STERLING, IL -- (Marketwire) -- 05/04/12 -- According to a recent study conducted by the American Pet Products Association, people are spending more on their pets than ever before -- and pet grooming is one of the fastest growing areas. The rising interest in pet grooming, combined with the lack of a one-stop pet grooming resource for dog owners, is why Wahl is introducing a new one-stop dog grooming destination, www.wahlpets.com.

According to Wahl, a leading manufacturer of pet grooming products for professionals and consumers, one in four dog owners has a pet clipper, and many of those who own one have expressed interest in learning more about the ins and outs of pet grooming. Wahl designed its new online grooming resource to not only appeal to those who currently groom their pets, but the growing population of pet owners who consider their pet to be part of the family.

"Through our new online pet grooming resource, we are fulfilling a distinct need among pet owners," said Shay Moeller, product manager for Wahl's home pet products division. "There's a lot of information on pet grooming out there, but no single source for the multitude of grooming activities, such as bathing, brushing, clipping and ear and toenail maintenance. We're making it easier for people to get the basics on all things grooming, while going one step further in allowing people to learn the proper grooming techniques for their specific breed."

To address the individual grooming needs of all 175 breeds of canines, as acknowledged by the American Kennel Club, Wahl designed its new online resource to accommodate the grooming techniques for each breed. For instance, visitors looking for tips on how short they should cut the fur of their West Highland Terrier can select the breed and find instructions as well as instructional videos. In addition to providing grooming information based on the breed, wahlpets.com allows visitors to search by size of the dog or the length of their hair.

"Some dog owners would be surprised to know that there are specific shampoos, brushes and even clippers that work best for certain breeds, some breeds, such as the Chinese Crusted, for example, should not have their fur trimmed at all, while others require different lengths for different areas of their body. Through wahlpets.com, we're making the grooming process more convenient by collecting all this useful knowledge and putting it in one place."

Those looking for helpful tips and advice on pet grooming basics will appreciate the "Ask the Expert" section of the website. Visitors can post grooming-related questions and get answers from Certified Master Groomer Suesan Watson, whose experience includes grooming and training canines for major dog shows around the world. Visitors looking for immediate answers will enjoy the website's bevy of grooming-related articles and product suggestions.

Given the challenges of keeping up with the pet grooming regimen on a timely basis, wahlpets.com features a convenient scheduling tool that allows people to register their pet and post their upcoming grooming activities on a personal calendar. Once registered, visitors can view their calendar at any time and get alerts when it's time for their next bathing, clipping or brushing.

'We set out to make wahlpets.com a true destination that, in addition to providing the necessary guidance that today's pet owners need for proper grooming, makes the process as easy as possible for those interested," added Moeller. 'With the growing interest in pet grooming, we believe our latest resource will be a real asset for pet owners concerned about the health and safety of their animals."

Wahlpets.com was designed by HY Connect, a full-service advertising, public relations and social media agency with offices in Milwaukee and Chicago. For more information on HY Connect, visit www.hyconnect.com. For more on Wahl's new pet grooming resource or complete selection of pet shampoos and pet clippers, trimmers and brushes, visit www.wahlpets.com.

About Wahl
Now in its 93rd year, Wahl Clipper Corporation is an international industry leader in the manufacturing of products for the professional beauty and barber salon trade, consumer personal care and animal grooming. Headquartered in Sterling, Ill., Wahl currently employs some 2,000 people worldwide in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, Spain and the United States. Wahl products are available in 165 countries around the world. For more about Wahl, please visit www.wahl.com.