Professional groomers????????

:( I dont know about any other groomers on the site but i try my hardest to make sure the dog im working on is happy at all times! im always talking to the dogs as im bathing them to keep them calm and i have a LOT of patience when it comes to dogs, at least alot more that i do with the stupid owners that let their dogs get is such cruel conditions :( I can understand where everyone is coming from by reading everyones experiences but i have to admit at time some of the dogs do get too much so i give them a break in a quiet kennel for a while and go back to them after they have had a break, seriously some of the dogs that come into the shop are in such a bad state you cant help but cause the dog a bit of discomfort i hate it so much when you see a pretty dog like a poodle coming in with all of its fur matted solid and the owners let their dogs get like that its really heartbreaking seeing a dog like that because its like the problem is handed over to you so most dogs do associate the groomers with pain and fear because of that and thats why i think most dogs become aggressive in the grooming places, i mean of all the dogs that come in its never the bigger dogs like rotties that come in for a bath that turn nasty its always the poor dogs like the shihtzu that come in with matts, i dont understand some people why own a dog if you cannot be bothered with the grooming work? and as for the nails i have to admit to cutting a few too far on the black nails but there is a power that i cant spell that we use and it clots the blood straight away so the dog does feel too much pain, its the same with the ear plucking, i was against doing that when i first started and refused because i thought it was cruel but at the end of the day if you dog comes back with an ear infection that would cause alot more discomfort than about a minute of plucking, sorry if i sounded big headed about everything i just needed to get it off my chest, sorry if ive offended anyone i just get so wound up I agree there is alot of groomers like that that dont have any patience with the dogs and i would refuse to work in a place like that but i can safely say that the groomer i work in is a nice place and we dont agree with punishing a dog we give them breaks if they get too wound up, anyway sorry its so long :(

I agree, everyone should get to know their groomers before bringing their dogs in. . . if the groomers cant be bothered with meeting you and showing you around, walk away! I think this is mostly the owners fault, most people just drop their dogs off at whatever place is the cheapest or the most convenient, and when theyre dog comes back a mess its no one's fault but the owners. I've met so many awesome groomers, including ours! They've known Gonzo since we first got him. . and we had used them for our Bichon and Cocker Spaniels a long time ago. The owners are married and the main groomers, all of the other groomers and washers have gone through schooling and they're all really good people. Their grooming tables are out in the open in the entrance. . . and, for people who feel that the leashes on grooming tables are cruel - the leashes prevent the dogs from jumping around, nipping, and ultimately hurting themselves. Its a safety precaution more than anything, and its used by everyone who grooms properly, including dog show handlers. Our groomers have a play/potty yard, large kennels, and they're very gentle with all of the dogs. I love them, Gonzo really does too :) he gets tons of treats when he goes there, and since he started going there he's absolutely fine with blowdryers. They also do an awesome job on de-shedding treatments :p

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and its used by everyone who grooms properly,

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not true lol I am reading a grooming book, it is written by a groomer and she does not use the grooming noose, rather she takes the time to tran the dogs to stand still on the the table, and if she does not finish the grooming because of the trainer, well, oh well. she wants the dogs to trust her on there own, she she works with the dogs to have them either stand or lay on the table while she grooms, she grooms properly, she just takes the time to work with the dogs so that they dont squirm around lol

I've been grooming my own dogs for 9 years and I still need to use the grooming noose occasionally. They know after what's expected of them but still need a little "encouragement" sometimes.

Scruffy needs the support on his back end because he only has one back leg. He actually relaxes into the noose while I work on him.

I've groomed dogs from the shelter that had never seen a brush. With a little patience they usually do quite well. Unfortunately, some professional groomers don't take the extra time to make the dog comfortable.

Mary

I'm trying to learn to groom my yorkie and bichon. My reasoning is to save them the stress of being left at a grromer and to save a little money.

I've been working mostly with Kirby the bichon. We went down last night and he let me trim about 70% of him (top of his back and head/down both sides). He looks a little raggedy, but as I get better he'll look better) We're just doing it for short periods since he gets stressed and so do I. But I do have to say, if you have to learn he's the perfect dog to do it on. He is so patient and sweet. He doesn't fight or squirm. And I don't use the noose on him.

Molly the yorkie on the other hand is a wild child. I was only able to trim her face last week. She has to be done in short spurts. I do use the noose on her to keep her from jumping down and hurting herself. I think as she gets more used to me doing it, we'll dispense with using the noose.

Welp left Oz with groomer this morning. I had a chance to talk to her briefly and really liked her. She asked all the right questions and had all the right answers. Plus Oz really loved her (well he does love everybody :)), but he walked away happily with her.

I know we'd had a discussion here about tipping. So I plan to tip her, when I pick him up. I wanted to know what's considered appropriate? Is it like at a restaurant, 15%?

Par...

I've always done 15-20%.

I say 15% to 20% is standard, too, from what I've heard! But, if it's substandard service, tip accordingly. ;) And, definitely, if it's above average service, tip more! I hope Ozzy has a fun day at the groomers! I am lucky with Finn, he doesn't really need a groomer.

Wow, I'm the ultlimate bad groomer I guess.......I work at PETCO. :eek: I feel like I have to defend myself as an animal lover just for working there!

Yes there are bad groomers, I will not deny that at all. I've worked with some of them. And they have been fired for the problems they have caused. There are plenty of good animal loving people that are groomers too.

Grooming nooses on the table are NOT to choke the dogs :rolleyes: they are to prevent them from jumping off the tables and hurting themselves. We have ones that go under the belly and the head.

Just because a dog shakes when he comes in the door does NOT always mean they had a bad experience. Reggie and Sydney both shake the second I put them in the bathroom. They know what's coming....a B A T H...and they hate it. Am I mean to them? No, they just don't like getting a bath. Just the other day a dog came in that I have groomed every single time, he's an angel of a dog and I have never once been even slightly mean or rough with him. He shakes every time he comes in, putting on a sympathy act for his mom. ;)

It would be nice if people would actually brush their dogs so there would be no matts to remove. It hurts. I try to be as careful as I can, usually I just lift up the hair and use a slicker brush in the spot to get it out...if it's too tight, I'll shave or cut it out though owners usually throw a fit about that. Most people (not saying anyone on here) seem to care a lot more about how their dog looks then how it will hurt the dog to remove the matt. If the dog is trying to bite me, yes I will put a muzzle on them. I'm sorry but I rather value my fingers, I've been bit enough times to know how bad it hurts. Any groomer that doesn't brush a dog before bathing them is just asking for trouble...that is complete stupidity.

Force dryers are loud. Most dogs are not that terrified of them though. Nebo actually seems to like it, I think it feels good to him. If I have a dog that is very nervous and afraid already I don't even attempt the force dryer on them. Our kennel dryers are not heated they are room temperature air.

We don't have a place to take dogs out to potty but if people would actually take their dogs to go out BEFORE bringing them in they'd be just fine. My dogs hold it all day while I'm at work which is much longer than grooming time and they are fine.

Sometimes grooms do take longer than 4 hours, simple as that. Dogs such as samoyeds with lots of undercoat especially. I don't think 4 hours is that unreasonable especially if it's a dog that needs brushing time. I've spent over 2 hours just brushing a dog before a bath before, let alone the bathing, drying, and finishing time. And sometimes it's just too busy. If I have several dogs to do I would MUCH rather have the dogs stay longer and do a good job on all of them then have to rush because their owner is calling every 5 minutes.

I try my best not to quick (cut the nail too close) dogs nails but it does happen. Yes, even when the dog is holding still. I don't have x-ray vision that can see exactly where the quick is on every dog when they have black nails. Some dogs have veins that are nearer to the tip of the nail than other dogs. When people bring dogs in just for nail clipping I just have the dogs owners hold the dogs while I clip the nails. The only time I take them over to the table is if the people tell me they will be better if they don't hold them.

I could go on much longer but I have to go back to that stressful place that I don't get paid nearly enough for...oh yes, my job.

I still plan to take Molly and Kirby to the groomer. They look so much nicer and they really do like Karen and Donna. Being a groomer is a really tough job and I don't think I could do it full time.

I do try keep them both brushed so that the groomers don't have such a hard time. If there is a knot, I'd rather they cut it out as opposed trying to comb it out.

I need to take Wilbur to be groomed, but I've been outting it off because of my experience when I had Star's nails done. I had her at the Petco where I had adopted her, and decided to get her nails trimmed I liked the lady I met, and she seemed very gentle.

So I agreed to it, and she PASSED STAR OFF to a lady who grabbed her by the base of her skull, forced her down to the table, and held her down while she SCREAMED. As soon as I saw that I grabbed her, yanked my money away from the person I had just handed it to, and took her home. WTF was the lady thinking? I saw her do the same thing to a large samoyed as I was leaving. :mad:

So I'm sitting with Wilbur who isn't really matted but is starting to get really shaggy and I can't decide what to do. There is a groomer around the corner from my house who has been recommended to me by some of the people we walk with who have very pampered pups, but I'm still nervous. :(

STANDING OVATION to Wolf_Q !!

From me and all other (reputable) groomers.

I don't think anyone here has said that all groomers are bad. It is just very hard to find a good groomer for our babies. Even sometimes when they seem nice, they turn out to be horrible. It is a scary situation. Surely you can understand that! For as many good groomers out there, there seems to be twice as many bad ones. I could take offense to those of you who said the owners suck, but I don't because I know you're not talking about *all* owners. Of course there are sucky owners and good owners, just as there are sucky groomers and good groomers. This thread is good for people to read though who might be naive to the fact that there are bad groomers.