[bijoux1]

I am soooooo very very frustrated!! I do not envy the hard work that I know that grooming is, and I know hat it has to be a difficult job to do and keep everyone happy. Having said that, I was not in any way expecting miracles. I have two little poodles, and since getting them this past year, I have tried repeatedly to get them groomed in nothing super complicated or fancy. The simple fact is that I just don't want them shaved down like a true poodle cut. This looks good on others, but for them I personally don't like it on them at all!! They are very small, and they look like little drowned rats when they are shaved down like that. I just like them really full and fluffy, and I comb them every day so it isn't an issue for matting either.

Good news is that I am able to go about 4 months in between every grooming they have had bc it takes that long to grow back out to a length I like. By then, their faces are really needing grooming which is what I go in for ...that and shaping. I went beforehand and brought pics of the face and asked if it was possible etc.They said yes. I booked appt, brought many pics, the girl spent much time looking at them, and repeatedly asked me why I didn't want the legs cut down short bc having them long was upkeep etc, and even thought they had no mats, she thought this had to be alot of work for me. She also thought it was a "messy & scruffy look." I assured her it wasn't too much upkeep for me, and that I liked this look. I thanked her for her advice, I told her that her poodle she was showing me pictures of was beautiful but insisted that no, I did indeed want very much to keep them long. I also explained that I would MUCH rather them be left too long than to be too short and that this was important bc they had a Christmas photo the next day.

I showed up to my two dogs being cut literally shorter than they have ever been, and the 4 month growth that I told her I worked to grow out was all gone!! In addition, I had both filled out and gone over that they could not have any shampoo other than the prescription one I brought bc of EXTENSIVE skin issues. I explained to please NOT use any perfume, conditioner , etc. They were covered in perfume. I am stopped up with my own sinus issues, and I didn't realize that until later that night when their skin began getting raised patches and they began itching uncontrollably. The itching was so severe that they both drew blood in several places.

So in addition to looking horrible, they are MISERABLE!!! I got up at 3 am and bathed them and treated their skin to try to calm it down, but once they are irritated, it can take WEEKS for it to go down. I am so annoyed! And both of my dogs woke me up multiple times during the night, which they NEVER do, and every time it was to go outside only bc they were frantically eating grass bc there stomach is bothering both of them. This has NEVER happened after a grooming!!

This was their first Christmas together, and I had, as do all of you, I had little Christmas outfits that I am so excited about, and I am just so upset!! I know this is so small in the scheme of things in life, but it is really upsetting! And what annoyed me the most was that I politely called today, and when the owner answered I politely explained that although I had written it on their card re: their allergies, they were still given extra scented perfumes and or conditioners and that could for next time she please make an additional note so this never happened. I was extremely polite and I really just wanted to see her reaction.

She never once apologized, and even though I didn't even mention the horrible uneven, awful grooming job...only the allergies and that they had severely irritated places from it, she only asked me what I wanted her to do about it now?! Seriously?!! And then she said that maybe I should have informed someone! I explained I wrote it down on the cards they provide that are now on file, spoke with the groomer, and brought my own shampoo labeled with this instruction. She offered nothing whatsoever and said if there wasn't anything else I needed she would just write it down for next time.

I don't expect perfection the first time I am visiting a groomer bc I know it takes time to learn each other, but surely, I should be able to find somewhere that won't look at the pics, go over the instructions, and then still just cut them into a poodle cut?! Ugggggggg!!! They just don't even look like themselves right now. Sorry for this long ridiculous rant, I am just really upset!!!