The Long and Short of Dog Grooming History A dog grooming
contest takes place somewhere in the United States just about
every month. Virginia Parker Guidry Professional groomers have
joined the show circuit, traveling state to state, even abroad,
to shows where they compete for cash prizes, prestige and
vacations. Groomers are judged on their technical abilities to
work on specific breeds. Although you may not be aware of it, a
grooming contest takes place somewhere in the United States just
about every month. It's wonderful to see groomers take such
pride in their work and challenge themselves to do their best.
Owners, too, can benefit from their competitive efforts by
bringing home healthy, good-looking pets from the grooming
salon. But grooming hasn't always been competitive or business-
oriented. In fact, it probably started for very practical
reasons. By most accounts, the first dogs to be groomed were
Curly-Coated Retrievers, clipped short by their 16th century
European hunter-owners. The dense-coated wa