why do i do this to myself

[rainingcats&dogs]

i guess because im so slow,i figure i can help this poor dog out,a man made an appt,i give him a time he comes in with this matted mess,and brown he says its a maltese,but the dog is so dirty and matted i cant tell what the he** it is,so i put on table manage to get the nasty matts off face so now she can shut her eyes,but she started flipping out like a tornado with teeth,even with the gh on,she so matted i feel bad for her but i called the dad and said to pick up your dog i cant work on her,you know he didt even act surprised,he saidwell ok thanks for trying i will be there soon to pick her up,im kinda thinking that i dont want to accept severley matted dogs anymore,they always seem to flip out,what are your polocies on this
thanks

[Angie]

wow, poor thing. I get alot of "once a year shave downs" in the spring, little and big dogs. I rarely get really aggressive ones. They are actually relieved that someone is giving them some relief.
When I do get an aggressive one, I send them to the vet to be sedated.
At least you tried. Poor dog

[sheilabgroomer]

I groom lots of OAY's that come in as matted messes usually starting in the spring. There are very few that I am unable to get done. Don't start on their faces, that will surely freak them out! I will let them listen to the clippers for a minute and talk to them and give them a belly rub before I actually start clipping. Most of these poor guys are so starved for affection they do quite well once they realize you aren't going to hurt them. In fact, my other groomer and I are often amazed how the OAY's can be so well behaved and some of the every two weekers can be absolute brats! Go figure...lol... Anyway, personally I won't ban them from my shop, only the impossible individuals. I feel that these poor little things are so in need of a grooming that I will always be willing to at least give them a try.....charge the owners a hefty amount to make it worth your while though!

[rainingcats&dogs]

i felt bad for the dog thats why i accepted it,and i rarely ever turn away a dog,but this one wow what a aggressive little thing,when they picked up dog i asked how long its been since its been groomed over a year he said,and i usually never start on the face,i rubbed my clippers and shears on the dog first,then i didd the body,ok for that i got to legs and she flipped out,so i thought her face was so matted it was hurting me looking at it,and boy did it smell,and surprisingly she let me do the face,just not legs or under belly,i groom alot for the shelter and those are always matted messes,and they are always appreciative of taking that matted pelt off of them,oh well live and learn
thanks
i did call my friend who grooms at a vet and gave him her #,hopefully he will call her,soon

[misscatahoula]

I get my share of OAY and 2x a year dogs; most of them are actually quite accepting of the process. The exception often being older pups who have never been exposed to anything grooming related; they are often initially fearful of the clipper, dryers, and water. I won't turn an extremely matted dog away unless it's mean. I let the owner know it will be short, possibly naked, and use whatever blade can get through safely. I really don't like having to groom them when they're so matted, but the dogs are usually so relieved at the end of their groom to be free of all that coat, they're usually MUCH happier, so I feel happier for the dog. And I charge the owners extra for the time and worry involved.

[Pixie]

I am usually be able to get them done, in some fashion or other. There has only been one that I can remember that I wasn't able to do until the owner came and held him for me. Poor dog was just soooo scared. Most of the ones I do also seem to enjoy having the attention and are some of the best dogs to do.

[pamperedpups]

Edited.

[Kim in SD]

I do the same as Pampered pets writes. Start on body, if they're touchy w/the face, take a snip here and there. Be calm, after you take off the pelt, I always have break time and scratch the skin where the pelt was and let the dog relax, reassure it a lot. I wait until after the bath for pads and nails.

[Kim in SD]

oops, "Pamperedpups"

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

I do the same as Pamperedpups as well---start on the body. But, to your credit, isn't it interesting how the ones that are naughty are often (not always) matted and groomed once or twice a year. It's like a strange phenomenon or something, lol.

Tammy in Utah

[pamperedpups]

Edited.

[Cosette]

im kinda thinking that i dont want to accept severley matted dogs anymore,they always seem to flip out,what are your polocies on this

I try to avoid scheduling appointments for severely matted dogs by asking questions about the dog's coat condition when a potential new client calls. Unfortunately, it's not a foolproof method, because occasionally, I find out, once the dog arrives, that the caller didn't accurately answer my questions.

It's not that I lack compassion for dogs who have been neglected, because I realize they desperately need someone to groom them too. But, since I have a low volume salon in my home and groom by myself, I don't have a lot of appointments available for new clients so I prefer to fill those slots with clients who are going to come on a regular basis instead of every 6 months or once a year.

Also, I want to give you a [b]big[/b] pat on the back for not risking your safety or the dog's safety by trying to continue grooming her. It sounds to me like she needs to be groomed at a vet clinic where sedation is available when neccesary and where medical attention is available if she's injured due to her behavior.

Two years ago, a bad bite to my right hand resulted in almost $10,000 worth of medical bills for a trip to the ER, an appt with my primary doctor, a trip to the hospital, 10 apointments with a plastic surgeon/hand specialist, and 4 weeks of physical therapy. Although the majority of the damage healed nicely. I'll never regain full use of my right index finger, because it no longer bends at the knuckle. Needless to say, I now send all aggressive dogs home unfinished.
Sheri B.

[Petagree]

Thats so true Cosette...A phone conversation about the condition of a dog can be decieving..It is always a red flag to me when they do come in so badly matted...You got two ways to look at it..either a severely neglectful owner or a dog that is a holy terror to groom..Most owners will be honest with you but there are some that bring the little monster to ya hoping for the best. If they pick them up not at all surprised you could not do them then ya know they knew it all along and chose to keep it to themselves.. I spent so many years of my grooming trying to DO them all..Now I pick and choose my battles a little more cautiously...
Petagree

[DAPER DAWG]

I had a 4 1/2 y/o shitzu like this yesterday. First dog of the day and a new customer that said he was switching from another salon because he was tired of them. He was really desperate to get the dog done because it had run through chiminey soot while he was cleaning it. I started shaving the hiney, the privates and back feet and went to pick up the front leg and watch out like mentioned a tornado with teeth. Closer to the groomers helper he went. I switched to the body and legs but he continued to thrash, snap and snarl. My boss came over we got a muzzle on him, she held him and he got even worse, especially with anything near his front half. I said " this dog needs a serious traquilizer" He already had one was her reply. I'm so glad this was shared with me before I started to work on him, I might have approached him a little differently, perhaps throw him right in the tub to break him in slowly. Needless to say the dog's owner was called and told it would be best to have the dog done at the vet for the dogs and the groomers safety. The dog's owner replied "maybe just give more time for the sedative to kick in" Not. I guess that would explain why his legs were three times longer than his body and his head was out of control. As it turns out the same gentleman made two appointments with our shop last year and said his dog could be difficult then but never showed up. If I knew of a way to re-wire and retrain dogs like this to behave a little better and had all the time in the world to do it safely I would be willing to try but unfortunately there are the rare few who can't be "fixed".

[Cosette]

BTW, I should have also mentioned that my policy of refusing to groom aggressive dogs certainly gives me better odds of not being bitten again, but unfortunately, it would not have prevented the bite incident 2 years ago. Rosie, the dog who bit me, had no prior history of aggression. I had been grooming her for about 2 years, and she had always been very gentle natured.

On the morning I was bitten, the owner neglected to tell me Rosie had a back injury. The owner arrived early for her appointment, and I was in the process of mopping my floor, because I wasn't officially open for business yet. I told the owner to leave Rosie in her pet carrier, and I would get her out when I was finished mopping.

When I went to get Rosie, she wouldn't come out of her carrier so I reached in to try and coax her out. [b]Huge[/b] mistake, because that's when she attacked my hand that was trapped inside the carrier. I ran to the tub to flush my wounds with Betadine, and when I returned, Rosie was standing outside her carrier trembling. It was obvious she was in severe pain.

Why her owner brought her in that condition and didn't tell me is still a mystery. Later, the owner did admit her vet had recommended back surgery, but she couldn't afford it, because she had two kids in college. If she had told me Rosie had a back injury and was in pain, I would have told the owner she needed to reschedule the appointment when Rosie was feeling better. It was just a series of unusual circumstances that collectively resulted in a painful outcome.
Sheri B.