Bad Dog Grooming Experiences, Please Share...

[SizzleDog]

malmo, any of the professional Andis clippers should do the job. I like the AE-1's, they're reliable and powerful, but quiet enough to keep Milo calm.

Invest in good blades, and take care of them. For white dogs with fine coat I like the blades that leave as much coat as posisbel to avoid the "pink" look. Clip-on combs will make the dog patchy if you're not careful, so your best bet is to hand-scissor if you want anything longer than the "longest" blade will give you. Speaking of shears... a good starter brand is Fromm or DublDuck. A stop up would be Geib or Roseline, but they feel completely different so I'd recommend going to a dog show to test out the different shears. There are German style shears and Japanese style shears - the German shears have a crisp, precise feel - they "schwing" if that makes sense. Japanese shears, on the other hand, have micro-serrations on the blades that grabt he hai and cut with startling sharpness. They "voosh" instead of "schwing" - it's like cutting air, or butter.

My person preference is German, although I do have a few pairs of Roselines (which are primarily Japanese style). My favorite shears are an ancient pair of Andre Tisserand's though.

 

[SarahFish]

Ok, everyone who is, please stop picking on me! I understand I should have been specific and investigated further, but can people please stop telling me it's all my fault etc now?
Also, to whoever it was that said:

Samoyeds should be bathed the day of the show, with self-rinse used shortly before ringtime to touch up any dirt. I'm guessing Kolesterol and powder are put into the coat and then blown out shortly before ringtime as well. Your dog's breeder is a good resource on how to groom your Samoyed for show - it would probably be wise to have them show you how to groom your dog.

I have a Samoyed! And his breeder has had them for many many years!
Please don't tell me about the breed, if it's one thing me and the breeder understand, it is Samoyeds!
SHE (the breeder) said wash and groom at least 3 days before then do a flea treatment so any stain left after that will be gone before the show, which had to be done after the wash and groom or it wouldn't work too well! So, Samoyeds shouldn't be bathed on show day said the breeder, around a week before preferably, then brushing all week, though of course if the dogs gets exceptionally dirty during that time it may help to wash again.
Also, here in NZ, we don't have a lot of dog groomers, at least in this region! The breeder, and most others I know, also don't put powders in the coat.
And, finally, the breeder, when we first got him, showed us how to bath and groom. Please don't be telling me I don't know how to look after my dog and others of his breed because that really offends me. Sizzledog, I don't tell you what to do with your Dobermans, so don't tell me what to do about Samoyeds!!!
And thank you, to anyone who either posted another grooming story, like I asked, or who kindly asked how my dog was now etc. I admitted in the first post I made an error of judgement, so to those of you, ie. Sizzledog and duncan15, I don't care how bad you think I was, or if you think I don't know how to look after my dog, I do, so just quit putting in your 2 cents worth and leave this thread be. It didn't ask for opinions, so don't go around giving them!

 

[malmo]

I don't think it's personal. I think a lot of people view these threads as an opportunity to educate the next people who come along searching for answers. I wouldn't read too much into it...

But that's just me.

 

[SarahFish]

Educate maybe, there's been some of that, but these guys are pretty much just saying "You should do THIS with your dog breed". It makes me feel stink when they tell me and the breeder what to do with my dog, you know?
A few people have said investigate further, be specific which is good, but when they start telling me how wrong I am, what I did wrong and how I should take care of MY dog, that really sucks.
I could be reading a bit far into it, but they still were a bit attack-like.
And I was only asking if other people had stories to share, not if it was my fault.
But thanks, it's better if someone else not involved is analysing if it's an attack or not.

 

[noludoru]

Sarah, Sizzle was NOT attacking you or trying to tell you how you ought to do things with your dog, and most certainly was not assuming she knows more than you. However, she is an experienced dog groomer--reading a lot of her posts has helped me, though I don't have a coated breed, so it's really just brushes and shampoos here--and does have some knowledge about many other dog breeds and how they should be groomed before a show. It's probably different in NZ, but I know here in the US many breeds of dog have powders put into the white parts of their coats before a show to make them whiter.

I don't think Sizzle or Duncan have anything against you or think you ignorant--they are just trying to help. Sometimes it's very hard to distinguish tone when typing, so it's easy to misunderstand someone's intentions.

As far as threads go... well, we get very off-topic here on Chaz, and sometimes threads don't really go the way you intended. It's just a part of life--it's happened to everyone. This is an open forum which means everyone can state their opinions/ideas as long as they are not breaking the rules. You can politely ask someone to butt out, but you certainly can't make them, and I believe you owe both Sizzle and Duncan an apology.

With that said, thankfully I haven't had a bad dog grooming experience--yet. Middie has pretty much no coat (although what little he does have is all over everything) and he's only been to the groomers once, most of the rest of the time I bathe him.

 

[SarahFish]

Thanks for your opinion, and you are quite right in that it is easy to confuse tone in typing.
However, that said, if what was written I misinterpreted, and they were just telling me nicely, sorry, but I'm not so sure that was what was written.
And I'm sure Sizzle knows heaps about how to groom dogs, but I, and I'm sure some other people would to, that telling someone about their dog breed, even if they groom them, is a bit harsh. Sure you could say what you would do with that breed etc, but saying what should be done is a bit far.
Please though, can this all stop now. If it was a big misunderstanding like you suggest, can we get over it and return to the thread topic! Whilst I know Sizzle is a groomer, and I'm sure is brilliant and knows all about grooming, some groomers don't have that amount of knowledge, which can be devastating for an owner, and I just wanted to know if something similar had happened to anyone else.
Thanks

 

[misticaleclipse]

I don't care now and the whole point was bad grooming experiences, not my misjudgement.

The point people where trying to make is that "bad" grooming
experiences can be due in a huge part because of miscommunication
from the owner about what they want to be done with their
dog.

Thanks for your opinion, and you are quite right in that it is easy to confuse tone in typing.
However, that said, if what was written I misinterpreted, and they were just telling me nicely, sorry, but I'm not so sure that was what was written.
And I'm sure Sizzle knows heaps about how to groom dogs, but I, and I'm sure some other people would to, that telling someone about their dog breed, even if they groom them, is a bit harsh. Sure you could say what you would do with that breed etc, but saying what should be done is a bit far.
Please though, can this all stop now. If it was a big misunderstanding like you suggest, can we get over it and return to the thread topic! Whilst I know Sizzle is a groomer, and I'm sure is brilliant and knows all about grooming, some groomers don't have that amount of knowledge, which can be devastating for an owner, and I just wanted to know if something similar had happened to anyone else.
Thanks

I think your posts sound very defensive. Maybe you don't mean it to come out that way, but it does.

As for "telling someone about their dog breed", honestly it makes it sound like you own the breed or something.
You said you expect a professional groomer to know how to treat the Samoyed breed, so you got a professional groomer indicating what they would do.... I don't see the issue here.

Everyone is entitled to share their insights and opinions, this is a message board. If you just wanted to ask about bad grooming experiences you could have just said someone shaved your dog instead of doing into the details and this would not have been an issue. Again, its a communication issue.

 

[SarahFish]

Okay then, another example of written sounding confusing.
I don't want to sound like I own the breed, but when thats the breed I have, and someone who doesn't have that breed tells me about it... it sucks.
And I did say that, but then people asked.

 

[MysticRealm]

Just because someone doesn't own a dog of a particular breed does not mean that they don't know about it. I know ALOT about standard poodles but I don't have one. I know alot about a lot of different breeds and how they should be groomed even tho I don't have many of them.
I know a lot about the different temperments and characteristics of a lot of breeds tho I don't own many of them.
You don't know if the person that had suggestions on how to groom a samoyed used to groom at shows for a samoyed breeder or has owned them in thhe past or just has a job to do with many different dog breeds and is very knowledgeable on the fact.

 

[SizzleDog]

I certainly wasn't meaning to offend. I was merely pointing out what show grooming entails for white, coated breeds - and how it differed greatly from what happened with your Samoyed.

I have acted as kennel help for professional handlers. I've been responsible for grooming Group Winning Siberians as well as class dogs of various coated breeds (Aussies, Irish and English Setters, Cocker Spaniels, Cavaliers, etc.)

In my experience with working with some of the top handlers in the country, I've learned that white dogs are bathed the day of the show, touched up with self-rinse, powdered and blown out, and kept on a grooming table until it's time for them to go ringside. Most of this is done at the show site, and the dog is not allowed to set foot on grass or dirt after being spot-bathed and powdered/blown out. Most of the smaller ones (and even some of the bigger ones) are carried to the ring.

Perhaps it's a cultrual thing. I see you're in NZ. Here in the States, Samoyeds are not bathed three days prior to a show, they'd look dirty compared to their same-day-bathed competition. And I'd venture to guess that the judges would not appreciate a dog that hadn't been bathed in the last 24 hours.

 

[SarahFish]

Yup, then the US is different.
Here, on the day, the Samoyed are just brushed on the day, and some breeders use talc to whiten.
That just shows the differences, so maybe thats partly how I got offended, because of the culture difference. Here, the Judges don't mind a dog who's bath wasn't so recent, it means the coat is completely dry and can be brushed out really well whilst it's dry too.
It's just different countries, but I'll say that when an American judge came to our last club show she didn't mention it, though all the dogs would have been "dirty" if she had of noticed so maybe she was just trying to be polite.
I'm sorry I got offended, but when I own a breed if anyone who doesn't (even a groomer or trainer who may work with them) comments on how to look after the breed it is a little insulting. They may know the breed but the owner is with the breed every single day, and it makes a difference.
Maybe in NZ we don't bother so much with that really clean aspect. On show days the dogs stay in crates and are let out onto grass to go toilet a few times throughout the day. I'll say that at our last show, not a huge fancy one, but a show nonetheless, run by the Show Dog Judges Association, my dog, who hadn't been bathed in a while won a few ribbons, which goes to show how different our countries are. Having said this I am not saying the US is bad or silly for this, just noting the difference.

And yes, whilst I know, you know, and other good groomers know, what the white coated breed requires for grooming and bathing, these people didn't. We did say he was a Samoyed, did say he had a show and what we wanted done, said what we and the breeder did to bath and groom, and this groomer decided she knew better. whilst the US is different in the bathing before shows aspect I'm sure they are not about the bathing and grooming itself.
So yes, I am sorry, to Duncan as well, if I misinterpreted what was being said, it is very easy over writing. It also helps to note that countries differ in their ways of dogs, and maybe that is another thing that confused th situation.

 

[StillandSilent]

I once took our elderly Cocker to be groomed. We told the groomer we wanted her in a "cocker cut", which we assumed meant fluffy legs and ears. She came back naked, and I mean naked! My mother was furious and asked what had happened, because it wasn't what we had requested. The groomer told us that she had been very matted and needed a complete shave, which was not true. There were small matts on two of her armpits, but they were not close to the skin. It wouldn't have been so bad, but this was Chicago in November, her poor little body got cold! Not to mention she was a very fat dog and she looked a little bit like a sausage balanced on toothpicks.

The worst personal experience I had was on the other end of the table. We had just gotten in this pretty, fluffy, white chow/border collie. Well, he should have been white. In actuality, he was a nasty orange color (We have red dirt here in NC). So I put the dog, now known as "Dirty Dan" up in the tub and started spraying. The minute the water hit his skin an overpowering odor rose up. Yep, Dirty Dan had apparently met a skunk at some point. It was so bad I was almost gagging while I scrubbed. I had to page the front, using my elbow to hold down the button, and beg someone to start making up some skunk remedy because we needed it bad! We had to air the grooming room out for several hours before anyone could use it again.

 

[SarahFish]

Wow! Now that is a bad grooming experience, and for you on both ends!
That's what's sad, some groomers haven't got a clue about specific dogs, or need some very specific instructions before they groom. Saying that, most experienced groomers should know different breeds, and like with your dog would have know what you meant...
How did the coat look once it grew back?

 

[MysticRealm]

Now stillandsilent sounds like a groomer so she probably knows the difference but you get a TON of people in that say 'my dog isn't matted at all' sometimes even the groomer can't tell the dog is matted till they REALLY get their hands on them. But when we ssay they are matted they are matted, but the parents don't ever think so (even though they know they never brush the dog, and it's been over 3 months since the dog was last groomed)
A cockers coat will look totally fine after being shaved. we do it all the time (either owners request a short cut or dog is too matted to do a longer cut)

 

[MafiaPrincess]

They grow back no issue really.. Not a great example as she's from poor breeding and has a fieldy coat.. but cocker nonetheless..
Cider a year ago

Cider last month

 

[SarahFish]

Wow it came back good then!
I remember when Lui's was that short... he looked like a poodle! You're lucky thought, it looks really nice now, and I've heard it can grow back horrible.
Cute dog by the way!

 

[MafiaPrincess]

Thank you. Cockers are often pet clipped.. I don't usually think it looks as nice as leaving some skirt on them, but not my dogs so whatever. Easier to care for short I guess. I haven't seen many grown out out after being clipped.. But I see people's cockers a few months after a groom, and their fur texture seems the same, and it seems to be growing normally.. I think they are a breed you can weed whack, screw up and it just comes back

 

[SarahFish]

Good breed to have then
But yes, she is so cute! And personally I prefer her with the longer coat, but I do like long coated dogs, so that's just me.
Did people comment on the sudden short hair? Because when Lui got done people would looked so surprised and had to ask, I had to repeat the sad story a few times.

 

[MafiaPrincess]

It was the beginning of summer. Everyone told me she looked good. I think they were just being nice.. it was my first use of clippers. Grown back out, I think she looks better with longer fur, but it looked choppy before she was cut down. My boy does conformation, his coat is already longer than hers. Hers is pretty much as long as it will grow with a little bit of tidying.

 

[noludoru]

Mafia, a question for you.... I know Cockers are clipped, but does ALL the coat grow at virtually the same length or do you only have to trim some parts? For instance, the hair on her neck, face, tail, and top of back appear to be short.. is that due to cutting or is the hair naturally short?