Just musing?

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s4sugar

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Should I start giving a discount for responsibly bred or responsibly sourced dogs coming for grooming or boarding?

Double all my prices but offer 50% off for dogs from decent breeders or reputable rescues?
 
How would you enforce it? I don't think you should, actually. You'd be excluding people who (for example) found a dog roaming and took it in, or who took a dog from a family member who could no longer look after it.

And quite frankly as a customer, it would piss me off. I'm paying you to groom/board my dog, not lecture me about where I got it from. (And two of mine came from good breeders. The other two are rescues.)
 
Dogs from breeders or rescues are fine.

What pi**es me off are the puppy farm cockerpoos that people have paid £750 for and never brush or train and expect me to work miracles on.
Or the "Labradoodle that cost £1,000 (as they are very happy to tell me) that shows signs of sebaceous adenitis and has painful hips so it doesn't like to be brushed and has a poodle coat AND a Labrador coat so matts and sheds but they want it long and why should they pay as much as for a standard poodle?
If they are stupid enough to buy these mutts why shouldn't I get properly reimbursed for the work they need?

In 21 years I have never had drains block - until I had a pair of "Labradoodles" which shed about a bucketful of hair daily.
 
Well I think the only way around it is to say that you have a exclusive treatment which is specifically designed for their very special breeds which just happens to be more costly :D.

The people who pay over the odds for these dogs have more money than sense and Im sure you will have no difficulty parting them from their money.To be fair if it takes longer than normal dogs they should pay more.
 
I already charge by work involved but these idiots seem to think they are exempt from paying a reasonable rate.
After all they were sold these mutts on the basis of not shedding & easy care so why should they have to pay me for the privilege of grooming their dogs that they haven't touched with a brush?
I'm getting to the stage of refusing them altogether. Yukky dogs & thick owners.
 
I think Puccini Pony is also a dog groomer might be worth sending her a pm if she dosnt see this thread. It would be interesting to hear if she has the same problems and how she deals with it.

I cant say Im not surprised at these customers attitudes having been fed this dribble, I fear there are going to be an awful lot of these dogs ending up in rescue. But guess what they were really cute pups.
 
Believe me, meanmyself - I do.


But I have had three new people phone today.

All have purchased puppy farm puppies and want them grooming for pennies.
They were not given grooming instruction nor were they told what would be involved in maintaining a coated breed.
They all had the idea that because they didn't need a "breed trim" it would be a couple of pounds and only required about twice a year.
 
Just because someone owns a 'designer breed' of dog doesn't make them a numpty. Some of them might be, but not all of them are. I believe that the guide dogs bred lab/poodle crosses at one point.
 
meandmyself said:
Oh, sure. Go ahead.

I still don't think it's right to charge someone more because of where they got their dog.
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Wouldn't do that -would give a discount if the people had done more research into buying their dog than for buying a toaster!

A well trained and well brushed dog is cheaper to do as it takes less time.
 
s4sugar said:
Wouldn't do that -would give a discount if the people had done more research into buying their dog than for buying a toaster!

A well trained and well brushed dog is cheaper to do as it takes less time.
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It's the same thing.

And there's no saying that just because the dog is xxx breed that it's going to be well trained or well brushed.

Some of the most badly behaved dogs around here are the 'pure' breeds. You have to go on a case by case basis.
 
meandmyself said:
Just because someone owns a 'designer breed' of dog doesn't make them a numpty. Some of them might be, but not all of them are. I believe that the guide dogs bred lab/poodle crosses at one point.
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Yep, in fact a guide dog worker in Australia is credited with being the first to 'purposefully' cross those breeds. Something which he now deeply regrets. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/nov/13/inventors-idea-regret The link only offers a few soundbite-type quotes from him, but gives the general overview of his opinion on the matter, and enough points to google with.

As for charging different rates etc. I'm not really sure that kind of owner discrimination will work :p Charge for the work done/hours spent at it, and when they whine explain why it took so long and therefore cost so much? A person could research their Old English Sheepdog til the cows come home and the crows roost and many other things. They could go to the bestest breeder anywhere and talk the talk and often fully mean what they are saying at the time. Doesn't mean they wont totally lose interest after 12 months and end up with a rug with dreadlocks :(
 
Pix said:
Yep, in fact a guide dog worker in Australia is credited with being the first to 'purposefully' cross those breeds. Something which he now deeply regrets. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/nov/13/inventors-idea-regret The link only offers a few soundbite-type quotes from him, but gives the general overview of his opinion on the matter, and enough points to google with.

As for charging different rates etc. I'm not really sure that kind of owner discrimination will work :p Charge for the work done/hours spent at it, and when they whine explain why it took so long and therefore cost so much? A person could research their Old English Sheepdog til the cows come home and the crows roost and many other things. They could go to the bestest breeder anywhere and talk the talk and often fully mean what they are saying at the time. Doesn't mean they wont totally lose interest after 12 months and end up with a rug with dreadlocks :(
Click to expand...

Thank you! Sums up my point nicely.
 
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