We domesticated the dog, and today it is a member of our family. Having lived in captivity for generations, it needs our care. As a civilized animal, it requires grooming treatments, just like its human friend.
Why does a dog need grooming treatments?
Walking along the city's streets and squares, running during walks by the river or in the forest, a dog gets dirty and develops tangles; its coat grows and sheds during the seasonal changes in autumn and spring. A bath brings our pet relief and gives it essential comfort.
What treatments does a dog need?
Long-haired dogs (such as Yorkshire terriers and Shih Tzus) must be brushed, and the mats that form in excessively long fur should also be removed. Home methods of removing mats may only disfigure the dog, and our faithful friends feel embarrassed, just as we do. Dogs can also enjoy their new appearance and be proud of it.
A professional has their own ways of removing a mat without shaving bald patches into the dog's body. Removing mats is the most necessary treatment after winter. Before summer, some long-haired dogs should be clipped so they can endure the heat.
Wire-haired dogs (Schnauzers and terriers) need hand-stripping, meaning the removal of dead hair that has not fallen out on its own. If we want the dog to have a healthy coat and prevent all the sofas in the house from becoming unusable for guests, it should undergo a stripping treatment.
For its health, every dog needs three basic treatments: bathing, clipping and brushing.
There are no suitable conditions at home for properly grooming a dog. For various reasons, it is better to take it to a salon—when we do not want to dirty our own bathroom or bathe the animal in a place used by people. We save our own time, and the result is much better than washing the dog at home. Taking it humorously, we can also save ourselves some nerves and spare the restless animal a few unpleasant epithets that we might hurl at it when it naturally shakes water from its wet coat, splashing the bathroom and us thoroughly.
By using these treatments regularly, we will also improve the condition of the animal's coat and skin. By choosing convenience for ourselves, we also give our pet better health.
What about other animals?
The “Kaprys” salon also cares for cats, rabbits and guinea pigs. Rabbits are calm because when frightened they sit motionless in one place. The most difficult animal to care for is the individualistic cat. Therefore, to brush it or perform another grooming treatment, it is given sedatives under a veterinarian's supervision. An advantage of the “Kaprys” salon is its proximity to a veterinarian.
Portrait of Paulina, owner of the “Kaprys” Salon
When asked what she does in life, Paulina simply says that she is a dog groomer. She holds a first-degree groomer qualification. She then adds that she studied optical engineering at Wrocław University of Technology and wrote her master's thesis on business management.
She did not intend to pursue optics, which may sound more serious when presenting one's dossier, but it would not have given her what matters most in any life: fulfillment in work that brings joy.
When Paulina embraces her beloved Bianka, a female bichon frisé, she does not need to explain or justify anything. It is clear why washing, brushing and caring for dogs is what she was meant to do in life.
Paulina had not intended to groom dogs. She was thinking about veterinary medicine. Her friendship with veterinarian Marta Surdyka, in whose facility she has her salon, inspired her to consider studying veterinary medicine. But she could not afford to undertake another full-time degree. In her spare time, she therefore began training with groomer Anita Holak in Wrocław. From her, she learned more than clipping techniques. She saw how to approach animals properly. She also caught the love of the sport of dog shows and cynology. Later, she enrolled in a grooming course at the school run by Ewa Grabowska in Łódź—the only school of its kind in Poland.
Her other great passion, kundalini yoga, also began with a chance meeting with an acquaintance who persuaded her to attend her first class. She was convinced that yoga was not for her; she preferred more active sports. Today she is successfully taking exams to become a yoga instructor and knows that activity has many accidental faces.
Portrait of Bianka—A Czech from near Prague
Her registered name is Estine Megmaj, she comes from Podchotuci in the Czech Republic and was born on February 17, 2007. Treated as the first child in the family, she is a very intelligent little dog.
As her owner writes about her, she is both a lady and a rascal. More precisely, a female rascal who is a brave swimmer and jumps into the Bóbr without the slightest fear. She can track game in the forest, but at shows she presents herself as if she had spent her whole life in high society. She twice won the title of best puppy in her breed and a gold medal at an international show in Opole in 2008. She is not selfish either; on the contrary, she happily spends time with the other animals in Paulina's home, the cat Edek and the other dog Micz. She loves getting dirty—after all, her owner is a dog groomer!
Bianka gives Paulina—the first-degree groomer—the best diploma. She is well-groomed, healthy, happy and natural.
Services
- Basic treatments for dogs:
- brushing
- bathing:
- grooming baths
- therapeutic baths using preparations prescribed by the doctor
- mat removal
- hand-stripping—removing dead hair that remains in the hair follicle of wire-haired dogs
- clipping
- styling
- pomading
- coat polishing
- Sophisticated treatments for dogs:
- catalogue hairstyles, special styling and grooming
- coat coloring and whitening
- painting nails
- lanolin treatment—applying pure lanolin that rebuilds the damaged structure of the dog's hair
- Treatments included in the package—free of charge:
- nail clipping
- ear cleaning
- eye-area hygiene
- Grooming treatments for other pets: cats, rabbits and guinea pigs.
- Products for sale:
- Cosmetics from companies specializing in animal grooming. Branded products used for grooming show dogs. They can achieve a better result than ordinary cosmetics bought in pet shops.
- Espree, Ring 5 and 1 All Systems.
- Dog perfumes by Bio-groom, used after grooming treatments. They refresh the coat, giving it a long-lasting, pleasant scent; they also add shine, and some make brushing easier.
- Additionally:
- Postoperative coats. Very important for dogs that do not tolerate a postoperative collar well. The coats are made to measure.
- Mats for brushing out tangles.
- Handmade bows, clips and elastic bands.
Advice for salon clients
- For your first visit, come with your dog and ask which treatments your pet needs. The specialist will determine them best, and the dog will also meet its future stylist and new friend.
- Do not wait until the dog's coat is so matted that only shaving can help. Take care of it sooner.
- If the dog has already been brushed before the visit, that is good; it will be easier for the groomer to bathe and trim it professionally.
- Make an appointment early enough; this way you will avoid a tiresome wait for your turn
- Try not to be late for your appointment. Imagine that if someone before you did so, your waiting time and your dog's stress would be prolonged.
- Do not feed the dog immediately before the scheduled appointment. Take it for a walk instead, during which it can relieve itself.
- When choosing a hairstyle from the catalogue, trust the groomer's experience; she will make sure your pet feels comfortable in its new coat.
“Kaprys” Animal Grooming Salon, Paulina Bednarowicz
at Marta Surdyka's veterinary clinic
9c Staszica Street
59-700 Bolesławiec
tel. 0692 381 812
www.psi-fryzjer.pl
(commissioned information)