Grooming your dog is very likely something you need to do once in a while. Many of our fur babies have coat styles that have to be cut to look nice. Pet parents usually choose either to take their pets to a grooming salon or do it by themselves. No matter what is the case, there is a lot of bending over and stepping around the dog during the process. These continuous movements can badly affect one’s back if made without equipment. Eventually, that’s what the grooming tables exist for.
How Do You Choose the Good Dog Grooming Table?
Professional grooming equipment has the proper size and stability enough to safely support a dog of any weight. The non-skid top is a must-have. There are also distinct features that help professionals do their job without a fuss.
The grooming arms provide means to restrain the dog for the procedure. All those harnesses and nooses are attached to the arms to let the groomer necessary access. Without them, pets definitely won’t stand still for as long as it takes to trim their coat and nails.
- Harnesses and leashes are usually utilized to keep still large or medium dogs. Depending on their temper, you may not need to restrain them strictly. During the grooming procedures, the dog should be tied with a leash anyway.
- Nooses and loops will be helpful for restraining small and medium dogs, especially nervous ones. The aim is to keep the dog standing still. Loops can hold the dog’s hips or other body parts while the groomer does the job.
Some people feel bad about using nooses and ties to force a dog to keep still during the grooming process but it’s a very common practice. It helps a professional to do grooming as fast and quality as possible without obstacles from a dog. The nooses may look distressful although they are designed to mildly hold a pet. If used as intended, nooses are not torturing.
The Right Size
Tables for grooming are not very variable in size because originally, they are designed for professionals that work with different dogs. That is, most of them are quite large. This size is excess for small dogs that leads their owners to bend over while grooming them on such tables.
There are options with smaller dimensions though. If you’re looking for a table to groom your own pets that are not large, get the device of the corresponding size. You don’t want to pay for the useless tabletop space indeed.
What Features a Groomer Table Can Have?
Looking at a range of grooming equipment kits you might think that the more accessories the model has the better. It’s not always true. Apparently, when you purchase the high-quality all-in-one grooming station from a reputable manufacturer, you’ll get what you pay for. The question is whether you need all those features included.
Many prefer to buy a cheaper table and the advanced grooming arm and restrains. Others want to purchase the most stable lifting table so they invest more in it. Well-trained dogs can stand on the table with minimum holding means.
Electric vs. Hydraulic
There is a range of grooming tables on the market with various features and price tags. The more expensive models are more technically advanced. Electric and hydraulic tables are way more comfortable to use due to their ability to get up and down automatically.
For grooming professionals, this feature is crucial because it lets to adjust the height depending on the dog size. This way a groomer needs not bend the spine over a small dog; the large and heavy dogs can be lifted up by a table itself.
Electric tables, as it goes from their name, use electric power to move the tabletop up and down. Hydraulic tables operate without electricity by pressing foot pedals. The difference between these grooming tables and the simple ones is also in portability. The basic models usually is foldable thus it is the perfect option for occasional use at home.
Electric or hydraulic ones are heavier and not supposed to change their place often. They are professional grade grooming equipment. Pet owners will benefit from purchasing them if they have enough space to install them permanently.
As it was said already, this grooming device suits only small and tiny breeds. When you groom your pet standing on it, you can turn the platform around which is very convenient. The rubber feet keep the table in place when it stands on the flat surface even if it’s glossy. But you shouldn’t leave your pup on any grooming table without supervision to avoid accidents.
There are two types of such arms available. The first type is the H-frame that is attached to the table from two sides. This construction is very stable and can hold even a nervous dog in place for cutting their coat. The downside is that the second stand of the arm restricts access to the dog’s body, especially for corded clippers.