Do you drop your kids off to be bathed?

[Luddly Neddite]

I groomed my own dogs for years. But I have one dog who is difficult to groom (temperment) and I take him to a groomer. I've been there behind the scenes, and I know him as part of our dog community. He's a great guy, does a good job, and in fact, was the person who first found a pea sized lump on Rue's neck that ended up being a mast cell cancer. He is worth his weight in gold

I used to have this tiny poodle, a rescue from a puppy mill. The mill owner really fought us in court, said that dog was going to make him a million dollars because she was so tiny and he could get very tiny puppies from her. Fact is, she probably would not have lived through one litter. She had such a severe heart condition, she could not be spayed. She would get stressed and turn blue and every time, I wondered if that would be the last.

I used to groom her. A bath in the kitchen sink and then clipping - just to keep her hair short and unmatted.

I knew she wouldn't live very long but she was happy and comfortable. Bossy as hell and a yippy little belly shark pain in the neck but we loved her.

Also used to use a mobile groomer until I surprised her in her truck. She was doing one of our dogs who was sweet and easy and never a problem but she had him strung up by his neck so his front feet didn't touch the table and she was holding on to him by his penis. He was just whimpering and moaning. I saw red. She was lucky I didn't kill her on the spot. She got so many complaints with the BBC, vets and vet medical assoc that she was put out of business.

 

[Gracie]

There are many groomers out there that are kind and sweet and caring. But there are many that are not. I'm just ranting because I try to avoid topics of animal abuse but this one kinda caught me off guard.

I'm just saying, BE CAREFUL who you leave your dog with to be groomed.

Luddly, if I caught anyone doing that to my dog, they would be dead. And I would be posting from prison. Fact.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

When I lived out in the desert, I got a call from a neighbor asking if I was missing a dog. Then, would I take a small dog. I said of course and could not believe what she brought.

He was a cock-a-poo, covered in cactus and matted hair. The neighbor trained police/drug/sar dogs and had a grooming table so we put that poor little guy on the table and just whaled on him. While we were clipping and cutting and trying not to get stuck by all the cactus, a friend who was a groomer pulled up with her boyfriend, who worked for animal control. So, outside her kennel, under a light. all four of us worked on that poor dog.

For weeks after, cactus spines would work their way out of his body and he had obviously been severely mistreated. He was a fear biter. If you reached for his collar or if a foot got too close, he would go ballistic.

Our grand kids would visit often and I would never take the chance of them being bitten. I spent hours, sitting on the floor with him, pulling gently on his collar, talking to him, telling him he could do this. He would fight and try to turn his head to bite me. He connected several times and I still have the scars. Or I would gently rub him with my foot. There were times when I just thought I couldn't get him back and I would decide to take him to animal control to be put down. Then I would talk myself into giving him one more week.

I could actually see him struggle with his own demons. One day, out on a walk, he wanted SO BAD to explore (roll in) a road kill jack rabbit and, when I told him no, he would turn toward it, then back to me and then back to the dead jack rabbit. I won - he came to me.

He was doing pretty well I thought, but I didn't trust him. When I would take him to the vet or groomer, I would tell them to muzzle him. One day, I walked into the bedroom to find my 3 year old g'daughter laying on the bed, face to face with Cholla, laughing and giggling and pulling on his collar. There was no way I could have gotten to them fast enough if he had gone for her face. But, Cholla was laughing right along with her - he had turned some sort of corner and never again growled or bit. Kids and dogs just sometimes seem to have a special connection.

This is the cactus that literally covered him so thickly, he couldn't move and we couldn't touch him. Its called jumping cholla, pronounced choy-ya. Its attached very loosely and even the slightest touch will cause it to stick to you.I know from experience that its almost painless going in but its barbed and hurts like the dickens coming out.

One of our other dogs got a mouthful while out on a walk. I had no choice but to pull it out with my bare hands. Awful.

Sorry this is so long but that dog really got to me. He had a good long life with us and I was always glad I had kept giving him "just one more week".

 

[Gracie]

I love dogs. Love all animals. Reading sad stories makes ME sad.

Be careful who you hand your dog over to. Check references. Get opinions from others that use that groomer. Demand to see the back room to see what they are doing if it is a big grooming place.


That said...I just wanted to give a forewarning. I did. And now I am getting the hell out of the Pet Forum, which I avoid at all costs.

Hugs

 

[Moonglow]

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

I just throw the poodle into the clothes dryer after a bath...in the washing machine...

Oh man, I never thought about that. I should start doing that instead. Definitely makes more sense than the microwave.

 

[Moonglow]

I just throw the poodle into the clothes dryer after a bath...in the washing machine...

Oh man, I never thought about that. I should start doing that instead. Definitely makes more sense than the microwave.

I use a front loader with a dryer shelf...

 

[ChrisL]

Darn, I was thinking of dropping my rabbit off to be groomed. His fur is so long and is always tangled up and matted. I was thinking about having his hair trimmed up or something. But not the hair on his head because I like to give him hairdos sometimes. It cracks me up!

 

[strollingbones]

like any industry there are good and bad....ask the groomer to blow dry your dog and not use the cages..there may be an extra charge but it is worth it....dogs with white nails are easy to trim...black nails not so much just nip a wee bit off each week and the root will withdraw as you shorten the nail...use a private groomer instead of a big box one...most groomers learn by apprenticing .....most groomers do not allow the parents to stay and watch for one simple reason...dogs are much better behaved when the parent is not there....a good set of clippers runs about 100 bucks ....make sure the dog is clean and you have a cooling spray....use on the clippers not the dog...

if you have a fancy dog...use a puppy cut...simple cut...learn to do the paws first...and then venture out with the muzzle and eyes..

you can also ask for a total scissor cut....where the clippers are only used on the feet and around the eyes...the body is done totally with scissors...and yes you will pay more...

i hate cage drying...poor dog will sit in the back corner of the cage and try to avoid the hot air stream....

 

[featherlite]

Poor owner. Yeah I've heard some Petco or Pet-smart groomers arent very good.
Where I use to work we didn't do any fancy cuts. Body shaves, sani clips, NT, anal glands, ears/hair pulling, de matting ect... the fancier breed specific cuts were for grooming shops. The benefit of us doing it is we could groom under general anesthesia if needed.
We also never had heated cage dryers on. Our vets would have a cow lol. "its the air flow not the heat."
Because it was often so chaotic and busy, was automatic for us all to double checked each other .... for the animals well being.
Severe caution dogs...of course we needed to muzzle and restrain but if that animal was showing any extreme stress...we stopped.
The groomers we were in contact with, were dedicated and skilled at what they do.
if it was blatant neglect at Pet smart, that's inexcusable.