Bummer!! To Heavy

[PoodlePal]

I received a call from a woman who had 3 dogs to be groomed (Pekingese, English Bulldog and an English Mastiff). I thought great!!! Then it occurred to me that there was no way the steps to my tub could support the weight of the Mastiff (185 lbs.) and there is no way (even with my electric table lifting him) 2 people to carry him 2-3 steps to the tub.

Have any of you mobiles been able to groom such a heavy dog??? I groomed a Great Dane once but that is the heaviest dog that I've done.

[gottalovegracie]

I do all kinds of really big dogs...mastiffs, newfies, great danes, pyrenees, st. bernards...it's not easy or fun but I get them done. If the dog is the least bit cooperative, I can usually get them across my ramp from table to tub but if they aren't then I ask for assistance from an owner or plan to have someone in truck with me (even then, they can be a pain to get up in the tub without hurting someone! and sometimes even more of a pain to get out)...When you get 185 lb+ of stubborness in the tub, its near impossible to get leverage on their back end enough to coax them out of the tub! Sometimes I have to call in the calvery(family) to help get them out too! Embarrassing but better than sitting there for 30 min or more looking like an idiot trying to wrangle someone out of or in to the tub!

[Smart-n-Pretty]

Y'all need to hire G:G's teenager to help you. She's pretty, but, strong as a bull!

[Clippin Along]

Too Big

Check out this previous post.

http://www.petgroomerforums.com/chat/showthread.php?t=33173

[SharPeiMom]

I can do just about any size as long as they are somewhat cooperative. My DH goes with me but we're not so young anymore and DH has a bad back so I have to be careful about doing really large dogs that are stubborn. I have a Pyrenees, humongous Golden, morbidly obese Labs, Great Danes but the 2 that stick in my mind was a Dane and English Mastiff at the same house. Neither would even consider going in my trailer so I have a hose hooked up to my water tanks so I just washed them on the driveway and used my backup dryer to dry them but didn't take long because the sun aided with drying. The hard part of that was bending over till your back ached so much that you just get on your knees. After crawling around for a couple of hours we could barely move the next day. Can't do it in the winter. I don't do those 2 anymore just too big a toll on the body.
On a funnier note my DH usually doesn't complain a lot over the size of the dogs EXCEPT for one: A really obese Pomeranian. He's so fat that he can't stand fo more than 30 seconds therefore DH helps hold him up for me. I think that's the hardest one for him. He loves the dog but it takes it's toll on him. This Pom is so fat that I can't lift him so DH has to go get him and he has a hard time picking him up (not leashed trained). He's such a sweet dog,too.

[Dolly]

Not only is it darn near impossible to get them into the tub by yourself, due to their weight, but take in consideratin how long/big their body is, since you will need to turn them around in the tub, during the wash, rinse and drying cycles...........think twice before attempting !!


Happy "Oh My Aching Back"

Dolly's Barking Bubbles, LLC

https://www.dollysbarkingbubbles.com

[PuppyFluffer]

I used to groom anything I could fit in the tub. Now I groom nothing at all because ongoing back issues have forced me out of a job.

[celebpet]

Well, my mobile was built by a guy for his wife before she moved into a salon. He built it with a standard size steel tub you might find in your home, so I have plenty of length for big dogs and getting them turned in the tub. I also made sure when looking for a mobile that it had a hyd table that would lower to the ground and could lift up to 250 lbs. The table is right next to the tub so all the dog needs to do is do a 180 and he can step right into the tub, no ramps to contend with. The step up into the trailer is actually higher than the dog needs to step to get up onto the grooming table. Saves my back, although I did strain my back once when I had to catch a 70 lb golden that slipped off the edge of my table. Luckily I'm a big guy and I can lift just about any dog if I had too.

Tomorrow I have two shih tzu and two Rottweilers at one house and another Rottweiler on Friday. Should be an interesting end to the week.

[CurbsideCuties]

I have a client with two really huge english mastiffs who are totally untrained! And a tiny chihuahua. He tried to help me get the dogs in the tub and OMG what a pansy! He said "well I don't think they want a bath" And I said "well it's a good thing we did'nt ask for their input! And I did'nt drive all the way here for the heck of it. So I pushed my hydrolic table up next to my tub drug them up on it and gave them an elevator ride... Then ever so gently with all of my might I pushed them into the tub! Customer said I was crazy and wanted to know if I took steroids! LMAO! Uh no... I just know how to make dogs do what I want. Now they get righ in the trailer and when I say STEP UP! They put their paws on the side of the tub. Owners.