Disgusted!!

[zaknnana]

I feel like a true failure with Lily!! She is 6 months old and I took her to Petco today to get her hair cut and this is the second time she has been to a "groomer". She is getting spayed next week so I wanted to get her hair cut short before her surgery. The groomer at Petco told me that she is "very bad to groom"!! I know she is bad!! I have tried everything with her and she just acts like she is literally a crazy dog when I try to do anything with her!! She bites and cries and throws herself like she is totally out of control. She doesn't listen to much at all to be quite honest!! She is going potty outside or on her pad most of the time but other than that she is just so hyper that I don't know if I will ever be able to do anything with her. I have tried so hard to praise her and I have spent the whole summer constantly trying to train her to behave. She jumps out of her expen outside now and she can jump over the gate I used to put in front of the door!! She is just out of control and I am at my wits end!! That sounds so silly to even say about a 3 pound dog!! I am ashamed!!

[Punkin&Piper]

Its just something they have to get used to I bribe mine with treats

[Thorsmomma]

Do you walk her regularly? At least thirty minutes minimum two times daily? Maybe she has a lot of energy she needs to burn. Sorry you are feeling like this. I have been there too....

[Breny]

She is only 6 months old. Give her time. It just takes lots of patience and time. She will get there.
Just give her love

[Yorkiedaze]

I've had fosters like that. Since I do the grooming myself I would give them a few drops of Rescue Remedy about 45 minutes before a bath and groom. I think they act like that due to some sort of trauma. Maybe her experience with the groomers isn't very good. Poor little thing.

[pea496]

I never thought Conner would be well mannered (well, he kinda still isn't). I took him to Petco to be groomed when he was about 6 months old. They told me not to come back because he was incourageable!!! I found another groomer who would take the time to get to know him, and my groomer compliments him every time I go to pick him up. He is wonderful to Conner, and Conner really likes him.

He, to, was very energetic. He would wake me up at 4 a.m. to play. He is 2 1/2 now, and I would not trade him for anything. He is such a snuggle bunny with his mama and plays rough with daddy.

Give her a little more time, and I'm sure she will calm down.

[zaknnana]

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!
I hope Lily gets better!! I love her to pieces and she is very spoiled but I do want to make her at least settle down a little bit eventually!! Maybe it was just "Petco"?? The other groomer that she went to the first time was very good with her but she was booked up and I wanted to get her hair cut before she gets spayed next week so I just took her to Petco. She is walking on her leash really good now and she was so good before going in to be groomed and then he said "she was HORRIBLE"!! I could have cried!!lol It was like telling me that "I was an unfit MOTHER"!!!lol
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!!
"One day at a time"!!

[megansmomma]

Sorry but a total bash here~It probably was Petco! More than a few people here have had problems with Petco and Petsmart groomers.

It is very important that you start a good grooming experience. I too learned the hard way and took Pebbles to Petsmart for her first grooming.

I was CALLED back to the store to pick her up and the groomer wanted to "show me something". This is what I saw: Pebbles with a head collar/satellite dish around her head, attached to the table by her neck and this woman trying to RAKE a comb through her hair! The poor was scared to death and growling and snapping at this devil woman!!!!! She then took her down and handed her back to me and gave me a 20 minute talk about how crazy she was and not to bring her back! I was in tears thinking I had the worst puppy ever

While I was going home that day I notice a grooming shop and stopped to see if they were open. The owner was there and let me in even though it was after hours and she was wonderful! I paid a little extra because they hand trimmed her and she wasn't perfect for the first time but it was worth it. The last time I had here there Mary told me that she is one of the best dogs that comes in!

My suggestion would be to work with Lily every day with treat and praise. Put her up on the kitchen table or dryer in your LR on a towel not on your lap but up like they do at the groomers. Touch her all over her body, her face, feet, tail etc. and praise her and give her treats. She will not like it at first but the treat will work. Then a little at a time start to brush/comb her. This will work, it worked for me for both Pebbles and now Doodlebug. Do it every day for just a few minutes and she will get use to the handling that is involved in grooming.

[QUOTE] I took him to Petco to be groomed when he was about 6 months old. They told me not to come back because he was incourageable!!!/QUOTE]

I would have called the store manager to let then know their employees are turning away paying customers. Unless your puppy viciously attacked the groomer there is no reason to turn away a PUPPY for grooming. They are there to service the customer whether it is you or your puppy. You are opening your wallet so they better respect you. Telling a paying customer to not come back in not appropriate or acceptable in my book.

[DejaVu]

I am willing to bet that it was Petco, also. I have seen them grooming and training dogs and I almost had a fit on these people a few times. One of the "trainers" was actually scolding and yelling at one of the dogs because it didnt "come" to her. I wouldnt either if I were that dog! A family member had her dog groomed there, a min poodle, and she came back half wet half dry...just to name a few things I remember off the top of my head.

Try exercising her a little before a grooming session to wear her out a little, and when she is good for you on the table or getting bathed, praise her or reward her with treats. Shes still so young and very much a puppy, she will calm down with age, trust me.

[Kimber44]

Hi,
My Lily was the same- crazy with grooming, and Petsmart said she was the worst puppy they ever had. I'll never go back. I have gone slow on a daily basis for the last month and now she loves to be brushed (and given treats). Nails are the only thing left we are struggling with (aside from potty training). I have also started rollerblading with her for 20 minutes in the morning with her on a long leash running in front of me. She LOVES it after a few nervous starts and then is not hyper for the rest of the morning until she gets her 2 oclock walk. I swear she has more energy than my standard poodle did.

[YorkieMother]

Teach Lily to love it.

It does not matter if the groomer is rough or not in the long run.. you can switch the groomer and I would. I find someone that will take her over a longer grooming session and even all day if it needs be to let her take breaks as she is groomed.

But now she had a bad time you have to help her have a better time of it.

So supper time show be let me touch you all over as I feed you on piece of kibble at a time.

It will take time but you match that which she likes eating with that which she does not like and in time you will have a dog that will handle it better.

You may have to pull out some really extra special treats to mis in with the regular supper to keep her working with you.

So not one piece of kibble means on stroke at first . Then over time I want you to get out the come and brush her and tug a little.

The in time feed and have a pair of scissors clipping near her. then if you can borrow a pair electric clippers and run them as you hand feed.

Now then you have to wean off the treats so work one treat for a few touches until you wean to one or two or maybe even more a session.

Yes it is a lot of work but she will learn in time grooming is a fact of life and can be pleasant.


JL

[AprilLove]

I am so sorry you had a bad experience with petco. Don't think you are a bad mommy! She is still young and will get used to it. I didn't take any of mine to my groomer until they were around 6-7 months old, so I would have time to get them used to brushing and bathing etc. My Yorkie was a lot like your when she was young, she would bite at the brush wiggle all around and basically, try to get me to stop, in other words, she kept trying to break ME!! LOL. I just kept doing little bits at a time, every day, even if it was only clipping on nail, or running the brush down her back one time. She really didn't start to calm down with it until about 7 months, and now at almost 3 years old, she is a dream to groom, she loves to be brushed, she almost passes out when I brush her now, she acts like she is a queen who deserves her spa time, lol .

If you can find a groomer that you can go and watch while they do it, it may be a much better experience for you and her. I wouldn't take her to petco again or any of the super pet chains, you just never know. It sounds like the person doing it didn't have enough experience to know how to handle a puppy and a small one at that.
You are not alone and not a bad mommy, just keep on with the brushing and daily grooming at home, have patience, it WILL get better.

[cheeselover8481]

I agree with what everyone said. When we were training Rosie she would scream off the top of her lungs when we brushed her. I literally thought our neighbors would call animal control for animal abuse Finally we started giving her treats after each stroke, then reduced it to every 2 strokes, etc. That got her used to brushing. Also, lots of walks helps calm them down. Next time, I would take your on a 30 min - 1 hour walk before grooming as mentioned by the others.

Your dog is not bad. They don't understand what's going on when someone strange is brushing them and bathing them. It gets easier...believe me I know exactly what you are going through. Rosie is still known as a drama queen everywhere (groomer, vet, training, etc.) we go, but has gotten better

[chachi]

Chachi was a little squirrely when he first got groomed also. He got better in time

[zaknnana]

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!! You have all been so kind and helpful...I love this site!!
What kind of brush, comb, treats have ya all had success with? All of your advice helps me so so much!! She is doing really good with potty training and she isn't "all bad girl"!! She just seems to hate to be "confined or touched" .... she is almost like having a CAT!!lol She isn't much of a cuddler unless she is ready to sleep and then I can cuddle with her some and she does sleep in bed with us at night!! I have bought all kinds of combs and brushes but she HATES it all and she doesn't care if I give her treats or not. Cheese works sometimes but not much of it because she gets tired of it real fast. She is a good eater though with her kibble and I give her a little bit of canned puppy food first thing in the morning and she free feeds all day long w/dry and eats real well. She gets spayed on Wed. and she is supposed to spend the night....they have someone there 24/7 but I am still afraid to leave her...I might see if she can come home that evening if she is awake and doing good?? THANKS SO MUCH ALL OF YOU!! You have all helped me so much!! I had a teacup poodle for 19 years and don't remember ever dealing with all this with her?? Must be the "terrier" coming out!!lol