WARREN Leavittsburg dog groomer proves she's a shear genius
Dog grooming is a very competitive sport.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Michelle Byers of Leavittsburg finished top dog with a schnauzer at Intergroom 2002, a national dog grooming competition and trade show in Newark, N.J.
She was the only American to place in her division, hand stripping terrier.
After only one year competing in the dog-eat-dog world of grooming, Byers placed in competitions in Atlanta, Chicago and Virginia, and amassed enough points to rank third in the nation.
The 28-year-old is on track to make the U.S. Grooming Team next year, to represent our nation at the International Grooming Competition in Barcelona, Spain.
"It is kind of like the Olympics," said Christina Pawlosky, the owner of Pet Connection and Byers' mentor.
The right business
When Byers went to work at Pet Connection after finishing high school in 1993, she was barking up the right tree.
"Now all my brothers ask me to cut their hair," Byers said.
Pawlosky was sent to Europe three times by the U.S. Grooming Team and has been named grooming judge of the year at the New Jersey trade show three times, including 2002.
She stepped back from serious competition in the mid-90s, however, after winning an International Groomer of the Year title and several other awards.
"I had handled dogs for more than 10 years," said Pawlosky, now nine months pregnant with her first child. "It was like, where do I go from here?"
Fortunately for Pawlosky, success in the show ring translated to a sponsorship deal with Oster, hair clipper manufacturer. She now represents the company at trade shows and delivers seminars on grooming technique.
After a few years spent shampooing at Pawlosky's shop, Byers began learning grooming from the master. Many Wednesday evenings were spent practicing technique, the women said.
"I always wanted to work with animals," said Byers, who grew up around animals on her grandparents' farm.
The right cut
Proper dog grooming is about styling the animal's hair to make it look more the way a particular breed is supposed to look, Pawlosky said. A curved back appears straightened by a good haircut, for example.
Hand stripping, the process for which Byers won her most recent award, is thinning a dog's hair by removing dead strands, rather than by using clippers.
Byers, who has three dogs of her own, has borrowed animals to enter three divisions in each of the five conventions she has attended.
Pawlosky said her student was a good enough groomer to compete before this year, but her confidence was lacking. That's changed with success, Pawlosky said.
"She has become more outgoing," she said.
siff@vindy.com