There are accounts of 16th century hunters shaving parts of their dogs heavy coats to make it easier for them to retrieve game birds from the water. The dogs would have their hindquarters clipped, leaving tufts of hair.
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James Bretherton (active 1770-1781) after a design by Henry William Bunbury (1750-1811), The Dog Barber. La Francia, 1772. Etching with added color. Graphic Arts GC021. Gift of Dickson Q. Brown, Class of 1895.
Sir Henry William Bunbury April 25, 1771 England. Note the scissors, the beard, gotee, the stool ect.
Press photo of a chow, 1927.
On the picture: Vittorio Gassman, a Italian actor.
A poodle being groomed at a dog salon. Photo by Spencer Arnold Getty Images. Circa 1950
Liz is grooming a poodle while wearing her poodle dress.
Photo by Louise Van der Meid.
Photo by Louise Van der Meid.
A dog owner sprays her fluffy pooch with perfume before the Championship.
Sam closes his eyes to shut out the embarrassing sight of the trimming at the hands of his mistress, Alice Poe of Merriam. Kansas Oct. 29, 1952. AP Photo/William P. Straeter.
Enjoying being groomed before his appearance at Crufts, Feb. 6, 1970. Central Press/Getty Images.
The dog is being washed in a small bath tub, circa 1955. Photo by: Al BarryThree Lions.
Tommy Brampton grooms one of his show dogs named Weycroft Woolcomber in preparation for the judging at a fox terrier show in Coventry England, 1948.
Miss Carol Walkden of Garston, prepares her champion Afghan hound Alyshan Hassan Shabbah for Crufts 1974.
A dog is shown being washed by shampoo at the Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium training quarters
© Look and Learn Peter Jackson Collection.
Old Antique Print .Shaving Dogs on the Steps of the Trinita De Monti Rome, 1872.
At the hairdresser for a permanent, New York, 1925.
Dog at the hairdresser for a permanent. Treated with curlers by doggroomers/hairdressers in swimsuit and apron. Miami, Florida, USA, 1937.
Dog with his bosses at the hairdresser. The dog has curlers in and sits under the hood. Photo: George Constantinides' Hairdressing Salon, Hornsey Road, Londen, December, 1968.
Tommy Brampton grooms one of his show dogs named Weycroft Woolcomber in preparation for the judging at a fox terrier show in Coventry England, 1948.
Terriers are primped for a Dog Show New York, 1933.
The dog is examined by a judge. Aldridge, St Mary's Lan, 1913.
The super light and super manageable dogs shearing machine, used in Paris,1905.
Refrigerator magnet features a 1920 photograph of a dog and cat pet washing business that operated then in Los Angeles. Pictures three women, each with a dog in a wash tub.
The Scottish Terrier from the breed of the family Hinrichsen at the dog grooming service. Photo by: Getty Images.
Frank Williams grooms Judy, the English pointer with whom he spent three and a half years in Japanese prisoner of war camps. Photo by: Fred Morley.
Paris, February 1927.
London, 1935.
A bulldog is massaged by a vibro-massaging machine in a luxury beauty salon for pets in Paris in 1930 - a time when dog shows were becoming increasingly popular. Photo: Getty Images.
Boston Terrier prepares for the Dog Show.
The first canine hairdressers opened in Spain. It was located in Fernandostreet, Barcelona, November 1931.
The first canine hairdressers opened in Spain. It was located in Fernandostreet, Barcelona, November 1931.
The first canine hairdressers opened in Spain. It was located in Fernandostreet, Barcelona, November 1931.
Illustration by Corbis.
Gallica, Eugene Atget.
A Dogs Toilet Club by Frank Foulsham.
A Dogs Toilet Club by Frank Foulsham.
A Dogs Toilet Club by Frank Foulsham.
The man is seated on the ground, leaning against a wooden sign advertising their business; his wife is seated on a raised platform at right; both have dogs on their laps, combing and shearing their coats, a dog lying on the ground, between them; at far right, a basket, and at left, a box with lid open, 1822. © The Trustees of the British Museum.
19th century, Riverside in Paris. The first professional dog groomers.
By: John-James Chalon 1778-1854. Musée Carnavalet Roger-Viollet.
Tondeurs de chiens, port des Tuileries. Paris (Ier arr.), vers 1900. Photographie de Louis Vert (1865-1924). Paris, musée Carnavalet. © Louis Vert / Musée Carnavalet / Roger-Viollet
Tondeur de chiens, quai de l'Hôtel de Ville, près du Pont Louis-Philippe. Paris, IVème arr. Photographie de Paul Geniaux (né en 1873). Paris, musée Carnavalet. © Musée Carnavalet / Roger-Viollet
Paris.
19th century, Riverside in Paris. The first professional dog groomers.
Le tondeur, qui coupe les chats, les queues et les oreilles. Vieille carte postale, vers 1900.
Samantha began her career in 1986, working as a Saturday girl , before becoming a full time groomer at 'Mucky Pups' upon leaving school.
A little puppy is reluctant to leave the Complete Dog Service shop where pet owners go to seek advice, inoculations against distemper, petcare equipment, pet food and pet grooming services. Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images,circa 1940.
Circa 1950.
The photos were all taken in this upmarket Paris salon, above, in 1951. The pictures were taken when lavishly indulging your pets was beginning to become increasingly acceptable. © Mediadrumimages/Topphoto/Retronau
Airedale terrier original vintage dog print page, 1934.
Old Original Dog Print, 1934.
A Californian barber is shaving his boxer, 1961.
Anthracite Kennel Club, Allentown, PA, 1944. Photo: Getty Images.
Dogs being prepared for the world famous Crufts dog show by their owner Malcolm Poulton at a hairdressers in Weaverham, Cheshire. SSPL via Getty Images.
Man grooming a miniature poodle at a dog show in Tallahassee, Florida.
Copyright Leslie Jones (1886-1967 Photographer). Date created:1934 - 1956 (approximate). Preferred credit: Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.
Combing dogs for fur for knitting, Portsmouth, Hampshire, 1943. Previously unseen diaries describe how British women used groomed dog hair to knit 'warm and hard-wearing' garments during the struggle against Nazi Germany.
A dog groomer is pictured clipping the dog's fur around the paws using early electric equipment. These pictures were taken in the Parisian salon Au Chien Elegant almost 68 years ago in 1951, when there was a boom in people owning pet dogs. © Mediadrumimages/Topphoto/Retronau
This pooch Jackie had been visiting the salon for five years when this picture was taken. He even wore his own rain mack, left, which is hung up with his collar and his lead. Advances in technology saw improved grooming equipment for pets in the early 50s. © Mediadrumimages/Topphoto/Retronau
This dog is being measured for a new coat. France had more resources after the war, leading to an explosion in the number of people keeping animals. This made pet grooming a more enticing business proposal for animal-loving entrepreneurs. © Mediadrumimages/Topphoto/Retronau
One groomer is seen using scissors to cut the dog's fur while he has a smoke at the same time. The dogs underwent a a lavish transformation from 'a bit ruff' to 'fabulously fetching'. It was only in the first half of the 20th century that 'doggy barbershops' became commonplace. © Mediadrumimages/Topphoto/Retronau
The groomer is pictured shampooing one dog before he is then washed off and is sparkling clean. By the early 1950s, the grooming salons started to become more modern. Decades before in the 30s and 40s, grooming salons were usually very cramped affairs with equipment which was not fit for purpose. © Mediadrumimages/Topphoto/Retronau
This poodle has its fur trimmed around its paws with scissors. By the early 1950s, pet grooming was a more enticing business proposal for animal-loving entrepreneurs ready to take advantage in the explosion in the number of household pets. © Mediadrumimages/Topphoto/Retronau
After shampooing, the dogs are dried down with a towel. Today in the UK, pet lovers spend over £10billion annually on their dogs and £8billion on their cats. © Mediadrumimages/Topphoto/Retronau
The groomer blow dries the dog's fur with an early machine. This was a world away from the decades before, as early dog grooming salons would often house ineffective cage dryers which made the shops unbearably warm for both pets and employees. © Mediadrumimages/Topphoto/Retronau
These two dogs are pictured together waiting for their owners to come and pick them up. © Mediadrumimages/Topphoto/Retronau
Magazine from 1961.
November 9th, 1946
This would make a great cover for a novel.
Print-Girl Grooming Dog.
Albert Staehle is doing Butchs haircut. Saturday evening postcover, January 31th, 1948.
Poster of 'De Vere's High Rollers Burlesque Co., How the High Roller Girls Do It'. January 1st, 1898.