Terrible Petsmart encounter. I need advice...an encouraging word..something

[DixiepeachVA]

Originally Posted by JeanieK

You double their 3 month weight, not 4 month. I'm guessing you're going to have about an 8 pounder.

I might have told them, "well he looked like a yorkie until I brought him here to be groomed".

You are correct, triple 2 month wt. double 3 month wt. You are funny!
And right.

Ask that groomer: who made her the reigning expert on Yorkies?? or how would she like it if you asked her if HER children are purebred? Maybe she'd understand better how this made you feel.

I also agree to call/write Corp. offices and notify them of this treatment, it is just plain wrong on all counts. Find a private professional groomer who will be kind to your baby.

Ears?? At that age I'll bet it's teething time, and they do droop a little then, but consider taping? (My ears would droop too if I'd been, nicked, cut, made to look like a stray, and then insulted!!)

[ditsy]

Originally Posted by celstu1

I have 2 boys, brothers from the same litter. One is 5lbs max and one is b/t 8 - 9 lbs. I feel so much secure with my bigger boy! He's not so fragile!

I have to agree ... my little girl is already 10lbs at 7 months and I feel so much more secure with a bigger Yorkie.

My first Yorkie was so small for his first 6 months or so (he was sick) and I lived in fear the whole time that he would break a leg or his blood sugar would drop too far from over exercising. It was a nightmare.

Sophie is such a treat to not have to worry about so much. I can rough and tumble with her and I don't have a small heart attack each time she leaps from the sofa.

If your ever worried about your pups size, just go read some of the heart breaking storys about the sick little 2 & 3 lbs dogs and how Vets are terrified to work on them because they are so small.

While yes, for showing standards Yorkies should be between 3 - 7 lbs, and while I wouldn't recommend you breed a non-standard Yorkie*, I don't think there is any shame in having an extra lb or 10 on your pet.

As for the ears ...

If your pups ears don't stick up naturally its not a big deal.

If you prefer the look, then shaving and taping is certainly worth trying but as long as you keep the ear canal free of hair and debris then there is no reason to be concerned if your dogs ears stay floppy its entire life.

My girls ears both stick up when she is alert, but usually she just has one sticking up *shrug* and I think she looks just lovely.

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience, but fortunately hair grows back.

Not all hair stylists were created equal.




* Just my personal opinion, as I think all breeders should strive to maintain healthy breed standards.

[Chato's Mama]

simple as this:

just give lots of love to your pet! sometimes people at Petsmart are so stupid. they do not even know to do things right. I heard of one of my friends who took her little scottish and they cut the quick twice!!!!

[Holly_QD]

Awww I'm so sorry you had to go through this. I went through the same thing. So I got my own shears, my own clippers, and I just do it myself. i still haven't done the claws yet. i'm scared. LOL. I need to get some Quick Stop first in case I do too much. But I think I will just file till I gather up the courage to cut them.

[Nikki+2]

I just looked at the pictures and OMG- he is SO cute! He looks like a little lover!

[judyeve]

Originally Posted by lilstar63100

i beg to differ.... most of us are actually experts... we DO have to go through extensive training... BUT... even though i work as a trainer at petsmart... i would trust my own dogs there for grooming :-/. its not that they are good... IF they take the time. its the fact that they get payed off of commissions... so the more dogs they groom.. the more money.... the quicker they groom... the more dogs. as for the trainer... i would have said "well... hes AKC.... so i KNOW hes purebred..." and just walked away... sometimes some people think they know more then they do.... Not every dog is the perfect akc standard of their breed, but that doesnt mean anythings wrong with them at all. if i were you i would either go in and talk to or call and talk to the store manager. the store manager at my store will do ANYTHING to make a customer happy.... and trust me she has. most of the time if someone is happy with their dogs hair cuts shell give them their money back... PLUS give them their next groom free... but that's just my store... i dont know about everywhere else.

i guess not every Petsmart is the same... my manager holds a lot higher standards for her employees than most of them...

I'm so glad hear that your store is reputable and that they have high standards. I'm sure a lot of trainers and brokers are good, but these two sound like they both either need to be trained some more or fired.

There's a Petland Discounts near my house, which is also known as a discount pet store and I'd ask one of their workers, who I've known for years, any question I had. She really knows her stuff.

You just have to be selective about who to trust no matter where they work.

[jeanief]

I might have told them, "well he looked like a yorkie until I brought him here to be groomed". Jeanie K that is sooooo funny!!! Can you imagine the look on their faces if she had said that?? People are so rude sometimes . Your puppy is darling. Don't worry his hair will grow. Mabey look on the internet for a puppy cut you like and bring it in with you next time to show the groomer what style you like. I use painters making tape to tape my pups ears. It comes off easier than regular masking tape. A tampon will be to big ( more for like dobermans ears) google taping yorkies ears and you should come up with some pictures on how to do it. I use 1 piece up the inside center of the ears and then another peice to wrap around the front to the back. Make sure the sides of the ears don't fold over on the edges. It's super easy but hard to explain.

[Desert Dogs]

My experience with Petsmart groomers is not a good one either.
This subject has been discussed on the Old English Sheepdog forum I am a member of. Seems everyone that dropped off their Old English Sheepdog to get puppy cuts either come back shaved or looking like a Giant Schnauzer.
I really am convinced that is all they know how to do. What pisses me off the most is the fact that they say "Yes, I know how to do that cut!" and you never get what you ask for. I also got major attitude when I told them that with an Old English you must brush them out before washing them, because if there is a tiny matt it will become like glue and become huge.
Of course they don't listen, then I end up with a naked dog because of the matts the groomers caused. I have always made sure my dogs are matt free before bringing them into the groomer. But alas I always come back to find a shaved dog. Not just shaved, but practically bald, because it's the easiest way for them.
If they hit one small matt they will shave the dog, too much work for them .
Actually the last time my dog was at the groomer my sister took him there. He came back looking great....except from them not brushing him out his entire undercoat was matted.

So now I do it myself. I bought a set of Andis clippers and no more schnauzers here... lol I also use a #5 to leave some fuzz when I do shave them.

[LouisLove]

OMG! I can't believe people now-a-days! I have had an experiance or two of that nature but never anything with a groomer. My furbaby is about 12lbs now and he will be 1yr in a couple weeks. I love him to pieces! As far as the snout- it is all the hair do. I have no problem (now) giving people my opinion after they make an ignorant comment about my baby's size.

I have said "if you do not own a yorkie or are a breed specialist don't make uneducated remarks or accusations. And if you don't mind take this experience learn from it and apply it to your life. Otherwise you end up looking stupid" yes I know it's rude but so are they!

I did my research before getting my baby (for two years) and have spoken to my vet about his size which is more common than most think and have all his paperwork to verify he is AKC. So, don't fret there are many people with "bigger" babies ( I was a couple months ago) trust me it's not a "big" deal

[Ozzie'sperson]

It's REALLY sad you have to endure this from a TRAINER, of all things. It's bad enough when other people question your pup's AKC status!

I feel for you on that front. Ozzie is a 13+ pounder and since about four or five months, has been exceptionally big. I can't count how many times someone has asked me if he's a mix ... and then ask if I'm sure when I say no!

As far as I'm concerned, standards only matter if you want a showdog. And unless you have a health concern, who CARES? (One of the best dogs I've ever had was a mutt.)

And I have to agree with prefering a bigger guy. Our other Yorkie was a TINY baby and I spent the first year completely paranoid. He eventually got to seven pounds, but those 2-3 pound months were awful. I lived in fear of squashing him.

[Apache]

Now here's the kicker...Prince has somehow gotten what we think is ringworm on his back. I noticed it last week and took him to the vet. Since there are no other kids or pets around, the vet seems to think he most likely got it from the groomers. He said it takes 1-4 weeks for it to show, and it's been about that long since he was groomed. I'm not blaming them cause there's no way to know for sure.
But thanks for your words..Prince has gained another pound, so he's 7lbs at 5 months. I love the fact that I can "rough and tumble" with him and not worry. It's good because Prince doesn't realize he's only 7 lbs....he thinks he's more like 100!

[nansyorkies]

WHAT SO THEY KNOW, THEY ARE NOT YORKIE LOVERS LIKE WE ARE. i have a boy (Brutis) that weighs almost 12lbs., his sister (sierra) only weighs 4 3/4lbs. and they are not even a year old yet, i have a female that is a year old and she only weighs 4 1/4lbs. the lady i got my brutis from had a bad experience from a private groomer- caried her 2 dogs in- told them to leave hair long at face, trim nails and pads- well they cut hair at face, but did not trim pads nor cut nails- i bathe and groom the dogs now- one of them would bite at me when i tried to trim her nails for almost 2 months after her experience at groomers.

[Ida]

Originally Posted by JeanieK

You double their 3 month weight, not 4 month. I'm guessing you're going to have about an 8 pounder.

My chachi has a long muzzle and he is 100% pure yorkie.

Why do people feel it is necessary to put down someone elses dog.

If I saw one that didn't look like a yorkie, I might think to myself, but unless they asked for my opinion, I would keep it to myself. Does it make them feel good to make someone else feel bad.

I might have told them, "well he looked like a yorkie until I brought him here to be groomed".

I think my baby is going to be a porker lmao- although he was not weighed at 3 months - He is now 4 months and weighs 7 lbs. on the nose - He's my first Yorkie and I'm so used to Akitas (100+ lbs.) I can't even imagine him being any smaller - Anyone that is out to put your pet down is jealous of him/her.

[xBUTTERCUPx]

I think to determine the estimated weight, you take the weight at 3 months and multiply by 2. As far as the encounter with the trainer goes, just ignore her. She isn't the breed doctor to tell you what he is or what he's not. Who is she to say he's not purebred? Honestly, she needs to get a little more educated before she give you her input on things.

[xBUTTERCUPx]

Maybe you can look into a private groomer that doesn't work off of commission. I groom Buttercup myself because no one ever seem to cut him the way I like it so I thought if I did it myself then I would be happier with the results. (The first time is always bad, but you get better and better every time).....One more thing, you save a lot of money too!