Dog grooming is an ancient art – and necessity – that began in some form thousands of years ago in an era where humans and wolf/”proto-dogs” co-evolved into the two closest companion species on Earth. Recent fascinating archaeological and scientific information documents how close early humans and early dogs have always been, and how they shaped not only each other’s cultures and economies, but how their relationship likely secured each other’s very survival.

We know from observing primates today that grooming each other is a bonding experience, one that denotes caring and closeness. Very possibly early primitive humans as they gradually began a domesticated relationship with early proto-wolf/dogs may have “groomed” these “dogs” somewhat as gratitude for the protection that they provided to their family. The proto-dogs in turn got better food from the cast-off human trash.

The earliest historical records of actual dog groomers as a job or profession comes from the Middle Ages where full time “professional” “kennel boys” worked on feudal estates in Europe maintaining the hunting and herding stock for the noble Lord. These young men would live with the dogs, caring for them in every way. They would even brush their teeth and had the first grooming tools – brushes and combs and scissors – to take care of these dogs who served a very real purpose to the benefit of all in that state. The dogs made any hunt much more successful. They aided agriculture with their herding and working abilities. They rid the lands of vermin that would threaten to destroy crops and spread disease. Dogs were economically valuable, and so were, therefore, their caretakers. Early dog “groomers” were primarily serving a practical need.

In the early 1980’s the first ever grooming conference was held in Chicago, which I had the great privilege to attend – more later on this. One of the nation’s first Certified Master Groomers, credited with contributing to the invention of the important high velocity dryer, Romaine Michelle, owner of Chicago’s Master Grooming, won that first conference level grooming competition. Jerry had also invented Creative Grooming with the use of color and non-breed cuts, which has become a huge industry and professional association in its own right.

Most people in the public are not aware that the pet grooming profession in the USA is almost entirely unregulated. No required training or monitoring of skill or conditions, such as exists with, for example, the cosmetology field. No state at this time requires groomers to be licensed. We have heard grooming clients react with concern, even shock and some fear, to hear that this is the case. Currently, the public operates with the pet grooming industry under the caveat emptor principle – let the buyer beware.

We leaders in the professional pet grooming industry throughout the United States now organize ourselves and set standards for ourselves, much as lawyers and doctors do.