# Bad Groomer?



## Heatherlynn77 (Mar 3, 2011)

Today was the first day Teddy had ever been to a groomer (myself as well). I had asked the vet for a recommendation, and she gave me a lady by the name of Holly who is wonderful with malteses'. 

I get there and not 5 secs in the door, the assistant takes Teddy and puts him in a kennel, and then shows me around the place. Like why couldn't I hold him until I was ready to leave and they were ready for him?

This lady was nice, gave me a tour of the place, answered any questions I had, and then said it would be about 3 hours. She would call when he was ready. 

About 2 1/2 hours later I go and pick him up. He looks cute except for a few things (shaved his butt and half of his legs so he looks wierd in the back, and his face isn't right) but while I was there she said "does he try and bite you when you comb him"...I said yes. She asked me what I do to correct it, I told her I lightly tap him on the nose and tell him no! She says don't ever do that, that isn't good for them. She tells me to either grab his skin under his chin or the part of the neck where the mama grabs him and pull and say no! Then she says this is how you need to brush him....she takes a brush (wire) and brushes him so hard that he yelps!!! It wasn't a nice gentle brush, it was hard and not gentle at all. I said "umm didn't that hurt him"....she says No, he is just not liking it so he is yelping like a baby".....

Does this sound right at all? Is this how all groomers are? Should I look for another one?


----------



## munchkn8835 (May 23, 2010)

Hope Teddy is doing better tonight. I love Ollie's groomer and he practically jumps out of the car to get to her! Sometimes I might not exactly like how she cuts him, but as long as he is good there. She also doesn't have him in a kennel until after she is done if I haven't gotten there to pick him up. She shaves his butt, but not down his legs.


----------



## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

I would find a new groomer. She sounds much too rough and uncaring. I stay with Tyler while he's groomed and she literally kisses him on the face and he loves her As far as shaving the butt everytime I go to my groomer she says "I know. You don't want baboon butt." I won't let her shave it close. . I think that you also need to work on the brushing issue at home. Make it a pleasant experience there and Teddy won't be so afraid at the groomer. I would start very gently with stroking him all over his body. Get him used to touch and then slowly introduce a brush a little at a time. And lots of treats to reward him for acting so well. I use a Madan pin brush. You can read some older threads here on grooming.


----------



## Heatherlynn77 (Mar 3, 2011)

LOL thats a good way to describe it "baboon butt" I don't like it at all. Is a brush better than a comb?


----------



## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Heatherlynn77 said:


> LOL thats a good way to describe it "baboon butt" I don't like it at all. Is a brush better than a comb?


Yes - I use a brush and detangler first and then try to go back over him with a steel comb -- when I'm being very good. But the Madan pin brush really works on getting out the mats and Tyler lies down for me to work on each side of him -- so that's pretty relaxed about it.


----------



## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

The first time each of my girls went to their current groomer (I've been using her for 12 years now) was for a "meet and greet." Sarah actually sat on the floor with them playing for about 10 minutes or so to get their acquainted with her. Then a few days later we went back for the grooming.

She keeps them in a puppy cut but long enough so they don't look pink. And no baboon butt either! She's gentle in her combing and brushing, but then I do a quick brush on both girls every morning so they are used to it. After they are done with their baths and haircuts, they get to play with the other small dogs in the shop - she tends to have mostly small dogs on the days that I'm there. If there are larger dogs, everyone stays in their crate.

My girls like Sarah so much, that at the Pet Expo a couple of weeks ago, Sarah stopped by the NMR booth and Tessa almost jumped into her arms! Her tail was wagging tremendously and she was covering Sarah with kisses. Guess my girls like their groomer!

If I were you, I think I'd try to find one that was a bit more gentle and caring, but that's just my opinion.


----------



## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

Yeah, I think you should go with your instincts and try to find a different groomer. She sounds like she was much too rough on him. I have had Bailey for a year now and still havent found a groomer that I love and want to take him to repeatedly...I've tried 3 or 4 different places so far and haven't been completely thrilled with any of them. I have an appointment with a new groomer in a couple of weeks (referral I got from an SM member!) and she sounds really great so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is the "one"! 

Bailey has always been very sensitive about brushing too and I have had to work with him a lot. He still HATES the steel slicker brushes but he did A LOT better once I started using the Madan brushes. He gets a lot of treats while I brush him and he is a lot better about it now. So I think you need to continue to work with Teddy at home until he is more comfortable with being brushed.


----------



## Silkmalteselover (Apr 1, 2010)

:blink: Heather A few thoughts -- breeders sometimes don't prepare the puppies for the life of grooming. My kennel club president and one of my mentors in the dog show world has been a groomer for 50 plus years. From the groomers perspective.. it helps so so much for a puppy to have been "prepared" for this life. I really love my dogs, give them way too many kisses and attention that my kids would think MOM is :dancing banana:going bananas... Yet when my mentor showed me the thing of taking them by the scruff of the neck to show them authority.. :w00t:.YIKES I thought it was mean yet done consistently when "rebellion" appears while grooming it helps them accept from me (who showers them with attention, kisses and hugs at other times) that this is part of their life with the human mom. The principle seems to make sense from watcing my momma dogs train (it can be ruff!) their puppies after they are weaned and wanting to be wild and free. One reason a puppy bought at 12 weeks old is SO SO much better than buying a puppy at 8 weeks. Maybe some SMers who are more qualified about the training part will post about this. It may take a groomer awhile "get" exactly how you want the cut. But like any service, how you and your dog are treated overall is what keeps the customer coming back..


----------



## CrystalAndZoe (Jul 11, 2006)

First of all, I would never take one of my babies to a groomer who was seeing more then one dog at a time and don't do cage dryers. I want mine to have their full attention. Also, the grooming salons that have a 'drop off in the morning & pick up in the afternoon' policy tend to but not always, have an assembly line type of procedure. All get bathed, all put in a crate with a cage dryer, then one by one they are taken out and given a cut. 

As for how you get a little one to cooperate with being combed and brushed, I know why groomers do it the way they do it because it's much faster then positive techniques. But I really prefer getting them to learn to like being combed and brushed using positive techniques. Using only positive methods may take longer, but will benefit both you and your baby so much more in the future. Also, by using corrective and dominating ways to get your little one to behave _might _cause other behavioral issues.

I was searching for a video that Victoria Stillwell did where she used a very soft brush that was not really brushing the hair, but got the dog used to a brush not hurting, while feeding yummy treats. Then when she's ok with that, you can go to more of a soft pin brush and yummy treats, eventually working your way to a comb. This may take several sessions within a week to several weeks depending on your particular baby.

Here is a great example of helping a dog afraid of baths learn they aren't bad using positive reinforcement training methods.

Victoria's Tips A-Z : Videos : Animal Planet

Scroll down to "Tackling Bath Time"


----------



## MyLuna (Mar 6, 2011)

Oh...this makes me just a bit nervous since I am taking Luna Bella for her first professional grooming this weekend. I have bathed her the past three weekends myself and she does pretty good. I also have combed her several times a day since her first day with me and brush her once a day. Depending on the time of day she can be totally docile or just a bit antsy to get it over with, but she is used to it AND the blow dryer, etc. the place I am going to in town is rather a new little place and I believe it's one dog at a time, but I am going to ask for sure. I certainly don't want my little girl to go 'backwards' when it comes to the grooming routine or fear it in any way. The real reason I am taking her is that I am squeamish to cut her nails even though I have a good nail cutter to do it. Maybe she will let me watch her do it to learn. I also don't want her cut...MAYBE a little scissor trim around the butt, and on her feet, between her little toes..that's it!


----------



## Heatherlynn77 (Mar 3, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the tips and suggestions. I will look into another groomer when he needs it again, and also work with him here at home on the grooming and getting used to it. Getting a brush might help too instead of the comb. I want him to enjoy getting brushed, not hate it and try and bite me, or like someone suggested getting even more bahavioral problems because of the correcting on the grooming part. Postive reinforcement is always better than negative.


----------

