Therapy, the podcast where we talk all things pet grooming, daycare, academy, and more. Hosted by Shannon and Tanya of Health 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 fight. Let's get started.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

Ever wondered why some grooming salons make clients feel judged while others make them feel supported? Today, Shannon and Tanya break down the philosophy that sets hound therapy apart and why education always beats shame. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Sophia Yvette, co-host and producer, back in the studio with Shannon and Tanya, professional groomers at Hound Therapy. Hi, ladies. It's so lovely to be back on with you today. Now, I would love for you both to open this one up. Why we don't shame clients, we educate them. What does this philosophy mean inside of your grooming salon?

SPEAKER_00 1:21

Um, well, let's start by saying one of the biggest misconceptions in grooming um is that group that groomers are judging pet parents. Um, you know, we're not. Really, most of us are just trying to help. So um at least I hope that's we are. We are not judging you by how your dog looks or acts. We want you to be upfront and honest with us, and we want to support you in in, you know, the the hurdles that we've got to overcome to best provide for your pet. And we can't do that if you're feeling embarrassed to talk. Um, education matters to us more than shame, and it should in this entire industry because just yeah, I mean, nobody nobody has brushed their dog more or harder or taken better care of their animal because they felt um, you know, but because they were yelled out. Or they just didn't want to. Like most of it's they just don't know. Yeah, and it's it it's very, very different um that we educate in a way that doesn't make you feel bad. And we feel like, you know, here at Hound Therapy that we we really do try to, you know, include you in the conversation and talk to you um in in regular, just everyday, like I try to find ways to relate to anybody that comes in. Uh like, you know, your your haircut versus your dog's haircut, how often um you know you would have to get them groomed, you know. Uh I I use men's haircuts a lot because, you know, I was a I was a barber for a long time. So I I understand that, you know, short hair gets cut more often and long hair doesn't. And, you know, I've had teenage boys, so all of those things are just easy. And then I've got long hair. So, you know, I use that on people like my hair is really long. If I don't brush it, you know, it's gonna get matted. And you know what I mean? So they're like, oh, so I try to use everyday experiences to try to kind of lighten the mood, or more importantly, to kind of explain, you know, why we're doing what we're doing, why we're charging what we're charging. Um, shaming hurts the dog, I think, more than than the owner, because then, you know, people are embarrassed to come back and we don't want that. I'm not going back to someone that embarrassed me.

unknown 3:35

No.

SPEAKER_00 3:37

Really? I love it.

SPEAKER_01 3:41

I wanted to ask you both when a dog comes in matted or anxious, you know, since we're talking about matted hair, what's the first thing you want the owner to understand coming from that understanding mindset and not shaming the client?

Brushing Myths And Hands-On Demos

SPEAKER_00 3:58

Yeah, so it's for me. I want you to understand that, hey, look, life happens. Yeah, we are all human. I mean, we make mistakes, we try to own up to our mistakes. And every day, you know, if we cut this ear too short, we've done that, I took the wrong card to your dog. I mean, it doesn't happen often, but it does happen. And, you know, we have a full-on academy here. So when we're teaching students or, you know, something, somebody's picked something up thinking that they had something else on there. So, you know, we own that and we have an honest conversation. And most people understand. Uh, if we've noticed something on your animal, we try to be honest about you. Hey, look, you know, we're not vets, but we saw this, we smelled this, we saw that this was different than last time. Um, so those are all things that that we try to communicate with you. So if you have an issue at home, um, whether it's it may be something you don't want to talk about or you're embarrassed about, uh, we're oversharers. I for sure am an oversharer. Most of the time, me too. So, you know, we we are, we feel like we're part of your family and we're taking care of something that's very important to you. And we know most everybody that comes here uh overshares with us. We know their kids, they're you know they have surgeries. Yeah. And, you know, yeah, can you zip my bra in the back? You know, I mean, we we we're very close to our clients here. Uh, and and we do usually have, you know, because we're those kinds of people, we believe that we're a good vessel for people who um, you know, want that that want that kind of uh a friendship and and value that type of honesty. And I I I think that most people that come in here know that. And as a new client comes in here, um, you know, we hope that we can make them feel at ease by talking to them like a human being. Because that human-s just berating them. Yeah, that that humanity over vanity, I mean, it it's it that goes for people as well. You know, you don't know what that person has gone through. You don't know what it's a domino effect, right? So if if they were rude or took something that you said wrong, or you know, their dog isn't brushed, and you you you correct what they've been thinking that they've been doing correctly, it can come across as, hey, we don't believe you, or you know, whatever. Because that's not it. It's that's not at all how we want to come across. So And for me, if it is someone with a matted dog and they're like, you know, I've been brushing and I I'll I'll be like, what kind of brush do you use? Uh walk me through your process. Yeah. Um, because I really want to educate them to do it better, and I'll show them and they're like, Oh my god, I didn't realize you had to go all the way down to the skin. I don't have that kind of a brush. We bring them all the way back, like come back here. Yeah, I'll bring them to my table. Yeah. Stand back here. This is how we're seeing it, you know, because we see it differently than the pet parents. Yeah. I mean, this is what we do for a living. So education is much better than shaming. And um, for those groomers that are out there that listen to this, uh, you know, don't you're gonna get what what is that saying? More flies with honey. More bees with honey. We don't want flies, right? I don't want bees either. I do like bees, but I like the honey more. I like the like one bees. So yeah, keep that in mind for your clients coming in. Education goes a long way. And a lot of people just don't know. You know? Or they were told that their dog was low maintenance. Yeah, a lot of you know, some of it is just it's it's misconception. It's kind of hurt it through the grapevine. My breeder said this, my mom said that, my dad said this, you know, and then my vet said, you know, that, and this other grooming place said this. You know, take some accountability. Um, and you know, just be, hey, look, I didn't brush my dog because um I don't know, I was depressed last week and yeah, I was busy. Yeah. You know, I was binge watching, you know, TV and I didn't want to do that. We did it. You know, I'm looking whatever. Or, you know, oh, it's extra, that's cool. I was tired last week, or you know, I fell down. I had a I had surgery. Um, and if you're gonna do those before and you know you have a planned procedure or a surgery, we have a lot somebody that came in early this this month uh for the same thing said, hey, look, you know, I need it done early because I'm having surgery and I don't want to get back in, so let's go extra short. And we can offer some suggestions. So um same goes for the dogs. If you're having a procedure, get them grouped before. We can't say that enough times.

Simple Routines That Actually Stick

SPEAKER_01 8:38

Now let's get down to specifics before we close out today. What tools or routines do you recommend to help clients feel empowered in general instead of judged?

Shoutouts Plus Booking Details

SPEAKER_00 8:51

So I would say your routine needs to be something that works for you. Um you need to consolidate what you've got to one or two things that's gonna fit into your lifestyle, right? Because if it doesn't fit into your lifestyle, it's like exercise. We all, you know, are gonna sign up for the gym at some point or think about it. And I'm like, you know, I'm gonna start walking tomorrow. But if you have an unlit an unrealistic goal in doing that, it's not probably gonna get accomplished. So start with the the small things, right? Um, bring them in for nail trims if that's not something that you can do. Make sure that you, you know, ask your consult your groomer, ask us, you know, what kind of if I had to have two tools, you know, what comb and what brush should I use? Um, how do I make uh my dog stand on the table for me? Or, you know, where's the best place to brush them? And then we'll kind of give you some tips. Routine, uh over and over, doing it a consistently. Uh, anything that you do consistently for three months, your dog is gonna get used to it, you're going to get used to it, and then it becomes a habit. So um I would say start with a simple routine, add to that later, but make your routine into a habit. Once you have a habit, then it's something that you can maintain and your dog is gonna learn how to do that with you. So and you can get the haircut you want. Yeah. And we wanted to say too, shout out to we have somebody in San Jose that has downloaded every one of our podcasts. So please message us and tell us if you want to hear more stuff. But shout out to San Jose, California.

SPEAKER_01 10:27

I love that. Yay! Well, thank you both. This is exactly why dog parents trust you. We really appreciate your insights, your wisdom, and we'll see everyone next time.

SPEAKER_02 10:45

That's a wrap for this episode of Tale 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 www.houndtherapy.com, serving North Texas with expert pet care. Until next time, keep those tails whacked.