Dog Grooming Questions (kinda long)

[kilee]

I have a shih tzu (just shy of 1 yrs old) which of course requires heavy grooming. The first 2 times we took him to get groomed as a puppy we went to PetSmart. After the second time they "banned him" from returning. They said he was snapping at the groomer and wouldn't cooperate. He was 4 months old then.

I then attempted to take him to another groomer. He was about 6.5 months this time and she couldn't get near him. He really sensed what we were there for. He was backing up and growling and snapping (first time I had ever seen him behave this way). We ended up having to leave w/o the grooming. The groomer there was really nice and wanted to try another day but we declined. She told us he must of had a really bad expierence at Petsmart w/ grooming.

Since then dh has been doing the grooming and well he's just not very good at it. We were doing this because our dog would be good for dh and cooperate. So, I asked around a lot and found a groomer that is supposed to be excellent w/ all tempermants. I talked to the groomer at length and made an appointment. We get there today and my dog started the same behavior as the last time- which was 5 months ago. Again, I haven't seen this behavior since then. It's not the other dogs or scents because he's really good at the vets office. I honestly don't know how he knows just by walking in the door. Anyhow, she warmed up to him enough he was willing to come over to her-- she pet him once- and the second time he went to bite her-- which he's never done and makes me nervous now. I also wanted to add he was sedated mildly by the vet for this appointment. He had gotten into some chewing gum and had it really inbetween his paw pads and he needed a professional grooming.

Anyhow, we left him as she really wanted to give this a try. Well 90 minutes later we came back and he looks great. She was walking around holding him and he's nuzzling her. I was amazed. She told me the same thing about PetSmart and their grooming. She says that she'd never take a puppy there for grooming. In the end she says she'd definetly take him again and would like to try w/o the sedative to get him used to the grooming concept.

So, now I'm wondering what in the world could of PetSmart done. How could this dog remember something from when he was a puppy??? Anyone else expeirence this kind of fear in a dog w/ grooming.

Other question---do you tip your groomer??

 

[Feralpeg]

Sounds to me like they hurt him somehow at Petsmart. Dogs have great memories. I'm so glad you found someone willing to work with him.

 

[minkydog]

Sounds like someone treated him roughly. Your new groomer sounds like a jewel! We have a standard poodle who needs grooming about 4 times a year(well, he needs it more often, but he's not gettin' it ) We had a groomer who roughed Minky up, cut his neck in several places and skinned him between the toes Ow~ and she didn't tell me about it! So when all these cuts turned into oozing sores her only suggestion was maybe he got hurt in our yard Needless to say, we don't use her anymore. We have a great groomer now and Minky loves going. And yes, i tip her 15%

 

[Mad4Mickey]

yes dogs remember and I will tell you this .....I hope this offends no one here that may work for Petsmart.
They started seeing that there was a ton of money to be made in grooming pets. They started thier own training program to teach groomers ( I know because I helped start the program and wrote the training books for them ) My way took time and as time passed they just found someone to write a "fast track" way of training you can call around and pretend you want to learn and you can confirm this for yourself .
What happens is people that shouldnt be grooming pets are doing it . They are trained in 6 weeks and given a dog and a pair of scissors and some clippers and there you have it .
A dog goes gets rushed through is not relaxed and remembers it . Not to mention someone with 6 weeks worth of skills is not sure of themself and the dogs feel it .
When I left there it was getting a little scary and that was 8 years ago

 

[DawnCt1]

My groomer that I had for YEARS injured my toy poodle to the point that she was paralyzed and had to be hospitalized for 5 days. We are lucky she survived. Chosing a good groomer is more important than how they end up looking. I just found a new groomer. I get my standard poodle done every six weeks and this is the best she has looked in 9 years. In fact, she looked so good that we are going to grow her hair out on top. In addition to that, I bathed my toy at home, she is 14, and held her while the groomer shaved her face, feet and butt. At this point in her life, I am looking for hygiene and not style. I would suggest that you take your dog to obedience and get her used to having hands and "stuff" around her face. You may want to take her once a month for a touch up, just to get her used to it.

 

[Shugardrawers]

Don't be too quick to blame Petsmart. Petey goes there and his groomer is wonderful. He's extremely nervous and nippy around new people too but not quite as bad as your baby. It's all in the person doing the grooming. They really have to know their stuff to be able to work with a nervous and nippy dog. Sounds like you found a good one, especially because she wants to get him off the sedatives. That's a great sign. Stick with her and remember to tip her well!

 

[kilee]

The thing is he's only ever acted snippy EVER at the groomers. Not around any other strangers or people he knows. He really is a sweet dog, but seems to sense getting groomed and he acts like something I've never seen before. So, it seems to be something he senses when he gets there. He has been through obedience training and I've been looking at an agility class for small breeds for him to keep him occupied.

Thanks for the replies. I just couldn't believe if they were rough or something that he would of remembered it from last spring. I guess I don't give him enough credit.

 

[allicat]

I have a shih tzu too and(my apologies if anyone is offended) but Pet Smart did a terrible job grooming him-they didnt even clip near his face. I should have refused to pay but I didnt.
I decided to try another place and when I went to pick the dog up, he looked like a plucked chicken. He had no hair-I cant imagine where they got the idea that I wanted him shaved like that. The worst part was how he acted for days after-scared, withdrawn and hid in the corner. I think they were rough with him and possibly hurt him.
Now, I've found a great place and they do a beautiful job. My dog doesnt mind going and doesnt act odd at all when we come back from the groomers.

 

[superbird]

I have a Maltese and use to have the same problem, sweet dog but would growl. Never used Petsmart but other professional places and they would cage him up and he would get nasty. Finally found one where he got along with them and stayed with them till we moved. Had the same problem all over again till somebody told us about a lady who does it on the side. Went over showed me the basement where she does it and the key is she always takes himfrom behind so he can't see her taking her. 6 years later we still do it this way but the dog gives her lots of kisses and they need that one on one treatment. She charges $32.00 a groom every 6 weeks and we tip $8 for a total of $40..

 

[snickerharley]

Puppies can remember more than you think. Today I groomed a 12 week old shih tzu, soooo cute! The groomers he went to were most likely not patient with him being so young and scared and in return hurt him. However shih tzu's are notoriously nippy.

 

[Jasminesmommy]

I have a Lhasa Apso who gets groomed at Petsmart. She always looks beautyful and seems happy. Its hard for them to be mean to them since they groom infront of a big window.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Hold on a second - we are assuming that everyone who works at PetsMart is bad, inexperienced, or mistreats animals. NOT TRUE.

It's no secret that their trainers and groomers are not truly educated in their field but that does not mean that they don't have employees there that were educated elsewhere and therefore do a great job. When we lived in another city, Harley was groomed by Sandra at our local PetsMart. She had 25 years experience and went to school to BE a groomer. She was the manager of the PetsMart salon but had worked in other groomers. I, of course, didn't let anyone else there groom him because she was great at handling his quirks and I trusted her.

Just because she worked there didn't mean she was horrible or uneducated.

We don't use PetsMart here because we found a local groomers and found a groomer there we like. I wouldn't have hestitated to scope out our local PetsMart, though, in search of a groomer; it just so happened that this other salon fell into our lap.

I agree that it's likely he had a bad experience with his previous groomer at PetsMart. Poor baby =( Hopefully the new groomer will show him that it's not a bad thing and win his trust. Sounds like you found a winner!

(btw- I have a Shih Tzu as well. He's never growled or nipped at our groomer (or anyone else for that matter). He didn't enjoy being groomed but over time has learned to just deal with it. So it's not going to happen regardless just because he's a Shih Tzu - he'll get better!)

And yes, it's nice to tip his stylist just like you tip your own =) I tip 15-20%.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I had my dog groomed recently at Petco (similar concept to PetSmart). I've always done my own grooming but we had our bathtub refinished so I decided to try a groomer. I have to say I was very pleased with not only what a nice job this girl did, but how well she treated my dog. I will use her again. I also like the fact that the grooming is done out in the open, and yes, I came back early to watch. They also have a self grooming area for $10 you can Do It Yourself. I may use it sometimes, just for the fact that the blower gets off all those pesky loose hairs that accumulate in my house. So I give Amy at Petco a !!