Petsmart Groomers?
 

I've finally got up the nerve to take Ziggy to another groomer...he looks a mess.:D I made an appointment with Petsmart on Sunday. Ziggy had a bad experience with the other groomer...she was so rough and made him scream, even made his nail bleed!:( Has anyone used Petsmart groomers before? They said I couldn't help hold him while it's done..for insurance reasons.:( There is a window where you can watch. When Koko was alive he had the sweetest lady to groom him...he just loved her. I wish I could take Ziggy to her but she's retired. Anyway, I'm a little nervous/neurotic about this.:confused: If anyone knows of a good groomer in Denton, Tx please let me know.

I'm sorry to hear what happened to your baby. I never really liked petsmart groomers. I've been to two of them in my area but neither of them were, in my opinion, 'professional' enough. :thumbdown :mad:

My yorkies always ended up looking like schauzers after every haircut so now I just ask the groomers to trim the hair around the eyes for me and I cut the rest of my babies' hair myself.

I think groomers are like beauticians. Most of them only know one cut and they do them all the same. You just have to find one that cuts like you like it.

I have been using Petsmart since I got Buddy 2yrs ago. I have always
had luck until the last two times. The time before the last he was there
for 6.5 hrs. I had a fit! This last time I read them the riot act and he was
the first one in the morning. I picked him up 2.5 hrs later and he wasn't
touched except for his face and paws. I left without saying much I was
so mad. After calming down I called and complained and will be taking him
back on Sat for a free groom. If this don't work out I will have to find
another groomer. Funny thing is my daughter is a groomer and she is
so busy no time for me! (free bee)

Nope..don't like Petsmart either. When I took Timmy I told them not to touch his face and they cut some hair from his snout.:mad: I was furious! It seems like its taking forever to grow back. You are right, they give them a schauzer look. I hated it..never again.

I feel your pain in trying to find a good groomer- I've been through three and have given up and started grooming myself. I really wouldn't recommend Petsmart for grooming. In my area at least, they use box dryers which forces hot air while they are in a box to dry them. This is faster and easier than hand drying but does not give nearly as good results. Most alarming to me is we had three dogs last year alone die in them because they were forgotten and basically cooked. I'm not saying that was at Petsmart because I don't know. I asked a groomer in the area and she just said "no comment". I do know that a lot of them are not too particular about experience. My mom has a grooming business in NC and she hired a groomer from Petsmart who worked as an assistant while training at my mom's shop for a year before he was skilled enough to be on his own. He said the Petsmart he worked at sent staff that had no grooming experience to 1 day grooming seminars and then set them loose as groomers. I hope I'm not stirring anything up with this post and I wish you the best of luck!:)

Here are MY experiences with PetSmart groomers. Not only have they ruined both of my dogs hair, but are very un-profesional. Here is my last venture to have grooming done there. On the day of my appointment I rushed home (from work @ 5:30, no less) to get Melvin, load him up, and get him there on time. I made it to my appointment just in time. When arriving, the two groomers, that were all of about 17 or 18, looked at me half crazy. I informed them I was here for Melvin Matthews' 6pm, they said he was already done! Imagine that! I told them it wasn't possible, as he hadn't been groomed. Thats when things got funny. She tells me that she's really sorry, but the groomer that was supposed to groom my dog was bitten by a cat and had to be rushed to the hospital. Grrrrreat. So, I could make an appointment for another day. I just stood there heated, I asked why they didn't bother to call and tell me of the cancellation, because it would have saved 45 minutes of wasted time. Then the other girl says "Oh it was a really bad dog bite" AH HA! I thought it was a cat! I left, and told them it was bad buisness to deal with customers that way, vowing to never go back. Well I was still mad in the morning so I called up to speak with a manager. I didn't believe that she had been bit, it seemed more like a poor plan to leave early, for two girls wanting to skip work. She informed me the groomer had been bit by a cat, did go to the hospital and was sorry for the mix-up. I ended up getting a free groom out of it, but that is the last time I will go back. I have never had good luck with them, even when I bring pictures of what I want done. AND I can get a better job done. if I wait a week to get into my normal goomer and save $16!

I would find a normal groomer, rather than take it to a corporate chain. I think PetSmart bases their prices on, not quality, but the fact that they keep hours like no other groomer, and availability. I will wait to see a groomer as long as it takes, as long as I get my money's worth.

WHEW! That was a long one! Sorry guys! I feel that kind of thing should be known.

I took Benji there once and he will never go back. They didn't clip his nails or cut him very well and he didn't even get a bandana like he was supposed to (Really not the point but thought I should include it). He didn't get done for 5 hours and they don't let you bring in his food or anything. They people at the place that I went to were really rude too!!!

I think her being Bitten by a dog or whatever is a PERFECT reason to leave. Let me ask you this.. If you were bitten would you stay there and bleed all over an animal and possibly get infected or would you have brains enough to go to the hospital. It's not fair to call the groomer a liar and say she probably just wanted to leave early.:thumbdown They get paid by commission, my friend. If she did that she wouldn't make anything. and I know for a fact that Petsmarts groomers do not make that much.

I Love my groomer and YES I do take him to Petsmart. I have since he was a pup. My groomer does a wonderful job!!!:D :thumbup: You have to be VERY specific on what you want done. Why not make a detailed list or take in pictures of what you'd like done. My groomer will actually let you in and help hold your pet if it's being a little out of control and won't stop moving.:aimeeyork

It's not fair to say that EVERY petsmart groomer does a bad job. You just haven't found the right one and maybe Petsmart isn't for you. You can't be vague on what you want done to your pet regardless of where you take him. YOu MUST be specific. sorry.

I do agree that it's total BS that they didn't call you though. My groomer wouldn't hesitate to do that. Then agian I've developed a professional relationship with her. Also.... The groomers at petsmart must be over eighteen to actually groom the pets if they're under all they can do is bathe.

First of all I will tell you that I own a grooming shop in Salem Oregon and I have also worked for Petco grooming for two years. Petco or Petsmart both corporations that care about the bottom dollar. Both will hire groomers with out experience , they will even send you through a quick training and then call you a groomer. This is and can be a very scary thing that can and does amount to several deaths from unexperienced people. Dogs falling off the tables, being left in the tub with out supervision twisting and chocking them selves, being injured and being cooked to death in a hot dryer. And one of the worst things is being mistreated. I will not tell you my experience but I can tell you I left there because of what I saw, and the corporation would not fix it. I am not saying that there are not good groomers working for a corporation because sometimes there are, but most of the time if you are good , you find a nicer place to work. When I train someone at my shop I send them to watch in the windows at either Pet Smart or Petco I want them to compare the quality of our shops grooming and how the animals are treated to what they they see through the window. Now I am only talking about the shops in my town I am not speaking for all of them and I hope there are some good ones out there. Never assume your pet is safe when you leave him at a new place stay and watch if you have to. Our beautiful babies are not always safe.....

Debbie Ray
www.sumtoiyorkies.com
owner of Best Friends Pet Salon

OMG!!:eek: I am definitely going to cancel Ziggy's appt with Petsmart! Nikki+2, only one day of training and those dryers is all I need to hear. I didn't know about the dryers...that's horrible and I know Ziggy would be terrified. I was mainly concerned about him jumping off that high table with a noose around his neck. It seems to me it would be so easy to break a dog's neck if you're not careful. When I explained to the manager about my helping to hold Ziggy since he's just a wiggly puppy, he said, "If he's too wild you should take him to a professional groomer." :rolleyes: Guess even they don't think of themselves as professionals. :confused: So, Ziggy will just have to look a little ratty until I can find the right person. I'm sorry to hear that you all had such bad experiences with Petsmart. Thank you all so much for your opinions....so thankful that I asked you first.:)

Why don't you ask your vet for a referral, they know where the dogs are hurt in your town. My vet and several others in our town always refer to my shop. I have to make sure everything goes well for everybody. I love my clients and their dogs.

Debbie Ray
www.sumtoiyorkies.com
Best Friends Pet Salon
Salem Oregon

I've never been to petsmart to groom, but my vet has cut Baby's quick by accident twice! He's really great, but I can't blame him. She won't sit still for 1 second! :( That's why I won't even attempt to do it myself.

Dray, can you please come down from Oregon and groom Ziggy?;) That's a good idea about asking the vet. I also noticed that the phone book has a couple of mobile groomers that come to your home...might give them a call. Baby Fidgette, these pups sure can be little wiggle worms ...we can only hope that it will get better when they're older.:)

Well the mobile vans a pretty expensive , so I would think that some one like that might have enough experience if they own the van and haven't hired some one to groom for them. Ask some questions, check out the BBB . At least you would be close by to monitor things. I also looked up grooming shops for your area, go to them and check them out. Watch them for a while if they will let you. If they wont let you , something may be wrong at that shop. When I first started grooming I went to many shops to watch different groomers groom and I was the first one to think that if you saw blood from the toe nail they were not so nice . But blood on a toe nail is not a bad thing, it is just a vein that runs down a toe nail, it can be stoped by some quick stop. Not the end of the world, but I still remember how I felt the first time I saw this happen so I try very hard not to do this in front of any clients. Some of my clients like their dogs toe nails to be trimmed very very short so I know all about quick stop.....

My daughter lives in Chicago and took her Yorkie in to be groomed for the first time there , I had been grooming Joey for almost a year so I know it wasn't his fault. She took a recommendation from Oprah...the Oprah ...and Joey came home with a cut on his butt and could not walk for about a week and the hair cut was poor to say the least . So we ordered all the equipment and I flew to Chicago and taught her to do him herself. He has never been hurt again. For dogs to behave properly they should be groomed when they are young and need to be done regularly , so find a groomer and stick with the same one, do not keep switching around unless you or your puppy are very unhappy. Don't forget to show your appreciation with a nice tip. Good luck and keep us posted.
Debbie Ray

First of all maybe I should have been clearer, I was not mad at the groomer, I was calling b.s. on the girls that did not bother to call, THE OTHER GROOMERS that were working! The groomer (the one scheduled for my dog) was bit, fine, thats awful. No, I do not expect them to "bleed all over my dog"! I didn't believe them (the girls), since the story changed several times, they (the young girls) thought they had already groomed my dog, and didn't bother to call with the cancellation. I took my dog back for the free groom I was offered in compensation, the cut was OK. I still was not happy.

This is not the first time I have had awful cuts either. My Grandparents have tried to take their dog (a yorkie-poo) to PetSmart several times, all times, but 1 (out of 5) have been awful. It takes a Godawful amount of time, read: they tell you 2 hours, but it goes for 4 sometimes with no call! It is not just one either, it seems the entire Oklahoma City area has just poor PetSmarts!

And as far as bringing pictures and being specific, I am! I did/have/do bring pictures with me and illustrate CLEARLY what I would like done. The point is, I have had bad experiences, with their groomers. I am happy you are pleased with them, thats great! I am not.

I have not had good experiences at Petsmart or Petco. I'm not saying that ALL Petsmart and Petco groomers are bad, but Max had received 4 butchered cuts from different groomers before I finally decided that I needed to find him a better groomer. I could have 'cut' his hair better than they had and it would have been FREE! I also took Max to get his nails trimmed and they left him bleeding. He was bleeding the entire ride home! (I didn't realize it until we were already in the car) Fortunately I had styptic powder at home to stop the bleeding. I now take him (and Abbie) to a pet spa that is an hour away. Max has been going to the same groomer for the past 2 years and Abbie has gone to her since her first groom. They get such great care there, they are groomed beautifully, they get massages while they wait, and it's CHEAPER!

YES! Bren, I have found that some of the best pet salons in Okc, are far cheaper than PetSmart! That is my big thing, if I have to pay $35 to have a 3lb dog groomed, I want it done right. Getting Melvin and Marilynn's hair done is no different to me than having my hair styled. Of course right now they both look like the wrath due to the fact I have been uber busy lately, but whatever.

I called every groomer in the book and found one that sounds very nice. I'm going to take Ziggy to her for just a trim...no bath so I won't worry about those dryers, etc. Best of all she was very understanding about my bad experience and has agreed to let me help hold Ziggy while he's being groomed. All the others said I would have to just drop him off. Thanks again for all your help and suggestions. :)

First I tried Petco for two of my bigger yorkies (6 &7 lbs) the very next day I had to take them to the vet they were fleas everywhere they didn't have them when they went in, the cuts I didn't like. The second time I took them and a 12 week old puppy to a groomer I knew well guess what I waited 12 hours for them so I was pissed and the cuts sucked, So I thought I try this new place that people liked, well hell I had to take them to the vet the next day with stomach virus. I guess I'm going to learn to do myself.

I think it depends on the petsmart and groomer you use. I personally do not use the petsmart near me bc I use my vet. If you are thinking about using a groomer ask if they have any certifications or pictures of babies that they groomed, or refers from other clients. My vet's assistant does all the grooming 3 days a week, so i am very luck there. Good luck and I hope your baby comes back looking just as you want it.

I have used Petsmart once and had a bad experience, but this isn't to say Petsmart is not a good choice, I really think it depends on the individual groomer. They cut Bella REALLY close between the eyes and it took FOREVER to come back...this was when she was only 4 mo's and I was just taking her for a wash, NO CUT at all...so needless to say we haven't been back. However, I did find a FANTASTIC groomer who happens to be retired also, but takes a few little dogs in her home. It's worked out wonderfully for us, so maybe try calling the woman that you like who is now retired and see if she takes any dogs and if not, I bet she can recommend you to someone who is just as good!
Good Luck!

I have not had good luck with PetSmart the past few times I have taken Tiffany. I will have to find her somewhere else.

I canceled Ziggy's appointment with Petsmart....thanks to you all, I feel that Ziggy was saved from a possibly very bad experience..or worse. :eek: I took him instead to Camp Canine where I was allowed to hold him while he had his trim. I love this groomer and will definitely go back. She works out of her home and also boards dogs. I noticed that the other dogs she had groomed seemed very happy and content. She was so gentle and talked baby talk to Ziggy the whole time...he loved it.:p

Marlynn, so happy you found a good groomer. I did try to call my other groomer who is retired, but no luck so guess she is no longer in town...thanks for the good idea.:)

Sounds like a happy ending and a very new beginning for your little man. I am glad you got to stay and very glad you found a groomer you can trust with your baby. Sometimes we just have to do our homework!!! Good job!!!:thumbup:

Now we need....... PICTURES!:D

I did take Buddy back last Saturday for the free grooming. My regular
groomer was there and she did a wonderful short cut on him. However,
I have to say, this is the first time I have ever witnessed another groomer
screaming at a boxer he had on the table. I mean screaming and cursing.
Seemed the boxer was stressed to begin with and his screaming at him only
made him snap at the groomer which is why he was cursing. I was going to
report him but kept quiet. This did open my eyes for the future. If I cannot
get Rosemarie in the future I will no longer go to PetCo.

Please think again and report the behavior you witnessed, next time it may be a small dog he looses his temper with. There is no place for a person like this in any grooming shop!!!

Once
 

I've only used Petsmart once and I never went back. I have never taken my yorkies, because this experience was before I got them, but my poodle came back shaved with long ears. She did not go in with mats so it was uncalled for.