As a young boy growing up on the outskirts of San Paolo, Brazil, creative dog groomer Gabriel Feitosa is living proof that no matter what you do, if you do it well, you can be successful.
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“When I was very young, it was healthy to keep focused because when you live in Brazil without much attention from your family, it’s easy to go in the wrong direction,” explains Gabriel. “Dogs kept me focused; I’m grateful for that.”
Ironically, Gabriel was afraid of dogs at first, as his parents had German Shepherds. After they divorced, Gabriel’s sister got a dog—a poodle—and while he wasn’t aware of it then, the beginning of a lifelong career was about to take shape.
Gabriel’s fear of dogs subsided with the smaller breed and after his first trip to the groomers as a favor for his sister, he was hooked. He asked the groomer to teach him some of the basics of the trade and began working after school at the salon.
Gabriel would eventually move on, and as he worked his way up, he became drawn to the fancier type of grooming. He even kept a photo on his wall of a Lhasa Apso, a type of dog breed with the beautiful long hair he so admired.
After a strange twist of fate, Gabriel met a woman who owned two Lhasa Apsos. Unable to keep one of them, Gabriel bought the puppy, and after receiving her pedigree, found out she was the daughter of the dog whose photo hung on his wall.
“I don’t know how that puppy showed up in that shop, but it did,” exclaims Gabriel. “I realized then, no matter where you come from and where you are, when you want something bad, things start moving around you if you accept them.”
Fast-forward a few years and the boy from Brazil is now living on the west coast and is one the most sought-after creative dog groomers. He has also found social media success on TikTok with videos that give his followers an inside look at his talents.
Fascinated by his artistic work with dogs, we sat down with Gabriel for a fascinating conversation to learn more about his journey into creative dog grooming.
You have amassed a huge following on TikTok. How has the notoriety been?
It’s been cool… the fact that I’ve been acknowledged by a lot of companies I saw growing up has been a huge accomplishment for me. At first, I was scared because I got a lot of hate from those who didn’t understand, but I stayed and now I see a lot of positivity on there. People come from all over to my shop and they have so many different stories on why they want to do creative grooming. It’s so cool to connect with them.
Where do you find inspiration for the unique work you do?
Sometimes people come with an idea, and I help translate it. I also have ideas from life in general. If I go to the zoo, there are so many different patterns and prints, and flowers that look beautiful in nature. I also lean into my personality, my geeky side. The more I lean into my personality, the more successful the designs are.
What are your top grooming tips for pet owners?
When you get your puppy, don’t wait to start desensitizing. Grab a toothbrush that has the vibration and try to massage their feet when they are sleeping, when they are calm, so they can associate the vibration and noise with something positive. If the first time they hear a clipper or something like that is at the groomer, they are going to be scared.
Secondly, don’t wait to get your dog professionally groomed—do it as soon as possible. Even if it’s easy to maintain at home, I recommend you take your dog to get a professional bath because grooming is going to be a part of your dog’s life for the rest of their life. If you have a hairy dog especially, take them early so they’re used to being handled by a professional.
If you find someone you like and trust, take your dog to the same person because we develop a relationship with them, we become friends. And brush your dog, please! When a dog comes in matted a lot of people think it’s our job to perform a miracle. If you like hair long on your dog, learn how to brush it and remove the mattes before it gets bad. Ask your groomer to teach you.
How can pet owners ensure their dog is calm when being groomed?
If you’re doing it at home, put a yoga mat in the tub so it’s not slippery to make them less scared. If your dog is afraid of water, do 15 days of desensitizing. You don’t want to just throw them in there, otherwise they will be traumatized. This is also part of the work, working on their temperament, their exposure to the world, and helping them overcome their fears.
What are your goals for this new year?
I am hoping to have a TV show so I can amplify my voice and showcase my profession. The goal is to show everyone what we can do and how cool this career really is. I don’t want the next person who is starting to do this to feel discouraged; I want to show people we are not underdogs, we are bad asses!
As a young boy growing up in Brazil, did you ever imagine any of this?
As a young boy I really wanted to be an artist, an animator, or an illustrator— something like that. I kind of stumbled upon dog grooming and fell in love with it. There is a lot of artistry involved—you deal with a lot of shaping and sculpting of the dog—and I think my dream, combined with the other, allowed me to use my
artistry.
After working in Brazil, when did you come to the United States to further your career?
I came here about seven years ago to work for a person I really admired. I wound* up meeting someone here, got married, moved to San Diego, and opened my shop. I built up a clientele, and in the second year the pandemic hit. The person I was splitting the building with decided to close her retail business. I didn’t know what to do because I didn’t need 1,600 square feet to groom the dogs myself, but I took a leap of faith.
At the same time, they were casting for “Pooch Perfect,” and after filming the show, I started doing some videos for social media to promote my new store. They blew up, and here I am. The store is on year four, I have nine employees, and I have great clients.
How was the experience of being on a reality show?
It was something I never expected. Coming from the background I did, to be able to make it in Hollywood and be one of the finalists on “Pooch Perfect,” I never thought I would get that far. It opened my eyes to the fact that there is so much to show about the dog grooming industry. Being with the other contestants and hearing their stories was inspiring. It was an eye-opening experience, a big moment for the grooming community, and I am proud to have been a part of the show.
What has been your mission?
I want to show the world dog groomers are skilled artists and there is a lot of technique and experience to do what we do. I started growing on social media, showing purebred grooming, giving tips, and showcasing what the profession has to offer. Creative grooming has been going on for many years. I’ve been dying my dog
since he was the age of 2—he’s 10 now—and he has never had allergies. There are zero cases of allergies in my shop, and I’m doing this every day, but people had
no idea it existed.
What usually happens is the groomers who do this get so much hate they don’t keep doing it. I realized there is not enough information out there, so I said let’s
show the world what this is.
Website: GabrielFeitosaGrooming.com
Instagram: GabrielFeitosaGrooming
TikTok: GabrielFeitosaGrooming
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