You know what I find interesting these days? I've been doing part time in a friend's shop and one day this customer calls me to groom her dog. She asked if they could stay and watch. I said sure. Of course I thought they just wanted to check and see how I handled their dog, so I thought it was ok.
I arrived late as I sent my mongrel and corgi to the vet so the lady jaga-ing the shop helped me to bath the dog before I got there. Wow, they brought their maid to watch so she could try to groom the dog themselves. For that entire 45 minutes I had a family and maid breathing down my neck, watching every little move I made. I didn't really particularly care about it except at the fact that I knew they were trying to see how it was done so they could attempt it themselves and possibly hurt the dog.
In the end, I under charged them cuz on the phone she told me the breed and said a little bit of trimming, so I gave her the price for that. She said a little trimming so I did the tail, anus area and feet, but during the grooming she asked for a lot more, like trimming the ears, the chest, the butt feathering, the elbow and fore leg feathering etc.
Okay people, first of all, you can watch and try to learn if you like but you probably won't learn a lot by just watching through the glass. It's not a bad thing to try to learn but don't get all confident just cause you've seen it done once or twice. If you hurt your dog, your dog may not be so kind as to let you hurt them again next time. This will also make the groomer's job more difficult as the dog will associate shears(scissors), brushes or nail clippers with pain. They will probably struggle or snap and bite. For dogs that are aggressive or troublesome, be prepared to be charged more for handling and reconditioning.
Secondly, you can ask your groomer about basic things. Some groomers encourage and teach owners to brush and dematt their dogs. This is if you don't want your dog coming back bald all the time. A groomer's time spent on dematting will be extra charge cuz those same hands can be grooming another dog with the time spent dematting. So don't grumble at the extra charge unless it's unreasonably priced.
Thirdly, just cuz it looks easy, doesn't mean it is. I will tell you that first hand. I used to think grooming was such an easy thing to do. Heck, I actually took up grooming cuz I got fed up of my parents not sending their own poodles for grooming! I will tell you, it is NOT as easy as it looks! If it ever was, there won't be academies out there at all for pet grooming!
Lastly, do dogs and cats need to be sent in for grooming? If you have a dog with fur that grows everywhere like a poodle, maltese, schnauzer etc, or a long haired cat that gets matted then YES! They need to be sent at LEAST once every 2 months for a full groom.
Why do we need to spend for professional grooming? I'll tell you why.
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Do you want to see your dog living with a body full of matts and hot spots? No you don't.
Do you want to spend 3 to 4 hours dematting your dog when a groomer can do it for you in 15 to 20 minutes? No you don't.
Do you want to cut your dog's nails and risk cutting the quick and have your dog screaming and bleeding all over the place? No you don't.
Do you want to try to scissor your dog and risk cutting their penis or nipple? No you don't.
Do you want to pull our their ear hair and risk hurting their ears? No you don't.
Do you want to expel your dog's anal glands and risk it shooting into your face? Oh trust me when I say you don't.
So people! If you have a dog that needs grooming, please send them for grooming AT LEAST once every 2 months or you may end up forking up money for vet bills instead from the skin problems caused by matts and dirt accumulated in the matts, ear infection due to ears that are almost never cleaned properly, nails embedded into the paw pads due to overgrown nails, maggot wounds or infection due to matts or fur collecting feces/urine around the anus, vaginal or penis area and much more.
Trust me when I say you will love your dog more when it comes back smelling fresh and clean!
(But of course make sure it's a groomer that knows what he/she is doing)
Okay, switching topic.
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Remember the shih tzu that got cut up badly a few posts ago? He got sent to the same groomer again. This time it was his anus and balls that got all cut up cuz my friend didn't want to bald-dify him, so the groomer left some length on his legs and body, but I think they used 30 for his sanitary. I didn't manage to take photos but it sure looked awfully painful! The groomer clearly doesn't know how to groom at all! His front legs looked like a cowboy's bowlegs due to poor scissoring. His whole body had chops and chunks of fur like 'stairs'. Bad scissoring I don't mind so much la, but always chopping up their anus and balls with a 30 blade?? Come on la... Don't tell me you're not hurting the dog! And if you try to say cuz the dog moved too much or whatever same crap it's all bollocks! I scissored that dog before, I shaved that dog when he was heavily matted, I bathed that dog before and he is an angel when it comes to grooming. What makes me even more mad is that the owner does not want to complain cuz he doesn't want to cause trouble. Aih....
This post has been edited by Reanne: Mar 7 2011, 05:07 AM 
May 29 2008, 02:24 PM, updated 18y ago
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Yeah hor! But I can't modify anymore the topic wor...
About y closed down..hmm...boss punya pasal lar 
u'll get to know them as u post along. say, do u groom other pets as well?
I was so upset when I bath with her, I dare not comb her hair. 
. When I first bought, the shop assistant told me pedigree is too salty. Is it true? Until now I do not know which brand is the best for her. Please advice. 
. Thanks for your advice. 
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