Top Groomers Share Their Horror Stories (and Successful Secrets)

If you've ever owned a dog, it's likely you've experienced some sort of fur-related disaster -- a horrible smell, a sticky substance, an accidental dye job, the list goes on and on. It's one thing if said disaster makes your furry friend a little less cuddly for a day or so, but a whole other issue if your job is to make a pet look and smell perfect.

The American Kennel Club, which hosts next month's Meet the Breeds event in New York City, put us in touch with two top groomers -- Shirlee Kalstone and Jonathon David (of "Groomer Has It" fame). They told us about some of the stickiest situations they've ever faced, and shared some tricks of the trade that you can try at home!

David, who travels the country participating in grooming competitions, relies on his contacts living near the events to lend him stunning dogs. For one such occasion, he was referred to a woman who owned two Kerry Blue Terriers (a competition favorite).


When she arrived at the hotel the day before his competition, "I was excited to see this gorgeous dog I had heard about," David recalls. "She opens the crate and out comes a female Kerry Blue, which was still black due to her young age, and was matted from head to toe!"

David and a friend worked for four hours to comb through her mats. At the end, she was tangle-free but a disaster. "The coat was broken and about 40 different lengths. I entered the ring and started grooming, feeling like I was fighting a losing battle," says David.

When the judge came by, she told him, "I saw what you came in with; you had your work cut out for you." David hardly paid attention to the placements being announced, but then heard his name called for third place. "I jumped, ran to the stage and then heard the dreaded words: 'Sorry, Jonathan, that was a mistake, please step down.' I was mortified but I kept it professional and I walked down."

In a twist of events, it turns out the only mistake was that David was called for the wrong place. With this horribly matted Kerry Blue, David says, "I had a diamond in the ruff!"

Shirlee Kalstone has seen it all -- you need only take a look at her extensive bibliography to realize Kalstone knows a thing or two about canines. She was kind enough to not only talk about some of the worst situations groomers face, but also provide some tips for dealing with these faux-paws yourself.

Skunk/Fertilizer Odor
Tomato juice is a common remedy, but Kalstone warns, "It's messy to use and you have to saturate the hair several times to remove the odor, and even then it doesn't completely go away." Kalstone also warns against using hydrogen peroxide and vinegar. If you can believe it, Kalstone suggests using Massengill douche instead. "It's more gentle on the skin. Mix about 5 ounces of Massengill powder or liquid in a gallon of warm water. Saturate the pet's hair, taking care not to pour the mixture into the eyes. Do not rinse. Allow hair to dry, then brush the hair to fluff. Most pet shops sell a product called SOS (Skunk Odor Shampoo) which works well, too."

Chewing Gum
It's bad enough to get it on your shoe, but what do you do if gum gets in your pet's fur? Kalstone suggests rubbing peanut butter into the gum. "Let stand a few minutes, then gently work the gum out of the coat with a comb. Another remedy is to place several ice cubes in a zip-lock bag and hold it onto the gum, which will then freeze and become brittle, making it easy to remove.

Grease Stains/Spots
Kalstone suggests using cornstarch or Fuller's Earth, though any type of [pet-friendly] whitener/cleaner for pet hair will do. "Put it into a shaker can (the kind your mom used to sprinkle powdered sugar on baked goods). Dust the powder liberally into the greasy spots. Wait a few minutes, then brush out and shampoo." Pet whitener/cleaners usually come in spray form, so you can spray liberally into the hair, brush out and shampoo.

If your dog has stained hair on its beard or mustache Kalstone suggests to "wet the stained hair around the mouth and liberally apply the powder mixture with your fingers. Allow the hair to dry and the powder mixture will turn to a 'paste' consistency. As soon as the hair is totally dry, brush the powder out of the coat."

Check out our other interview with Meet the Breeds event groomers where we talked about everything from celeb dogs to the ethics of dye jobs.

Learn more about your favorite breeds at the upcoming Meet the Breeds event in New York City on October 17th - 18th. For more information, visit MeetTheBreeds.com.

Tags: akc, groomer, groomer has it, GroomerHasIt, grooming, gum in fur, GumInFur, jonathon david, shirlee kalstone, ShirleeKalstone, skunk