History

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.