Do you do your known grooming or have a professional do it?

[Pattie]

Originally Posted by Brutus'mama

I was going to take Brutus to the groomers but he doesn't even like when I brush him so I couldn't imagine how he would be with a stranger. I did groom him myself but it took a while. I take him to get his nails cut though.

Strange that you mention this.... I had the same idea, so I was brushing Chloe myself, the ONLY groomer who has done my Chloe was my sister, UNTIL today. My sister lives in NY, I live in Michigan.. Snowy months I don't drive back home. She needed her butt shaved again, eyes clipped, paws trimmed & I don't trust myself to do this. She is a job brushing everynight and tries to make a game of it and she has tons of fun! (in actuality she exhausts me by the time I am done although tired but I do enjoy this brushing time)While interviewing a dozen groomers, I made the stink someone else brought up about her being my baby, being afraid to leave her and so on, Chloe & interviewed groomers. The mobile groomer who does my step-daughters 2 doggies, agreed to do Chloe's nails, butt, eyes & ears for only $10. if I chose to bath her myself (probably because she was already making enough $$ on the other 2 dogs at this trip) The shops weren't interested in half a job. Many do the nails only but I also wanted eyes, butt, feet.. Some seemed angry when I asked if I could stay, one told me sure but I will charge you more. Some I plain out didn't like the personality of. One I decided I liked so, I took Chloe today for her first trip for a full grooming. (The manager I spoke to was not the woman who actually wound up grooming CHloe tho. I was told I must leave her for 3 to 4 hours, they could call when she was done. I brought her blanket, a snuggle toy, her own bisquits. When I picked her up, she wasn't that anxious to get to me (I thought this was a good sign) She finally walked across the counter to me and gave me a snuggle (no xx-excitment including accidental lick up my nostrils or across my entire face which is the normal greeting) The woman said she had a great first time experience & mentioned she didn't push Chloe to much so didn't clip in front of her ears as she normally would have. As I was leaving, she casually mentioned it took 3 of the groomers to get the bow in her hair. (I would have settled for no bow if this was a problem- for Chloe not them!) she was very Quiet on the drive home. Tonight she is still quiet and when I got her brush to brush her as we do every single night, she lay there and allowed it ?????? NO BIG GAME, NO TUG OF WAR, NO WRESTLING MATCH. I'm worried now.... The only time I remember Chloe ever co-operating and changing her mind on what she wants to do was the day I spanked her for pulling out of her collar and running in front of my neighbors running car!!! ...Two little finger spanking and she never ever pulled out of her collar again! She was insulted with me. So, although it will be more relaxing brushing "a non-moving target" I WANT TO KNOW, how they got her to switch the rules to what she thought was a game...... I am worried they spanked her and I did it that one time ONLY because she was almost run over, that's different.... I am so unsettled about this inside. It's good but how did they get it good, I wish she could talk to me... and she did not appear to be frightened of the woman either but then I thought when she does a no no at the house here, she comes to me to cuddle... Maybe the lady had her cuddling because she made her feel like she did a no no. Then I thought maybe this is all my fault because if I was a good mommy, I should have corrected her when she first started making a game out of brushing her. But it was kind of funny, so I didn't...I am so distraught and nothing really bad happened, you'd think I lost her the way I am acting (I called my sister crying - she laughed at me)...........I want to go back there tomorrow and just see what CHloe's reaction would be.......... I'm not normally a nutcase - just since I got this ball of fur! Oh how I wish she could talk this out with me.

[Latuya]

I do all grooming myself. I took Gus to the groomer once and ever went back. I do it all. My latest task was the ears. It took some time but I think I got it down.

[cheryl000]

All I can tell you is to try to get some references from other yorkie owners in the area. Brandy isn't old enough, but I have taken my cat to PetsMart (it is HARD to find someone to do cats!) Just be very careful who you pick and make sure that you can see what tools they work with. Some groomers sedate animals, so be sure to ask if they're going to do that!
I ran into a lady with a yorkie/s**tzu mix. She said that she took her to a groomer who was horrible. The dog fell off of the table and broke it's back. She had to take the dog to the vet and it cost almost $5000 in vet bills and she still doesn't walk the same. So be very careful who you pick and I make sure that they stay with the dog all the time and the ones who have the strap and pole are better than the people who just hold them IMO.
Good luck!

[cheryl000]

[QUOTE=Pattie]Strange that you mention this.... I had the same idea, so I was brushing Chloe myself, the ONLY groomer who has done my Chloe was my sister, UNTIL today. My sister lives in NY, I live in Michigan.. Snowy months I don't drive back home. She needed her butt shaved again, eyes clipped, paws trimmed & I don't trust myself to do this. She is a job brushing everynight and tries to make a game of it and she has tons of fun! (in actuality she exhausts me by the time I am done although tired but I do enjoy this brushing time)While interviewing a dozen groomers, I made the stink someone else brought up about her being my baby, being afraid to leave her and so on, Chloe & interviewed groomers. The mobile groomer who does my step-daughters 2 doggies, agreed to do Chloe's nails, butt, eyes & ears for only $10. if I chose to bath her myself (probably because she was already making enough $$ on the other 2 dogs at this trip) The shops weren't interested in half a job. Many do the nails only but I also wanted eyes, butt, feet.. Some seemed angry when I asked if I could stay, one told me sure but I will charge you more. Some I plain out didn't like the personality of. One I decided I liked so, I took Chloe today for her first trip for a full grooming. (The manager I spoke to was not the woman who actually wound up grooming CHloe tho. I was told I must leave her for 3 to 4 hours, they could call when she was done. I brought her blanket, a snuggle toy, her own bisquits. When I picked her up, she wasn't that anxious to get to me (I thought this was a good sign) She finally walked across the counter to me and gave me a snuggle (no xx-excitment including accidental lick up my nostrils or across my entire face which is the normal greeting) The woman said she had a great first time experience & mentioned she didn't push Chloe to much so didn't clip in front of her ears as she normally would have. As I was leaving, she casually mentioned it took 3 of the groomers to get the bow in her hair. (I would have settled for no bow if this was a problem- for Chloe not them!) she was very Quiet on the drive home. Tonight she is still quiet and when I got her brush to brush her as we do every single night, she lay there and allowed it ?????? NO BIG GAME, NO TUG OF WAR, NO WRESTLING MATCH. I'm worried now.... The only time I remember Chloe ever co-operating and changing her mind on what she wants to do was the day I spanked her for pulling out of her collar and running in front of my neighbors running car!!! ...Two little finger spanking and she never ever pulled out of her collar again! She was insulted with me. So, although it will be more relaxing brushing "a non-moving target" I WANT TO KNOW, how they got her to switch the rules to what she thought was a game...... I am worried they spanked her and I did it that one time ONLY because she was almost run over, that's different.... I am so unsettled about this inside. It's good but how did they get it good, I wish she could talk to me... and she did not appear to be frightened of the woman either but then I thought when she does a no no at the house here, she comes to me to cuddle... Maybe the lady had her cuddling because she made her feel like she did a no no. Then I thought maybe this is all my fault because if I was a good mommy, I should have corrected her when she first started making a game out of brushing her. But it was kind of funny, so I didn't...I am so distraught and nothing really bad happened, you'd think I lost her the way I am acting (I called my sister crying - she laughed at me)...........I want to go back there tomorrow and just see what CHloe's reaction would be.......... I'm not normally a nutcase - just since I got this ball of fur! Oh how I wish she could talk this out with me.[/QUOTE
This is just a suggestion. Do you know if they sedated her or did you ask? Since you said that it's strange how calm she's being. Or maybe they turned getting groomed into a positive experience for her by giving her treats? Maybe you can just call them and ask them what they did? She sounds okay though. Usually a dog that has been abused bows it's head down and such if it has been hit. I don't really think that's what happened, but does she do that?

[Pattie]

CHERYL
I did ask them how she did, first answer was not bad and then said she had a first great time experience. On my way out is when she slipped & said it took 3 of them to put her bow in. I did not ask if they sedated her, I did bring that up to my sister tho, My sister said they could not without permission and she doubts they would take a chance with her being this tiny. My thoughts are if they did, they would not admit it anyway. It is 2:45 AM (12 hours since this experience) and she is still sound asleep. SHe was making a squeeky noise about half an hour ago, could be dreaming but when I talked to her - she looked at me with one eye and went back to sleep. She hasn't played with her catballs at all today. I can't sleep I am disturbed by this.

[yorkiepip]

I do Pippa's grooming/hair cutting myself
I am a hairdresser so i just adapted what i already knew
My friends have asked me to cut their dogs hair and i have done 1 (a cavalier king charles spaniel) but even with my 17 years hairdressing knowledge its not as easy as it looks so apart from Pippa i'm gonna stick to humans

[Lady of Yorkies]

Pattie, I'm so sorry you are so worried but it sounds to me like they sedated her. I just can't imagine anything else that would make her act that way. If they had swatted her, she still would have been overjoyed to see you. I think that sometimes they have in their store policies(in their minds) the right to do whatever they feel is right to protect their workers, including sedating the animal. If you don't ask that question specifically, I think they won't tell you anything. JMO Sylvia

[red98vett]

I Would go ballistic if anyone sedated my girls while grooming them but

both mine used to be very tired after an appointment - probably because they are stressed while being groomed and it just takes alot out of them - by the time you get them home - they're just soooo relieved to be home they lay down and sleep contently - At least I HOPE that's why they used to be so tired....

[011011]

I do my own took a little practice at first but got it down. I would never take mine and leave then there to be groomed. I have the time to do mine also as I am at home everyday. I bought a clippers about $75. The only thing I do not like to do is toenails mine hate it and it is hard to hold them down usually takes two of us to do them, WITH ALOT OF PROTESTING FROM THEM BUT WE DO GET THE JOB DONE.lol

[Gazou]

I do all the grooming myself .

[red98vett]

Originally Posted by Gazou

I do all the grooming myself .

and you do a BEAUTIFUL job !

[Bridget's Mommy]

I'm SO impressed with all of you who do your babies grooming yourself! I wouldn't trust myself - I trimmed Bridget's hair around her face once and she looked ridiculous! So now I just leave it to the professionals! Recently moved to Utah and lucked out - the first week here I found an AWESOME groomer who was so sweet with her and did a fantastic job.

[chachi]

I have a groomer that I love that I take my dogs to. She does a much better job than I could.

[Brutus'mama]

Brutus will NOT let me cut his nails anymore and I don't know why. I never hurt him or made him bleed. I went to do it the other day and not only did he freak out but he let out a little cry. That was the end of it for me! I took him to Petco a few times in the past and the last time they made him bleed so no more Petco for me. I found a groomer near me that has been in business for over 20 years and she cut his nails and he didn't move! She said she sees it all the time that the dogs act better with her. I guess because they're so scared!

Anyway I asked her a million questions from how she grooms yorkies to what kind of dryer she uses. I left there feeling good about the place. I want to get him a modified puppy cut in the spring so I think I'll take him there. She already knows that I want to leave the topknot and just trim his face a little. So we'll see. If you read the NJ newspaper that I was arrested for assualting a dog groomer you know I didn't have a good experience there!

[Skittles_Momma]

Originally Posted by camarolynn73

Well, I just grooming my adult Yorkie for the first time and I am pooped. He's 7 years and did good with his bath but, obiviously hasn't been use to being properly groomed. he hated the brushing, toenail clipping(They were very long), and the hair clipping around the ears(good lord), I thought I would have to take off running, jump on his back and hog tie him. I couldn't pull the hair out of his ears, so I had to clip it. Now from now on, I'm going to the groomers!! Who else only uses the groomers?

Skittles only goes to the groomer about once a month if that. I bath her weekly and attempt to cut her front nails...since those are the ones that scratch hubbies back up! =) I leave the hair trimming,plucking etc to the groomer. I know how frustrating it can be but it will get easier over time.