Who groomed your dog??!!!

[Kim in SD]

I just got a new client, first groom yesterday on her 7 month old st. Poodle.
Ok, they said they just got the dog from the breeder, last week. I get there this, well could be beautiful dog is lurking in livingroom, real frightened. Takes the lady about 10 minutes to get the dog about 10 feet from the door before he plants his feet and refuses to move. So I go in and shut the door, ask the lady if I could take the leash. I get the leash, dog walks right up to me and kisses me. I go over what kind of groom she wants. She starts explaining a cocker cut. ears shaved half way down the outside and a shaved head. lol I forgot to mention the dog has poodle feet that go half way up the leg. (when asked they said they shaved them so he would know if he was peeing on them) male still squatting..lol Anyway she wants a cocker cut on this odd looking dog with shaved feet and legs. The dogs an apricot, has uneven dread locks on the upper part of legs and back, I thought he was a white dog. I get him in the tub start washing him, huh, apricot, ok. I finally got the owner to let me do just a puppy cut on him, with a short top knot, and regular ears. Whew! He turned out real pretty except for the poodle feet going half way up the leg. Great pup, stood there to whole time like a pro. But whats going to happen when someone asks, " who groomed your dog?" and they say me?

[PetsRus]

I alway worry about that too if I have to shave a matted dog or the owner has given it a trim for it to be able to see.

[Raggs]

My boss that taught me to groom would ask people to leave thru the back door and to not tell anyone who groomed their dog unless they say that it was exactly what they asked for. We did a white Stand. Poodle that was always a complete shave down. #10 shave down. Never matted, the lady came in every 6 weeks. It was actually her idea to leave thru the back because she knew that it wasn't a good looking cut. But the lady was old and had severe arthritis so she couldn't brush her dog.

[sheilabgroomer]

Hehe, I am always tempted to ask people to say they have their dog groomed at _______ (fill in blank...lol) if some one asks.

Stephen Note: There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with asking your clientele to refer others. Don't they want you to grow and be prosperous, and to be around the next time they wanted grooming? That is one way my mother had almost 6,000 REGULARS in the 4 to 12 week range year round in her appt program. There is so much complaining on this board customers which sets up a false statement of what client relations is in pet grooming. I have hundreds of business owners who are shocked at the way some choose to talk about clientele and it gives newbies the wrong idea, it's all shock value entertainment when that happens here, and that is why I cannot get hundreds of truly successful owners to share here. However, I do want to note those of you that do honor your customers here, we see your posts, it's just that we see too many today, they come in waves, of building importance by slamming some clients where you deal with the situation and let it go and don't discolor the board to where newbies have written me and asked doesn't anyone like their customers? We loved our clients and they built one of the largest businesses that originally was not our goal, I think it was the terrible lack of client relations and professional services for humans at the front desk that people ran for, so sure, share the dream of your business and let them help you with the lifeblood of grooming, referrals.

[bow_wow_wheels]

I LIKE customer requests like that!! To me its a challenge to see if I'm hearing the client properly to be able to groom their pet they way they want it AND make it look good! I do ask that they let their family and friends know that this was a custom request honored by me so they can also mention how accomodating I am

[k9stylist1968]

I used to have a male standard poodle who piddled on the backs of his front "ankles"..... with him, the owners had me clip a little higher on the BACK part of the front feet--like up to the "heel" pad.... From the sides and the front, the clip looked perfectly normal.

[Kim in SD]

I've never tried a cocker cut on a poodle, since I had photos of different poodle styles with me, she got to pick a style that she liked, she was very happy, and is a regular. We're going to go into a saddle clip when he gets a bit older. Great Idea on just the backs of the legs shorter and the fronts look regular, I never thought of that, for now I just evened up the high poodle feet and left them the way the breeder shaved them. The client was a fun lady, we were both worred about having him groomed so soon after getting him, but she felt like she had to do something since the dog was in dreads. I have before and after shots. I'm going to put them in my makeover album. I even get to color him, sometime in the summer. Maybe each pom a different color..lol

[Poodlefluff]

I cringe inside at the request of "high waters" on poodles, but I do it and I know that at least the client is happy. But I do reccomend that if it is a problem with a male dog urinating on his legs I tell them about leg covers. Leg covers are typically made of nylon, and are a tube with elastic holes at each end of the tub. You just pull it over the dogs leg and it protects the fur. You should never leave leg covers on a dog more than a few minutes though -the elastic could restrict blood flow. You can also let the dog hair grow on the end of his "wizzer" as one client puts it. Cocker ears on a poodle are kind cute actually. I have one request for tassel ears and I think those are cute as well.

[ejmj30]

Yeah, I was taught to leave the hair on the end of the pee pee, it helps direct the flow a little more downward, and not right onto the legs. It helps doesn't cure though.

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

I had this problem with Spike always peeing on his front leg. Maggy on these boards helped me solve this. She said something about "pee strings," and everyone was like, "WHAT?"

Well, instead of shaving the hair off the end of the dog's penis, leave a little on it, say a half inch or a dash more. IT WORKS.

Spike has NOT peed on his front leg since I've started doing this. Now that I mention this, I think I'm going to post it in the general grooming section of these boards.

Tammy in Utah

[doggiestlist]

I have a min schnauzer male that still squats when he pees I dont know how old he is he was a rescue Id say at least 2 yrs old however he at times also piddles down his legs I keep dry shampoo on hand at all times to cure this little problem.