Pet grooming: Fur the love of dogs

Paw-ty at the spa Before we dive in, a programming note: Your regularly scheduled obsession will be taking a holiday next Wednesday, but will be back on Friday, July 29. From bathing to oil-based massages, to even providing pawdicures—pet grooming salons are doing it all. Humans have long known the benefits of a good bath, especially after a streak of ruff days. The cosmetic industry has developed and perfected a range of products catering to our bodies’ needs and desires, but the last frontier in grooming products and services isn’t focusing on the bipedes among us. It’s targeting our four-legged companions. Call them dog spas or simply pet salons, but don’t dismiss them as a fad. Pet owners’ tendency to splurge generously on their beloved animals is only growing. As the covid pandemic brought a surge of pet ownership in various countries, the market size for producers of pet products, including grooming services, is only going to expand, reaching $28 billion by the end of the decade, according to the US-based market research firm Research and Markets. Let’s primp our pups. Oh, and warning, we were simply unable to reduce our pun level for this. They are not great, and we do not apologize. 🐦 [Tweet this!]( 🌐 [View this email on the web]( [Quartz Weekly Obsession] Pet grooming July 20, 2022 Paw-ty at the spa --------------------------------------------------------------- Before we dive in, a programming note: Your regularly scheduled obsession will be taking a holiday next Wednesday, but will be back on Friday, July 29. From bathing to oil-based massages, to even providing pawdicures—pet grooming salons are doing it all. Humans have long known the benefits of a good bath, especially after a streak of ruff days. The cosmetic industry has developed and perfected a range of products catering to our bodies’ needs and desires, but the last frontier in grooming products and services isn’t focusing on the bipedes among us. It’s targeting our four-legged companions. Call them dog spas or simply pet salons, but don’t dismiss them as a fad. Pet owners’ tendency to splurge generously on their beloved animals is only growing. As the covid pandemic brought a surge of pet ownership in various countries, the market size for producers of pet products, including grooming services, is only going to expand, reaching $28 billion by the end of the decade, according to the US-based market research firm Research and Markets. Let’s primp our pups. Oh, and warning, we were simply unable to reduce our pun level for this. They are not great, and we do not apologize. 🐦 [Tweet this!]( 🌐 [View this email on the web]( By the digits [$10.6 billion:]( Estimated global market for pet grooming products in 2020 [$123.6 billion:]( Total money spent on pets in the US in 2021 [$3.4 billion:]( Expected pet grooming market size in China, the world’s second largest economy, by the year 2027 [90.5 million:]( Total number of households who own a pet in the US [$30:]( The starting price of the basic dog grooming service which includes a bath, blow dry, nail trim, and ear cleaning Giphy Brush brush brush The lucrative art of pet grooming --------------------------------------------------------------- From shed control to hair color, and nail painting to haircuts, pet groomers cover a range of services from the essential to the superfluous. Dying a dog’s fur in different colors is an enduringly popular treatment, but caution is necessary. The toxins present in the dye could expose the animal to a number of [allergic reactions](, and can induce unnecessary stress. Professional groomers argue that dyeing your dog’s coat won’t be a problem as long as owners do it sporadically. But what’s grooming without a massage? Pet grooming centers use various techniques such as Tellington TTouch, a gentle and specialized method of massage that claims to provide physical and emotional benefits to both the provider and the recipient, and even human techniques like reiki, coupled with a variety of different props to enhance its benefits. “Grooming your pet is absolutely needed. It keeps them away from a lot of skin-related problems. However, overdoing it can cause issues too. Many pets who aren’t too comfortable in new surroundings can even get depressed and can act fearful days after the grooming process,” says veterinarian Dr. Nidhi Garg. In terms of pricing, the cost of service at a dog spa in the US and the UK could range between $30-$60, depending upon the size and the thickness of a coat of the dog. But that just includes traditional grooming services such as bathing, blow drying of the fur, nail trimming, and ear and teeth cleaning. In other parts of the world, such as the UAE and India, the starting price hovers around $13. Brief history While there hasn’t been a specific year in which pet grooming came into existence, some books have suggested that the grooming of pets first originated in Europe. [1879:]( The Book of the Dog, authored by Vero Shaw, first refers to the existence of dog grooming in England. [1900s:]( Doggie barber shops come into existence. These shops used to consist of at least four cages, a table, and a bathing and drying area for their four-legged customers. [1940s:]( The existing infrastructure and the services at dog grooming shops evolve with the addition of pedestals and blow dryer services. [1950s:]( Services like fur trimming are introduced. Fun fact! Pet grooming isn’t just about the regular baths and expensive oil massages. At Chicago-based Stay dog hotel, you can get your pooch a mud bath for just $15. Another fun fact: Rainy days are free. Giphy Pop quiz What’s the most expensive treatment on a pet groomer’s list? Aromatherapy and wellness treatmentHaircutNail trimmingBathing Correct. Incorrect. If your inbox doesn’t support this quiz, find the solution at bottom of email. Quotable “Dog owners need to make efforts to teach them to accept grooming. If they are used to getting their paws touched, brushing through their coat, it will become easy for groomers to provide the best of their services.” —Dr. Nidhi Garg, a New Delhi-based veterinarian Take me down this 🐰 hole! Posh pups --------------------------------------------------------------- Creative, pup-arazzi worthy looks that turn heads have dedicated [social media]( accounts, and groomers have been known to reach celebrity status. Take [Jess Rona](, who has catered to the grooming needs of singer Katy Perry’s dogs, and then became one of the judges of the HBOMax pet grooming reality competition series Haute Dog. In the UK, the BBC hosted a similar show for dog groomers, titled Pooch Perfect, but it [wasn’t renewed]( for a second season. YouTube Watch this! Grooming for gold --------------------------------------------------------------- So you’ve heard about dog grooming competitions, but do you know what it takes to be an award-winning pet groomer? This eight-minute video takes a deep dive into the high-stakes and nail-biting world of competitive grooming. Giphy Poll Would you ever treat your pet to a luxury groom? [Click here to vote]( We’re regular claw-stomersSometimes it’s just necessaryWho needs groomers when you can lick yourself clean? 💬 let's talk! In last week’s poll about [industrial policy](, nearly 80% of you support governments nudging the economy’s direction, and just over 8% said it’s best left up to the market. 🤔 [What did you think of today’s email?](mailto:obsession%2Bfeedback@qz.com?cc=&subject=Thoughts%20about%20pet%20grooming%20&body=) 💡 [What should we obsess over next?](mailto:obsession%2Bideas@qz.com?cc=&subject=Obsess%20over%20this%20next.&body=) 🎲 [Show me a random Obsession]( Today’s email was written by [Niharika Sharma]( (master pug masseur), edited by [Sofia Lotto Persio]( (cat hair collector), and produced by [Julia Malleck]( (pet rock adopter). [facebook]([twitter]([external-link]( The correct answer to the quiz is Aromatherapy and wellness treatment. Enjoying the Quartz Weekly Obsession? [Send this link]( to a friend! 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