A professional rant - keeping dogs on leads

PucciNPoni

PucciNPoni

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Hi guys. I've got a rant and I realise this may make me rather unpopular with some folk...but please understand that I mean this as a concerned dog handling professional not to have a go....(I had a serious falling out with a client just this week over this).

I've discussed this at length with many other professional groomers and it's a general consensus that this happens everywhere, not just my salon.

It seems that many (not all) dog owners feel the need to come in to the wait room of the salon and either immediately or just before they leave the dog, unclip the dog's lead (or even worse, remove the harness or collar completely from the dog). I don't know why people do this. This happens at least once a day in my shop - and I must remind some folk EVERY time they come in that they need to leave the lead on. I have had signage to state this very thing, which gets ignored.

I cannot for the life of me, understand why people think that they should remove the collar/lead the second they come in with the said dog. If the door were to open suddenly, it is very possible that the dog could escape out in to the street - not all dogs love being groomed and would love such and excuse to get out. Also, another dog coming or going at the same time would also be at risk from a loose dog (most grooming salon wait areas tend to be rather small). And as much as we love your dogs, they don't love us more than they love you - so generally speaking, a dog would rather follow his mum/dad rather than come in to the salon with the groomer. So without a lead on, we can't safely keep this from happening.

I have other rants too (like people who allow their male dogs to cock legs on bags of food and other retail items, but never mind, the lead thing is wayyyy more important).

Sorry, rant over. I am actually quite nervous about responses - but I had to say it!
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I am 100% with you!!!!! Not that we ever used a dog groomer as there seemed little point with the worlds scruffiest, cyclical seasonal alopecia suffering dog !!! But the same used to happen in vets. Our dog was a placid, calm dog but as most dogs are tense in the vets, it is important to have control. The vets again, has signs stating please keep your animal on a lead yet some would let them roam adding to the distress. I would tell them very loudly to get their dogs back on the lead! In a confined stressful situation, you don't want 86kg of wolfhound hooning around trying to avoid a conflict! Annoyed the hell out of me and I am completely in support of what you say!
 
You won't get any argument from me. No experience of dog groomers either but drives me mad when people bring dogs into the vets waiting room with just a collar and then let it go. Apart from the risk of aggro I really don't want a possibly ill dog coming and sniffing at mine. Its also not fair on people who have cats in the waiting room, they are stressed enough without a strange dog sniffing at them through their carrier.
 
I too support you. You say you "had" signage. May I suggest you make sure there is signage in big bold letters with a disclaimer that you cannot be responsible if the dog runs out of the salon when NOT on a lead.
Also when people book in with you would it be an idea to have a written "contract" which states this same thing--that all dogs MUST be on a lead.
 
Thanks all -- I'm glad it's not just me that feels this way. I can't remember ever going somewhere with the dog and just assuming it's okay to let it off the lead. In fact, when I go visiting a strange house (invited with dog) I don't even like to allow mine off lead til I know they are going to be okay (ie not chasing cats, getting in to bins, peeing on furniture or whatever --- not that they normally do those kinds of things but they are animals and are unpredictable).

Re Signage - I have a sign on the front door which states

"For Entry, please ring doorbell and wait.
Caution, door is very heavy and SLAMS.
Mind your fingers and tails"

Now, if you came to a shop and tried to open the door, which was locked, you might just look for a sign which has opening hours etc...and right at eye level is the sign above. You might just think "hey, I should ring the doorbell and wait". But no....can't tell you the number of people try to open the door, can't get in and then try the door again, look at the sign and walk away. Or, if they do read the sign, they ring the bell, I buzz them in and then the door slams behind them and they jump and say "Oh, that's a bit slammy".

???

Ya know, I really like the contract idea....I might get an address and start posting out informaiton about grooming/etiquette and information about no-shows before the first visit. I'll have to word it so it's friendly though....

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Unfortunately we do have to "nanny" some people don't we.
I'm no artist but maybe a sign with a humourous picture but a serious message.This may get the message across.
 
I have no experience of grooming salons, but I would be stunned if someone did that in the vet's waiting room! How thick would you have to be to think it's okay to let your dog wander around loose among other stressed, nervous dogs whose personalities you have no clue about?
 
I can't believe how dim some people are
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I am normally the one clutching the lead being towed by my wildly over-enthusiastic dog, who reacts to vets and groomers like a giant happy charging elephant... The idea of taking him off the lead is terrifying, who knows what havoc he might cause?

He likes the fuss he gets far more than he dilikes the grooming or veterinary treatment! I never have nay trouble getting him inot these places, only getting him out again afterwards
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[ QUOTE ]

I am normally the one clutching the lead being towed by my wildly over-enthusiastic dog, who reacts to vets and groomers like a giant happy charging elephant... The idea of taking him off the lead is terrifying, who knows what havoc he might cause?

He likes the fuss he gets far more than he dilikes the grooming or veterinary treatment! I never have nay trouble getting him inot these places, only getting him out again afterwards
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We get alot of those here, too.
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But even dogs that have been here loads, and I know are no trouble, I'd still require to be on a lead. There could be all sorts of variables in which a dog might suddenly find himself in trouble. I'm such a stickler for safety and to be honest, I would rather lose a customer who was unhappy with my rules or my insistence they follow them, than to lose a dog due to my own negligence of saftey.
 
This was a new problem to me (I've seen male dog cock their leg in my vets waiting room more than once though). I mean if a vet nurse comes into the examination room with a combined lead and collar in the hand, I remove mine at a suitable moment and while waiting in the examination room I often do unhook their leashes from their collars/harnesses but in the waiting room? Why? Especially since they intend to leave their dog there, it's not as if they're going to stay and keep them under control...

My dogs knows exactly the way from the car park and to the vet clinics door and they happily trot in front of me to the door, wanting to get in as fast as possible, they love to weight themselves, my only problem is that I only want to weight one dog at the time etc. The only thing I can think about that might have made me unhook a dog of mine in the waiting room at some time, would be if they'd managed to get entangled between some chair legs or similar, but I would be holding a firm grip around the dog or collar with the other hand while fixing it.

It really feels strange to me that this problem exists.
 
It feels strange to me that this problem exists too! I just can't fathom why people do it...and it just seems so surreal to me that there are some folk you have to remind every time they come in!

When I was in grooming school there was a sign at the reception area there, too. And I remember thinking to msyelf, "do people really NEED to be told". It wasn't til I got in to the real working (grooming) world that I realised that "Yes, Yes they do...."
 
I'm baffled that anyone would release their dog until asked to do so.

local vets have leads for those who "forget"
 
I love letting my dogs off for a good gallop on a walk but it's plain bloody daft and very inconsiderate if there's no purpose. What's the point in letting them off in the salon? Don't get it
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I don't have issue with folk who don't have their dogs off leads elsewhere - so long as they aren't menacing other people, dogs and livestock or running out in roads.

I had a guy get so angry with me this week when I asked him in the future to please leave his dog harness etc on while waiting. I don't think I was nasty about it. He said to me "I didn't come here for a lecture!" I perhaps was sharper about it than intended but seriously, it's very hard to say it with a smile with three very large bouncing dogs within reach and him with his little dog on his lap, no restraints. It's very awkward to reach in to a person's arms and remove a little dog from them when as a stranger, you're not quite sure how a dog is going to react!
 
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