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They tip the groomers at my workplace, so I think it is a thing, yeah.
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Dec 8, 2012 01:50
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I always tip at least 20% to my groomers. I'm not sure if it's an industry standard or expectation, but usually they only make a percentage of what you pay for a groom so I feel like tipping is only fair. Plus god knows I would need extra compensation after squeezing dog rear end all day long.
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Dec 8, 2012 01:58
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The Big Whoop posted:I usually clip the nails first and then round it out with the dremel, using my thumb as a guide on the top of the nail itself. There's usually a little darker black spot in the middle of the nail. Also, hello fellow central coast goon! Whereabouts are you? Cool, thanks! She's got super strong, thick nails, and really hates the clippers so I usually dremel only. It's hard to work them back very far with it, though. The nice people up at Tailwaggers will do a free trim for me if I drop in, and she freaks out and sheds everywhere. Poor puppy.  If you're at the bottom of the bay, I'm at the top. Hallo down there! I've actually been to a couple dog shows down your way, which were super cool. Do you ever help out at shows? Speaking of, how often should Samoyeds be groomed?
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Dec 8, 2012 02:48
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Poor Teddy. His face is pretty choppy and yeah, clipping the top of his nose like that looks crappy. They should have only scissored and shaped his face, not clip it. If you plan on going back there (and seriously, $75? The place I worked at would charge about $35-$40 for that dog..then again, my boss was always very reasonably priced compared to other places.) definitely bring the picture of him looking his best, so they get a better idea of what you want. They shouldn't get offended. And yes, tipping is good. Especially if you have a difficult dog, it's extra appreciated.
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Dec 8, 2012 05:14
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amethystbliss posted:Thanks for making this thread! I always have a terrible time explaining to the groomer what I want. I usually just tell them to trim up his face and make his skirt (??) as short as possible while still keeping it long, like right below his belly. Yesterday, though, poor Teddy got butchered. Could you maybe help me to better articulate what I'm going for? Looks like they turned Teddy into a westie without a skirt. I like the cut, but that's objective. The head is very boxy looking to me. Where did you take him to be groomed before? Different groomers have different styles. It's best to stay with one that you like rather than describing it with a new person and hope that they understand it. The way you like him to look- I'd say it looks like a 2 clip comb or so all over his body, with shaped up legs. Also, the eyes should be scooped, be specific about wanting hair left on his snout. Taking all of the hair away from the snout does allow the owners to see the eyes a little better, but I don't ever take that much off unless the owner requests it. Maybe describe that you want him looking more like a Lahsa than a terrier? Also, describe that you want a ROUND face, not a square one. Tell them you want the ears LIGHTLY trimmed up, same with the top of Teddy's head. As far as repairing the damage already done... I'd take down his chest a little bit more and round out the face a bit more. Unfortunately the damage is already done as far as his body goes. cryingscarf posted:I don't know if this is preferable or annoying in the eyes of a groomer, but what if you brought pictures of Teddy from when he had a good haircut? (like the one you posted of his face) I know I do that when I go get a haircut, so is it similar for dogs? It can be annoying for us, depending on the photograph. Sometimes people bring in photos of their dogs a week after they'd been groomed, and it's hard to match it. Like I said before, every groomer has their own "style" so it might not be feasible depending on the groomer and the style they are used to. I like photographs personally. cryingscarf posted:I know when I worked at a kennel that had an attached groomer, one of our regular clients asked for some specific groom and the groomer misunderstood and shaved most of the dog's hair off. Basically, imagine a sort of chow/shepherd with all of its hair shaved short, except for part of its neck/chest/head and then a poof on the end of the tail. The poor girl was so stunned when she picked her dog up, and I didn't blame her. cryingscarf posted:Also, every time I see this thread, I read it as "Oh Great, another Labrador Showdown" and imagine a dog fighting ring of Labs. DemonDarkhorse posted:Is tipping a thing for groomers? It had honestly never occurred to me to tip a groomer until it was mentioned in another PI thread. I don't want to be "that guy" and not tip. Yes!! You can tip your groomer! Even 5bux is bomb! We do work on percentage so every bit counts (commission is a bitch) Some places will let you put the tip on the credit card but my work doesn't :| Gonktastic posted:Cool, thanks! She's got super strong, thick nails, and really hates the clippers so I usually dremel only. It's hard to work them back very far with it, though. The nice people up at Tailwaggers will do a free trim for me if I drop in, and she freaks out and sheds everywhere. Poor puppy. When I had my Samoyed, I was brushing at least every other day, and blowing out his coat twice a year. Otherwise, I'd say once a month or two for sanitary trims/clean-up (if you are brushing regularly).
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Dec 8, 2012 06:16
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I usually take Teddy to a different groomer who always does it the same way, but she just had a baby so I had to try this new place the last two times. I live a very dog friendly neighborhood in San Francisco, so unfortunately $65-$75 is par for the course for small dogs. Last time I went to the new place, the guy did such an amazing job that we were considering switching over to them permanently, but yesterday they had a new girl do it. My husband called them up this afternoon and nicely said we're not happy with it, so the guy who did such a good job last time is going to be the one to fix it. Lesson learned! Thanks so much for giving me more language to describe how I prefer him to be groomed. Should make things much smoother going forward.
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Dec 8, 2012 06:54
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The Big Whoop posted:Ah, so you're closer to SanFran/ Oakland then? I'm near Carmel. I'd love to help out at shows but I don't know many dog people out here yet (plus I don't drive so that's always a bitch and a half to get anywhere)  My parents have Sammys and they're brushed at home regularly, but they always look so ragged. I guess that's the burden of a shiny white dog with SHITLOADS of fur.
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Dec 8, 2012 08:53
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Gonktastic posted:No, literally top of the bay- Santa Cruz. Tourists ask if you're Hawaii, sometimes I say yes. Ah, Santa Cruz is like an hour or so from me I think? Anyway, yeah sometimes the tips of the end of the fur get raggy, dry and gross. That's why I used to trim up my Sam's rear end really tight, so he'd have a soft butt. Dog rear end was ok.
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Dec 8, 2012 17:11
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Thought I'd update since taking Teddy back. He looks way better, though his face is still more choppy than I'd like so will just wait until it's all grown out.   He also wanted to show you how handsome (or humiliated) he looks in his Christmas collar. 
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Dec 8, 2012 23:00
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This is more of a ~*~show*~* question I guess, so if you don't know, it's cool. But while I was at Nationals (for Shibas) back in October, we ran into a sweet Shiba girl and her handler who needed to blow dry her again since she decided to bathe her and try grooming again since she was trying something new with the coat and didn't like how it turned out. Now I admit, my Shiba has no coat ever compared to these dogs, but do you have any idea what could possibly be done differently in a short haired, double coated breed?  From my knowledge you brush them to get dead hairs out, maybe brush or blow the coat the opposite direction to make it look fuller but is there something else I'm missing?
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Dec 10, 2012 01:50
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Hahaha You should see the HILARIOUS ways blowing a coat like that can go horribly wrong. You can easily have the wrong parts stand up. I'm guessing they were doing something to mask some sort of flaw.
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Dec 10, 2012 05:26
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WolfensteinBag posted:Hahaha You should see the HILARIOUS ways blowing a coat like that can go horribly wrong. You can easily have the wrong parts stand up. I'm guessing they were doing something to mask some sort of flaw. Yeah but you can always spray the coat down with water and brush it down and fluff dry?
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Dec 10, 2012 09:39
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Sometimes I don't think that cuts it. Since the dog's showing, and it's at the breed nationals, I'm guessing it needed to be PERFECT since it's all judges familiar with shibas, and there's nothing but shibas at the event.
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Dec 10, 2012 11:40
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Yeah, nothing but Shibas from top breeders across the country (I went a little fan girl when I recognized who some were. Including my arch nemesis and the reason I want to show because eff that chick.) For example, one of my breeder friends was showing a dog of hers, but he didn't do we'll because he was out of coat. I mean, compared to some of the other dogs in coat, yeah I could tell (and the judge in his photo was scowling at him the whole time, heh), but he had three times the coat my dog has. Koji would look so naked near those dogs. I don't know enough about showing to know what sort of flaw they could cover. But we could make fingerprints in the dog's fur that had to be brushed out. They were very nice about it at least, Wish I could show you pictures of that one girl's dog, he literally had chunks out of his fur, like down to the skin. Don't know why she even tried showing him. But that is a different story for a different thread. WB- Do you have any examples of wtf coats?
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Dec 10, 2012 17:02
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paisleyfox posted:
I'm not sure how this could be a story for a different thread, since this is the grooming thread in PI in Something Awful on the INTERNET.
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Dec 10, 2012 23:29
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Convinced a couple not to shave their elderly corgi (they were moving to a hotter area of the state). FEELS GOOD MAN. Talked them into shedless and butt/paw trim. As far as WTF coats... one of my favorite poms has no undercoat whatsoever. It looks like a normal coat when you look at her when she's dry, feels normal, but as soon as she gets wet and we start drying her, it's nothing but skin. Makes the groom easy at least! Also COCKERS. How many times can I wash a cocker and still have it feel greasy and dirty. The answer is all of the times. All of them.
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Dec 11, 2012 05:48
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The Big Whoop posted:Convinced a couple not to shave their elderly corgi (they were moving to a hotter area of the state). FEELS GOOD MAN. Talked them into shedless and butt/paw trim.  quote:As far as WTF coats... one of my favorite poms has no undercoat whatsoever. It looks like a normal coat when you look at her when she's dry, feels normal, but as soon as she gets wet and we start drying her, it's nothing but skin. Makes the groom easy at least! I have a couple of those! Some I think are from coats growing back weird after shaving, but at least one girl just never had it at all. She was the best.  quote:Also COCKERS. How many times can I wash a cocker and still have it feel greasy and dirty. The answer is all of the times. All of them. I have a personal vendetta against greasy dogs. I swear to you I have a shih tzu that has a coat so greasy, it trumps any cocker you've ever seen. You might not be able to get those dogs COMPLETELY 100%, but it feels drat good when you get insanely close. I know we're lucky, too, because I have an arsenal of great shampoos at my disposal, between the stuff we regularly use and the wall of samples we've gotten from companies. I practically Dawn every dog I wash, too, at least by the ears. paisleyfox posted:WB- Do you have any examples of wtf coats? I don't have a hell of a lot of pictures, I mainly take them of my favorite dogs. I actually have some I've been meaning to post, including my one and only shiba client! The wtf coats as a result of trying can be great, though. Most popular are the schnauzer eyebrows that got wind-swept. Happens a lot with new bathers. Most of the time you can wet it and re-dry ok, but sometimes there's nothing you can do, because it's just not worth it to rewash a whole head just for eyebrows on a pet dog. (Sorry, guys!) Get a lot of awesome, funny puffy coats from the force dryer, too. Think of dogs with a coat like Cohen, that nice, long, silky coat. Now think what it would look like if you blow-dried it so it stands straight up. Now imagine it only happened to one half of the dog. 
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Dec 11, 2012 12:49
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I took in a dog who was *impossible* for his nails the other day. They went so far as to ban him from the shop. As the Salon Manager I made the decision to do it anyway. I'm crazy and with a lot of fighting, a figure eight harness and no muzzle, I took care of those nails. My bathers were all :O You got any stories like this, Wolfenstienbag? Also of note is Mia the psycho poodle, not a biter, but wiggly and scratchy. She turned out pretty good all things considered.
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Dec 12, 2012 23:59
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The Big Whoop posted:You got any stories like this, Wolfenstienbag? BILLIONS. I've been meaning to post a bunch of pictures I found and reply to this more. Honestly, though, I need to be in a good mindset, because writing about the stressful stuff at work makes me stressed out all over again. Long story short, though, there's a reason I want to go in to training, now, and get out of grooming. The lack of handling skills and understanding of just basic behavior/psychology makes my head want to explode.So, yeah, more later!
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Dec 14, 2012 12:59
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Found a picture of the awful coat on that Shiba I was talking about... It's a lot more pronounced in person. Edit: found the other side 
paisleyfox fucked around with this message at 15:22 on Dec 14, 2012 |
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Dec 14, 2012 15:18
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paisleyfox posted:Found a picture of the awful coat on that Shiba I was talking about... But... that isn't at all from the coat blowing out, those look like scars. Yeah, I don't understand showing the dog, either, unless they just wanted feedback on the structure? I'm not going to pretend to know...
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Dec 15, 2012 00:23
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I was thinking the same thing, that they look like scars. Very strange they'd be showing that dog like that.
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Dec 15, 2012 00:50
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I don't think dogs are supposed to be faulted for scars (especially working ones) but it's probably hard to not have them colour the opinion of the judge at least a little bit.
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Dec 15, 2012 03:25
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Oh, I have no doubt they are scars, he and her ~*~Chinese Redwolf Shepherd*~* (coughakitashepherdmix) have gotten into fights a lot. The fur is missing a lot more in person, and I'm surprised the judge touched the dog when she didn't like the one champion who was out of coat from the breeder I am friends with. (Chunky scar dog is different from out of coat dog) She also brought her weird looking cream and one of her puppies being handled by someone else to the show. At a place where we as rescuers felt awkward because some of the breeders are afraid of rescue mongrels harming their fur babies and giving them communicable diseases. vOv Like I said, I run a shedding rake and a zoom groom over my dog every few weeks, so I am very naive with fancying up double coated dogs.
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Dec 15, 2012 04:53
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Oh I know her! That Shiba is named Naruto isn't it?
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Dec 15, 2012 13:18
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paisleyfox posted:This is more of a ~*~show*~* question I guess, so if you don't know, it's cool. She probably tried using The Latest And Greatest Grooming Product Ever on his coat for the first time and didn't like the way it turned out, so she had to redo it with the old tried and true stuff she usually used. A National Specialty is not the place to be experimenting with coat products though.
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Dec 15, 2012 14:01
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That could have been it, too. Thanks. She was also EXTREMELY concerned the dog popcorn I offered would injure her dog. I'm going to be visiting a breeder/shower in Houston in a few weeks to pick her show brain and play with puppies. I'll ask about coat stuff and see if she has any insight I can share with the grooming thread. a life less posted:Oh I know her! That Shiba is named Naruto isn't it? DING DING DING (Actually, I think this one is Kiba, but yeah, same chick. Nationals showed up practically in her back yard this year. Trainedbyshibas and I nearly poo poo ourselves when we saw her.)
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Dec 15, 2012 17:16
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You need to post so much more about this girl  I remember her you talking about her ~*Chinese Red Wolf*~ in a previous thread. She needs an account here.
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Dec 16, 2012 08:24
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Pardalis posted:You need to post so much more about this girl Simply for another Mammema Sheepdog thread I'd say absolutely. Today was very much a clusterfuck. I had four dogs to do when I was alone, and had to keep putting them away because I had to keep answering the phone. One of my dogs had two young kids and called and begged me to push her dog higher on the list... which I did because I have a big heart. And of course the owner of the other two dogs complained about having to leave a dinner party to pick up her two dogs. Her shih tzu is particularly wiggly so it took me EVEN LONGER to get those wobbly legs down to a decent length. She wanted something for free because of it. Lady, you live in one of the most exclusive towns in the country, just chill out. Doesn't help I'm working six days in a row. Has anyone here used a clippervac? I was thinking about investing in one. The Big Whoop fucked around with this message at 09:55 on Dec 19, 2012 |
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Dec 19, 2012 08:22
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The Big Whoop posted:Has anyone here used a clippervac? I was thinking about investing in one. No, but the idea is awesome. I wonder if it would affect how the hair was laying as you were cutting, though. Like, if the dog had super soft, light hair. Not really sure how it works, though, never seen one in action. Speaking of being busy, we're extra slammed this week. Not only is it right before Xmas, we're off for a week and a half after Saturday.  Despite problems I have at this place, it definitely has its perks. The funny part are the people calling for appointments. If it's new people it's one thing, but we have people that have been with us for years calling looking for something. The majority of these people we warned in October that we were going to be full, but they still act surprised. None of this is new, people, no, I have no appointments until the second week of January!!
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Dec 19, 2012 12:47
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The Big Whoop posted:Has anyone here used a clippervac? I was thinking about investing in one. Yes, I have....many years ago and I'm sure they have improved the design and function a great deal. It was a nifty toy, but the clipper attachment would get clogged and the unit had to be cleaned out more often than you'd think it would need to be. You also have to be aware that regardless of the blade you are using, it will cut the hair shorter since the vacuum is sucking the coat up into the clipper blade. Not really sure I would put it on the "highly recommended" list of grooming products. It worked OK, but ended up being more of a pain in the rear end than anything else (keep in mind, this was in the 90s, I'm sure they have improved since then). The one thing that I would say no groomer should be without is the Hydrosurge bathing unit, and I'm talking the older, glorified sump pump model, not the new Bath Pro unit they're pimping now (which I've heard only mediocre at best reviews of).
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Dec 22, 2012 03:53
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I'm looking for tips on bathing my 2 year old husky/chow mix. I took her to a box store groomer once. The only real difference was the scent they put on her lasted longer than when I bathe her. I wash her in my tub with a handheld shower head. She's not a fan of it but she tolerates it. I probably wash her every 5-6 weeks. I bought myself a metro air force dryer. That's mainly what I'm looking for tips on. I just want to keep her hair to a minimum. SO MUCH HAIR! I use a frozen peanut butter kong to keep her occupied so she will let me blow dry her and that works for awhile. To brush her I use a double row undercoat rake against the grain. Then finish with a slicker brush with the grain. I've never gotten all her hair off though. No matter how long I brush her there's still more. Also what kind of schedule should I be doing to maintain between baths? Here is a picture of her last week.  How do I keep her tail from looking all flat and greasy? 
Somebody fucked around with this message at 19:18 on Dec 22, 2012 |
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Dec 22, 2012 04:36
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Wow that didn't work. Why can't I figure out how to delete that really big picture that I added with the attach file function? Or delete this double post. Sorry thread.
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Dec 22, 2012 04:44
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Hdip posted:Wow that didn't work. Why can't I figure out how to delete that really big picture that I added with the attach file function? Or delete this double post. Press the edit button and add a t to your [img] tag so it looks like [timg] To answer your question, I'd brush her tail with a slicker brush regularly. Brushing really works well for these kinds of dogs, as it stimulates the hair growth. Also, if she's not on a high quality food switch her to one, crappy food leads to a crappy coat. Try different soaps and such until you find one you like, and avoid bathing more than once a month. The slicker on her tail will also help "puff" it out by separating the individual hairs and making them stand up straighter. I'd be brushing her 2x to three times a week, more if you have the time. The Big Whoop fucked around with this message at 09:21 on Dec 22, 2012 |
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Dec 22, 2012 09:18
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Make sure you're rinsing really well, too. Even with the bathers at my shop I'll see coats like this not quite get rinsed all the way, and it leaves the hair heavy and filmy. Make sure you're diluting your shampoo, too. As far as never getting rid of all the hair, welcome to owning a double coated dog! :iamafag: I'll use a flea comb to finish off and really get those left over hairs, but the best you could ever hope for is hardly shedding, you will never be completely free. You need to post more of that dog in the Primitive Breeds thread!
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Dec 22, 2012 13:13
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The Big Whoop posted:Has anyone here used a clippervac? I was thinking about investing in one. They use a clippervac for the sailors on a local Navy base, and it seems to cope with human hair without clogging or being a pain. I asked the lady and she said that it wasn't legal to use one at a legit salon, but that since this was a "barber shop" for personal grooming only, they weren't subject to such laws.  Anyway, what I'm saying is that yes, clippervacs probably have improved significantly since SolanaSkyes had one. edit: Hdip, I fixed your post the only way I could, which was by deleting the attachment from it. Instead of using the attachment feature, I recommend you use the [timg] tag. Pile of Kittens fucked around with this message at 19:19 on Dec 22, 2012 |
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Dec 22, 2012 19:16
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EEE my andis Excel 5-speeds finally arrived. Too bad I have to wait 2 days to use them. Also my kitty clients are flakey as poo poo. Had one scheduled for today who called to cancel. THANKS FOR TAKING UP TWO DOG SLOTS AND THEN CANCELLING rear end in a top hat.
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Dec 25, 2012 05:13
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What do you recommend as an anti-itch shampoo for a dog? Tater has been scratching like mad for a couple weeks and a trip to the groomer's Monday did not help. Nowhere in particular, and he's been licking his underside a good deal as well. He's a small long-hair fluffball -- for reference: Tater, plotting his owner's demise for this goddamned bow. He had hotspots pretty bad in August from scratching which led to needing part of his back shaved and obviously I'd like to avoid that this time around. It shouldn't be fleas as he gets Trifaxis monthly, he had a fleabath at the groomer's and he gets pleeeeenty of scritchin so I'd know if there were any bugs on him. e: Something I could grab off Amazon would be best if possible.
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Dec 26, 2012 16:47
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Eegah posted:What do you recommend as an anti-itch shampoo for a dog? Tater has been scratching like mad for a couple weeks and a trip to the groomer's Monday did not help. Nowhere in particular, and he's been licking his underside a good deal as well. He's a small long-hair fluffball -- for reference: Bathing the dog isn't going to make persistent itching to go away, and can make it worse by over-drying the skin and coat. How often is the dog being bathed? I would suggest not bathing the dog anymore than every 5-6 weeks. A flea bath is pretty harsh and can dry the coat and skin worse than other shampoos, so I wouldn't waste money on a flea bath if you already have the dog on a flea regimen and haven't seen any fleas. As for more gentle soaps, one of my favorites is Soothing Suds by top performance: http://amzn.com/B005N2A672 It's one of the only shampoos I've used that doesn't dry the poo poo out of my hands. You could also try tar shampoos. I don't see any small sizes of brands I've used before on amazon. Also, if you haven't already ruled out allergies you might want to start keeping a close eye on him for chewing his feet etc. It could be something in his food or in the environment.
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Dec 26, 2012 17:29
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 12:31 |
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Monday was his first bath since Thanksgiving, and his first flea bath ever as far as I know. I use this for his regular bath but I'm not married to it by any means. He isn't going after his feet any more than the rest of the body, but I did change his food from chicken puppy-mix to salmon adult kibble (both from Nature's Variety -- they say you should be able to rotate freely). I could try switching back for a few days to see if that helps, but he was reeeeal drat sick of the chicken.
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Dec 26, 2012 18:03
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