Petco Grooming?

[sabsab00]

Has anyone ever used the grooming at Petco or PetSmart? Im looking for some place for Busters first grooming and havent really been able to find one...Any good/bad experiences? Thanks...

[alriver]

I used petsmart grooming for Bogey when he was about 7 mths. old . I requested a "puppy cut" . They did that, but it was my fault for not telling them to leave the hair between his eyes (I didn't know)I have taken him one more time to a local groomer which I didn't know all she used was clippers! She shaved his belly completely. Needless to say, I have learned to groom him myself. I know what I like & what I don't. My suggestion is to research & you can do it for yourself & be happy!

[daylee]

I used Petco on with my Bishon mix furbaby, the first time went smoothly.The second time not so,with the same groomer,she must have been in a bad mood or something. My baby seemed afraidof her when we picked her up, we were charged x-tra for shaving off a postage stamp size mat.[There goes your tip Miss groomer] She must have cut a nail too short.Cos we could cut her nails easy before and not so after real jumpy like she had been hurt And they put them in cages to blow them dry.And her cut was all uneven.And to top it off the groomer acted really witchy w/ a B. So I learned how to cut her myself.Compared to her, cutting my Yorkie is a snap. And its free

[MissSophie]

Obviously every groomer is different, and one in your community would be different from one in mine. We took ours to Petco (we have two) originally, and it was okay. Then we started taking her to a medical clinic where they have groomers. However, I think one of the groomers there had worked for Petco at one point. On Labor Day, we took Sophie to the groomer at the Petco that is closer to our house. Maybe because it was a holiday, they were very relaxed. They let Sophie behind the counter and didn't put her in a cage. She seemed happy, and they were very nice. She looked good too. Now, in saying that, that was at one Petco, here in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was reasonably priced, and they did a good job, but I can't speak for the Petco near you.

[SANDYSAND]

I normally go to a place near Cross county in Yonkers. The PetSmart there is really good & clean. Then again I only go to a specific groomer since Koda was a baby and she is very nice to Koda

[shuber]

There are sooooo many horror stories about petco and petsmart grooming. Mine is no different, there have been many threads about them. The first time I took Teddy it was okay, they just did a trim. The second time they told me he was "matted" on his belly and they just about shaved him there and everywhere else was just so horribly uneven. This time I took him to a real groomer and she begged me not to take him to those places anymore. She told me that alot of dogs end up traumatized and hating to be groomed because its like an assembly line: one person does their bath, someone else does nails, etc... and they don't take their time and they are NOT gentle, especially if the dog doesn't like it.

Save yourself the heartache and go to a regular groomer right from the start

[Yorkiekids]

I've read so many horror stories about Petco and Petsmart that I wouldn't bring my guys there. I just found a new groomer, and I love her.

[ARCHIE]

I have used Petco for Buddy for two years.
I always like the way the did him however each time he was
crated for longer periods. I finally stopped going when I had
a 11:00 am appt and he wasn't ready to come home until
5:45pm. That did it.
I now have found the perfect groomer. ME

[dray]

Petco is just a place that needs bodies in their grooming salons, so they will fill them with who ever comes along. I worked for them for two years and I believe I am a very good groomer. But I have been gone from the Petco in my town for almost 10 years and they have not had another decent groomer in there. Most of the time just a bunch of young kids that can't even cut a toe nail. It is very scary to say the least. So my advice is if you are going to take your dog to a place like Petco or Petsmart, be sure you talk to the groomer and find out how long she or he has been grooming, stay and watch if you can, and don't hesitate to go in and remove your baby if need be. If you find someone that you trust make sure to make your next appointment with that person and then make sure that person is there when you drop your dog off.

Dogs can die in grooming shops, finding the right groomer is very hard and very important.

Owner
Best Friends Pet Salon
Salem Oregon

[sabsab00]

Well I ended up taking Buster there - he looks cute...I stuck around and watched them for awhile. It was clean and everything but the people were not very personable at all....I guess my search continues because I really dont have the confidence to do it myself....

[7TimesBlessed]

definitely do some research and get lots of opinons....I've taken my yorkie to PetCo at different times but last yr I met an amazing young lady who did such a great job on her ...tipping the ears, etc....but she left ...I searched her out but by the time I would catch up to where she was grooming she would already have left....3 different places....when I finally caught up w her she told me all about the horror stories at each place....from smoking to the contraptions they hang from the ceiling, etc....everywhere she worked they were annoyed because she took her time because she didn't want to hurt the dogs..........now she is 3 hrs away and working for a woman who adores her and likes what she does....she now has her doing ALL the yorkies...sorry this is so long but my point is there is so much that goes on at vets and groomers that ya need to be cautious..........i now have a groomer who I really like and she and her assistant do all the dogs.......i agree w the person who said to go to a regular groomer to start with.........

[mirobie]

I take Ava to Petsmart, because I am not comfortable trimming her ears myself. It's not my intention to go forever. But the groomer I want to go to isn't as convient. I need a groomer I can go to late on the weekends, because of work. All I have had them do so far is ears and feet, and I haven't had any problems. Since I am letting her hair grow, I tell them each time to "cut nothing else". My exact words each time are "tip the ears, trim the feet and clean the sanitary areas" I have seen some yorkies leaving that have been groomed into puppy cuts and they look fine. I am happy with what they have done for me.

[Chrissy0277]

She told me that alot of dogs end up traumatized and hating to be groomed because its like an assembly line: one person does their bath, someone else does nails, etc... and they don't take their time and they are NOT gentle, especially if the dog doesn't like it.

I have to disagree with this. I work for Petsmart (been there almost a month and worked there before 11 years ago but left only because I had gotten to sick to work). You should of seen the testing I had to go through just to be able to be in the grooming salon, the safety test anything less then 100 percent was a failing grade. We have a bather but the bather only grooms bath dogs only (labs, shepherds, etc). I have to wash, dry and cut the nails on the dogs I groom. Did you know Yorkies can only be hand dried at petsmart, they are not allowed to be cage dried? There is a big list of dogs that cannot be dried in a cage, this is policy and procedure. I have great pride working for Petsmart and havent felt this way in a long time. Some stores may not follow policy and yes it is wrong.
Just like any grooming shop, question your groomer, ask them their experience, just watch them to see how they interact with the pets.
I just want to point out just because someone had a bad experience at one petsmart or petco not all stores are this way.

[purpledaffodil]

i think to generalize a groomer because they work for a specific company isnt fair. we tried a groomer who was very expensive and hated the job she did for us, on a wim i took addie to petsmart one day and actually met a groomer there who was a retired professional yorkie shower.

just do your research on the groomer themselves, who cares where they work.

[Chrissy0277]

Originally Posted by purpledaffodil

i think to generalize a groomer because they work for a specific company isnt fair. we tried a groomer who was very expensive and hated the job she did for us, on a wim i took addie to petsmart one day and actually met a groomer there who was a retired professional yorkie shower.

just do your research on the groomer themselves, who cares where they work.

I agree 200 percent, just because I work for petsmart does not mean Im a bad groomer. The store I work at we have excellent groomers there. I do currently show yorkies. I have a ton of great yorkie customers.
I have seen some really bad groomers that work at small mom and pop shops