The History of Pet Grooming
Pet Grooming Under Dog Brush
The history of pet grooming is, at best, sketchy in the details. There aren’t any actual books written on the topic, so it’s a bit difficult to track down exactly how pet grooming came to be such an important part of our society. However, there is some information available that points to some of the history behind pet grooming.
Pet Grooming History and Royalty may be connected
Kings and Queens have long entertained the company of dogs in their castles and they surely had some type of pet grooming going on. Dogs were also depicted in sculptures and paintings, often seated at the feet of royal individuals. Most likely, for the royals ruling a country, a dog was seen as a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Even then, it was recognized that dogs were valuable as a working animal. Dogs performed with traveling entertainers. They may have also been seen wandering the countryside in search of a kind master. In today’s society, dogs are considered man’s best friend and, in some households, a member of the family.
No one really knows how pet grooming began. There was one lithograph discovered that shows a lady seated with a dog on her lap. The dog is being sheared, or groomed. In the old paintings that depict dogs it is evident that some sort of pet grooming was taking place because the dogs are well kept and appear to be groomed.
King Louis XV of France may have had a poodle in his court, as this breed of dog was known during the 17th century as the official dog of the royal court. The first mention of pet grooming for dogs to be recorded in a book was during the 19th century. A man by the name of Shaw wrote a book called The Book of Dogs. In this account, it is explained how to groom a dog in order to keep the dog healthy. A book called Ashmont’s Kennel Secrets (Boston, 1893) referred to the washing and grooming of dogs.
Pet Grooming Before 1940
It’s possible that dogs were groomed in the open markets years ago. Some time before the 1940s, several for dog’s only small pet grooming businesses sprung up around the country. These shops offered pet grooming services to dog owners who were willing to pay a small fee to have their pet groomed. Unfortunately, many of these shops were unsafe and unsanitary for dogs and were often located in back alleys, away from the more well to do population.
In the 1950s however, all of that changed. Pet grooming businesses had more of an opportunity to bring their profession to the nicer areas of town and became quite successful. The doggie salons of today offer everything from basic pet grooming services to an all out spa treatment for your pet. Of course, price ranges vary as well, so check out your local shop prior to dropping off your pet animal for their specialized pet grooming services.
Although we may not know much about the history of pet grooming, the pet grooming profession is now a well-respected and sought after profession. Pet owners are willing to pay high dollar amounts to drop off their stinky pet, leave, and return to a sweet smelling and beautiful pet, regardless of the cost. So, if you’re willing to work hard, be professional, and love animals, the pet grooming profession just might be the ideal choice for you.