# Need tips from fellow groomers



## SoFreshandSoClean (Apr 19, 2010)

I've been a groomer for about 6 years. I've actually gotten really good at it.... not show quality but for your average household pet. You have your good happy go lucky dogs that dont mind the process at all, and you have your dogs that every single thing you are doing to them is like pure torture. I love animals but I swear they push me to my breaking point sometimes! I get frustrated, which doesn't make the grooming process easier for me or the dog. Don't get me wrong I dont want any hate mail i would never do anything wrong to these animals! I do have the occassional fantasy when i go home.. but i think thats normal...lol jk ... I NEED YOUR HELP FELLOW GROOMERS... please give me tips on how to deal with the difficult freaked out dogs..Not just on how to groom them either I want your tricks on how you calm your own frustrations down... please give feedback... Thanks!!!


----------



## Jod-dog (Mar 28, 2010)

Use lavender aromatherapy. It's calming for everyone!


----------



## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

UGH I hated having those dogs who thought you were killing them. However I woked FOR the owner of a grooming buniness so I had to do what I was told, which never included "lets take things easy" it was always "If the dog is a pain get it done with muscle and get it done fast, just don't do anything that could get us in trouble"


----------



## pamperedpups (Dec 7, 2006)

Take more breaks if you start feeling overwhelmed. Put your equipment down, crate the dog, and do something else. Spray some Comfort Zone for the dogs. Cover their crates. Have a snack. Start the laundry, fold some towels. Clean your shop and equipment. Jump on the net and go to some funny sites like Engrish.com. Play some relaxing, upbeat music. Meditate. Stretch. Yawn. Laugh, even if there's nothing to laugh about. Shake yourself out. Make up some silly songs and sing them out loud. Talk to yourself, talk to the dogs; say random stuff and play with your voice. Light some incense. Light a candle. Use aromatherapy. And remember that some dogs, no matter how good you are, aren't going to turn out the way you'd like. Some of them won't be able to be finished in your shop, by you. And that's okay. BREATHE.


----------



## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

I agree with the above posts. Also, if you don't already have a Groomer's Helper, GET ONE!!! You will be amazed at how much easier it is to handle difficult dogs. The best money I ever spent! 

http://www.groomershelper.com/shop/...Path=1&zenid=08661196828d4a5d8b5da00b76074493

And if it comes down to it, refuse to groom the dog any longer. There have been dogs that have come to me that just stress me/them out too much, and I send them elsewhere. If I am stressed, the dog is stressed, and no one is happy. Sometimes the best thing is to send them elsewhere. It is not our job to groom EVERY dog that comes in the door regardless of stress levels and safety. It is not our problem that the owner has a difficult dog, and we can't always "fix" everything. That took me a LOOOONG time to realize, but I am so much happier and less stressed because of it, and that equals happier pets in my salon.


----------



## SoFreshandSoClean (Apr 19, 2010)

Keechak said:


> UGH I hated having those dogs who thought you were killing them. However I woked FOR the owner of a grooming buniness so I had to do what I was told, which never included "lets take things easy" it was always "If the dog is a pain get it done with muscle and get it done fast, just don't do anything that could get us in trouble"


Yeah I can relate to that some of the people who trained me had that same outlook. I just hate pushing the animals to that point.. It makes me soo mad sometimes what these owners want me to do to their animals...they dont understand how scarey the grooming process is for their animals. Then you got bosses that want to take in as many animals as you can... my bosses right now are way mellow compared to what Ive seen and understanding which I am greatful for. I still feel pressured to try to do it all.. its a new business and we want to keep every customer that comes through the door. ... but do I really?? lol some of these dogs im not soo sure.


----------



## SoFreshandSoClean (Apr 19, 2010)

Graco22 said:


> I agree with the above posts. Also, if you don't already have a Groomer's Helper, GET ONE!!! You will be amazed at how much easier it is to handle difficult dogs. The best money I ever spent!
> 
> http://www.groomershelper.com/shop/...Path=1&zenid=08661196828d4a5d8b5da00b76074493
> 
> And if it comes down to it, refuse to groom the dog any longer. There have been dogs that have come to me that just stress me/them out too much, and I send them elsewhere. If I am stressed, the dog is stressed, and no one is happy. Sometimes the best thing is to send them elsewhere. It is not our job to groom EVERY dog that comes in the door regardless of stress levels and safety. It is not our problem that the owner has a difficult dog, and we can't always "fix" everything. That took me a LOOOONG time to realize, but I am so much happier and less stressed because of it, and that equals happier pets in my salon.


Thanks for the advice! I was thinking about getting a groomers helper but they are kind of pricey. I totally agree on sending the dog home if it is too much... If I owned my own shop that would totally work... however when your working for someone else you feel that pressure to get the job done regardless.. dont get me wrong i refuse dogs.. but i sometimes feel i have to pick and choose my battles..If the dog isnt trying to maul me there will always be that pressure to get it done. But I think I do let my pride get in the way sometimes too.. like now i have to get this done...


----------



## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

SoFreshandSoClean said:


> Thanks for the advice! I was thinking about getting a groomers helper but they are kind of pricey. I totally agree on sending the dog home if it is too much... If I owned my own shop that would totally work... however when your working for someone else you feel that pressure to get the job done regardless.. dont get me wrong i refuse dogs.. but i sometimes feel i have to pick and choose my battles..If the dog isnt trying to maul me there will always be that pressure to get it done. But I think I do let my pride get in the way sometimes too.. like now i have to get this done...


Just get the basic "Groomer's Helper". They are $100, and trust me, WELL worth the money! The best money I have spent. You won't be sorry.


----------



## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

SoFreshandSoClean said:


> Yeah I can relate to that some of the people who trained me had that same outlook. I just hate pushing the animals to that point.. It makes me soo mad sometimes what these owners want me to do to their animals...they dont understand how scarey the grooming process is for their animals. Then you got bosses that want to take in as many animals as you can... my bosses right now are way mellow compared to what Ive seen and understanding which I am greatful for. I still feel pressured to try to do it all.. its a new business and we want to keep every customer that comes through the door. ... but do I really?? lol some of these dogs im not soo sure.


Ya thats how my boss was, The place I worked for is actually considered the best place in my city for dog grooming, been around for 30 years and has gotten many local awards for quality. But my boss NEVER turned down a new client, She would kick out a dog if it bit enough people tho. ON an average day we did about 30-40 dogs. Our record was the week before Christmas 2007 we did 67 dogs in 10 hours.


----------



## dakotajo (Jan 29, 2009)

I have to give all you groomers a big thumbs up for doing what you're doing!! I'm supposed to be a groomer but frankly I don't know if I have the patience. Starting out takes way to long for me to groom and by the time I'm done I'm tired and so is the dog. My own dog is so much a wiggle worm and I get frustrated doing her! Thank god all she needs is a bath, brush, dried and a bit of trimming, no nail clipping since she wears them down herself. No groomer gets the pay they deserve. I hope your customers realize how much work it is for you. I may not be cut out to be groomer even for family!


----------



## SoFreshandSoClean (Apr 19, 2010)

dakotajo said:


> I have to give all you groomers a big thumbs up for doing what you're doing!! I'm supposed to be a groomer but frankly I don't know if I have the patience. Starting out takes way to long for me to groom and by the time I'm done I'm tired and so is the dog. My own dog is so much a wiggle worm and I get frustrated doing her! Thank god all she needs is a bath, brush, dried and a bit of trimming, no nail clipping since she wears them down herself. No groomer gets the pay they deserve. I hope your customers realize how much work it is for you. I may not be cut out to be groomer even for family!



Thanks for the thumbs up! It's nice to know that there are people out there that understand how difficult a job it really is. Just today I was dealing with a dog that was one years old... terrier mix, and this was her first time to the groomers! Tip to pet owners: DONT WAIT TO GET YOUR PUPPY GROOMED! Its best to do it right after your puppy is good on all his puppy vaccinations. So anyways back to the terrier mix she was surprisingly good.. scared but good... I of course knew her story so I did her groom basically in slow motion.. babying her the whole way through it.. i was so happy everything was going great. I just had to finish a couple things on the face and TADA she would be done I reached over to grab her face... which I had already worked on a little and she was completely fine! I reach over and she wraps her legs around my arm and scratched the crap outta me... Talk about hurting my feellings! lol I really thought something great was happening on my table then boom... I must have moved the wrong way... too fast maybe.. This job can be tough... and I think most people dont have the patience for this type of work...but then they wonder why it cost so much! The Cool customers always make you forget about your awful ones of course... I think its just people in general dont really know much about the reality of it.


----------



## GroovyGroomer777 (Aug 21, 2008)

Yes, it is a rare find when someone knows how difficult our career path is....and are happy to pay for the skilled art.

Sounds like you are doing good to me. 

When I get a dog on the table that makes me grind my teeth, I go into "zen" mode. I make an effort to put myself in the most serene state of mind possible...I don't know exactly how to explain it... but you will find yours.... if your boss pushes you too hard and rushes you, it will bite her on the ass when you get callbacks or nick dogs...not your fault though, she will either learn, or you will find somewhere better to work.

I find that it is clients who make me grind my teeth moreso than dogs these days.


----------



## dakotajo (Jan 29, 2009)

I can see why some groomers do get nasty to the dogs owners. There's NO reason why a dog should come in extremely matted if they kept up with brushing and then wonder why they have to be shaved. They have no idea how long it takes to get matts out or even if it's worth trying!
It was so cute the other night, my neice has a Puruvian guinea pig I think there called and her hair is super long, thick, grows and grows, anyway she asked me if I could give her a hair cut. It took 2 hours for me but she was such a good little thing and came out with the sweetest shag cut. I think I would groom long haired guinea pigs over all animals


----------



## SoFreshandSoClean (Apr 19, 2010)

dakotajo said:


> I can see why some groomers do get nasty to the dogs owners. There's NO reason why a dog should come in extremely matted if they kept up with brushing and then wonder why they have to be shaved. They have no idea how long it takes to get matts out or even if it's worth trying!
> It was so cute the other night, my neice has a Puruvian guinea pig I think there called and her hair is super long, thick, grows and grows, anyway she asked me if I could give her a hair cut. It took 2 hours for me but she was such a good little thing and came out with the sweetest shag cut. I think I would groom long haired guinea pigs over all animals


LMAO I've clipped guinea pigs nails before but never tried to cut the hair... im sure that was quite amusing. Just this weekend I had a lady come in with her dog matted up pretty bad the ears were so matted they came off in one peice. I explained all of this to her, and told her that the dog had some scrapes on the skin from the blade trying to get underneath the coat.. I was using a 7 blade.. not on the ears but on the body.. on the ears i used a 10 blade.. anyways.. i know my blade was cool but for some reason after the dog had sat and waited for her owners she began shaking her head.. i thought she was doing this because having her ears shaved was maybe a wierd new sensation for her... then i looked down at her this is about an hour after the groom and the inside tips of both ears were slightly bloody... I couldn't believe it cause i know that wasnt there when i was grooming her... so I cleaned the ears and looked for a cut or a nick of some kind i couldnt find anything but the ear was diffenately red... i feel horrible and I know the owners dont want to hear stuff like this... but that wouldn't have happened if they were taking proper care of their animal.. like i said the matts on the ears came off in one piece... yet here we are stuck with a vet bill because of another irreponsible pet owner that wants to take no repercussions for their own inaction. I told them we would take care of it if the problem persisted but still this women wants to sit here and call my bosses and act like I butchered her freakin dog!!! When i disclosed all of this stuff to her before she even walked out the door.. errr people I swear. This stuff wouldn't happen if people would do right for their pets!! or pick pets that fit their lifestyles better... Its like wake up and take some responsiblity.. Because lets be honest the last thing your groomer wants to happen is your dog to get injured during the grooming process!


----------



## GroovyGroomer777 (Aug 21, 2008)

Those are called hematomas. They are no fault of yours. It is from shaving the matts off, all the blood goes rushing there because without the matts the blood is no longer contricted from that area. That along with the dog shaking its ears....BAM hematoma! Sorry I can't be more scientific about WHY it happens, but I know what you're talking about and it isn't your fault.


----------



## flyingduster (Dec 10, 2009)

yup, a matted ear, shaved down, will invariably end up with bloody tips from haematomas! It's because the circulation is constricted when it's matted, getting the mats shaved off lets the blood rush in, and dogs usually shake from the weird feeling (both having no mats as well as the blood rushing back in properly!) which just means the blood pools at the tips of the ears. They can actually swell up a bit at the tips too; it's sorta like a blood blister, though they do tend to 'seep' too.

To combat them you need to be gradual on the shaving of the ears, just take off the top third and leave them while you continue on the rest of the body, take the ears down a bit more and carry on else where again, let the blood come back into the ears gradually. Massaging them can help too, and if the dog is shaking it's head, put a snood or bandage or something over their head so their ears don't slap about when they shake just to get it all settle properly. And warn the owner, it can still happen with all the precautions in the world! And it's NOT your fault!!!



Check out petgroomerforums for more support & helpful tips; grooming is HARD work, and we all know it.


----------



## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

SoFreshandSoClean said:


> I've been a groomer for about 6 years. I've actually gotten really good at it.... not show quality but for your average household pet. You have your good happy go lucky dogs that dont mind the process at all, and you have your dogs that every single thing you are doing to them is like pure torture. I love animals but I swear they push me to my breaking point sometimes! I get frustrated, which doesn't make the grooming process easier for me or the dog. Don't get me wrong I dont want any hate mail i would never do anything wrong to these animals! I do have the occassional fantasy when i go home.. but i think thats normal...lol jk ... I NEED YOUR HELP FELLOW GROOMERS... please give me tips on how to deal with the difficult freaked out dogs..Not just on how to groom them either I want your tricks on how you calm your own frustrations down... please give feedback... Thanks!!!


Sound advice on this thread. I groom a lot of big, farm dogs (once a year strips) who don't know about bathtubs, blow dryers, crates, tables, scissors, nail trimming, clippers, or why the heck I am annoying them and pushing them to their limits (and in turn being pushed to mine). The best thing that helps me is to remember (the farm dogs in particular) don't know any better. It's not their fault they only get groomed once a year. It's also not their fault that cages and dryers and restraint is foreign to them. If I groom a dog 4 times a year or less, I tell the owner upon drop off that I will call them when their dog is done (that way, the dog and I both gets frequent breaks, and there's no time limit if they can't handle something like the blow dryer, or we run into problems). If I feel myself getting frustrated, and my blood pressure rising, it's time for me to remind myself that I'm working on a dog. Not a robot, not a human who can comprehend that pain and annoyances now will lead to feeling great later. They don't know about good intentions, and they don't know that cutting toenails and pulling gunk out of ear canals is your way of putting food on the table. They don't know it's for their own good! Put yourself in their shoes (paws) and it makes it a lot easier to understand why they try to climb out of the tub, try to jump off the table, and try to run away when you start the clippers up.
I've learned through experience that the second you start getting frustrated with a fearful dog, the grooming job immediately gets 110% harder than it was before you were getting irritated. Fear is not fun. A fearful, shy dog who is taken to a salon and forced to deal with bathtubs, cages, dryers, tables, strangers in their faces and touching every inch of their bodies is nothing short of flooding. Learning how to move slowly, but not tenative, around these types of dogs has proven a crucial skill for me. If you go to fast, you send them into a panic. If you move tenatively, you send them into defense. Not all fearful dogs are this bad, but some of them are. It's up to us to learn how to get the job done as quick, painless, and comfortable as possible for them. 
If a puppy has a bad first experience, it can take months to un-do. There's a local groomer in my town who does a fine job screwing up every single puppy she gets her hands on. She gives the industry a horrible name, and I'd like to get MY hands on HER for 5 seconds... While a bad experience doesn't give a dog an 'excuse' to bite, it helps to talk to the owner first hand to see what the dogs' experiences have been like, and you can adjust your handling techniques as needed. 
There are a few select dogs out there that, for whatever reason, are just plain jerks. I will groom these dogs, and discuss the problems with the owner. If the owners get snitty, they're told to go elsewhere. If you're excuse for your dog latching onto my hand, taking 2 people to unclamp those nasty little jaws FROM my hand, and sending a brand new pair of 250 dollar clippers onto the floor and busting them is "because he's an alpha dog", you're not welcome back. Jerk owners with nasty attitudes make jerk dogs with nasty attitudes. Not a good mix. Those people aren't welcome back.
I'm blessed enough to work in a salon where I am co-owner, and we are booked weeks in advance. I don't mind grooming once a year/twice a year dogs, but if the owner has unvalid complaints (mostly about the price, which for matted strips starts at 50 bucks) they are welcome to go elsewhere. 
As hokey as it sounds, I keep a bottle of water with me at all times when I'm grooming. Sometimes taking 15 seconds and getting a good, refreshing drink can give you an extra boost and let you clear your head for a minute. 
It's not an easy job. If I had a dime for all the people who thought being a dog groomer was about primping on perfectly coiffed, perfectly well behaved poodles, tying hair ribbons in their ears, and playing with puppies all day, I could retire..


----------



## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

SoFreshandSoClean said:


> LMAO I've clipped guinea pigs nails before but never tried to cut the hair... im sure that was quite amusing. Just this weekend I had a lady come in with her dog matted up pretty bad the ears were so matted they came off in one peice. I explained all of this to her, and told her that the dog had some scrapes on the skin from the blade trying to get underneath the coat.. I was using a 7 blade.. not on the ears but on the body.. on the ears i used a 10 blade.. anyways.. i know my blade was cool but for some reason after the dog had sat and waited for her owners she began shaking her head.. i thought she was doing this because having her ears shaved was maybe a wierd new sensation for her... then i looked down at her this is about an hour after the groom and the inside tips of both ears were slightly bloody... I couldn't believe it cause i know that wasnt there when i was grooming her... so I cleaned the ears and looked for a cut or a nick of some kind i couldnt find anything but the ear was diffenately red... i feel horrible and I know the owners dont want to hear stuff like this... but that wouldn't have happened if they were taking proper care of their animal.. like i said the matts on the ears came off in one piece... yet here we are stuck with a vet bill because of another irreponsible pet owner that wants to take no repercussions for their own inaction. I told them we would take care of it if the problem persisted but still this women wants to sit here and call my bosses and act like I butchered her freakin dog!!! When i disclosed all of this stuff to her before she even walked out the door.. errr people I swear. This stuff wouldn't happen if people would do right for their pets!! or pick pets that fit their lifestyles better... Its like wake up and take some responsiblity.. Because lets be honest the last thing your groomer wants to happen is your dog to get injured during the grooming process!


Forget difficult dogs--I'd rather deal with a dumb dog than a dumb owner like this! I cut a matted dog once that I had to take to the vet for stitches. The vet told me it wasn't my fault, because the dog was in such horrendous shape. I ate the vet bill myself, and told the owner so. She was PO'ed, and never came back. (The dog was a shih-tzu mix of some sort, and she let him go all winter because he "needed his long coat". Give me a break. I really doubt a 15 pound house dog spends hours outside in the 20 below winters foraging for his food.)
The joke around here (with owners like her) is that we really ought to feel sorry for them, because they obviously can't afford to buy a $4.99 comb!


----------



## SoFreshandSoClean (Apr 19, 2010)

LazyGRanch713 said:


> Sound advice on this thread. I groom a lot of big, farm dogs (once a year strips) who don't know about bathtubs, blow dryers, crates, tables, scissors, nail trimming, clippers, or why the heck I am annoying them and pushing them to their limits (and in turn being pushed to mine). The best thing that helps me is to remember (the farm dogs in particular) don't know any better. It's not their fault they only get groomed once a year. It's also not their fault that cages and dryers and restraint is foreign to them. If I groom a dog 4 times a year or less, I tell the owner upon drop off that I will call them when their dog is done (that way, the dog and I both gets frequent breaks, and there's no time limit if they can't handle something like the blow dryer, or we run into problems). If I feel myself getting frustrated, and my blood pressure rising, it's time for me to remind myself that I'm working on a dog. Not a robot, not a human who can comprehend that pain and annoyances now will lead to feeling great later. They don't know about good intentions, and they don't know that cutting toenails and pulling gunk out of ear canals is your way of putting food on the table. They don't know it's for their own good! Put yourself in their shoes (paws) and it makes it a lot easier to understand why they try to climb out of the tub, try to jump off the table, and try to run away when you start the clippers up.
> I've learned through experience that the second you start getting frustrated with a fearful dog, the grooming job immediately gets 110% harder than it was before you were getting irritated. Fear is not fun. A fearful, shy dog who is taken to a salon and forced to deal with bathtubs, cages, dryers, tables, strangers in their faces and touching every inch of their bodies is nothing short of flooding. Learning how to move slowly, but not tenative, around these types of dogs has proven a crucial skill for me. If you go to fast, you send them into a panic. If you move tenatively, you send them into defense. Not all fearful dogs are this bad, but some of them are. It's up to us to learn how to get the job done as quick, painless, and comfortable as possible for them.
> If a puppy has a bad first experience, it can take months to un-do. There's a local groomer in my town who does a fine job screwing up every single puppy she gets her hands on. She gives the industry a horrible name, and I'd like to get MY hands on HER for 5 seconds... While a bad experience doesn't give a dog an 'excuse' to bite, it helps to talk to the owner first hand to see what the dogs' experiences have been like, and you can adjust your handling techniques as needed.
> There are a few select dogs out there that, for whatever reason, are just plain jerks. I will groom these dogs, and discuss the problems with the owner. If the owners get snitty, they're told to go elsewhere. If you're excuse for your dog latching onto my hand, taking 2 people to unclamp those nasty little jaws FROM my hand, and sending a brand new pair of 250 dollar clippers onto the floor and busting them is "because he's an alpha dog", you're not welcome back. Jerk owners with nasty attitudes make jerk dogs with nasty attitudes. Not a good mix. Those people aren't welcome back.
> ...


Thanks for the advice. I think you are diffenately right about taking your time on the more difficult dogs and we totally are flooding the animals... it is just amazing how completely unsympathtic the owners are.. like why is it taking so long to get my dog done.. but I guess if they cant understand then they aren't worth the time anyways nothing but a headache in the long run. I know my family members think dog grooming iskind of a joke... pissses me off!! I'd like to see them try it!


----------



## SoFreshandSoClean (Apr 19, 2010)

GroovyGroomer777 said:


> Those are called hematomas. They are no fault of yours. It is from shaving the matts off, all the blood goes rushing there because without the matts the blood is no longer contricted from that area. That along with the dog shaking its ears....BAM hematoma! Sorry I can't be more scientific about WHY it happens, but I know what you're talking about and it isn't your fault.


Thank You! The owner came back and my boss called our vet and told him what happened and he said the same thing.. I told her i thought it was a hematoma.. god its nice to be right!!! To be honest I was just relived that it wasnt anything i did wrong! whew... I hate hurting the dogs! she also claimed i cut a nipple and all of the paw pads!! when I looked at the tummy there was no irritation at all!! no reddness no cut.... one nipple was slightly larger than the other and she was claiming i caused this.. lol umm like you would have noticed this before... im thinking she was looking for anything after she saw the ears.. and the supposed cuts on the paw pads... it was just the pads were dry so they were cracking... it was hard to tell her in a nice well your full of it.. but we managed dont think she believed me but at least i know the truth.. lol thanks for the info!


----------



## SoFreshandSoClean (Apr 19, 2010)

LazyGRanch713 said:


> Forget difficult dogs--I'd rather deal with a dumb dog than a dumb owner like this! I cut a matted dog once that I had to take to the vet for stitches. The vet told me it wasn't my fault, because the dog was in such horrendous shape. I ate the vet bill myself, and told the owner so. She was PO'ed, and never came back. (The dog was a shih-tzu mix of some sort, and she let him go all winter because he "needed his long coat". Give me a break. I really doubt a 15 pound house dog spends hours outside in the 20 below winters foraging for his food.)
> The joke around here (with owners like her) is that we really ought to feel sorry for them, because they obviously can't afford to buy a $4.99 comb!


People think they know it all thats for sure... lol love the comment about the shihtzu foraging for food in the winter hilarious..


----------

