Love Your Dog Groomer! I do :)

I love me a dog groomer :) so here are a few pointers about dog grooming that might not be common knowledge. If you use a dog groomer - please tip them! It is customary to tip them. Something I did not know when my incredibly gifted and wonderful and dog- adoring brilliant dog grooming daughter became one. So when you come and pick up your sweet nipster - don't just thank the groomer - tip the groomer. And if there is something you don't like about the groom - tell the groomer (in a nice way, of course). If your groomer is a good one, they will appreciate the feedback and adjust the groom the next time to your desires. And if they are all huffy about your suggestions - well - maybe that is a good sign to get thee to a new groomer.
Also - please - just like your own hair needs brushing, so does your dogs. But a matted dog is not like your hair with tangles - it actually hurts the dog's skin and can make the dog anywhere from uncomfortable to ill and then your poor groomer has very little choice most of the time but to shave the dog down (think how embarrassed poor Fifi will look starkers on the street).
And don't be all hey only wussy dogs get groomed. Labs get groomed, pit bulls get groomed. This I also did not know. They get nails and ears done and paw pads and bathed and something alarming called a "sanitary" that I will not speak of here - but the dogs leave the salon a heckava lot healthier for it.
I wince to hear all the rude comments, no tips, dogs in bad condition, etc. that come my daughter's way. This is a professional gig, most groomers (the good ones) have gone to school quite awhile for it (do you know how many dog breeds and dog cuts there are to learn?), must also know a lot about psychology (canine and the often more ill behaved owners), can spot if your dog has something wrong and alert you to it, have expensive tools they purchase themselves, and understand that it is a profession - attend trade shows and keep up on the latest things in the field and work long and hard to make your dog look and feel fabulous. And mostly, the best thing, the majority of people in this field are not in it because they settled...my daughter is a bright and shiny penny, smart as the proverbial tack, and just loves loves loves dogs. Your dog should be so lucky to encounter her.
So pass it on, spread the love. Give your groomer some kind words and respect, and a nice tip to boot.
And if your groomer happens to be a gorgeous Celtic beauty with a magical way with dogs...well, lucky you, you might just know my groomer.