5 things to NOT say to the Dog Groomer

Cute dog after being groomed with a happy customer

You have to be careful with the groomers. They are a different breed of professional. We have had our issues keeping a good groomer. In four years, we have seen four different groomers. They are tough to keep. While there are good things to say after a dog has been groomed, there are many things NOT to say after the dog has been groomed. Even though our dogs are our babies, we still think of them as show dogs. In reality though, a show dog is a very expensive dog with diet, exercise and a LOT of grooming in the thousands of dollars each year. Most of us would be happy with a well behaved dog who looks respectable in public so before you go to see the dog groomer, here are 5 things to NOT say to the Dog Groomer:

5 things to NOT say to the Dog Groomer

Can you remove the stink in my dog? If your dog stinks we will do our best to remove the stink. It goes without saying, but we will say it again, this is NOT a thing to say after a dog has been groomed. Most of the time the dog “stink” arrived there through some combination of dog diet and behaviors. Yes, we can bathe the dog in turpentine and try and kill off the stink, but there are some shampoos that have nicer chemicals designed to remove stink.We use hypoallergenic dog shampoos or oatmeal bathing items to help keep dogs skin from being dried out. But if your dog gets sprayed by a skunk, don’t expect a miracle, and please…….be honest with the groomer on where and how your dog became this stinky mess. Dog grooming in Jacksonville can be a challenge sometimes! NOT a thing to say after a dog has been groomed.

A Muzzle protects the bather and the dog

That is a lot of grooming and expensive too!

• Can you please trim the nails on my dog, and not use a muzzle, its too in-humane? Unless your dog has been trained to like people touching the feet/paws, most dogs will not like this and will become sensitive to this issue. Questioning a groomer on nail trims one of the 5 things to NOT say to the Dog Groomer after the dog has been groomed. All dogs need nail trims, because the longer the nail, the more likely it is to break, split or cause pain. The nerves travel with the growth of the nail so we cannot cut off the entire nail either. Sometimes the muzzle is needed due to the severity of the trim. Understand that the groomer does not want to hurt your dog. Dog grooming folks know that there is a reason you have brought the dog to our facility, now, please let us do what we do best with dog grooming.

Biting is not allowed

• What do you mean my dog bit you? He is in angel around me. We have seen grooming videos that show a dog being groomed by the professional groomer only to see the dog LASH out and bite the groomer, just because its a Tuesday. Please tell us if your dog has bitten you in the past before we put our meat hooks in their way, and then this is NOT a thing to say after a dog has been groomed. Odds are if the dog has bitten the staff, our staff will alert you to the fact. Dogs behave differently around different people, certainly differently around an owner than a stranger poking, prodding and trimming the dog. So please understand that the dog may be scared, but that the way to overcome this is to keep coming and bringing the dog to the groomer. They will get used to coming for grooming……so that leads us to the next question.
• What do you mean my dog is going to take 4 hours to groom? Well, much like the question above on bringing the dog to get groomed, you really need to make sure you take the dog to the groomer, more than once a year. Imagine if you had your hair cut once or twice a year? What would your hair be like? Maybe like a person marooned on a deserted island for years? So how about getting back to the groomer more than once a year, allow the dog groomer to do the “tidy up” every few weeks and then the “full groom” a few weeks thereafter. If you wait 6 months for the next groom, your dog will have a lot more issues to resolve, so do the dog and yourself a favor, come in and see the dog groomer more frequently, and show some appreciation for the job they do over that 4-hour period.
• Why should I tip the groomer when he/she is being paid on top of the work?  Dog Grooming is a job, but it is also an art. There are special cuts for each dog and certain ways to trim dogs, and not every groomer will cut a dog the same way, but when the groomer cuts YOUR dog, the way YOU asked to have him or her cut, it is customary to leave a tip to show appreciation. The tip acknowledges to the dog groomer that you appreciate him or her for their craft and the work they have done on your dog. It also ensures that the dog groomer will be able to continue this craft. Probably NOT a thing to say after a dog has been groomed, can I get you later on that tip?

So please show more appreciation to your dog groomer next time you go in with your dog. Not all dogs will require the same amount of grooming, but each groomer is only as good as their last groomed dog. Believe us, we will communicate with you on a grooming issue, NOT a thing to say after a dog has been groomed to the groomer. We don’t want to know that the dog stinks, bites or that your tip jar is broken. Our groomers really really care about the appearance of the dog and the owner’s face is all that matters at the end of each groom. The smile, the excitement, the fact that the groomer/artist was able to clean and transform the dog’s old appearance into something that is beautiful, is what keeps dog groomers going and the reason the craft is growing with new dog groomers. These are not things to say after a dog has been groomed, as reported to us by our groomers. These may be different from what you hear from your groomers.

A happy dog and happy customer.

Come in and see our groomers at Happy Hound Dog Resorts, we have a great staff and we also feature a “Groom and Play” option that allows your dog to socialize, play, learn a few new commands then come into the grooming area for the bath and groom. Since our rubber floor does not provide a dirty play area, we can keep your dog clean and provide the play area for their socialization. We hope you have enjoyed these lessons for “NOT a thing to say after a dog has been groomed.”