Featuring professional groomers from around the country and their insights on pet grooming.
PRIDE+GROOM is back with another edition of our groomer interview series! We are grateful for our growing professional pet grooming community and their feedback.
Dog grooming is not an easy job. This business comes with often harsh conditions, long hours on one’s feet, and a demanding schedule. Groomers have supported our company from day one, testing products, providing feedback and making helpful suggestions for product development. We want to share some of the best groomers' experiences, skills and advice about the entire grooming industry, including their favorite grooming tools, stories from their customers, and much more.
Each month, we feature a new groomer interview and share their insights about the grooming process. This month we had the opportunity to sit down with Kent Abel, Professional Groomer for over 17 years who now works at Buddy’s Dog Den on the Upper East Side of Manhattan!
PRIDE+GROOM: How did you get your start in the dog grooming industry? How long have you been grooming professionally?
Kent: My Mother was also a professional dog groomer.
PRIDE+GROOM: Do you have a favorite dog or cat breed that you’ve worked on, or a signature dog haircut, grooming process that you’ve developed or perfected?
Kent: Black Russian Terriers. This breed has a double coat; The outer coat is coarse with a thick and soft undercoat that is weather resistant to withstand extreme conditions.
PRIDE+GROOM: What do you look for in your dog grooming equipment? What are some of the lessons you have learned when sourcing grooming tools?
Kent: Quality is number one. I don't follow trends when picking dog grooming equipment and dog grooming supplies.
PRIDE+GROOM: Do you have any favorite dog grooming tools and pets' product brands?
Kent: I really like Geib for blades and Andis for clippers. Pride+Groom is the best shampoo I have used thus far.
PRIDE+GROOM: Do you participate in competitive dog grooming?
Kent: No it's unfortunately a little too much for me, I'm a pet groomer not a technical dog groomer.
PRIDE+GROOM: Can you please share one of your favorite photos of a dog or cat from your time as a professional dog groomer?
Kent: This is one of my first grooms I ever did! A Black Russian Terrier!
PRIDE+GROOM: What do you find most satisfying about being a professional dog groomer?
Kent: Making my clients happy but most of all forming lasting relationships with the dogs.
PRIDE+GROOM: What advice would you give to new groomers just getting started in the groomer industry?
Kent: Take care of yourself and don't overdo it, you only have one body. Don't give up! Always strive to improve and develop good people skills – learning to interpret a dog owner's instructions is hard to do but so important.
PRIDE+GROOM: What are the latest trends in pet grooming that newcomers to the industry should be aware of?
Kent: My advice for professional dog groomers? Don’t follow trends. Just do the job well!
PRIDE+GROOM: As a professional dog groomer, what are some key tips for pet parents about good skin and coat care for their pets at home and how to make a professional groom last.
Kent: The golden rule of healthy pet maintenance; The tried and true: Brush your dog regularly! Keep a regular dog grooming schedule and have realistic expectations for hair length especially if you live in an area with changing weather.
WHO IS PRIDE+GROOM?
The very first clean beauty brand…for dogs!
PRIDE+GROOM is a female and minority owned all-natural pet grooming company born and bred in New York City. We designed our coat-specific dog shampoos with a light, fresh signature scent that says goodbye to the overwhelming fragrances currently in the dog grooming market. Our packaging and branding humanizes our pet products making them attractive and user friendly.
We offer wholesale pricing for professional use or resale, discover our producthere
Our company is rooted in our love for dogs and cats, and we’ve put all our energy into creating products that let us care for them, their coats and their skin in a way that is natural, nurturing, and specific. Our formulas are a unique blend of essential oils sourced from around the world. Each ingredient has a purpose. Like Marshmallow Root Oil, in our Non-Shedder, helps detangle and nourish those dogs, like doodles, with hair that grows and is prone to matting.
PRIDE+GROOM is deeply committed to giving back to the community. We developed our ONE FUR ALL conditioning shampoo that we have donated to over 1000 shelters around the country. This amounts to over 50,000 needy rescue dogs getting the PRIDE+GROOM treatment before heading to their forever homes for adoption.
