Groom Professional

Groom Professional launched in 2009 on the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland and is sold through the grooming trade supplier Christies Direct. It is a salon brand first and a retail brand second, and that explains most of what you will see here -- the shampoos come as concentrates, a lot of it is sold in four-litre drums, and the tool side is built for daily use rather than occasional use.

The Shampoos Are Concentrates

This is the single most important thing to know before you order. Almost every Groom Professional shampoo is a concentrate with a dilution printed on it, from 10:1 up to 25:1, and that figure means parts water to one part shampoo. Used neat, a professional shampoo is far stronger than a coat needs and strips the oils out of the skin. Diluted properly, a 450ml bottle makes several litres of working shampoo, which is why they look expensive and are not.

• 10:1 -- 2 In 1 Protein, Almond Detangle, Argan Oil, Berry Blast, Bright White, Cherry Sparkle, Citrus Shine, Coconut Moisturising, Super Dry
• 12:1 -- Baby White
• 14:1 -- Tea Tree Oil
• 20:1 -- Baby Fresh, Dirty Dogs, and the Exclusive Iris & Amber and Mandarin & Rose shampoos
• 24:1 -- the four Fresh shampoos
• 25:1 -- Chocolate, the most economical in the range

Which Shampoo

• Really filthy dog: Dirty Dogs, a proper degreaser. Wash with it first, then wash again with whatever suits the coat.
• Greasy coat or strong smell: Citrus Shine.
• White or pale coat: Bright White, or Baby White if you want the baby powder scent too.
• Dry, dull or damaged coat: Argan Oil with the matching conditioner, Coconut Moisturising, or Luxe Restore.
• Knotty coat: Almond Detangle, plus the Wondercoat Detangler Spray at the brushing stage.
• Sensitive skin: Baby Fresh, or the Fresh range, which is vegan and 99 per cent natural by the brand's own figure.
• Puppies and kittens: Tender Puppy & Kitten, the only fragrance-free wash in the range.
• No bath possible: Speed Wash waterless foam.

The Colognes

There are over thirty, which is a lot of choice and not much guidance, so in short: Baby Fresh and First Pet Love are the soft baby powder scents and the safe default. Princess, Diva, Canine One and Royalty are the sweet and floral ones. Duke, Prince and Imperial are the masculine musks and citrus. Chocolate, Coconut, Golden Honey, Vanilla Cupcakes, Summer Fruits and Fruit Punch are the food scents. The Exclusive pair, Iris & Amber and Mandarin & Rose, are the luxury line and the most complex. Pozer is the cheaper, bolder everyday line. Original and Lavender are the quietest.

Several scents are listed twice, because Groom Professional relaunched them in newer Perfume packaging and both versions are stocked here at different sizes and prices. Where that happens, the product page says so.

Tools, Blades And Salon Kit

• Slickers: Ball Pin for a thin-skinned dog, Curved Firm for stripping a shedding double coat, Curved Soft for fine coats and sensitive skin, Triangle for faces and feet, and a smaller softer one for cats and small pets.
• Clipper care: Clipper Oil for every groom, the 4 In 1 aerosol to cool and disinfect between dogs, and Klip Well Blade Wash for the deep clean.
• Blades: a number 4 leaves about 9mm for a body clip, a number 10 about 1.5mm for sanitary areas and pads.
• Drying: the Magic Synthetic chamois or the softer Water Magnet microfibre.
• Also: nail clippers and cat nail scissors, a finger toothbrush kit, ear wash and ear wipes, the Jelly Scrubber for bath time, and the UV75 steriliser cabinet.

Good To Know

• Most of this range is for dogs. The exceptions that are genuinely suitable for cats are the Tender Puppy & Kitten Shampoo, the ear wash and wipes, the cat slicker brush and the cat nail scissors.
• The Tea Tree Oil Shampoo and the Bye Bye Buzz Spray must never be used on cats. Tea tree, citronella, lavender and chrysanthemum oils are all toxic to cats, and cats groom everything straight off their coat and swallow it. Keep a treated dog away from cats until the coat is dry.
• Bye Bye Buzz and the Petcare Laundry Treatment are cosmetic products, not licensed insecticides. They may help; they will not clear fleas. Around 95 per cent of a flea population is in the carpet and bedding rather than on the animal, so clearing an infestation needs a licensed treatment from your vet for every pet in the house, plus hot washing and weeks of thorough vacuuming.
• Thornit ear powder is a traditional grooming powder. Head shaking, scratching and a smelly ear can be mites, infection, yeast, allergy or a grass seed, and only a vet looking down the ear can tell which -- get the diagnosis before you reach for a powder.
• Clipper blades get hot enough to burn skin. Oil them, check the temperature against your own hand as you go, and keep a spare so one can cool.
• Several of the shampoos contain methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone as preservatives. They are common and they are also skin sensitisers, so wear gloves if you bath dogs all day.
• A shampoo cleans; it does not treat disease. Broken or weeping skin, bald patches, constant scratching, or a smell that returns within days of a bath all need a vet.