Check this out

[Poodlefluff]

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/183/RipOff0183844.htm#182024

Copy n paste if the link doesn't work. This is a link to a consumer complaint about a groom shop shaving her pom BALD . Just another good reason not to shave a matted pet without written consent. This lady is too much though.

[mustluvdogs1]

Those kinds of reports upset me.........

and I didn't even groom the dog! I am on the side of the groomer. The picture does nopt show the condition of the coat that was probably matted. You can't just cut out spots here and there, that would look awful. I think the dog looks fine. Don't let him sit out in the sun and no, there won't be any infection. geesh. Some people are just impossible and unreasonable.

[Boxerfan]

Wow, just reading all that wore me out. I can't tell you how many people tell me their dog isn't matted and that they 'just brushed it' last night. Most folks will just brush the dog until it's nice and fluffy but don't try to comb through down to the skin. I'm not saying that's what happened b/c the before photo isn't any indication of what the dog looked like on the day it was groomed. That could have been taken anytime.
Just another reason why you should put your hands all over a dog BEFORE the customer leaves and if there is any question hand them a comb and say you'll be glad to leave Fluffys coat long if they can comb through it.

[ejmj30]

Wow!!! I just spent too much time reading that, and getting so mad, then I saw the dates on the dumb thing and couldn't even post about it. What do you guys think happened? I think he "combed" the dog out the night before like soooooo many of my customers say they do, and he didn't know how matted the dog really was. And even if they were those "soft" matts that that boob was talking about, if there's soft matts over the whole body it's still trauma to the dog. Obviously if SHE knows the difference between hard and soft matts, and her dogs have to have both removed at each grooming, she's not the source to be going to for a fair opinion. She's just as bad as the original complainer, lol!

[RoosMom]

Actually, I think it was a man, the signature was 'Bob'. Bob needs to get over it. (rolls eyes) I had a client like this about a year ago- she said clip Golden down to about 1/4 of an inch for summer, I did. She then made a complaint to the BBB that I had shaved her dog to the skin, much shorter than she wanted, and that there was a 'gash' on the inside of the dogs rear leg. She wanted a refund of her money, and for the BBB to see if we were licensed groomers. She never called to complain, and I never saw a vet bill. My response letter to the BBB was that groomers in this state aren't licensed, that I had over 20 years experience, I clipped the dog the length she specified, she had already put a stop-payment on her check and therefore no refund would be forthcoming, I was unaware of any injury, AND that it would have been nice if she had contacted me immediately if there were a problem instead of me finding out through the BBB a month after the fact.
(How's that for a run-on sentence?;-))

You just can't win when dealing with dipsticks like this.

[Pap lover]

O no. Poor pom ya I wouldnt be happy with that either. You should explain and ask permission before doing that so the owner wont be shocked. Poms look funny shaved lol ya I wouldnt be happy with that I dont think the pooch looked that matted in pic anyways.

[Pixie]

Which lady is too much, the groomer or the owner?
I think the groomer was wrong in saying she felt like the owner had taken pic of 2 different dogs, give me a break. The coloring wasn't right either, when a pom is shaved it does change color. How long has this groomer been grooming and hasn't she ever shaved down a pom and noticed the change in coloring?
The owner has a right to complain about the groomer if the job wasn't done right. Maybe she thought the dog was brushed out, (top brush) a lot of people think they can brush their dogs and it is just top brushed.
It would have been a lot better if the groomer had shown the owner the condition of the dog before she had left the shop. Very important to examine the dogs in front of the owner. I really think the groomer was more at fault, with what I read. The dog did look nice, hair does grow back, but it takes a long time on a Pom to look natural after it has been shaved.

[Gracy Rose]

How about when were the pics taken? If the first picture was taken 1-2 years ago, the coloring settles (that's why you scrapbookers use materials to preserve the photos). Today Gracy is fluffy, in 12 weeks if I don't brush her I will be using a 5-7 blade on her.

Photos aren't always worth 1000 words.

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

As far as the color change goes, LOOK AT THE DOG'S HEAD. It does look like it's red in one and brownish in the other, but I still believe it is the same dog.

She said the hair came off like a pelt. If that were true, I think she would have SHOWN the owner. If it were like a pelt, she would have TOLD the owner that from the beginning---it's not hard to feel a "pelt" under all that hair. The groomer would be at fault for that poor communication, I feel. The owner, on the other hand was neglectful of taking care of the dog in the first place. If the dog was severely matted, then she should have that option to shave or send somewhere else. Just poor communication all together.

Oh, by the way, someone named "Lori in Warsaw, IN" responded in that thread. That is our very own "PoodleMom" on this website, formerly known as "GoldenMom."

Tammy in Utah

[Helly]

Well, I noticed two things that stuck out like a sore .

First, the owner states the dog was brushed out the night before, but in the next sentence says they tried to work the comb under the knots, but the dog bit at them. Now if they had to work the comb to get it under the knots, it was matted to the skin. So that says to me that Foxy WASN'T brushed out the night before.

Second, the owner even admitted that the groomer had called him and told him the dog needed to be "cut down". So he was aware, had the opportunity to say "No, just leave it" and didn't.

As for the pictures. It could just be a trick of the camera, but it does look like two different dogs. While the coat on a shaved down dog is usually a different color in the shaved areas, the head wasn't shaved, and it looks like it's a different color (brighter, more intense red) than the unshaved dog's head. The muzzle shape and length look different too.

[c.c.]

I finally had to just stop reading.....this is dog hair they're talking about.

It grows.

Hope they never have a real problem.

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

I finally had to just stop reading.....this is dog hair they're talking about.

It grows.

Hope they never have a real problem.

Excellent point, indeed.

Tammy in Utah

[blue]

That whole exchange was maddening for a variety of different reasons, which I won't take the time and trouble to go into.

In any case, this is precisely why I check dogs carefully when they come in and discuss any issues then.

I am also very careful to never insist upon a shavedown. I tell the owner that in my opinion, the only humane way to deal with a matted pelt coat is to shave it down. But I stop there and I never try to convince anyone. They have the option of taking the dog and leaving. But the decision to shave must come from them.

[Pap lover]

Ya that was weird becaue the 1st picture the dog didnt look matted, but the groomer said the dog was so then if thats true how long ago was the picture taken?? I didnt get that. Plus I shoulda read further because I didnt realize the owner agreed to the shave down because then she shoulda expected the shave down. She could have said no but she didnt. Thats a weird situation thats for sure.

[RoosMom]

As for the pictures. It could just be a trick of the camera, but it does look like two different dogs. While the coat on a shaved down dog is usually a different color in the shaved areas, the head wasn't shaved, and it looks like it's a different color (brighter, more intense red) than the unshaved dog's head. The muzzle shape and length look different too.

You're right- it's not the same dog. If you forget about the color, just look at the heads of the dogs, you can see there are definitely differences in the facial structure. I don't think the groomer changed that. ;-)