My worst client is...My mother in law's dog!

[irish23]

Just groomed my mother in laws dog today who is a horrible border collie/lab/satan mix. She is evil I kid u not.
My mother in law "brushes her everyday" ah I would like to know where personally. I have shown her where to brush, given her the right tools and still impacted under coat, which the dog trys to attack you when you take it out.
Her dog needs to be muzzled none the less and flips outs the whole time.. tosses her head screams, tries to claw your eyes out with her paws.
I feel like I just got out of a sumo wrestling match after I am done.
None the less this dog is a jerk and cannot be reasoned with at all.. she bit my husband last time we groomed her after she clawed off the muzzle. This time, new muzzle, ha ha you can't bite.. so she figured I will just flail my head around like crazy when you brush me out. She smashed me and smashed him even the groomers helper couldn' t help. I almost had to shave the dogs tail it was so bad. Any way after all of this, my husband in a tizy he is so annoyed at the dog runs up stairs to get in the shower.. leaves me there with his mother. I hear drawers opening in the kitchen and I go in there to see what she is doing going through my stuff, and she gets a pair of scissors out and re cuts the dogs tail. UGH soo rude!! Rude to 1 go through my drawers and 2. rude to not mention that she wanted the tail cut differently and 3. to do it in my home in front of my face. I am very insulted. I do this as a favor to his parents who are very nice, but I regret ever agreeing to do the dog. All I get out of it is aggrivation,no money, no thank you, no great job, and bruised and battered and my husband, he gets a migraine. I wish I could fire her! Sorry I ranted. Oh and to top it all off .. the devil dog tried to attack my dogs when she was in my house and his mother just reinforces her behavior by saying "Oh come to mommy .. good girl no growls." Ah!

[pamperedpups]

You wish you could fire her?! DO IT!!! Either a.) tell your mother-in-law nicely that her dog needs to be groomed at a veterinary clinic from now on due to his behavior, OR b.) be "regretfully" unable to squeeze the dog in for his next appointment due to your VERY busy schedule.

[Angie]

Wow, I feel for you! That sounds like a nightmare. Would she be pissed if you wouldnt do the dog? Sounds like it needs to take a nap while being groomed.
I groom my mother in laws dog and she is wonderful. She is a little naughty on her toenails but nothing major. Cant your husband reason with his mother? Would the dog act better if she wasnt there?
I think your husband needs to take you out to a nice dinner and a back rub for putting up with his mother and her dog satan.
I wont wrestle with dogs anymore. My back cant handle it and I dont need the stress. Good luck.

[BeyondBlessed]

Just groomed my mother in laws dog today who is a horrible border collie/lab/satan mix. She is evil I kid u not.

ROFL!!!! Your "breed" description is TOO funny. I needed that today.

I am SO sorry that you had such a terrible time. It could be worse. Years ago when I first became a mobile groomer, my dad "coincidently" decided that he wanted not one, but THREE bouviers. It takes me 6 hours to groom them all.

[irish23]

You wish you could fire her?! DO IT!!! Either a.) tell your mother-in-law nicely that her dog needs to be groomed at a veterinary clinic from now on due to his behavior, OR b.) be "regretfully" unable to squeeze the dog in for his next appointment due to your VERY busy schedule.

Yeah and the worst thing is.. she had a mobile groomer where she lives which is 1 hr from me. So she drives the dog an hour for me to groom it. My husband has tried to tell them every which way to call the previous groomer.. they just don't get it.
I have a 1 bite and u r gone policy too.. anybody else would have been tossed out long ago! Whoever said "Never do business with family or friends.." they are not kidding!!!

[dogsenvogue]

If it were me, I think what I might do ,is between now and when the dog needs groomed again do a little research on other groomers in the area and possibly find one you think might be able to do the job. Then perhaps purchase a gift certificate or pre-pay and direct her that way, It would be worth not having to do it and she would still be getting it at no charge, unless she pays you then she would be getting an even better deal.

[diamienono]

I would flat out tell her. Hey, I know we are family and all, but all you had to do was tell me you did not like her tail, and I would have cut her head off lol. Seriously, tell her that it is not safe for her dog to be groomed without sedation. If you make it like her dog could and will hurt himself, then maybe she will take it to the vet to get done. If she still wants yo to do it, say I'm sorry, but I can't risk getting bit or hurt. I need my body to be healthy so I can take care of my other customers that pay my bills. Don't feel bad. She is showing you no respect. I don't respect those that don't respect me. Fod God's sake, you and your hubby need to grow a spine. If this were a "client" you would fire them. Well, this is worse, she does not thank or even pay you. Forget that.

[irish23]

If it were me, I think what I might do ,is between now and when the dog needs groomed again do a little research on other groomers in the area and possibly find one you think might be able to do the job. Then perhaps purchase a gift certificate or pre-pay and direct her that way, It would be worth not having to do it and she would still be getting it at no charge, unless she pays you then she would be getting an even better deal.

Dina that is an awesome idea.. I am definitely going to have to look into that I think in some way she is worried that I would get offended or something?? Nah I am offended when she screws up the job I just did on her hellion in my face.

[Crystal]

DITTO!!! I know how you feel

My mother inlaw has 2 bad dogs. One a chow mix and the other is a bichon. The chow had never been groomed before I got into grooming, so she was a "project" for me. I've been grooming 4 years now and we are just now able to do the nails. Although the dog loves me, she is a hard headed bitch. My very passive inlaws don't know the first thing about caring for a dog or providing discipline so their dogs are out of control.

Sometimes they pay me and other times they ask if they could pay me on payday and I say ok, I have yet to see October or Decembers money. ON the plus side, I got everything I wanted for Christmas.

But my inlaws moved over an hour away too, so being mobile I am wasting alot of time and gas on their dogs.

My next question is how do you increase prices for family. I'm ready to do it and start enforcing payment at the time of services.

[pugnacious]

Your husband's mother! It is HIS responsibility to talk to HIS parents.

[misscatahoula]

Wow. That's rough. I don't envy you!

[jbates]

Mother in law 's devil dog

Maybe you could have your husband talk to her about a trainer. It would be great to get the dog whisperer to visit the dog. He gets any dog tohangDaDnd realize who is the pack leader!Dr. Philwould tell you to get I.Realistically the dog needs a trainry to say no. Give her the dog whisperer book to readher to reM.........yad.First time doing this I messed up mt typing.Good luck.

[bow_wow_wheels]

As I am quite fond of saying---life is just tooooo short for this mess! It isn't the dog's fault that no one ever taught it to behave, poor thing! I'd sit her down and tell her that her pet is a danger to itself and should be in a more controlled environment for it's own sake. Someplace where when it gets stressed it can go into a crate or cage to calm down because you don't want the poor thing to suffer any ill effects, right??? Then I'd blast her for having the gall to go into MY tool box to get MY high dollar shears to re-trim the tail on her pet that I did for FREE!!!!!!! I have no patience for idiot family members-be they my own blood or in-laws!!!!

As far as raising prices on family members? HA!! Good luck! That can be a loosing battle. I just do my family and friends for $20 each and just accept the fact that they have no respect for my time. If I worry and stress over the fact that they just don't appreciate my work and what I do for their pets I drive myself crazy and end up not liking them very much if at all. They are done on MY schedule to MY liking and I'm paid cash or I just simply don't do it. My business, my rules

(And yes, I have, on occasion, cut my nose off to spite my face LOL!!)

[diamienono]

My mother inlaw has 2 bad dogs. One a chow mix and the other is a bichon. The chow had never been groomed before I got into grooming, so she was a "project" for me. I've been grooming 4 years now and we are just now able to do the nails. Although the dog loves me, she is a hard headed bitch. My very passive inlaws don't know the first thing about caring for a dog or providing discipline so their dogs are out of control.

Sometimes they pay me and other times they ask if they could pay me on payday and I say ok, I have yet to see October or Decembers money. ON the plus side, I got everything I wanted for Christmas.

But my inlaws moved over an hour away too, so being mobile I am wasting alot of time and gas on their dogs.

My next question is how do you increase prices for family. I'm ready to do it and start enforcing payment at the time of services.

You have an easy out. Tell them that you have gotten too busy and won't be able to make the hour drive. Find them a mobile in their area.

[Doug]

wow

Why would agree to groom a dog under these conditions?Why is the mother in law even there while the dog is being groomed? The dogs saftey and yours are in jerperdy and you are ultimately the one who should be in control of the situation.If the mother in law has a problem with that then just tell her it is not safe to work like this and you will not risk the dogs saftey or your own period.
When a grooming job presents itself you have to remove the family relationship and turn on the groomer in you, it's just another dog. You would not put up with any of this **** from a customer would you? They will far more respect for you if you aproach it the way you would if you did not know them from adam.Any one has a problem with it ,momy dearest or son the door swings both ways dont let it hit in the back side on your way out.
You might want to remind him "the guy kills the bug" his role does not include making it worse by making excusses for his mother or leaving half way through the job but to provide at the least a buffer since it is his mother.Saftey first.