I made someone cry today.

PucciNPoni

PucciNPoni

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Okay you guys, I'm a bad bad groomer. I'm a bad person. I've had a bit of a **** morning and I don't want your sympathy - I need to be told off! Maybe it's the fact I got stood on by my horse this mornign and my achilles is now bruised and throbbing. Maybe it's the fact that I've been emotionally blackmailed by two clients back to back (please don't shave my dog again, the neighbors/kids/husband/inlaws hate it when you shave him/her off). It seems that no matter how nicely, how much time I explain how to brush and handle the dog it comes in matted, and then the subsequent follow up grooms where I can start to get a nice shape back on the dog are postponed to a much later date so that the next time I do see Fifi or Fido, s/he is already in a matted state, and a nervous wreck cos s/he knows what's coming next. Of course, in the owner's mind, I'm a horrible person cos Fifi is a trembling mess. It has nothing to do with the fact that mummy has her wrapped up in a bankie and is cooing and telling sweetums it's okay, she won't let the horrible groomer clip her too short....

The first client of the day escaped unscathed, she "got it" when I jokingly said if the neighbors didn't like short hair cut on her dog, they were of course be welcome to spend some time brushing the dog.

However, the second one this morning when upon my insisting that a coated bichon needs to be bathed, trimmed etc in four weekly cycles, rather than 12 weeks. And when I suggested that I maybe just am not the groomer for her if she's not committed to brushing and four-week gaps in the appointments. She did burst in to tears. I don't normally go this heavy handed but I felt after several attempts to get "thru to her" that it just wasn't happening. Never mind that this woman has insulted me on numerous occasions; one particular moment was when she queried whether or not she should bring her bitch in to be groomed, as she knows that I groom several Bichon -- sometimes several in one day - and as her bitch had just come in to season, she was worried that I might let her be mated by accident! huh???

I feel terrible for making her cry, honest. But I would feel worse to torture the poor wee dog that doesn't want to be brushed.

There, self flagellation over. Ya'll can borrow my cane and have a go, too. I'm a heel and I feel absolutely rubbish. And if someone could suggest a self help or a course on customer service...I'm all ears!
 
I feel your pain, it was always Spaniel ears that did my nut in. Yes your dog hates having it's ears brushed, because you let it get into this state then try and rip them out! I'd bite you as well FFS!!!

As Gazey says, she owns a Bichon, tell her to get a grip :D :D
 
I made several members of the Pony Club and all their mums cry once. I was very proud;) I consider a day wasted if I haven't made at least one person blubber uncontrollably:D

Gazey is right btw;)
 
Why do people buy a long coated breed and then not be arsed to brush it??

I don't even have a 'coated' breed so to speak and I am constantly chasing them round with a brush and a bucket of soapy water...some people! Don't worry about it P&P.
 
If you would like me to speak to any of them OP do let me know, I haven't made anyone cry this week yet!:eek: :p:D
 
I'm pretty good at making people cry - though it tends to be staff ;) when I had staff...funny, they all left...LOL.

Seriously though, I peeved some guy last year royally when I asked him to put his lead back on his dog in my waiting area as there were numerous dogs entering and leaving the shop and it's a very small waiting area and could result in a fight/injury/dog running out in to the street. But as pissed off as he was, he didn't cry. Maybe he did after he went home, I dunno. He did however tell me my customer service was seriously lacking. hmmm, there used to be a time when I was all "the customer is always right" and kiss arse. But somewhere along the line ...after repeating myself ad nauseum and quoting animal welfare acts and so forth I sort of lost my arse kissing skills and developed teeth. grrrr

My bichon clientele were redeemed by the last dog of the day - a 15 month old dog that has only ever been in once before for a trim - and that was 3 months ago. At that time I was hard pressed to find any knots - and I found a few this time, but not many! Some do brush...they make me happy. <sigh>
 
Spudlet, I wanna know HOW you managed to make the whole pony club contingent cry in a oner???? I'm not THAT good!
 
PucciNPoni said:
Spudlet, I wanna know HOW you managed to make the whole pony club contingent cry in a oner???? I'm not THAT good!
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Presentation with sad pictures. And believe me, I'd toned it right down for the little nippers!

I'm just *that* good **buffs fingernails**:D
 
I have a Tibetan Terrier who I bath weekly, smother in conditioner, blow dry, THEN spray mane and tail conditioner in, resulting in many near broken necks as we also have wood laminate!!

If I bath her on the Sunday, she gets mats by the monday morning (any tips?) or are you just going to make me cry?!
 
I used to be polite too:rolleyes: many moons ago:D don't feel bad puccini, u are not yet like me, Im sure:rolleyes::D Im a complete cow when it comes to whinging clients, so much so, they say nothing now, they literally hand the dogs into the vets and I collect them, because I cannot be arsed to even see them:D I do alot ofaggressive dogs, so the owners have no option but to obey the rules:rolleyes: as they have been banned from all the grooming parlours:eek:
This is how bad I am, the receptionist at mams vets will say "mrs moaner said can you cut fee fee like this" I say can u ring back and say "I don't take instruction, it's my way or the high way and they can come and collect the dog now if they don't like the "rules":D:D:D:D I usually have the receptionist laughing their arses off, im so blunt:rolleyes: if the dog is matted, I make them bring it back 3 times, telling them I will not put a dog through that much de-matting in one session, and I literally shave to the bone anyway:rolleyes: but charge 3 visits, so a cross breed I did last week cost them £64, to shave bald, in 3 visits:rolleyes: thats how much of a cow I am:rolleyes: the dog in the mean times gets to sit and relax or raom around my garden whislt I groom others:rolleyes:
 
Awww, R2R I'll try to not make you cry. Are you just getting friction mats (ie in the oxters and under the collar/harness where it rubs?). These are pretty unavoidable mats, especially if the dog is rather active....unless you stop walking your dog! j/k

The fact that you're making a good go at keeping on top of the coat is a good start. It's frustrating when you spend ages ensuring that every square inch of the dog's coat is combable from skin to end and then the next day it's a mess! Even my poodle who was in near show-length coat has recently had a hair cut just cos I couldn't keep him in coat, ride my horse, look after everyone else's dogs...so off it went for the summer!

My tips:

*Maybe not condition so much. Conditioner actually softens to coat quite a lot, and IMO (and from what I've been told by top groomers) is that it softens it so much that it starts acting a bit like a sponge and collects dirt on the residual conditioner, which makes it mat easier.

*I would use a misting spray (dilute your mane/tail conditioner by half with water in another spray bottle) while brushing it out - always do this to provent breaking the hair...broken hair also tends to matt and look awful to boot. Use a slicker brush with bent pins or if the coat is very long a proper pin brush and then follow thru with a comb.

*Wash it really super duper uber well - the cleaner it is the more slippery it is. And then rinse it even better - rinse til it squeaks!

*Light condition - personally I'd use something like K9 Competition or Wahl Ultra Silk. I would dilute it down well (Ultra silk is something like 30 to 1 or 50 to 1 and is most effective this way whereas the K9 Competition is probably best at 20 to 1). Work thru the coat and then rinse it well.

*Squeeze the coat out rather than rub - and then mist with detangle spray (again, my preference is the K9 Comp Nano spray - it is very light, doesn't not make a death-like slick on the floors and doesn't weigh the coat down). Use your slicker brush while you're drying, and then finish off with comb.

If that doesn't help keep the tangles at bay....then I reckon your dog has one of those night mare coats that is soft, wooly and just loves to mat. In which case, a shave off and a good cry would do nicely! LOL :D
 
CAYLA said:
This is how bad I am, the receptionist at mams vets will say "mrs moaner said can you cut fee fee like this" I say can u ring back and say "I don't take instruction, it's my way or the high way and they can come and collect the dog now if they don't like the "rules":D:D:D:D I usually have the receptionist laughing their arses off, im so blunt:
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Ahhh, that's what I need - a buffer zone between clients and me. I didn't used to be this way. But now...grrrr. I think this woman just irritates me anyway. The straw that broke the camel's back was the fact that last time she was scheduled in was for the end of March when we had freak snow storm - but it was just around where I live, I coulnd't get my car out of my drive way! - and my shop had no snow and most of the area around town didn't either. So I had the lady who rents a table from me ring round all my clients for the day and offer to do bath/brush out service or reschedule for later that week. That particular woman replied "oooh, yes, well I wasn't going to come anyway today cos she's still so short from the last time" . Errrt....wrong answer. So she was just going to no-show -- but as I couldn't make it in myself, I couldn't exactly say much about it. So I just left it....

Never mind - I don't feel my making her cry was justified but I guess I'm glad that she's not going to be coming back.
 
Do u find some people hideously piccy though? like they are barmey as hell, oh "not to short" I reply "why not" you clearly are to lazy to take a comb to the god damn dog, so why the hell do u care" this way it takes longer to grow back and you can refrain from maintenance, like u do now":rolleyes:

I did a very aggressive westi last week, she phoned 3 times to the receptionists at the vets, as thats where I decided to groom on the day (they are not my receptionists, but they are stars, it's like having my own receptionsit):rolleyes::D I do groom and board their dogs free of charge for being like my PA's:D, so woman with westi,
1st call "can you do his head like a cauliflower:eek:
2nd call "Can u leave his tail bushy":eek:
3rd call "if he tries to bite, u can leave him if you like"
I called her back and said, "seriously, u are trying my patience, the god damn dog will be done whether he likes it or not, his tail is short:rolleyes: and his head does not and will not resemble a cauliflower:rolleyes: if you proceed to ring next time, I will send him back to you":rolleyes: she said "sorry, I will not phone again when your are clipping him":rolleyes:

Oh and this, I groomed an old colli for a lovely old lady, half an hour into grooming her daughter phones demanding the dog be ready for collection:confused: I said "I have not even brushed him out yet" she said, "well thats a disgrace, how long does it take?":eek: erm "longer than half a ******G hour lady", she said well im on my way have him ready":mad:
"I lost it big style, and said "lady come to my door and I will knock u into next week, and you will not get the dog":o I was stressed to bits to start with that day:(, she phoned my mam to complain, as he was arranged to be groomed through the vets, my mam said "please don't enrage her any more than needs be, she has a short temper":rolleyes::D and she is likely to blow!
The elderly lad apologised and felt really bad about her ill mannered daughter, luckily she never came to my door:rolleyes:

Im lucky, I only groom a few times a month now and cram a lot in, and choose what I like:D
 
Ahhh, you made me laugh this morning. Just what I need before I get myself back to the shop to do it all over again.

Yep, I seem to specialise in picky customers. For those ones, I'm actually pretty tolerant/patient. Cauliflower head? that's funny. Last I knew it was a chrysanthemum anyway. Maybe she wants you to batter the wee dog so it had cauliflower ear? LOL

I find it trying when people have bizarre requests for weird haircuts. Because I'm not sure how to visualise their ideas, I tend to gently talk them back to something more...normal... >sigh<

I love it when people think it only takes the same amount of time to groom a dog as it does for a person to get a haircut. Or find it strange that I might charge 2x as much!

Honestly, I really DO love my job. I do. Really. >rocking in corner<
 
PucciPony thank you for the tips! They are friction mats...I think I will stop walking her lol!!!

She is going to a puppy show (becasue she is my frist pedegree dog EVER so I want to take her...Lord help me!!) and then I might shave her!

I groomed her for an hour last night after we got in from the yard, she was DISGUSTING but I want her to be a proper dog (as in one that acts like a dog not a dolly) so I will have to put up with it...still, no excuse for shavings, hay, straw, mud, poo, whatever to be dropping out - it is totally gross!!
 
I have to say I can be that kind of dog owner (at times). I have a Wire Fox Terrier who needs stripping every few months. My regular groomer was fully booked so had to take to the grooming parlor at their boarding kennels (lovely lady normally) asked for a 'show type strip' bath, small eye brows etc came back to find massive eyebrows, wonky beard, patchs of long fur left on tail and for some reason massive bald patch on her stomach (I doubt your this bad a groomer :p :D) apparently she doesn't like to be groomed?? Normal grooming lady says she's a pleasure to do :rolleyes: . Did pay her but because she's also in charge of the kennel I didn't comment... Now I book my grooming appointments months in advance so that she goes to the good grooming parlor.

Good grooming lady tells me that she's often matted but she goes to be groomed straight from muddy, beach hol in Scotland so told groomer thats why (she doesn't usually look a state :p )
 
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R2R said:
PucciPony thank you for the tips! They are friction mats...I think I will stop walking her lol!!!

She is going to a puppy show (becasue she is my frist pedegree dog EVER so I want to take her...Lord help me!!) and then I might shave her!

I groomed her for an hour last night after we got in from the yard, she was DISGUSTING but I want her to be a proper dog (as in one that acts like a dog not a dolly) so I will have to put up with it...still, no excuse for shavings, hay, straw, mud, poo, whatever to be dropping out - it is totally gross!!
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Of course she can be a dog and still have a coat! :D

I was honored back in February by being asked to do a maintenance groom on a show afghan - the top afghan in the UK! No room for error as the owner was going away for Westminister (NYC) and no time for a mistake to grow out as he was entered at Crufts, too. So I got the low down on grooming his dog - but in the process I learned lots but the best bit - the dog is a dog that never gets his coat put up or babied - and the dog does normal dog stuff - runs and free exercises in all sorts. And even that dog, which was bathed and thoroughly groomed out every five days gets friction mats! It took two hours start to finish to bathe, dry, brush and groom out. But that was also using like every dryer in my shop! LOL

Good luck with the puppy show! If it's a breed show, you'll get the best information there from other handlers on how to manage your dogs coat.
 
Jake10 said:
I have to say I can be that kind of dog owner (at times). I have a Wire Fox Terrier who needs stripping every few months. My regular groomer was fully booked so had to take to the grooming parlor at their boarding kennels (lovely lady normally) asked for a 'show type strip' bath, small eye brows etc came back to find massive eyebrows, wonky beard, patchs of long fur left on tail and for some reason massive bald patch on her stomach (I doubt your this bad a groomer :p :D) apparently she doesn't like to be groomed?? Normal grooming lady says she's a pleasure to do :rolleyes: . Did pay her but because she's also in charge of the kennel I didn't comment... Now I book my grooming appointments months in advance so that she goes to the good grooming parlor.

Good grooming lady tells me that she's often matted but she goes to be groomed straight from muddy, beach hol in Scotland so told groomer thats why (she doesn't usually look a state :p )
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Hmm, matting on a WHFT and a bichon are very different. I'm sure that the matting, particularly on a handstripped dog is minimal compared to a bichon with a soft coat. It's a shame that the groomer at the kennels did such a rubbish job - that does happen. Bald patch on tummy? Maybe there was a mat there that was shaved out. I would do the same - but chances are that I'd point it out and tell you about it so you didn't think I'd groomed the dog while on the soss! LOL

My suggestion is that if you must go to a new groomer, why not take a photo of her groomed the way you like it (of YOUR dog preferably, not a pic from a calendar! :D - that happens sometimes where people bring me photos of dog which looks nothing like theirs, with a coat completely different to theirs and says - "Make him/her look like this!" Errm, not a magician!).

I am happy to do a minimal amount of dematting on dogs with the right temperament. However, with the Animal Welface act firmly in place, it states very clearly that people who care for animals must not put animals in distress. Dematting is stressful and painful, so if it's going to cause the animal to be distressed, very simply, I will NOT do it. In the particular story about the bichon above, I know the dog well, I know her coat is difficult to brush out, but her temperament is such that she's a nervous dog that wouldn't tolerate being dematted....particularly if the owners can't/won't brush it! So what's the point of keeping it long?!

Good job booking ahead with your good groomer. That's the best way to ensure those appointments. Frustrates me when people ring up mid summer and are surprised that they can't get an appointment for 6 weeks!
 
Gazehound and KirstyHen not all bichon owners are the same mine gets groomed on a 6 weeks basis as her coat is fine with that and she is not wrapped up in cotton wool, She is by far and wide the smartest happiest dog around this way and to slag bichon's off is sad and pathetic, so :p
 
SPANGLES RULE!

Although GSDs are very handy to the British Winter Olympic Team, they give them a good place to practice:D

Don't even get me started on these skinny dog types:p:D
 
Ha ha- this thread has made me laugh! Im training to be a dog groomer and do really enjoy it but it is true that you get some truly crazy owners! I droped off a dog last week, we'd had it for 3 hours and when i got to the ladies front door she looked really upset. I asked her if everthing was ok and she replied " no hen, ive been on the phone to my pal for the last hour because i was so worrie about my wee dog" !!! :D:rolleyes: it was getting groomed, not tortured!!!!
We get loads of really picky clients too-i want him short but not too short, i want half an inch of each ear, or the best one "i dont want him to look like a russian black terrier" when the dog is infact a Russian Black terrier!!!:D:D
 
Hey IT, you've obviously not been around AAD enough, its normal to slag off each others dogs but its all done" in the best possible taste" (probably wasted on everyone too young to remember Kenny Everett:p). Have to say reading all this I am very pleased I have a breed that can just be hosed off and given a brush on bank holidays, although of coure they don't get very dirty because they can't walk far because of their sloping backs and loose hocks.;)
 
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