Do you take your dog to the groomers?

No. I guess it's an option, but I don't mind grooming. Fez is the only one that would need it, and he's probably the most difficult dog we have to get along with strangers. He would not be good for a groomer. I'm definitely not the world's best groomer (ears...bah) but I think he comes out okay. I was actually planning on clipping him tonight but didn't get around to it..maybe tomorrow.

It really does suck. A definite added expense that just plain blows.

But when I dogsit for others, and have their dogs little hairs stuck ALL over the black interior of my car, and my bed, and my car begins to smell like dog... I am entirely grateful for my non-shedding pooch and just suck up the $60 every 10 weeks or so, LOL... I really forget how much I appreciate it.

I keep him short because I'm sooo bad at ANY kind of grooming. Like, honestly, Jackson never gets brushed ever, I hate doing his nails, etc, so with the professional groomings every 8-10 weeks, it makes me able to just have him really wash and wear.

Never! I loves me some fluffeh dogs, I don't mind brushing, I don't mind washing, I don't mind shedding, I don't mind cutting straggly hairs, but I would never own a breed like a poodle that might need professional grooming. No way.

Dixie goes every 4-6 months. She's a Schnauzer mix so she gets trimmed, bathed, and her nails clipped. She will probably need another grooming in July, she had one in January. She is very good at the groomers, kind of a wiggle butt but otherwise does well.

Pfft, dog hair is the best accessory, it goes on everything

Lol, I know, right?

It's funny, because growing up with a Golden and a GSD, I ALWAYS had hair over everything. I went to school most likely covered in dog every day. The GSD was always on my bed. Never bothered me. I guess it still wouldn't, really, if I had a breed that shed but admit I've totally gotten used to these non-shedding dogs in the past few years.

Well, my dads dogs do shed, but seemingly barely at all. I don't ever notice any hair from them unless they are in the bath tub.

I went to a tracking event as an observer a couple months ago, and one of the women there laughed at me and said, "Oh honey, haven't you learned not to buy black jeans yet?"

:rofl1:

I'm okay with clippers. If I had a poodle I'd just bite the bullet if the dog was decently behaved and shave it down myself. If it looked a little goofy so be it. It's a poodle. It's hair will grow back. I'd probably have the silliest looking poodle ever.

Auggie went once when he was younger. That was it. I do everything myself, though Payton and Georgie have both gone to Auggie's breeder for some more, uh, "future show dog"-type grooming for lack of a better way to put it. I'm still learning that stuff so I'll take them to her and she shows me what to do, then I come home and try to maintain it.

Payton's coat is kinda ridiculous right now and I know it's just going to get worse, but honestly the only part about it that's bad is that I'm all paranoid now about taking him out hiking and having him come back with ticks hiding in all that coat and having to c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y line brush through all of that looking for ticks. Buh.

Also Payton is in that stage where he needs a lot of brushing in his armpits and behind his ears to make sure he doesn't mat (puppy coat is going away, adult coat is coming in, so it mats easily) but once he's through with that stage he'll be not much different than Auggie. Just with a LOT more coat.

It's really not that bad. I wouldn't say grooming is something I look forward to but it's no big deal. They really are a lot easier than they look, and there's nothing really super complicated to it. I do have a nice little grooming kit. But mostly it's full of different scented coat sprays LOL.

Rosey has gone 3 or 4 times, because it's something special that she gets and enjoys. She doesn't *need* it, but she LOVES being the center of attention and everything. She would go more often, but we never kept her rabies and distemper up to date. She went a few months ago now, and will likely be going back before June. Plus, it makes her all fluffy and soft

She gets pretty much the basics, but upgraded to a hypoallergenic oatmeal shampoo. Bath, brush, teeth brushed, nails clipped and paw fur trimmed. They cut her ear fringe a bit, and we're fairly certain they trimmed her down some last time, at least with scissors -- she doesn't have her "bedhead" (caused by straight fur in back, curly in front) look going on.

We drop her off and they usually call us around 3 hours later to pick her up.

Nope, all done by myself! Clip the Poodle, trim/shape the Lizzie, bath all dogs, dremel nails, clean ears. Seriously not that bad. Better than a $50 bill, IMO.

Until recently I was a dog groomer so the one we have that requires a clip I do myself as needed. The papillons just get their feet done and a weekly bath and the lab gets bathed when she smells bad enough to warrant one.

Me either. I can deal with papillon fur, it's wonderful and probably the easiest longhaired coat you can find. Shelties are not too bad either but a little more involved. anything that needs clipped is a no go to me. Too much work.

Meg went once, when she desperately needed a bath in the middle of winter. The last time I gave her a bath at home, she cowered and shook every time I turned the shower on for days . I figured I'd rather she be traumatized elsewhere. Otherwise, she gets a bath once in a while in the summer at the barn.

Gusto has never been, and I'm fairly certain he would not be welcome! He screams like a banshee when I give him a bath. Like Meg, he just gets his at the barn when he's rolled in something gross. I do their nails myself, and otherwise, they are about as easy grooming as you can find.

I did grow up with a Bedlington Terrier, who went to the groomer every 6 weeks or so. I hate clipping and I refuse to pay grooming fees on a regular basis, so never again!

We used to take Benji to the groomer when he was alive. His coat was the kind that grew continuously and had to be clipped once in a while. He'd go two or three times during the summer to get nekkid because otherwise he'd be too hot, and he'd go once or twice during the winter for a trim to keep him neat and tidy. We went to a woman about 10 minutes from my parents' house who groomed out of her garage. Benji hated to be bathed and clipped and he would act sad whenever I dropped him off, but he was never scared, so I knew our groomer was ok. We paid $50 a visit, plus $5 for the tip.

Neither Daisy nor Rocky need to go to the groomer. Their coats are pretty wash 'n wear. Daisy does go to the vet to get her nails done because if we try to do it ourselves it becomes a huge ordeal, whereas at the vet they just take her back, clip 'em and then bring her back in like 10 minutes.

Miles doesn't need to go to the groomer either. He doesn't have the typical overly poofy pom coat, his is pretty wash 'n wear and doesn't need to be brushed very often. Its finally growing back to its orginal poof, poor dog chewed himself up because of those stupid fleas that we struggled to get rid of. Miles' nails are getting long, I need to have my roommate help me restrain him so I can do them.

Nope, I've never been to a groomer, purely because I've never had the type of coats that require it! I just give them a going over with the Furminator every fortnight or so.

So as a side note...what is a standard grooming tip? I was pleasantly surprised to find Lucy's grooming bill this morning was only $60, and I tipped $15--is that really high? Is the normal 15% like for restaurants more applicable, and I should have tipped more like $10? I hate figuring out tips.

Never but none of my breeds needed it,even though,they were and are long-hair!.they just need,a good brushing and a bath whenever they roll in something or stink to high heaven!.

I've always done between 15%-20% - I just normally round it up to a nice, even, number. Jack's grooming ends up being $40 and change, and I'll normally give her $50.

Chloe, no. Only once to have her nails done and they didn't do a good job so never again.

We take Violet to a "self wash" grooming place, and I can use all their equipment for $15. We go about 2 months between (when she gets stinky she goes in) but since switching to raw, I haven't noticed much of a doggy smell to her, so I'm hoping we can go more like every 3-4 months. (we recently found a groomer that will wash, dry, and clip her nails for $20 so were going to try it. If it doesn't work out I'll go back to self washing).