Blog

Originally published September 20, 2021 

Groomers around the world inspire us. Their passion for pets and business consistently set the bar for the industry, which is why we'll be featuring stories from groomers like you in our monthly Barkmails. This month, we caught up with groomer Breanna Salas of Salas Paw Spa Mobile Dog Grooming in Tracy, California.

GC: Tell us your grooming story.

BS: I have had a passion for animals, especially dogs, since I was a little girl. When I was a kid and people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would say “I’m going to be a vegetarian!” Of course, I meant veterinarian, but I was so little I’d get the two mixed up. As I got older, my dream of becoming a veterinarian started fading because I started realizing everything vets have to deal with day to day.

As a kid, I pictured a day as a vet as a day filled with wagging tails, smiles and sick dogs that needed help that would get better and leave happy with happy owners. Obviously, that is not how things are day to day for a vet. The number one thing that deterred me from working in the medical side of the animal industry is the amount of death you have to deal with. I knew that seeing pet owners lose their beloved pets wasn't something I could personally handle every day, so I started looking into different careers.

A few of my family members suggested that I look into dog grooming. They thought it'd be perfect for me, but I was totally against it. I did not want to be a dog groomer! But... the more I learned about dog grooming, the more I fell in love with it. Grooming is my way of working with dogs while contributing to their health and wellbeing without dealing with death firsthand.

I started off my career as a self-taught groomer, learned what I could and groomed my own dogs and family and friends’ dogs. My goal was to one day own my own grooming business, so I decided to go to grooming school to become certified. I wanted to learn as much as I could. Immediately after finishing my certification, I got hired at a local grooming shop and worked there for about three years. I learned everything I could and enjoyed it, for the most part, but the grooming shop environment just wasn't for me. I decided to leave to start my own mobile grooming business, and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

GC: Tell us about Salas Paw Spa Mobile Dog Grooming.

BS: I started my business in 2019. I was fully booked in about one year. Most of my clientele came from word of mouth, which I take as a huge compliment because I work very hard to make everyone, pets and owners, happy.

GC: What are the benefits of mobile grooming, both as a groomer and as a customer?

BS: I love everything about being mobile. I love not being in one spot all day, I love the one on one with the dogs, but most of all, I love being able to cater to the senior and disabled dogs. Seeing how stressed the special needs dogs were at the shop was heart breaking. It's very rewarding to be able to help lessen the stress of grooming by being able to come to them. Being mobile is also extremely convenient for my clients. Several of my clients are senior citizens and are no longer able to drive so being able to come to them and groom their dogs without them having to leave is something they are truly grateful for.

GC: On average, how many dogs/pets do you bathe and/or groom in a day?

BS: On average, I groom about 7-10 each day.

GC: What is it like to own your own business?

BS: I own my business and I’m a full time groomer, so it can be very stressful to find time to get everything done. I find myself saying “There’s not enough hours in the day.” pretty often. It’s very rewarding though to have all my hard work pay off and have such positive feedback from my clients and followers.

GC: How has your business been affected during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

BS: My business took a big hit from COVID. I was forced to shut down for several months like most groomers. When I was finally able to open up again, I was only back up and running for about a month when I was involved in a bad accident. I was the victim of a hit and run – someone ran into my mobile grooming van and took off. My van was badly damaged, and I suffered a neck and back injury. I had to shut my business down again for another couple of months to get my van repaired and to recover.

During my time off I was very sad because I missed my clients and grooming, so I started making grooming videos on TikTok. I didn't post them immediately. I'd make them and save them to my drafts to show my kids. But my kids and my husband thought they were very good, so they encouraged me to start posting them. It took me several months before I posted anything. Making the videos was something I did for fun, and I was worried that when I started posting them that I'd get "hate" comments and I didn't want people’s negativity to take away from the joy I got from making them. But with the encouragement from my family, I got over my fears and started posting them.

They almost immediately started doing well and going viral which I was completely shocked about. I did not expect to gain the following that I have. My videos bring other people just as much joy as they bring me, and I am so happy about that. I love being able to give people a sneak peek into the grooming world while putting a smile on their faces. I've recently started to try and grow on YouTube as well and am excited to make longer more detailed videos. This past year has been a whirlwind so for now I'm just trying to recover from the past, enjoy the present and look forward to the future.

GC: Do you have a favorite breed to groom? If so, why are they your favorite?

BS: My favorites to groom are the mixed breed dogs. I like that they all look different. Sometimes it’s a challenge trying to figure out what cut to do on them or what style I should do on their heads/faces, but it’s fun for me because I get to be creative.

GC: What is your favorite part about your job?

BS: My favorite part is getting to work with all different sizes and breeds of dogs. I love dogs and genuinely enjoy spending my days being around them. They don’t hold conversations very well, but they're great listeners.

GC: What are your go-to products and/or tools?

BS: I’m in love with my cordless Andis Pulse ZR II clipper; My favorite brushes are my Kenchii slicker and my Artero double-sided slicker; The Aaronco Micro Deshedder is the best deshedding rake I’ve ever used; My favorite shampoo is the Green Groom French Lavender & Chamomile Shampoo; and I love doggy colognes and trying out different ones. My favorite right now is the Bark2Basics Blueberry Pie Cologne.

GC: What is the best grooming advice you’ve received?

BS: Expect the unexpected.

GC: What is your No. 1, top grooming tip?

BS: Treat the dogs the way you'd want your own dog(s) to be treated.

GC: What’s a grooming myth you wish was debunked?

BS: When dogs get extremely matted, we can just “brush it out.”

GC: What would you say to someone interested in becoming a groomer?

BS: My advice is to start off as being a bather or grooming assistant at a shop before investing any money into grooming school. It’s a great way to gain hands on experience and to see firsthand everything that groomers do day to day.

GC: Why do you choose to shop with Groomer’s Choice?

BS: Groomer's Choice has a great variety of high-quality products and tools, and the customer service is top notch!

GC: Anything else you want to add?

BS: In a world full of negativity choose to be kind and spread PAWSITIVE VIBES! If you’d like to say “hi” don’t be shy, connect with me on social.

Keep up with Breanna and Salas Paw Spa Mobile Dog Grooming on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

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