Groomer Problems

[jenluckenbach]

robinh---sounds like a good routine. I doubt that there is much more you culd do, but you could always ask the groomer if there are any "trouble" spots that you could work on at home.

[kingrattus]

I can't take Max to a groomers, because I fear they hurt him, by pushing on him too hard & then Max might snap or worse. Max is great with dad & I when Max is in alot of pain, he knows I'll make it go way & he'll get some bread as a snack. But Max has never reacted to strangers 100% well (maybe 70%). But why pay 30$ when I can do it for free

[micki76]

As a former groomer, THANK YOU Jen!!! Well said.
I used to hate people that would say "lil pookie? Bite? Nooo!" Then little pookie instantly attaches himself to you as soon as you get him in the back of the shop. Always believe the worst of your pet at the groomers or vet, people. I tell everyone that mine may very well bite, so our vet usually muzzles for toenail clips and shots. I just don't know how they are away from me and in that stressful situation. Aneko def. bites when you try to groom her face. 1st hand info on that one.

[Sevens]

I'm not saying that he wouldn't bite in a grooming situation, I don't know that. But he is so friendly and loves to be brushed, he loves any sort of attention. I'm not disagreeing with jen or micki. However, I do think it's wroing to judge all dogs on what breed they are mixed with. He's not poofy like a chow, we use a shedding blade and a slicker brush on him. He's been really patient with us up to this point while we've been brushing him. He just lays down and takes a nap.

At least the lady at All Dog Playskool is giving him a chance instead of dismissing him out of hand just because he's part chow. She sounded very nice on the phone. I'm taking the afternoon off work on Friday so I can be there while she's grooming him.

[wolf_Q]

Originally posted by jenluckenbach

Our shop does not refuse any breed on that basis alone, but I know that some do. Chows are a very common type of dog to get refused. Chows, even the best tempermented ones, do not like the type of things that groomers need to do. Brushing is especially NOT well tolerated by them. Combine that with the fact that 99% of pet owners do not know how to properly brush their pets, so by the time they come to us it is a long grueling experience for the pet.
Now I don't wish to hear "I brush my dog" or "My dog doesn't have any mats". I hear it all the time and with the matted pet standing right in front of us. Until you've done it PROPERLY you will never know just how much hard work is involved.

I've only done a bath and brush on 2 chows.....and both were horribly matted.....and both were GREAT dogs. And both had owners that actually realized that their dogs were indeed very matted, and were willing to pay for me to spend all day brushing them out. I've done a few other chow mixes and all of them were very good.

That said.......I agree with what Jen said, applying to all breeds of dogs, not just chows. I don't know HOW many times I've had people look right at me and say their dogs are "not matted, we brush our dog" and it takes me hours to brush them out. What do you brush your dog with, a toothbrush? As well as "my dog doesn't bite" and I have to muzzle them. I truely appreciate people who realize what condition their dogs are in and the temperament they may have. And I know PTers keep their dogs in great shape so you are all the examples of *good* dog owners!

don't know why but I was thinking a big dog bit her. It was just in my mind for some reason. When I got another appointment I went in and asked her what kind of dog bit her and she told me it was a Cairn Terrier. I couldn't believe it. Toto? Toto bit you? She told me sometimes it's just the temperment of the dog and not the breed.

I've been bitten by dogs were it bled 3 times.......twice by chihuahuas and the other was the poodle from hell!

I'm not saying that he wouldn't bite in a grooming situation, I don't know that. But he is so friendly and loves to be brushed, he loves any sort of attention. I'm not disagreeing with jen or micki. However, I do think it's wroing to judge all dogs on what breed they are mixed with. He's not poofy like a chow, we use a shedding blade and a slicker brush on him. He's been really patient with us up to this point while we've been brushing him. He just lays down and takes a nap.

I also think it's wrong to judge dogs on what breed they are or mixed with. But if somebody has a grooming shop and that's what they want to do, it's their choice. What I said earlier about maybe not saying he was a chow mix was just because, like you said, he's not "poofy like a chow" so his coat would not be the same to groom. I bet Guiness will do great! If he's friendly with strangers, and loves to be brushed, I bet there will be no problem. Good luck with your appointment on friday! Let us know how it goes!

[jenluckenbach]

Just a hint:

We, as groomers, need to know what your dog LOOKS like. That would mean, in Guinisess's case, Shepherd mix. the word Chow would not even need to come up in conversation. The most impotant things to us is 1)size of the dog and 2) type of coat.

If a person comes in to our shop insisting they have a American Eskimo mix, but the dog has the fur of a Cock-a-poo, Then we will just write Cock-a-poo on its information card. The 2 types of fur coats would take different amounts of work, and we need to know how to schedule the other clients.

[Sevens]

Actually, I guess I could have said Sheperd mix instead of Chow/Sheperd mix. And I did tell them he was only 37 pounds. I guess I just thought I should say Chow/Sheperd mix because of the undercoat thing.

I'm sure he'll do fine. I asked my co-workers who they use, because one has a German Sheperd and the other has a Shi Tzu and both of those dogs get groomed regularly. I'm just glad I didn't take him to PetSmart. The owner of the Shi Tzu took her to one near our apartment. When she went to pick her up, she noticed a bald spot on top of the dog's head that wasn't there when she dropped her off. The groomer said, "Yeah, I don't know about that bald spot. You need to take her to the vet and have him examine her, I think she has a skin infection that would cause the hair to fall out."

She took Shelby (isn't that a cute name? ) to the vet that afternoon. He examined Shelby and said "That is NOT a skin infection. Somebody just took out a plug of her fur." Can you believe that? I mean, if you mess up doing your job, admit it and move on. Don't say the dog is sick to cover it up and cause the owner to have to spend more time away from work at the vet and addtional office fees.

Besides I watched them at that PetSmart once while I was deciding whether or not to get Bailey a bath there. I watched a woman manhandle a Yorkie that wasn't biting her, he was just wiggling on the table and he had a muzzle on. She picked him up by the scruff of the neck and a handful of his back and screamed in his face, then slammed him back down on the table. I was kinda like "well, if you have problems with a 5 pound yorkie, how are you gonna react to a wiggly 40 pound pit bull mix?"

I hope wolfQ, jen, and micki don't think I am talking bad about groomers in general just by sharing these stories. I think y'all do a wonderful job that a lot of people don't want to, or don't know how to do. And I do very much appreciate all the advice you have given me on this thread.

[xoxjoanie]

I have a story from hell about Pet Smart. This is in the Philadelphia papers a few years ago. It seems that they put them in some kind of cages to dry them and the cages aren't opened in any way. They forgot about a little Yorkie that was in the cage and left it in there too long and the dog died.

The people that I talk to on the Yorkie Discussion Board were absolutely hysterical when they read this story. I'd never take my dog to Pet Smart for grooming.

[lovemyshiba]

hee hee--I have a funny story!!
My mother-in-law's pom, Casey, who weighs all of 7 pounds, was banned from Petco. He was sooooo bad while being groomed, they refused to do him anymore. She didn't brush him much at home, and he hates it, so he was biting.

Good luck with Guiness--I'm sure he'll be wonderful!!!

[micki76]

Originally posted by Sevens
Actually, I guess I could have said Sheperd mix instead of Chow/Sheperd mix. And I did tell them he was only 37 pounds. I guess I just thought I should say Chow/Sheperd mix because of the undercoat thing.

I'm sure he'll do fine. I asked my co-workers who they use, because one has a German Sheperd and the other has a Shi Tzu and both of those dogs get groomed regularly. I'm just glad I didn't take him to PetSmart. The owner of the Shi Tzu took her to one near our apartment. When she went to pick her up, she noticed a bald spot on top of the dog's head that wasn't there when she dropped her off. The groomer said, "Yeah, I don't know about that bald spot. You need to take her to the vet and have him examine her, I think she has a skin infection that would cause the hair to fall out."

She took Shelby (isn't that a cute name? ) to the vet that afternoon. He examined Shelby and said "That is NOT a skin infection. Somebody just took out a plug of her fur." Can you believe that? I mean, if you mess up doing your job, admit it and move on. Don't say the dog is sick to cover it up and cause the owner to have to spend more time away from work at the vet and addtional office fees.

Besides I watched them at that PetSmart once while I was deciding whether or not to get Bailey a bath there. I watched a woman manhandle a Yorkie that wasn't biting her, he was just wiggling on the table and he had a muzzle on. She picked him up by the scruff of the neck and a handful of his back and screamed in his face, then slammed him back down on the table. I was kinda like "well, if you have problems with a 5 pound yorkie, how are you gonna react to a wiggly 40 pound pit bull mix?"

I hope wolfQ, jen, and micki don't think I am talking bad about groomers in general just by sharing these stories. I think y'all do a wonderful job that a lot of people don't want to, or don't know how to do. And I do very much appreciate all the advice you have given me on this thread.

I don't take offense to anything you've said, but as a former groomer I could tell you stories that would make you vomit and would make you so mad you'd spit nails. I've worked with some horrible groomers.

Be very careful where you take your pets to be groomed, everyone. It can be a day of horror for your pet, more often than not.

[tomkatzid]

Originally posted by micki76


Be very careful where you take your pets to be groomed, everyone. It can be a day of horror for your pet, more often than not.

That is very sad and scarry to hear. What signs should we look for before we leave our dogs and after what should we be looking for as we pick up our dogs? I don't want to know stories, because that would be too sad. But I would like to know your
in-put on what we as the owners need to be aware of. Especially since we just got the new groomer for Nina. Which seemed to go just fine. But now I'm scared.
Katz

[cloverfdx]

we groom at home saves alot of stress, both human an animal and alot of money.

also you could brush guiness outside, saves clogging up the drains and gives somthing for the birds to nest in.

when walking with the dogs at the park we always find big clumps of fur lying around (and can usualy tell what dog it is from lol)

[tomkatzid]

The bad things I noticed about the new groomer were:

She wasn't even going to ask us for a phone #, just said she would be finished at 3pm. I gave her home and cell #'s. And then we called an hour before she said she'd be ready and she was finished already.

Did not ask for proof of shots.

Did not ask for vet's # for emergency.

[magcpen]

I only remember one time when my aunt took her dogs, Eddie and Nikki, to the groomer. They're Poms so they're really fluffy, but I think the whole family is used to the shedding so we don't really notice, except when I see a piece of fuzz and panic because I think it's a spider, lol. I think my aunt does pretty well grooming them at home, though they have to feed them treats to get them to stay calm in the bath, lol.

[ParNone]

micki writes:

I don't take offense to anything you've said, but as a former groomer I could tell you stories that would make you vomit and would make you so mad you'd spit nails. I've worked with some horrible groomers.

Be very careful where you take your pets to be groomed, everyone. It can be a day of horror for your pet, more often than not.

I've a friend who's a groomer and she's got some hair-raising
stories too. That went into my decision to get a Smooth Collie
vs. a Rough. I was too worried I wouldn't be able to handle the
grooming myself, like I do with Murph and Maddie and after
hearing her stories I refuse to take any of my dogs to groomers.
I just don't want to take the risk of them getting one of the
bad seeds.

Par...