Do Groomers Really Want This?

It seems like my last email on licensing has stirred things up a little. I received replies from a lot of you and there are some strong opinions about licensing, one person even called me a FREAK!. I am going to share my opinion today, and I don’t think many of you are going to guess what my take is on this subject.

Before I get into the meat of my thinking, I would like to say that as I was talking to my buddy Wes about this the other day; I did not have a strong opinion one way or the other. I hadn’t given it any serious thought. Over the weekend I thought about it a lot though and came up with my conclusions.

Having said that, I would like to quote the great Charles Fillmore who started a huge movement at the turn of the century but did not write very many books. He stated that he reserved the right to change his mind. For that reason he did not write very many books because he knew that he may change his mind on a subject. I completely agree with him. I reserve the right to change my mind.

If you disagree with me, please email me and help change my mind. Having said that let me start with my opinion on licensing.

As I continue to study and read about success, business, and life in general one common thread continues to run through my thinking. It always seems to be the answer to most of the questions that I ask myself. That answer almost always leads to two words: PERSONAL RESPONSIBILTY.

These words are not popular in society today. We live in an extremely litigious society and everyone instantly looks for someone to blame when ever anything happens.

Last week when I was talking to Wes about this, he voiced his opinion strongly in favor of licensing and the need to make sure that all grooming businesses are properly regulated by some type of official. As I said, at the time I did not give an opinion one way or the other.

During our conversation, Wes also added that in California there is a rating system for restaurants. Some government official actually comes into your restaurant and gives it an A, B, or C rating. Wes said that a lot of his friends make decisions on which restaurants to go to based on that rating system.

As we conversed, I told Wes that my girlfriend was completely opposed to licensing. Wes asked me, would she want to go to someone who did not have the proper schooling and licensing if she had a medical problem? Would she want her children to go to a school with teachers that did not have a proper license? (By the way, we are planning on home schooling when we have children so I think that answers that question!)

In theory it all makes good sense – but in reality, it’s all BUNK!

Let me explain. I can give you example after example of people that have attained degrees and diplomas and have all the proper licensing, and still basically have their head up their butts.

You see, Wes and I know each other because of business. We got to know each other because Wes was smart enough to purchase my book and get some coaching from me. He also had us do a website for him. All very, very smart moves on his part and I’m sure he would tell you that himself.

But here’s the rub. I have ZERO college training in business, marketing, or advertising. I have no license saying that I am a certified marketing consultant. If I had to get some type of license or degree to offer what I know about marketing, dog training, adveritising, or business a whole lot of people would be a lot worse off.

In fact, most of the people that I have learned about business, marketing, and advertising from also have had almost little or no college training.

I have talked to many people that have college degrees in marketing from some big universities. I know one guy that graduated from the Wharton School of Business and this guy would not have a prayer if we went head to head. In fact, after he graduated from college he was given, yes GIVEN, a family business that was started 75 years ago, in a very lucrative industry - and within three years he had to close his doors.

About ten years ago my little sheltie developed some serious skin and coat problems. I went to four different vets trying to help my little sheltie. It got so bad that she would wake me up in the middle of the night chewing at herself and I would have to hold her to try and give her some rest.

All the vets’ advice – cold tar shampoos, cortisone shots, steroids - none of it helped. I asked one vet if maybe what I was feeding her was causing the problem. The vet actually laughed in my face and said that in no way could that affect her.

It wasn’t until I became so disgusted with the “experts” with all their degrees and diplomas that stupid little ole me decided to figure out a way to help my poor little sheltie. I bought books, attended seminars, and educated myself. I started to change her diet, her skin and coat problems immediately went away, and now ten years later Sam is almost 18 years old and still extremely healthy.

As I was learning how all of this “nutrition” affected my dog, I wondered if it worked on humans too. You see, I have had serious stomach problems since about 15 years old. I have been to numerous doctors and none of the advice helped until I figured it out through the help of someone who had no license or college degree.

The doctors’ advice: Drugs, more or different drugs, surgery.

I finally fixed my stomach through the use of two very obtainable and affordable products that you can pick up at just about any grocery store: Carrots and Apple Cider Vinegar. Crazy, huh? That was AFTER I had spent a lot of cash on doctors.

Before I end my rant I just want to share with you one more reason why I don’t think that it is necessary, or even in the best interest of grooming professionals and pet owners to have some group of people (who may not even have any experience in the industry) determine if we can or cannot do what we do.

Not too long ago, in a night club not too far from where I lived, 100 people died and over 200 were injured in a tragic nightclub fire. Maybe you heard about the Station Nightclub fire in West Warwick, RI.

A band by the name of Great White set off some pyrotechnics and the place caught on fire killing 100 people. The owner went to jail, the band manager who lit off the pyrotechnics went to jail, and there was an incredible amount of sadness and loss in the community.

But here’s the part that has made me and a lot of other people angry. The fire inspectors, the government officials who are supposed to be “looking out for us,” were never held accountable. Wasn’t it their job to make sure everything was up to code and the public could safely go into this place and not get killed?

These "experts" never required the club to have a sprinkler system.

I ran a business in the state of Rhode Island for a short period of time. They have more inspectors and government agencies than you can believe. I had one inspector come into my business and give me a violation for having paint cans in a closet. (I had just repainted the lobby.)

I asked him where he would like me to store the paint cans. His reply, “I don’t care where you store them.”

Another warm and caring government official coming into my life to make it easier as I employ people, pay taxes, and provide goods and services to the public.

My point is that it really all comes down to personal responsibility.

The media loves to hype things up and strike fear in our hearts (anyone remember Y2K, birds from China coming to kill us, Anthrax, I could on and on). There is no denying that the media does everything they can to hype a subject. In the news story that I sent out last week, they talked about a groomer cutting off the ear of a dog and sending the dog home with his ear glued on.

Does that really sound right to you? Have you ever seen a dog’s ear that has been cut? Have you ever seen how much blood flows from a dog’s ear? How would you stop the blood flow long enough to glue it back on?

Sounds like an urban legend to me.

I’m not saying that the dog’s ear wasn’t cut, or that the groomer didn’t try to cover it up, or that either action is OK or acceptable, it just sounds a little hyped up for me.

I guess my point is this: Do I want some government agency making decisions for me? Do I want them rating restaurants? Do I want them to decide what is best for my health? What is best for my dog? What is best for my family?

Earlier I stated that I was going to home school my children. That makes some people (like my Mom, a school teacher) insanely mad. To me, education is so important that I am NOT going to leave it up to some stranger that spends more time teaching an agenda that has nothing to do with learning.

Do you know that the American School system is modled after the German school system. The whole system is designed to make our children into "good workers". Look at how schools are run. Bells ring when it's time to start, breaks, end of school day. All the desks are set up in neat little rows.

Forget that.

Does having a license or some type of document certified but some agency make that person good at what they do? Honest? Ethical? When I first started my dog training career I worked with a guy that had been through a 20 hour dog training course in the 1950’s. That’s it, that’s all the schooling this guy ever got.

This guy ran a big school in Connecticut and “certified” dog trainers. His whole dog training philosophy (and I swear to you this is not made up) was, “If the dog doesn’t give a yelp when you give a correction you’re not training the dog right.”

This guy had all the certifications and all the licensing in the world, but he certainly was not the best choice for consumers when it came to dog training.

Let me wrap this up by saying that a piece of paper issued by some governing body does not make a business good or bad. What makes the business good or bad is the business owner. How do we as consumers protect ourselves from these bad businesses - PERSONAL RESPONSIBILTY?

I look forward to your comments.

All the best,

Eric