Top Dog Groomers. Interview with Rocío Sánchez
Tell us something about your professional background and why you decided to work in this industry…
I was born in Fuengirola, into a family that have always had pets. Ever since I was a kid I loved caring for my pets. It was my hobby, my passion, and now my way life. Like most kids I enjoyed playing and looking after my pets. When my parents gave me a little Yorkshire Terrier as a reward for doing well at school one year, I made an effort to actually learn more about how to properly care for her. There was not much to go on and I had to teach myself the basics of grooming.
I finished my studies, becoming an audiovisual technician, but soon realised that my calling was going to be with pets. I knew I wanted to become a professional groomer. From that point on, everything fell into place. My life revolved around pets. I took a the best professional courses available and attended all the fairs and shows so I could be a major player in my area and be at the forefront of breaking trends and new developments in the industry.
What are the basic principles behind your work ethic?
I posses a great passion for caring properly for pets. This is not only ethical but it’s the right thing to do; as far as I am concerned they are more human that humans or better than humans. Every time I have a pet on my table, I feel I not only need to leave them looking great but make sure their health concerns are addressed. To do this job correctly you must be kind, compassionate and patient. You have to bond; you have to be trusted by them. I am not sure if this is an innate ability but for me it comes down to really caring… they can feel this.
Then making sure your costumer’s owners are aware of how they must care for their pets and making sure they are aware of how to keep them healthy. I feel that health and beauty are all part of the grooming profession, health and beauty. In many cases we the groomers are the ones, before anyone else, who detect health issues that need attention.
How would you summarise the market at present and how you fit into this market?
Fortunately grooming is something that is starting to be taken seriously. The idea of shaving your dog to the skin once a year has long gone for the most part. We share our lives with our pets in a much closer manner than before; we share sofas, even 
beds. Hygiene has never been more important. Here in Spain there are many professionally groomers but still not enough. When you work with passion and integrity there’s always a market regardless of recessions – at least that has been proven in our case. We work from Fuengirola to Puerto Banús and will not expand further for the time being to make sure our groomers are not overloaded and customers are getting the full attention needed.
What do you most enjoy about your work and what is your vision for the company?
When a dog comes running to you, jumping into your arms every month, you know you’ve done a great job, and of course the smiles of our customers also. They know when they are not only being groomed but really cared for. Pets give you so much back, it’s truly rewarding.
How do you see the future in dog grooming?
Grooming is a very rewarding profession. Nonetheless it’s a profession that’s still not fully understood. I’ll give you an example… One client arrives and wants his Shih Tzu with a Shih Tzu trim ready in 60 minutes. That’s something we are not ready to do. We don’t rush. Never. It’s not only dangerous – it’s irresponsible. Letting an owner understand this is sometimes a challenge. But with patience we educate.
I see the future of dog grooming getting better, with more responsible and aware owners. More professional grooming schools that really seek out good candidates for this job. To be a groomer you really need to have a unique predisposition. We will be starting a grooming school in the next few months.
What do you think is key to running a successful company on the Costa del Sol?
I don’t think there’s anything that is unique about Spain other than the fact that it’s a lot more cosmopolitan. You need to be able to communicate with your customers, in Spanish, English, German, Russian, French. Fortunately, between all of us we manage to do this.
For me the fundamentals are always the same: do your best and keep learning to be passionate.
Top Dog Groomers
Fuengirola, Calahonda, Elviria and Marbella.
Tel. (+34) 670 757 575 / info@topdogs.es / www.topdogs.es
