What do you do when your groomer makes a mistake?
A Morkie, before and after haircut.
Just had a post on my Facebook page from someone really distraught over her dog being clipped right down to nothing when all she thought she was getting was minor trimming and clean up.
” My groomer decided to go off the deep end on me today and body clip her when I specifically told her that I wanted what she always gets which is her hair cut out of the corners of her eyes, toenails cut, and bathed that is it!!!”
She’s naturally very upset, so what should she do?
Several of the comments back to her post have suggested it was a communication error and to try and let it go… or maybe the dog was so badly matted that the groomer had to shave the dog down. But either way, the hair will grow back.
Hmmm
Sadly there are some other grooming tales you’ll hear that are not a mere mistake; they are out and out, shocking cruelty.
Animal Abuse and Dog Grooming
If you have the stomach, there are some gruesome pictures at the Facebook Page for “Keep Abuse Out Of Dog Grooming.”
Any quick search online shows that there are hundreds if not thousands of similar stories – sickening cruelty because the ‘grooming factory’ just wants to keep volume high. Groomers who hack away at nails so quickly they nearly all bleed. Solution? Just cauterize. Groomers who use a #7 blade all over the whole body, resulting in burns, sores and open cuts. This may help explain why a groomer in California shaved five nipples off a dog recently. Cage dryers with no timers so dogs were burned and very frightened. The list goes on. (Another terrible story here)
The problem is, that kind of extremely rough handling remains with your dog for a long, long time. Trust with all humans can be broken. Your lovely companion can become suspicious, snappy and withdrawn.
Positive grooming on the other hand, is a great way to build bonds with your dog. The secondary benefit is when you’re handling him that closely, you’ll be aware of lumps, bumps and bruises that demand attention.
How to Avoid a Monster Groomer
Ask around. Who do your friends and neighbors like?
Call and/or visit first. Trust your own intuition – what’s the vibe you get from the place? Do they have experience with Yorkies, Morkies or Maltese? Do they have any special accreditation? (varies province by province and state by state). Do they ask you questions, like when your dog had his most recent shots?
It goes without saying that the place must be calm, clean, well lit and smell fine. Many groomers today do their work behind a glass wall, which is great. ASK FOR REFERENCES!
The internet to the rescue! Before you go to a groomer’s, check out reviews on the following:
- Yelp – check under dog grooming
- Sometimes the online Yellow Pages will have reviews
- Simply google the Groomer’s name and see what comes up
- Consumer advocacy sites or your local Better Business Bureau
Don’t think the big, well-known chains are any better
If you think you can automatically trust the Petcos and PetSmarts of the world, you’re wrong, sad to say.
Best Idea?
Do the grooming yourself and you’ll know your dog is being well cared for. It’s not as hard as you think!