Dog Parlours

Martine

Trained by an Airedale
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#1
This may seem like a strange question but I have no experience of dog grooming places, so please bear with me. Our vets surgery does dog grooming and I was thinking of taking Misha there as she is starting to find it hot with her big curly coat. We were there the other day & the door to the grooming parlour was open and two women were shearing this little cocker spaniel. The little thing was there, all muzzled up & looking really terrified, it gave me such a bewildered look as they pulled its legs up and down, I really wanted to give it some reassurance. But the ladies doing the grooming were having this really loud, animated conversation and completly ignoring the dog and its fear. Misha is such a timid dog and only just starting to get over her fear of people I'm afraid that kind of situation would be really stressful for her & set her back. I said to my husband that I was unsure of the place but he said he thinks they would all be like that, he thinks I get too overprotective. I don't think I'm over reacting, but thought I'd ask the experience audience. :confused:
 

Ash47

Taco Dog
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#2
Well,
I don't know about the one you went to... But you just can't make a big fuss over the dog if it is scared. It will just make it worse. I do hope that they were comforting it at some point, but not too much. If they were, it would make the dog really think something was wrong. Do you see what I mean? But if they weren't comforting it at all, then that is cruel.
Sometimes, they have to be muzzled so that they don't bite the groomers. It doesn't hurt them, just adgitates them for a little bit.
Hope this helps
 

Martine

Trained by an Airedale
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#3
Yes, thanks Pro that makes sense!..... I hadn't thought before that over fussing them might make it worse in that situation, I should have realised that... I am worried that really loud laughing and joking might make it worse for Misha, she has a real problem with anyone that booms, she only really feels comfortable with soft talking unless she knows you..........i'll check it out another time to see if that was the normal situation, and try and explain what she is like to them, see if they can lower the volume. Phew - having a dog is certainly keeping me learning spanish for new situations!! :)

Just on an aside, with Airedales do you recommend stripping or just normal triming? On one site I read stripping is only necessary if you show your dogs, but on another I've read it is the best way to keep the coat strong.
 

Ash47

Taco Dog
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#4
Hi Martine!
Glad that comforted you a little :) As far as stripping the coat, it does keep it strong and Terrier feeling. You know sort of a rough brittle feel? Clipping and trimming softens the coat though. As long as you don't mind his coat being soft and you aren't going to show him, then I see no reason to strip. But, it is all up to you. I found a good site a while back on stripping. I will post it here just to show you what the actual procedue is.
 

bonster

Disappointed :(
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#6
Hi Martine. It's funny - Bonnie doesn't like loud animated Spanish voices either, especially male ones...

But the ladies doing the grooming were having this really loud, animated conversation and completly ignoring the dog
I find sometimes in smaller/family-type shops the assistants do that too, ignoring the customers!! :D :D

Good luck in finding a groomer. Might be best if a good vet recommends one. I would be sure to make sure you can be understood though if they don't speak English...

Bonnie had a bad experience with nail clipping at an English vet/groomer in Spain (posted elsewhere) so I've decided to learn to do it myself!

As an aside, did you get your Kong yet? I'm still back in England, you can get them at "Pets at home" (Pets-R-us type chain) here and Bonnie loves hers with peanut butter inside. Hope they sell it in Spain, I don't like it so I've never looked before....
 

Martine

Trained by an Airedale
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#7
Thanks for the link Pro! It was interesting reading what's involved in stripping - it does seem to give a nice finish to the coat. But as you said, we are not planning on showing so will probably go with the normal clipping. By chance the link also answered a question that has been bugging me since we got Misha. Apparently when I was a little kid my neighbours had a dog which looked like a small airedale that I loved, but we couldn't work out the breed, looks like it might have been a Lakeland! They are cute!!

Hi Bonster! I've got a doggie spain question for you so will PM you, save this message being an essay! :)
 

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