Should dog groomers be working?

[EloiseTheFirst]

I refer to discussion on a previous thread that says you should work from home, unless that's not possible.

But my dog groomers (salon) has been closed since lockdown.

They told me the dog grooming association said they couldn't open because it's "non-essential".

Now they could easily deal with clients outside at 2m distance. Take dog in and return to customer outside. So no breach of social distancing.

My dog is in a right state and I would argue if it goes on much longer, her fur will be so thick it will become a welfare issue.

So what's the general consensus? Should they be open or not?

They’re all open round here but I’ve always just cut my dog with a pair of scissors since she was born and she’s fine.

The problem is mixed advice

They say essential travel but so many non essential shops and take aways are open

Near me all take aways are pick up only so how is that ok? Every business unless those directed, can and should stay open - the government has actually encouraged it

That’s why there’s more traffic now as businesses reopen that didn’t need to - many closer to sort out distancing measures only

The whole thing is a shambles

It’s ok to queue at B&Q for an hour with dozens of people but not ok to go one to one to a dog groomer

Both in a car?! B&q 10 miles further

Why open shops that people shouldnt drive to? Stupid

That’s why people are relaxing lockdown

Yes you can work if it’s non essential, but you have to weigh up whether you would get custom given that people can only travel for essential purposes. Difficult to explain to a random police stop that you’re taking your poodle to the hairdresser...

Groomers where we are have been allowed to open. She does contactless drop off and pick up. We have a Cav so he really needed a cut due to the weather getting warmer. If it was winter I wouldn’t have bothered but he was really suffering poor thing.

So I would say it’s essential as depending on your dog it could be a welfare issue. And despite someone’s helpful suggestion of ‘do it yourself’, there is no way I would be able to trim my wriggly bouncy dog without hurting him

Some are open round here for welfare grooms.

We have been combing our bichin every day and will try and use clippers if we have to but without the proper tethering equipment to clipper him it’s very tricky and he gets distressed.

Bt we will have to take him to a groomers or a vets soon as his anal glands need emptying and we can’t do that.

Agree

No police round here doing any monitoring tho!

Ive looked this up too. They are allowed to open. But the groomer needs to collect the dog. One dog at a time in the salon. Disinfect between dogs. Or mobiles can work.

When I sent my dog’s groomers this statement from a few local councils, she said they don’t have the correct van or insurance to transport the dogs.

I've ordered some clippers online and will have a go myself.

At this rate, with us all doing our own dogs, the vets are going to be full of grooming related injuries!

A friends dog had the edge of its ear snipped off with scissors - and that was at a groomers! (Not mine obviously). So I've no idea what'll happen with everyone doing it themselves!

My groomer is open. She closed to start with but has reopened in the last couple of weeks.

She’s a mobile groomer and comes to your house, she has PPE and works alone in her van, one dog at a time and disinfects between each one.

Dog grooming is incomparable with hairdressing as people have hair, dogs have a fur, a fur coat that absolutely needs trimming down/clipped regularly for welfare reasons. Humans do not need their hair done for welfare reasons.

Whilst I agree that if people can clip off the thousands of cockerpoos, cavapoos, poo this, poo that themselves, that would be great, in reality, there are going to be people that have these type of dogs that don't feel remotely capable of doing this (for various reasons) and then the dogs will suffer.

These poodle cross spaniel coats are horrendous to maintain without decent professional attention. The craze for them has turned round and is now biting the dogs on the arse themselves. I'm not a dog groomer anymore, I groomed in the pre-cockerpoo days. A lot of the dogs we saw back then would have been easily groomed at home by the owners.

I'm concerned about when my dog's dew claws need clipping; rest of her claws wear down from walking.

I had them done just before the lockdown, fortunately, but if this goes on for much longer they're going to have to be done again.

Definitely a welfare issue, so if there are no groomers working, does anyone know if vets will do something like that.

I can trim the fur that needs doing but I cannot clip claws.

@pigsDOfly
There’s a FB group called nail maintenance for dogs (I think) that would guide you to trim. Or get a file?

@pigsDOfly yes, vets can do your dogs nails if they need doing and groomers are closed.

Thanks Wolfiefan, I'll have a look at that.

She has very hairy feet and I have to trim the fur between her pads, between visit to the groomers for the dew claws and she doesn't like that so I'm not sure how she'd react if I came at her with a pair of clippers

She's small, as well, so everything is quite fiddly. I think the file is probably the best idea.

If I can get her used to having them filed it would be handy in the long term rather than having to bother with the groomers.

The dog groomers around here are starting to open up, but only if they follow the new rules advised by the government (I’ll try to find them, as I have see them). They must have all the proper protection. Dog grooming is essential for many, as some dogs will behave more aggressively towards their owners, than at the groomer, as she/he will know how to hold and restrain them. There are also people who are elderly, ill or disabled that wouldn’t be able to manage the level grooming needed to stop tats, long term. There has also been an increase of dogs needing veterinary care, due to accidental injuries, including ear tips being clipped completely off and some horrendous injuries to the dogs’ tongues. My own dog can’t be groomed by me or any professional groomer because of horrendous abuse, so my vet grooms him under anaesthesia. If my vet thinks it’s essential, then I’m happy with that.

if it is animal welfare (same as useful animals such as sheep) then yes it needs doing by someone who knows how to do it.

no, cats and dogs don't catch covid-19 but they can be contaminated surfaces. Don't touch anyone else's animal and be careful with your cats, you don't know where they've been. And this is yet another reason why dogs need to be under total control and not going near any other people.

Thanks PerfectionistProcrastinator, I do sometimes get the vet to do them under normal circumstances, but it feels a bit of an ask at the moment.

I had to go and pick up some medicine for her soon after the lockdown started - forgot about the bank holiday coming so didn't order in time for them to post it - and given the precautions that they're taking I think I'd feel a bit as if I was wasting their time just for two dew claws. Although, obviously they can't be left to just grow.

I'm going to have a go at filing them. If I start before they get too long I might be able to keep on top on them. Otherwise, it'll have to be the vet, unless the groomer opens soon; he's still running the pet shop side of things as far as I know.

The last time I took my dog to the groomer, just for her dew claws, before the lockdown. The were allowing owners into the shop but I had to put the dog on the floor and take off her harness/collar and lead.

He then picked her up, small dog, and put on their own, sterilised collar/harness and lead.

I then waited in the car, only took a few minutes, and when he'd finished he came out to the car to get me, we went back into the shop and reversed the process of pick up.

They have quite a large grooming room so there were two people able to work whilst keep a good distance apart.

It all seemed to work very well.

I like all the clippers, scissor advice. But please please be careful! Even with clippers, you need to bath and dry your dog first. Use a good dog shampoo & conditioner! Make sure the coat is bone dry. Use a slicker brush & comb on the went coat while drying... and have sossors to hand to cut out matts. Be prepared to spend a whole day doing bath and clipping- depending on your dog's coat and patience.... your dog will need a break at some point!!!

Once all this is done, get yourself a grooming spray and thinning out scissors and keep on top of it by brushing every other day.

I do mine myself, looks scruffy but it's not in his eyes, his bits are clean snd it was better for him in the heatwave.

Some groomers clearly are working though. I seem some freshly groomed dogs that look way to well done to be DIY jobs.

Whilst I agree that if people can clip off the thousands of cockerpoos, cavapoos, poo this, poo that themselves, that would be great, in reality, there are going to be people that have these type of dogs that don't feel remotely capable of doing this (for various reasons) and then the dogs will suffer.

I find it odd that you didn't mention poodles. They are an actual breed. Not just an ingredient for mixed dogs.

A friends dog had the edge of its ear snipped off with scissors - and that was at a groomers!

I'd avoid sissors. You're not grooming for the show ring. You can get it done well enough to stop your dog being uncomfortable and looking a complete mess with just clippers.

Probably because a poodles coat is much easier to maintain @california. Poodle cross coats are much, much more difficult to deal with and unfortunately the vast majority of people who own these breeds haven’t got a clue where to start with the maintenance of them.

Poodles coats are not easy to maintain. They need regular washing, brushing and cutting.

These dogs get their high maintenance coats from poodles. I know people with cockerpoos that never brush them and only groom them a few times a year.

My poodle needs to be in the groomers every other month or I need to do top up trims at home. I can get away with a brush once a week if it's short but once long it's every other day.

I am a groomer and I’m closed despite quite aggressive messages I receive. There are many reasons to stay closed. If I accidentally cut your dog (which happens more than you think) you will probably need a vet. Most vets are closed and you would need an emergency appointment. If your dog bites me (yes even your lovely little darling) I may need medical attention which requires entering a virus ridden hospital. Groomers have been told we are not essential and therefor our insurance is impacted if we go against guidelines. Also if you are worried about matts....BRUSH YOUR DOG! matts are 100% preventable but you have to put the work in. If you have let it get to a point where your dogs welfare is now at risk then you must contact a vet. Those worried about dogs being too warm in summer, read up on your dog. Learn about coat types. Many breeds are kept cooler with a longer coat. Remember dogs don’t sweat like us.
Above all, please do not put pressure on your groomer to open. No haircut is worth dying for

“These dogs get their high maintenance coats from poodles.”

No... some of the crosses have weird coats that mats if you so much as look at it that’s harder to look after than a poodle coat, some have fairly poodley coats and some are easier because they’re more like the other breed’s coat.

So it’s not that poodles have easy coats to look after, it’s that some of the crosses are harder than that.