Haute Dog’s Jess Rona spills the tea on competitive dog grooming

Katy Perry once said that “Jess Rona is to dogs as Vidal Sassoon is to the bob cut.”  And each week on Haute Dog, Rona proves just that, bringing a level of expert knowledge to HBO Max’s new competitive dog grooming show.

Haute Dog follows three dog groomers each episode as they vie for a $10,000 cash prize. Rona serves as the show’s grooming expert and one of the judges in a role not unlike Project Runway‘s Tim Gunn or The Great British Baking Show‘s Mary Berry.

Ahead of the new episodes premiering on HBO Max, Culturess sat down with Rona to discuss her role on Haute Dog, the fierce world of competitive dog grooming, and what lies in store for her after this season.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Culturess:  Like other competition reality shows, I found myself so in awe of the talent and skill that goes into dog grooming. What do people most often misunderstand or misconstrue about the industry?

Jess Rona:  A lot of people don’t realize how much time and skill goes into grooming a dog, and how much time goes into learning the craft.  Groomers use sharp tools on a living moving object that needs to be perfectly sculpted.

I would say it takes a minimum of 5 years, and hours and hours of practice to get good. And because dogs don’t speak human, we have to learn the art of communicating with them and have tons of patience.

When there’s not a global pandemic going on, there is a whole passionate community of competitive groomers who compete and teach seminars at trade shows all over the US (and the world).

Culturess:  How is judging for Haute Dog different from your other competitive grooming experiences? What has been the hardest or most surprising part of the experience for you?

Rona:  The hardest (and most surprising) part of judging was having to judge groomers I know and look up to based only on the competition that was going on at the time. I mean, it was $10k on the line, and I felt a lot of pressure. I would go home and wonder if I made the right decision. Thankfully everyone who participated had a blast even if they didn’t win.

Culturess:  This isn’t your first time appearing on camera, but it is your first time to act as a competition judge on television and to executive produce as well. What has that experience been like for you in the midst of your booming career as the “Vidal Sassoon” of dog grooming?

Rona:  Ha! I love this title! Judging and [executive producing] this show was such a fun dream come true. I got to combine improvising, dog grooming, and a splash of my kitschy ’70s branding style. It also taught me the art of letting go and collaboration.

I got to work with the most incredible team who magically stayed calm, joyful, and supportive at all times when I was stressed out or in my head. It was also shot during the pandemic which gave us a whole bunch of other hurdles to jump through, but we did it!

Culturess:  You recently opened a new shop in the midst of Haute Dog‘s premiere. What else can you tell us about your ongoing projects?

Rona:  Ooooooh baby!  I am in the very early stages of launching online courses, building an at-home grooming kit for the everyday pet parent, a product line and I’m developing a scripted comedy about dog groomers. Let’s show the world how to spoil all the dogs, ya?

New episodes of Haute Dog are now streaming on HBO Max. Will you be giving them a try? Let us know in the comments.