Professional groomers play a vital role in a pet’s care. A trip to a professional groomer can save a pet owner the time and stress of providing tricky but necessary grooming tasks like nail clipping or muzzle shearing. And, of course, there are those pets who just love being pampered by their favorite groomer at the doggie salon.
Maintaining a consistent and complete grooming routine goes beyond the desire for a clean pup with tangle-free fur. For pets with sensitive skin or allergies, trips to the groomer can make the difference between dealing with continual itching and inflammation and enjoying irritant-free skin.
To help you get started, we’ve gathered some tips from the experts and compiled the top pet grooming tools professionals recommend for pet-care businesses and in-home grooming:
- How to Select Pet Grooming Products
- Pet Grooming Technology
- Bathing Supplies
- Brushes and Drying Tools
- Additional Products and Accessories
With such a diverse set of customers and customer needs, your dog grooming business needs the best dog grooming tools on the market to succeed. To get started, let’s cover some things you’ll need to keep in mind to choose the best products for your pets.
How to Select Pet Grooming Products
As a professional groomer yourself, we know you’re looking for products that are tested and approved by your peers. Our roundup is full of groomer-approved tools, but you can apply the following expert advice when selecting any product
- Consider coat type. Consider the breeds you groom and ensure you have the proper tools to clean and detangle their coats, whether they are curly, wiry, or long. If you service dogs with double coats, like huskies and labs, you’ll need specialized de-shedding brushes.
- Don’t skimp on clippers and blades. Purchase professional-grade, durable clippers and ensure your blades are always sharp and clean. This will prevent injuries, ensure pets are comfortable during the process, and make grooming more efficient. Plus, you’ll likely save money as you won’t need to repurchase lower-quality clippers over and over.
- Prioritize safety. Consider both your safety and the pet’s safety to limit accidental injuries. For example, opt for grooming shears with rounded tips and protect staff’s joint health by choosing tools with ergonomic handles.
- Consider the pet’s experience. In addition to prioritizing their safety, keep the pets’ experience in mind by limiting noise, vibrations, extreme temperatures, and other sources of discomfort as much as possible. This can mitigate the stress anxious or skittish pets feel during grooming sessions.
From a business standpoint, you should also consider factors like cost per use, your audience’s unique needs, and the versatility of the products you choose. This will help you obtain all the supplies you need in a cost-effective way.
Pet Grooming Technology
1. Gingr: Pet Grooming Software for Professional Groomers
It’s crucial to create an intuitive, online customer experience to attract and retain customers. That's why professional groomers around the world trust Gingr’s pet grooming software for all of their business needs.
Gingr’s user-friendly interface and sleek online appearance streamline repetitive tasks like appointment booking and modernize the customer experience. Digital tools where customers can register online, set up their first appointment, and enter credit card details for upcoming services allow clients to do everything on the go. Your staff can use Gingr to track data like behavioral information, coat condition, favorite products, and more so each customer has a pawsitive experience when they visit.
Gingr’s software also includes the following features to enhance efficiency:
- Intuitive scheduling and online booking
- Recurring reservation and payment remembrance
- Tipping and commission capabilities
- Integrated payment tools
- Appointment cards
Running a pet-care business is just easier with the help of Gingr’s powerful features. If your business offers services like dog daycare, training, or boarding (or plans to in the future), Gingr can help with that too!
Gingr is also equipped to manage the complexities of large, multi-location businesses, including staff scheduling, inventory management, communications, and more. Explore our enterprise capabilities to learn more!
Customer Consensus
From Liz Sines, Wash n’ Woo: “[We’re] very pleased with the service and help getting set up. Gingr is very user-friendly and offers a huge benefit in organizing and tracking our grooming business's needs. I love the groom card—its familiar format is useful and keeps all needed info right where we need it.”
From Hallie, Milk & Honey Pet Spa:“I like the groom card, so we can enter, record, contact, and book all in one place. And, two-way texting makes booking appointments so much easier! The software helps me make sure customers get reminder texts, and that is huge for grooming.”
From Ed, The Dog Retreat and Spa:"I really can't imagine how we could manage our business without Gingr. It has allowed us to grow and maintain our business, provide tools to communicate with our clients, and of course, easily run our day-to-day operations. We have a partner that we can count on to support us as we grow and continue to expand."
2. Uproot: Pet Grooming Kit
The Uproot Pet Grooming Kit is a 7-in-1 tool that makes grooming and tidying up your space easy. This tool features a vacuum/dryer combo, vacuum hose, grooming brush, cleaning tool, de-shedder, dryer/blower, detangler and dematter, and trimmer with various guards. You can use the tool on both dogs and cats, helping you serve a wider audience.
The best part is this tool is very quiet, ensuring your space and clients remain calm. It also comes with a HEPA filter to keep all of the fur and pet dander safely locked inside.
3. Wahl: High-Quality Clippers
The Wahl Arco clippers are a great option for new and experienced groomers. These clippers are cordless, allowing you to get those hard-to-reach angles without tugging on an extension cord. Wahl provides two removable batteries with each kit, meaning you can keep one on the charger at all times for continuous cordless operation.
The clippers offer five cut lengths in a single, convenient blade. While this product is ideal for precise trimming on areas like the ears, face, and paws, it’s powerful enough to handle anything from small dog breeds to horses.
Bathing Supplies
4. Pride + Groom: Pet Shampoo, Conditioner, and Spray
Keeping pets’ coats in top condition is easy when you use a reliable brand like Pride + Groom.
Professional groomers consistently rate the Pride + Groom line of pet beauty products as a top pet grooming tool. The brand carries shampoo and conditioner for just about every type of dog coat, whether it has fur, hair, or sensitive skin.
Pride + Grooms’ waterless shampoo, Mane Tame, is also a popular choice for at-home grooming with its no-mess formula. Mane Tame is also safe for cats, so pet parents with more than one pet at home only need to buy one product.
5. Aquapaw: Slow Treater
The Aquapaw Slow Treater is a pet grooming product that has many pet owners wondering, "Why didn’t I think of that?"
If you just stock one dog grooming tool at your pet-care business, let it be the Aquapaw Slow Treater. This creative grooming tool helps pet owners bathe their pets with ease. Simply spread a treat like xylitol-free peanut butter across the silicone mold, stick it on the shower or tub wall, and voila! No more wiggling dogs!
6. Four Paws: Curry Brush
The Four Paws curry brush is a rubber brush you can use both wet and dry. Use the brush during baths to penetrate thick coats for thorough cleaning. They’re also great for removing loose hair from coats during baths. Since the brush has a slide-on handle, you won’t have to worry about it slipping out of your hand once it’s covered in soap.
While the brush is intended for bath time, you can also use it dry to loosen up and remove shedding. Cleaning the brush is easy. It’s made of plastic that contours to pups’ bodies, and you can easily rinse off and sanitize it.
Brushes and Drying Tools
7. Hartz Groomer: Combo Pet Brush
A good dog grooming brush is an invaluable pet grooming tool for pros and pet parents alike. When considering a line of dog grooming brushes to add to your pet-care business or to recommend to customers, you can’t go wrong with Hartz, a trusted name in pet products since 1932!
The Hartz Groomer Combo Pet Brush was created in collaboration with professional dog groomers and is the perfect solution for everyday grooming and de-shedding. The dual-sided design features stainless steel bristles for detangling on one side and nylon bristles for distributing coat oils on the other.
8. Mars Coat Kind: Dematting Undercoat Rake
The Mars Coat King Det-Matting Undercoat Rake is an elegantly designed three-in-one dog grooming tool that works wonders on coats prone to matting. Not only does the Mars Coat King strip, de-matt and detangle all at once, but the blade’s unique design removes up to 90% of loose hair with each grooming motion.
These rakes save so much time per furry client for groomers servicing dogs with extra thick coats and undercoats.
9. Happy Hoodie: Calming, Sound-Reducing Hood for Drying
The Happy Hoodie is a must-have for groomers. This over-the-ears hood muffles the loud sounds of professional-grade blow dryers. Most pets are sensitive to noise, and the Happy Hoodie will protect their hearing and keep them happy and comfortable while allowing you to dry them thoroughly.
Happy Hoodies are washable, so you can easily toss them in the wash between grooming sessions. They also come in a variety of sizes and can fit any pet, from cats to chihuahuas to St. Bernards.
10. The Stuff: Conditioner and Detangler
The Stuff is a dog conditioner and detangler. Apply the product to wet fur after bathing or during baths to gently detangle. You need this product on your side for thick, long, tangled, or matted coats, but it’s versatile enough to work for all coat types.
The Stuff is designed to go deep into matted fur or tangles to help you tease out even the tightest knots. Be sure to break it out before the clippers if you get a client with particularly tangled fur. The Stuff can also help maintain pets’ coat condition, using silicone to repel dirt and prevent tangles.
Additional Products and Accessories
11. Earthbath: Dog and Cat Grooming Wipes
Sometimes, a pup only needs a quick grooming touch-up to look in tip-top shape, and Earthbath grooming wipes do just that. Even if your pet-care business only provides dog daycare or boarding, you’ll be thankful you have these easy-to-use dog grooming wipes on hand. Earthbath wipes are hypo-allergenic and plant-based, so they can be used in between paws or on a dog’s face to remove drool debris from a day of play.
This dog grooming tool is also a great product to feature in your retail store because grooming wipes take a few seconds to use and are accessible to every pet parent.
12. Bissell: Dog and Cat Nail Clippers and Grinders
If you own a pet, you know the name Bissell. This brand is legendary for the quality of its pet hair vacuums, but it also has a line of dog and cat nail clippers and grinders that, where pet grooming tools are concerned, are some of the best.
The angled safety guard and the quick guard provide extra protection to sensitive pet nails. This feature is especially helpful in the hands of an at-home groomer (AKA a pet parent), who might not be comfortable clipping their dog or cat’s nails on their own.
13. Virbac: Advanced Ear Cleaner
Ear health is important for a pet’s grooming routine. Without regular cleaning, ears can get itchy or infected. This is especially true for dogs with folded ears where dirt and bacteria can become trapped.
Products like Virbac, an advanced ear cleanser for dogs, are sometimes overlooked as top pet grooming tools, although they’re essential to a complete groom. Virbac is a veterinarian-recommended product that’s gentle on sensitive ears, easy to use, and removes dead skin cells.
Gingr’s pet profile feature is a great way to make notes of pets with consistently dirty ears. If one of your groomers notices a pet client has dirty ears, they can leave a note on the pet’s profile, ensuring no matter which groomer the pup sees, the level of care is consistent throughout each visit.
14. Vet’s Best: Dog Toothbrush & Enzymatic Toothpaste Set
While a complete dental cleaning should be left to veterinarians, offering oral hygiene services like tooth brushing can greatly help pet parents. Vet’s Best Dog Toothbrush & Enzymatic Toothpaste Set keeps plaque and tartar at bay and freshens pets’ breath with each brushing.
This grooming tool is sold as a set, making it an attractive product to feature in your store and for pet parents to use at home.
15. Pet MD: Soothing Pet Balm
Go the extra mile and pamper pets with a soothing, moisturizing pet balm like this one from Pet MD. This balm is designed to prevent and relieve dry, cracked skin and is made from natural, pet-safe ingredients. This is a great product to have on hand for senior dogs who often suffer more skin conditions than younger dogs and puppies.
Use pet balm on pets’ skin, nose, paws, and elbows. You might even offer it in your shop to help owners maintain moisturized skin and prevent cracking, bleeding, chapping, and infections.
Wrapping Up
Using a combination of digital tools, like Gingr’s dog grooming software, along with reliable grooming tools recommended by professionals, gives your business the foundation it needs to thrive in the competitive pet-care space.
Integrating a platform like Gingr into your grooming operations, whether one location or multiple locations, allows you to manage appointments, stay on top of busy calendars, and track customer communications, all with the click of a button. Gingr’s digital tools don’t just help your business run more smoothly—they make your customers’ experience (four-legged and two-legged) seamless!
To learn more about how to effectively manage your dog grooming business, explore these additional resources:
- How to Measure Marketing ROI for Your Pet-Care Business. Marketing is one of the most important investments a business owner makes. But how do you know if your marketing efforts are paying off? This guide to measuring marketing ROI is here to help.
- How to Appear on Search Results for Dog Groomers Near Me. Having a strong digital presence can make or break a business. Learning how to appear higher in search results for ‘groomers near me’ is easier than you think with these tips.
- Don’t Ignore These Emerging Pet Industry Trends This Year. In addition to having the most effective products, you need to have your finger on the pulse of trends in the pet care industry. Get up to speed with this guide.'
