To think if you use a dog groomer you should…

[Dogeatdogworld]

1. brush your bloody dog once a while, so that the poor thing isn’t matted/badly knotty when it goes to the groomers. Groomers have a set time for that appointment and coats in a state like that take a ridiculous amount of time to sort out. It’s also a lot more stressful/painful for the dog and not fair on them. Brush them regularly and everyone is a winner.

2. in a similar vein, keep up with regular appointments. If you have a bloody golden doodle and can only be arsed to take it to the groomers once every 4/5 months, it’s really not going to be a pleasant experience for anyone, including the dog.

3. take it for a good walk/tiddlecrap before the appointment so it doesn’t feel inclined to do its business in the groomer’s premises.

4. think about whether your dog is physically capable. As gentle as you try to be, a dog which is physically unable to stand up due to being old/frail/obese is going to have a miserable time being groomed. To dry and brush out the legs, the groomer does need to hold that leg up, so if your dog can’t stand up on 4 legs it’s got no hope on 3.

5. turn up for your appointment. And if you don’t, have the good grace to pay the groomer for that appointment anyway as if you hadn’t dicked them around they would have had a paying customer there.

6. start em young. You might think your puppy is too tiny to cope, but they just roll with it and tend to love the fuss. They will just accept that regular grooming is part of doggy life.

7. please for the love of god don’t take your dog to the groomers if they have fleas. The amount of extra cleaning required once fleas are discovered is astronomical.

The best groomer in my area is in huge demand and after 1 warning of matts (and lots of advice about daily grooming) will double her fee for every additional visit where the dog is significantly matted. It's not worth her while to deal with matts on dogs whose owners don't look after them - it's also an animal welfare area.

Yanbu.

Good on her, it does literally take twice as long so she should charge twice as much! Above all, it makes it so stressful and painful for the dog, it’s very rare to find one that actually ENJOYS going to the groomer and this just add’s to the dog’s negative feelings about going.

Our excellent groomer refuses to do less than 8 week intervals and DDog really needs it after 6 (mini schnauzer) so I try my best with home carding and scissoring plus Dremel tool on long claws.

Can I add “keep bum hair (obv) and paw pad hair short” to your list, OP?

Sorry OP, but having had a poodle for 16 years who absolutely HATED and refused getting brushed, I'm afraid we were those customers who got told off by the groomer for his fur being matted. I did respect our groomers very much though, as they managed to miraculously transform him from a mutt into a show dog. We did keep to regular visits though, but he looked like a show dog for about a day and a half and then it all went to pot from there. 🤪 He hated the groomers though and would hide on the days of his appointments. He was a gorgeous apricot/nearly white poodle.

Add away! The amount that come in with dried shit caked around their bums is surprisingly high. Also crusty eye discharge. Once you see this forming, soften it up with water on cotton wool every day so it doesn’t get out of hand and then cause infection (or if not infection then a very tricky job for a groomer to remove when it’s a solid mass of crusty stuff stuck to their face).

@XelaM I can tell you now that your groomer said many swear words about you whilst your dog was being groomed 🤣

3)- what is a tiddlecrap??? I have no idea when my 10mth old puppy needs a poo until 30sec beforehand! I could take her for a long walk in the morning, but the grooming appointment might be at 2pm. How can I ensure its pooed before the appointment? Genuine question?

4. never once has the groomer explained how exactly or what position the dog needs to be in for grooming. I've seen pics online of dogs hanging in a bag like device with feet out to clip the nails. IF a dog was required to stand for long periods, I would expect the groomer to explain this to me.

I agree, that brushing beforehand is needed and not sending a dog in with fleas are basics IMO. I do also think the groomers could explain more though. I asked specifically about the best brushes for my dogs coat, shampoos etc and any tips, and got very little back- other than to buy their products. I've since changed groomers.

@MarmiteCoriander a quick walk directly before the appointment should suffice, maybe get there 15 mins early and go for a walk around the block?

In terms of position, they basically need to be able to stand for an hour. Bath time is done standing. Drying and brushing is done standing. Trimming/clipping is done standing. You get the picture 🤣. If they keep collapsing in a heap it’s really unhelpful. I’m talking about extreme cases here, when I’m talking about physically incapable, for example 2 miniature poodles, 16 years old who are blind and so skinny and frail that they can’t stand up for longer than a few seconds. It was gently pointed out to them last time that it’s not really fair on them to bring them anymore, yet they’ve booked in again 🙄. And today a terrier so fat it literally couldn’t support its own body weight. Not the dog’s fault of course, but it does make it virtually impossible to groom them.

You might be a particularly good groomer though and I mean that. I have had a couple of different breeds and no matter where they go they just get shaved. If you ask, leave the ears, leave the tail, they look like a poor representation of a dog when they come back.

I do understand your problem with the elderly but having had a hairy lad at 15 and needed the help to remove some coat for the summer, I was aware and asked for whatever to be taken off sitting down and around the bum area. I just can't work the clippers to do the job and I needed some help from a professional. So I do think that is unfair a point though I was aware what they could do was limited. It wasn't for appearance, it was for him.

Start them young depends on the breed, because a lot of coats are manageable by the owners until a certain age. Also neutered dogs in particular breeds tend to grow heavier coarser coats if they are neutered later.

If the coat is too hard to brush out, save yourself the aggro and tell them it will grow back! Good on you for trying.

I am sure a lot of dentists have the same wishes you have!

My dog (yorkie) was fully able to stand on his legs, however getting him to stand at the groomers (or vets) was completely impossible...
He would lay completely flat as if trying to disappear into the table. I'm not quite sure how the groomer got round that, but he came back looking and smelling beautiful

What would you advise for a German Shepherd?

Thank you for the info OP. I didn't know the dogs get washed standing and also groomed standing the whole time and all dogs were expected to do so, with no leeway for the disabled or elderly. I'm glad you don't work in human health care/grooming OP!

As said up thread, our groomer has never explained the process- despite me asking.

Surely you have a clause that if someones dog is elderly, overweight, matted, scared, poos or wees in your salon- then you add an additional fee or exclude them altogether? That seems to be the vibes you are giving off in the OP.

What do you do with an old dog that needs groomed? In some cases (probably most) it’s not a matter of luxury, but a matter of necessity. I mean, you can’t just tell them not to grow fur because they’re old

I do agree with starting them young. We had ours get a two week nail trim plus anal gland express. It was part of her routine at doggy daycare and she never was afraid or stressed about it. Honestly I think we paid sometimes for her to just go in and have the clippers waved near her feet. But we did get reports back that she would hold out her paw to the groomer. I was ok with the added expense so she wasn’t upset.

(The poor girl had really bad anal glands).