Do You Have Your Pet Professionally Groomed?

[Pam]

My husband and I started grooming our dogs ourselves many years ago. Our first dogs were two toy poodles and we found that we could save a lot of money that way. Once, after about a year or two, we took them to be professionally groomed just to see if they would look much different. It wasn't long before we got a call from the groomer that they were snapping at her. I guess we had created a couple of monsters who were only going to be content with us.

I am wondering what the fees are now for professional grooming. I am sure it varies from one part of the country to another but can anyone comment on that?

[jackiesdaisy1935]

My husband grooms Perry whenever he needs it, in fact he has groomed all of our Schnauzers, however Daisy is a different case, she let him groom her for a while, now she has decided she won't tolerate it, so off she goes to Petsmart. She has a groomer named Nina who comes from Russia and seems to know how to handle her. She does a nice job considering how Daisy does not like her feet touched, her butt touched, her face done and various other parts touched. She charges us 35.00.

[Pam]

Jackie I am laughing at this. It sort of sounds like a reply I would see coming from Rachel about Hannah. It seems to me that the fee you pay is reasonable considering what an enormous job it is to groom a dog. It may be even a little more intensive working with a poodle since just the combing out takes a good amount of time. I was wondering because there may come a day when hubby and I throw in the towel and say we are too old for this! Hopefully Bella would be cooperative for someone else if that day ever arrives!

[Daisy's Mom]

Being a Basset Hound, Daisy doesn't really need any grooming. I cut her nails myself if that counts. She hates having that done, and I have to have my mom hold her and dangle treats in front of her so I can do it. It's a difficult job but it saves us money, and she doesn't bite or anything; she just squirms, a lot! And then she is mad at me for the rest of the day.

[RachelJ]

Both Hannah and Tucker get groomed professionally. Hannah goes every 6 weeks. Tucker only goes every 12 weeks and I bath him myself (and of course comb him) in between. He looks sooo good when he comes back from the groomer though that I'm thinking of having the groomer do him more often. Pam, you are exactly right about Hannah. I can't even bath her. I started out trying to do that when she was a bitty puppy and she fought me with every once of strength she had. I actually (I can't believe I am telling this) got in the bathtub with her to see if it would help calm her down and get her used to bathing. The only thing that accomplished was scratches on me. After four or more attempts at bathing, each one worse than the last, I gave up. Now she just gets bathed when groomed. Luckily both she and Tucker had recently been groomed for Graham's visit so they were looking pretty good. Our groomer charges $39.00. She has the grooming facility in the front part of her house and she is the only one who works on the dogs. This makes it wonderful as she knows the dogs and the dogs know her.

[jackiesdaisy1935]

Rachel, Hannah is so cute, her groomer is very good. Everytime I look at Hannah she looks like she has a little pout. I love her attitude. She is a doll.

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[Pam]

Rachel...Hannah's groomer is an artist! I am sure Hannah enjoys going there and probably realizes that at the end she has once again been turned into a babe. A girl can never be pampered too much. I am sure Graham fell in love with her when he was visiting! By the way, I loved the bathtub story. I am laughing at the mental picture!!

[AdoreMyDogs]

Rachel: So THAT'S why I couldn't take my eyes off your dogs! I was in awe at how incredibly adorable and beautiful they were I couldn't hardly take my eyes off them...I I bet I said about 50 times "oh my gosh is Tucker cute" and "Hannah is so adorable". I kept making my mom look over at them because they were so, so cute. Everything they did was cute. The groomer you have for them is great. I told you that Hannah was the cutest cockapoo I have ever seen by far, and Tucker was the cutest cocker spaniel I have ever seen. No joke and not exaggerating.

I groom Graham and Cassie because there's not much to it, being that Graham has a coat which requires no clipping, just brushing. And Cassie has a coat that does not even need brushing, just a bath every 2 weeks. It's funny, for being such a small dog, Cassie can pack a powerful punch with her doggie odor! Graham never gets that musty doggie odor unless he finds something dead to roll in