First Grooming Appt a disaster
 

I took my new puppy Angel in to get a haircut today. I am planning on getting her spayed in a couple of weeks and wanted a puppy cut for her.
I dropped her off about 11:15 this morning and was told to be back about 2:30. This groomer comes highly recommended. She said on a first appt. she likes to take her time and go at the puppy's pace so they don't have a bad experience.
I got there right at 2:30 and the groomer/owner told me it would be about another 15 min and my dog was the most spoiled dog she has ever worked with. She called her a princess....she said she bit her, scratched her, didn't like her bath and cried the whole time. This sounded really odd to me since Angel hardly ever makes a peep. She is so quiet.
She said I really need to start treating her like a dog so she knows she is one.
I did not know what to say....She went in the back, I thought to get her and I heard a dog crying...my heart dropped..it was Angel...I told the lady at the counter to please go and get my dog we were leaving. I said she has had enough stress for one day. The groomer brought Angel out and told me next time she would have a better haircut. I paid her and left. I came home and rewashed Angel with Katherine V's great shampoo (thank you) and put a tee shirt on her. When I was putting on her t shirt, she cried out..I am wondering if the groomer hurt her leg?
She told me to take her to my vets and have her checked for worms because her breath is so bad. I told her it was because of her baby teeth. I am so upset, I want to cry! I gave Angel some Nutrical because she has been shaking ever since we got home.
Sorry so long, just had to vent!

Admin, I double posted...could you please delete this one? Thank you!

oh boy, so sorry this happened to her.... thats why i do my own grooming.

Omg
 

So sorry to hear about your bad experience. I am also very nervous about taking Bella to a groomer for that same reason. I don't feel comfortable leaving her there so I have yet to take her to be groomed and she is a year old. I am growing her hair long and am trying to learn how to do it myself.

Laura

oh i'm SO sorry to hear that... i know when layla comes home from PetSmart grooming.. she shakes too.. i have to carry her around for a few days after... i just found out that at PetSmart you can pay an extra 12 dollars to get them done in an hour.. i think 3 hours is WAY too long to take to get groomed.. i know i know nothing about it. but i'l be paying the extra money.. you might think about taking her somewhere where there is a window you can watch... i try and stay out of layla's sight so i don't distract her but i can still watch her... i'm so sorry you ahd a horrible experience.. but give angel a few days and she will be ok. i'm sure you feel guility but we've all been there... keep looking until you find someone you love!

Thank you!
I took both girls to my vets last week for a check up and they do grooming there. I may try them out. I really love the staff there. I am still checking into mobile dog groomers though.

I'm so sorry your baby had a bad experience, how can they say she's too spoiled? She's just a puppy having a first cut. :mad: . Last time I dropped Pepper at the groomer at 10 AM, he wasn't ready till almost 5!! And he didn't even need a haircut, just sanitary, nails and paws. I'm seriously considering grooming him myself, maybe he won't look his best for the few first times but at least he won't go through the trauma.

I was just upset that she told me "she needs to be treated like a dog so she knows how to act like a dog"
What exactly is that suposed to mean?!
I told our vet that and she laughed and said they surely don't want your business again now do they?
Oh brother...whatever happened to customer service?

WOW! I know what you mean! I have a post in here from last night called help with the face. You should go look... There is pics of Bentley's horrible RUSHED haircut from October... She was not nice, I'll never ever take mine to a groomer again... I'll do it myself. I had to leave him there for over 5 hours and she still wasn't done with him... So she did him in 15 minutes.... :mad:

Thank gosh it's grown!

He is still adorable! I know how frustrating it is to expect a certain outcome and be very disapointed in the final results.(and still are expected tp pay)
I am just upset with rude, who gives a ? attitudes. What ever happened to pride in your work? or great customer service?
And yes, thank goodness it does grow back.

Thank you!!!
It was quite a day... Considering I said please just a TRIM. I don't want his head touched... and I pick him up and my jaw dropped to the ground. I was like ummm... I just wanted his bodyTRIMMED. Thats what I told you. She said "oh, I must have gotten him confused, I overbooked today. haha OOPS! Sorry" ... I can have a temper sometimes, but I contained, got in the car and cried... :)

I know. I wouldn't pay her. Cause I had an appointment the week before and she forgot and wasnt at home. After I flew from my class at college to get his hair cut. After driving almost an hour, getting there and nobody being there I shouldn't have called and made one for the next week...

Next time my butttt!! What a rude lady/groomer!! Like you are going to take her "next time!" I'm so sorry that she had a bad experience! And I hope she is not hurt! I know, I've wondered sometimes about what they do to the dogs at a place I USED to go to for my male. Poor guy would come back and you could see the razor marks on his skin! We don't go there now....

I just don't get it...razor marks on your dogs skin? ouch!
I took Bailey in to another place in January where she has been going for a while and they shaved her after I told them just to trim her. Bailey has curly hair and so I don't let it get too long but in the winter I never shave her.
My hubby saw her, just shook his head and said I am so sorry! He knew I was upset, then they tried to charge me $10.00 extra saying she was matted!
I always brush her out before taking her in to get groomed and she was not matted, I think they made a mistake and tried to blame me.

From the petstylist view
 

Hi. My name is Crystal and I am a Pet Stylist. I'm sorry you had a bad experience but lets all see it from the groomers side for once. First of all... Puppies need to be introduced to professional grooming at 12 weeks old. (Most Yorkie owners do not do this and the trouble start there)Anyway, Their first grooming session should consist of bath, nails, and ears only. In and out quickly. The dog should return in one week to do this again. This should go on for up to 8 weeks (depending on the dog) adding something new to the groom each time, such as the dryers, clippers, etc. Secondly... how do you think the groomer felt???? It's really hard to groom a squiggly spoiled pup that has been neglected of any kind of obedience training... (I'm not saying that's how your baby is) but it is difficult. As the groomer, we have to be the bad guys that have to make you dogs behave for the first time ever all the while carrying the worry of accidentally hurting this baby because it will not be still. This groomer should have never given this dog a full haircut on it's first grooming session... she was wrong, BUT... she does have a point about her being a dog... I know we don't like to think of them that way, but they are dogs. That doesn't mean they deserve anything less than we do.... What it means is... that dogs, just like people, need discipline. It's not easy for a dog to have the weight of the world on his shoulders and by giving him discipline and order we take that weight off. While it is very cute to never say NO to our furkids, it is dangerous and stressful for the dog. We wouldn't let our human toddlers run around doing what ever they want with no rules... WHY??? Because they are not able to make good decissions for themselves and neither can our decissions.
I can't tell you how sick of hearing " That's why I don't take my dogs to the groomers... I groom them myself." Not all groomers are bad... some really love what they do and the dogs they groom. But come on... we are only human and accidents happen, especially when working on animals.
NOw... as for this pay extra at the petsomething store and you can get your dog done in an hour... That's cruel!!! That means instead of letting your dog relax during the groom, he is forced to stand for an hour, be blown with a high velocity dryer in the face no matter how hard he fights or gets stressed. And the groomer is probably so stressed trying to make the hour that the risk of accidents are very great! A dog might have to stay 4 hours in my Salon but ya know what... I know that dogs name, I can play with him, love on him or just let him roam around and check things out.... I can't do that in an hour.
I have a wonderful client that actually found me on this forum..(I won't mention any names) But her experience was very similar to the one of this original poster.... not exact but similar. Her dog had never been to a groomer before me... She was very nervous and her dog was to. I was unable to finish the groom but she returned to me anyway very regularly and now I have a relationship with her dog... She doesn't love being groomed, but she allows me to do it. And the owner knows it is ok and will leave her dog for some hours. She gets to run around the shop and it's not a big deal for her to come anymore.... Had the dogs owner had the attitude that I see a lot on this forum. I would not be lucky enough to know this cute little spoiled princess or her other Yorkie friends that come to see me.. (from this forum as well) So please!!!!!!!!!!! Get of the Groomers Suck kick and give us a break.... Our job is very hard but rewarding and we deserve some credit! Thank you my Yorkie Talk Clients!!!!!!!!!! You know who you are! Sorry this was so long... Any questions are welcomed... I'm a real honest person and won't sugarcoat it for ya!