Bad Dog Grooming Experiences, Please Share...

[MysticRealm]

I will answer that question. A cocker grows long hair everywhere, the face doesn't grow quite as much. But you have to shave or handstrip the head and back to get the proper cocker look.

 

[MafiaPrincess]

Both mine get faces, ears and necks clipped. Show kids can't have clipped backs.. Need to be hand stripped.. But enough people clip them some weeks prior to a show, and then hand strip to maintain them.. Cider's was shaved down 6 months ago maybe.. Been easier to maintain stripping since.. Smudge's still isn't under control..

 

[noludoru]

Thanks for the answers, guys! It's just something I've always wondered about, lol.

 

[drmom777]

When I was growing up, we had a Scottish Terrier named Bessie that was badly bred and had a softish coat. My mom would get her clipped so she looked like a stubby schnauzer with a fluffy tail.

Then, when we lived in Boston my husband and I were fortunate in rescuing an older Scottish Terrier we named Ahoj. He was the most perfect Scottish Terrier I have ever had the pleasure of handling. He was of a type you don't usually see in the U.S., heavy of bone and square of head- if you read the actual breed standard he hit it on every point.

Well, when we got him and cleaned him up, he needed grooming. I called around and found a groomer on Beacon Hill who swore he had done many Scotties over the years. I even brought a Scottish Terrier book and showed him pics of exactly how I wanted my boy to look. I was excited to see how he would turn out when he was groomed

I arrived to find Ahoj in some kind of modified poodle continental clip. I almost cried. He had no eyebrows and hardly any whiskers! So, after waiting for his hair to grow in, I got a good set of proffessional clippers and some books, and I looked at many pictures, and I got a stripping knife, and I taught myself to keep him in trim.

I have pictures of him, but it was in the pre-digital age and I can't post them. This dog had STYLE. He made perfect strangers smile just watching him walk up the street. He was a proffessional beggar and had the call girls at the Old English Health Club across the street carrying treats for him, and the chef at the italian restaurant on the corner (where we couldn't afford to eat) trained to give him samples of whatever he was making "Here doggie, don't you want to try my sausage? and a little gnocchi maybe, with some sauce?" The man never gave me a thing! But I will never forget him in that poodle-y clip. I believe he was embarrassed. i think it took a good six months or more for him to grow back his Franz Jozef eyebrows and mustache.

 

[duncan15]

sarah- it is not up to you who posts into the thread. i will say what i want, just as you will. i dont care where you are, you should not send a show dog in show coat to a pet groomer who you dont know. you just shouldnt, and i thinmk it was dumb to do so. again, if you take such great care of your dog then i dont get why you urgently needed a grooming. my boss is not a groomer. i work at a kennel where i groom part time. so she is a breeder/kennel owner. not a groomer. however she took the time to learn how to brush and take care of her poodles. when it comes to any clipping, her show dogs are taken to a professional poodle groomer, not some run of the mill salon. get mad all you want, but it was your fault. instead of getting mad about some people telling you the truth you should accept it and learn from it. i dont know any show dogs who are ever in deperate need of bathing/ grooming. you need to make more of an effort with your dog.

and so far, all your thread has done is get more people to jump on the hate the groomer train. almost every story people have told have been their fault as well. so how bout a "i made a horrible mistake and left my dog with someone i shouldnt have b/c i wasnt educated enough to realize what was happening" thread? would that be ok for me to make? or how about a "groomers-tell me about all the horrible customers you get" thread?

 

[Blackie10427]

I bet you were so annoyed. Did they not ask you what you wanted done?

tat is a very inspiering message i think i will add somtin like tat!!!

 

[MafiaPrincess]

how about a "groomers-tell me about all the horrible customers you get"

The few I know have had some over the stop stories to tell.. Really horrifying.. make you wonder how they can keep grooming after some of the terrible things they've seen on dogs, in dogs, or the people who have brought the animals in..

 

[Shahrazade]

I used to work at a pet store that included a salon, and some of the customers were NUTS. There was a guy who came in wanting his terrier to have a mohawk because he was mad at his girlfriend and wanted to freak her out by getting her new puppy's hair cut in a weird way (they told him no since he admitted he wasn't the owner and she hadn't consented to having the dog groomed). Then there were the people who owned Pomeranians and wanted them SHAVED COMPLETELY every couple of months. Uhm... if you want a short haired dog, here's a thought, don't get a Pom? Or the people with a Golden whose hair was maybe 1" long who wanted her shaved so she wouldn't shed... or the people who were taking their Golden to Florida on vacation in the middle of the winter and wanted her shaved down as short as they could get it so the heat wouldn't bother her- well around the date they planned to come back there was a huge blizzard, and these people lived in the mountains! That poor dog must have been shivering like none other anytime she had to go out to potty.

Or the people the groomer called Animal Control on because they brought in two Shih Tzus with such matted fur that they didn't know one of them had a horrible infection in both eyes that had made him blind- they couldn't even SEE his eyes. The Shihs got taken away and put into a Shih Tzu rescue where I believe they still are in foster care as it's a bit tough to find homes for one blind and one half blind elderly Shih Tzu with a bad temper due to years of neglect.

Or the guy who picked up his two cockers and shoved them in the trunk of his small sedan- yeah, the groomer called the police on that one, too.

 

[carlar]

One of my Yorkies had her Achilles heel tendon cut by a breeder last year. We are still fighting her about her responsibilities in this. She is permanently lamed. Still loveable and runs around like she doesn't need that foot but we are still so upset. I've been trying to do my own grooming since this happened.

 

[SarahFish]

That is horrible!! What actually happened?
But I understand that it is sometimes hard, be it for whatever reason, to groom/bath your own dog. Some people can and for good reasons some people can't.
Your situation is a million times worse than mine, and I hope your dog is okay!

 

[PoodleMommy]

sarah- it is not up to you who posts into the thread. i will say what i want, just as you will. i dont care where you are, you should not send a show dog in show coat to a pet groomer who you dont know. you just shouldnt, and i thinmk it was dumb to do so. again, if you take such great care of your dog then i dont get why you urgently needed a grooming. my boss is not a groomer. i work at a kennel where i groom part time. so she is a breeder/kennel owner. not a groomer. however she took the time to learn how to brush and take care of her poodles. when it comes to any clipping, her show dogs are taken to a professional poodle groomer, not some run of the mill salon. get mad all you want, but it was your fault. instead of getting mad about some people telling you the truth you should accept it and learn from it. i dont know any show dogs who are ever in deperate need of bathing/ grooming. you need to make more of an effort with your dog.

and so far, all your thread has done is get more people to jump on the hate the groomer train. almost every story people have told have been their fault as well. so how bout a "i made a horrible mistake and left my dog with someone i shouldnt have b/c i wasnt educated enough to realize what was happening" thread? would that be ok for me to make? or how about a "groomers-tell me about all the horrible customers you get" thread?

Someone is a bit defensive.

Just because people have bad grooming experiences doesnt mean they are saying all groomers are bad... and most of the ppl who have posted bad experiences are NOT to blame.

So take a major CHILL pill, get off your high horse, and read the whole thread not the parts you feel like.

 

[duncan15]

actually, i did read the whole thing. its six pages of people ranting about stuff groomer have done. most of which have sounded like it was not only the groomers fault but the owners. and also, i mostly responded b/c people seem to think that they can tell people what to write on these sites when they cant.

and to be honest, sarah was stupid for taking her show quality dog to a pet groomer, and also stupid for not giving specific instructions. she said herself that she knew before she left her dog there that the groomer wasnt very good, that most in the area sucked. and again, people who show their dogs and do it right, do not let their dogs get into a state where the "urgently need to be groomed". doesnt happen, im sorry. she doesnt know what she is doing, and i have ever right to tell her that.

and i agree, not all groomers are great, which is a rule in any business. but who is worse, the people who do bad business, or the people stupid enough to take their business to that very person. none of these groomers would be around if people did some research and found out what to look for when taking your dog to the groomer, or to the vet, or the kennel, or the dog park. instead of creating a thread 6 pages long about how a groomer wronged you, why dont you take a step back from the situation and think how you can avoid it again.

and i do have a reason to defend those in this business. you people have no idea how hard it is to be a groomer, what we have to deal with in terms of dogs and customers. so to create a thread that only talks about your bad experiances is probably going to get any groomer who reads it to say something about how stupid it is

 

[PoodleMommy]

actually, i did read the whole thing. its six pages of people ranting about stuff groomer have done. most of which have sounded like it was not only the groomers fault but the owners. and also, i mostly responded b/c people seem to think that they can tell people what to write on these sites when they cant.

and to be honest, sarah was stupid for taking her show quality dog to a pet groomer, and also stupid for not giving specific instructions. she said herself that she knew before she left her dog there that the groomer wasnt very good, that most in the area sucked. and again, people who show their dogs and do it right, do not let their dogs get into a state where the "urgently need to be groomed". doesnt happen, im sorry. she doesnt know what she is doing, and i have ever right to tell her that.

and i agree, not all groomers are great, which is a rule in any business. but who is worse, the people who do bad business, or the people stupid enough to take their business to that very person. none of these groomers would be around if people did some research and found out what to look for when taking your dog to the groomer, or to the vet, or the kennel, or the dog park. instead of creating a thread 6 pages long about how a groomer wronged you, why dont you take a step back from the situation and think how you can avoid it again.

and i do have a reason to defend those in this business. you people have no idea how hard it is to be a groomer, what we have to deal with in terms of dogs and customers. so to create a thread that only talks about your bad experiances is probably going to get any groomer who reads it to say something about how stupid it is

You seem to be the one who wants to tell people what they can and cant say... this is an open forum where people frequently write about their GOOD AND BAD experiences with groomers, vets, doctors, counselors, kids, parents, friends, car repairmen, whatever! Thats the point in the forum.

I have written about great grooming experiences on here before and I have written about bad ones... I have done all kinds of research and still ended up with a groomer who couldnt handle my dog, got frustrated and ended up hurting her and I wrote about it on this forum when it happened... not to say all groomers were bad but simply to vent because again thats what this forum is for!

Coming on here and telling a young girl she is stupid over and over again is not helpful advice... she came on here to tell her story and ask for advice there was no need to belittle her.

 

[noludoru]

actually, i did read the whole thing. its six pages of people ranting about stuff groomer have done. most of which have sounded like it was not only the groomers fault but the owners. and also, i mostly responded b/c people seem to think that they can tell people what to write on these sites when they cant.

and to be honest, sarah was stupid for taking her show quality dog to a pet groomer, and also stupid for not giving specific instructions. she said herself that she knew before she left her dog there that the groomer wasnt very good, that most in the area sucked. and again, people who show their dogs and do it right, do not let their dogs get into a state where the "urgently need to be groomed". doesnt happen, im sorry. she doesnt know what she is doing, and i have ever right to tell her that.

and i agree, not all groomers are great, which is a rule in any business. but who is worse, the people who do bad business, or the people stupid enough to take their business to that very person. none of these groomers would be around if people did some research and found out what to look for when taking your dog to the groomer, or to the vet, or the kennel, or the dog park. instead of creating a thread 6 pages long about how a groomer wronged you, why dont you take a step back from the situation and think how you can avoid it again.

and i do have a reason to defend those in this business. you people have no idea how hard it is to be a groomer, what we have to deal with in terms of dogs and customers. so to create a thread that only talks about your bad experiances is probably going to get any groomer who reads it to say something about how stupid it is

Duncan, is there a chance you'd start a thread on the topic? I bet it would help a LOT of chazzers. I for one certainly know virtually nothing about looking for groomers. The only thing I know is to ask for referrals, and even that could be iffy if the person lauding their expertise doesn't knw a thing themselves.

After all, I met a woman who shows her poodles bringing one of her bitches (who, admittedly, wasn't being shown at the time, but still) to Petco when the only person working was the 18 year old assistant. And the poor pup definitely did not come out with the best clip!

 

[duncan15]

i havent told anyone what they can or cant say. that was actually sarah about 3 pages ago telling me to not respond unless i cvould say what she wanted to hear.

to be honest, what she did is stupid, and if she doesnt have someone to tell her that, then she will not know. like i said before, instead of blaming her groomer, she should look at the mistakes she made and figure out how to fix them. again all of the stories told have had things that the owners should have picked up on, or realized before leaving their dog. im not saying it is all their faults, but i do think that people need to be more aware about who they leave their dog with. grooming is a business that has blown up in recent years, and b/c of the price, everyone is looking for the cheapest deal, not realizing that there is a reason it is so cheap. and b/c there are no licensing laws, anyone can lie and say they are a groomer and who knows what horrible things they could end up doing to a dog.

if you guys want some tips to finding a good groomer then i can help you out. but "venting" about your bad experiance doesnt change the fact that you let it happen. you can tell right away if someone is a dog person or not. it is very easy to tell if someone actually enjoys what they are doing, or are so stressed that they will crack if a dog acts up again. and yes, sometimes accidents happen to the best of us, and a lot of times there is no one to blame. but owners still find a way to blame us for a lot of things that may or may not be anyones fault.

 

[SarahFish]

Duncan, it wasn't about not hearing what I didn't want to hear, it was about me getting attacked by you even though it wasn't the point of the thread. I know I made a mistake, which I admitted, but having you telling me I'm stupid really makes me feel like crap.
The whole point of the thread was for people to publish their grooming experiences, and not to attack groomers.
I don't hate groomers, I respect their profession immensely, and whilst the stories on here are about grooming errors, I know that there are thousands more brilliant groomers that would never do any of this stuff.
So Duncan, I would very much appreciate it if you would stop attacking me now, and if you decide to start up a new thread regarding choosing a good groomer, providing it doesn't mention me, my experience, or any other experiences on here, then go right ahead.

 

[verderben]

I would have probably killed the groomer if they had shaved my husky. I almost once took my male in for a bath and brush to a groomer but then chickened out and canceled because I have worked in several groom shops and have seen some horrible things. Sometimes no matter how much you say DONT TRIM ANYTHING! they do it anyways because they think it looks better. So I got paranoid and cancled because he had a show coming up and I knew I would go postal on the people if anything got cut off him.

 

[SarahFish]

I'd never experienced a groomer before, and we did say he had a show so he needs to be bathed and groomed. They said I've done Samoyed before, and then we got the phone call, once they'd started!
It's back to normal now and I'm showing him this weekend, so it's fine now, and in only 5 months it's pretty impressive.

 

[Brattina88]

last month, I allowed Maddie to be taken to the groomer my mother uses for her dog. She had a 'multi-dog discount' and I was able to take her in around my current work and school hours.
I was shocked and devastated (and too embarrassed to post) to pick up a completely naked cocker. Maddie's hair has always been pretty long - I almost didn't even recognize her at first! She even shaved her ears completely down, she looks like a solid colored beagle with a docked tail Even typing it out I'm still pretty upset about it...

The groomers excuse? She was "matted" and had fleas. Even if that were true (which its definitely NOT), a phone call would've been nice.

 

[Baxter'smybaby]

OMG-I so want to see pics of the cocker-beagle! LOL--I know I shouldn't laugh, but I can't imagine a cocker shaved all the way down!