Jonathan David Groomer To The Stars

Jonathan David is a participant in Animal Planet's “Groomer Has It” and is ranked among the top five dog groomers in the United States. He is also known as “Groomer to the Stars” and his client list includes Mariah Carey, Ralph Lauren, Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates, Betty Buckley, Louise Lasser, John O'Hurley, Betsy Johnson and Ivana Trump. 

I asked Jonathan how he became interested in dog grooming. “I grew up in a very dog-friendly family and we had show dogs,” he told me. “And when I was in high school I ended up working in a puppy store and I learned about dogs and had the first dog of my own. It was a natural progression from showing dogs to grooming dogs as a profession.”

Many of us consider our dogs as our children, so I asked him what to do to insure a healthy, happy pet. “The number one thing to a healthy dog is good nutrition. A lot of people think that feeding a dog processed dog food is the best way to feed them. It's not. I, for one, believe that feeding healthy means organic and all natural food. Formulated dog foods are often lacking in nutrition. Good nutrition means a happy, healthy dog and a great coat, which will look better and feel better.”

Jonathan says most dog owners do not realize that good grooming goes beyond the exterior.  “Just as in humans, nutrition is key to looking good.”  A healthy diet produces a sleek, shiny coat; poor nutrition leads to rotting teeth, allergies and a dry, lackluster coat.  One sign that your dog may not be getting the proper nutrition he needs is excessive shedding.

“Grooming is essential for a happy and healthy dog,” he explains.  “Not only do unkempt dogs feel dirty, they are more prone to skin irritations and infections.”  He points out that oily hair will tangle and matt; waxed ears will emit foul odors, or worse, become inflamed, leading to possible dangerous health conditions. If nails are allowed to grow too long it can cause the dog's toes to spread, which is very painful.

“In Florida, a lot of people think that shorter [hair] is better because the dog will be cooler. But the shorter hair exposes the dog to more sun exposure and dogs can get sunburned. So sometimes shorter is not the best thing.”

“Another big problem in Florida is flea control. I recommend adding brewers yeast to their food as well as some of the commercial topical products which you put on the animal's skin monthly helps control fleas.”

“Brewers yeast?” I said.

“It does help,” he responded. “It's not one hundred percent effective, but by adding it to their diet it is a natural deterrent to fleas. But the best product is Canine Advantix, which is a monthly treatment you put on the dog and it's absorbed through the skin and goes into the hair follicles, which not only takes care of fleas and ticks which bite the dog, but helps prevent them [fleas and ticks] from jumping on the dogs. But you need to work with your veterinarian on this. You can also work with natural flea products, which include Neem, a natural repellant, so you should use products that have Neem in them.

”Groomer Has It” has twelve groomers from across the country and puts them in one house together  kind of like a “Project Runway” for dog grooming. There is a panel of judges that judge the groomers on certain challenges and rates the groomers on specific criteria for that challenge. There are eliminations every week. The winner gets crowned ”Groomer of the Year” and wins a prize of $50,000. The show is on every Saturday night on Animal Planet at 9:00 pm and runs through the end of June. Jonathan is doing very well on the show, having won several of the competitions so far.

Jonathan is now putting his expertise into his own line of products. “I have a shampoo and conditioner which is available on my website, nycanine.com. The products are made from South African Rooibos tea, which is very similar to green tea but has 25 times more ant-oxidants than regular green tea. It's very good for itchy, dry skin and is known to clear up many skin problems and leaves the dog with a clean with a fresh scent. I'm also developing a spray fragrance and a coat oil, both made from the tea.”
“A lot of times a dog shampoo strips the coat of its essential oils rather than just cleaning the dog. When you strip the coat the body over-compensates, which produces a foul smell faster and attracts the dust and dirt faster. My shampoo, made from the tea, doesn't strip the coat and the conditioner contains almond and sunflower oils to return those oils to the coat.” Jonathan's products will soon be widely available at regular pet supply outlets.

Before concluding, I asked Jonathan what his inspiration was when grooming man's best friend. “My inspiration was and still is the greatest city in the world, Manhattan.  When I worked in the shop I would walk along Madison Avenue and notice the fabulous people with their dogs and I would wonder why the dogs didn't match up.  Of course, they were adorable, but they were missing that certain flare. I decided I would give it to them!”