I'll fill this out for Bailey
1- Where do you live, state wise?
New York- Long Island
2- What type of dog/breed do you own?
Rough Collie
3- What do you get done? Is it just a bath, or is their scissoring/style done?
Bath, blow out, style
4- If it is scissoring/style, what gets done. Is it scissoring/style or is it just a shave?
I liked to keep him clipped short but still collie looking(it was easier for me to manage), I also had the fluff on his rear legs by his tail clipped off--that was just messy bc he was ill. During the summer I had him clipped down to about 1/2 inch. He would get WAY too hot if I didn't... but I liked him to have a little bit of hair to cover his skin.
5- What do you get charged? I know this might be a bit personal but it would help me know the average price per state.
I've had prices that range from $60-100. The place I liked the best, and finally ended up using was around $70.
6- Are you happy with your groomer?
When I finally found her, yes I was.
7- If you are happy with them, can you give me a reason why? Example, is it the location, the type of salon, efficiency?
I'll tell you why I liked my particular stylist and why I disliked others.
The one I liked:
She would come out to take the dog from me herself. We discussed what I wanted done, she made suggestions, answered any questions I had, and was very pleasant. She also asked me about my dog, his personality, allergies, medical problems, anything they should be aware of, etc...
For my first appoitment, she asked if I would like to have an early one so that I could take a tour of where they do the bathing, grooming, and keep the dogs. I did, and everything was neat, clean, orderly and new...
She scheduled her dogs so that they were done when they came in, not they sat there for hours till it was their turn. Now I know other people would drop their dog off in the am and pick it up later... but she had no problem with me comming in at noon, her grooming Bailey and then me picking him up at about 1:30-2. I never liked the idea of Bubby sitting in a crate in a strange place with other dogs.
She seems to really love dogs, and was very gentle and caring.(this was my baby so I want to at least feel that I'm leaving him with someone who's going to baby him... not yank him around bc he's their paycheck.
Reasons why I left other groomers:
I left Keeda and Bailey at the groomer close to my house. They had the dog crates in a place where you could see them from the "store" part. Keeda was laying down in her crate when she spotted me and let out a quick bark. The groomer working on the table by her crate screamed "Shut up" and KICKED the crate Keeda was in. I took my dogs and NEVER went back.
Bailey had an early afternoon vet appoitment. I only had 1 day off that week, and while on the phone with the guy I explained all this too him. I actually wanted to make an appoitment for the following week but he assured me Bailey would be done early. I just had to make sure he was dropped off by 9am. I was getting him shaved for the summer. He knew Bailey was a rough collie too. When I got there, they told me I could pick him up at 2pm and wrote it down on the sheet. Reminded the man about the conversation we had had on the phone earlier that week(yes I know it was the same guy... the way he talked was distinctive), that Bailey had a vet appoitment, etc.. I also told him I needed Bailey to be done no later than 1pm. He said he would call me if he was done early. When I went to pick Bailey up at 1, the guy said he told me 3pm. Meanwhile I'm looking at the sheet that say's my dogs name along with MY full name and 2pm. I reminded him of the WHOLE CONVERSATION WE HAD 2X already. He handed me the phone and said, "well do you want to call your vet and reschedule." I didn't get out of there until 2:30 and WITH a wet dog!!!
There was another woman who cancelled and rescheduled my appoitment 3 times. Bailey would get groomed monthly... and I only had 1 day off a week... so when she called the 4TH TIME to reschule I told her I would go elsewhere. Bailey wasn't groomed because of that for TWO AND A HALF MONTHS!
Then there was the general, watching the yanking around of my blind, sick, arthritic dog after his leash was RIPPED from my hands...
As for the actually grooming... the girl I liked wasn't the greatest groomer... but Bailey wasn't a show dog, so I would keep going back to her just because I felt that she actually cared. He got better cuts at most of the other places... I'm not picky about how he's cut though. I just like him to look clean.