tannerokeefe

and so I have been taking Dutch with me so that we both can agree on one we like. Well today I go to this one place and the minute I walk in the place reeks of cat/dog urine. I asked for a tour and she gladly gave it. The place was filthy!! Dog hair everywhere, the tub was grimy, and basically I didnt get a good vibe of the place. The man er, lady(had a mustache) was really nice and all, but the conditions were horrible. When I walked outside I had a headache and my lungs felt tight and gross from the amonia smell. Then as I was leaving I looked up at the sign and it read: Boarding, Grooming, and then blacked out was BREEDING!! Please tell me this was a BAD place and that there is such thing as a CLEAN groomer!! I know to expect hair places, but come on!!

WonderPup

I wish you lived closer and could come and see my place. Tubs, tables, brushes, combs, blades and anything else you can imagine are cleaned AND disinfected between every dog. After a bath the tub is sprayed down with disinfectant and then cleaned. After the dog is finished on the table the table is sprayed with disinfectant and wiped down. Even leashes and collars are cleaned while the dog is being groomed and our kennel leads and tethers are cleaned after we've used them on a dog. I am super anal I guess. So many different illnesses can be spread if your establishment isn't cleaned all the time, not to mention if the worst happens and you should nick or cut a dog think of the infections that could result if your blades are not clean and you don't have a clean kennel and towels for that baby.
You never walk in our salon and smell urine. I would be dead before I allowed that as would the other people who work there.

Hearing about this place you went to makes me soooo mad. I'm just hot sitting here reading that!!! I hear from clients all the time that they are surprised at how clean we are or are surprised that the place doesn't smell like dog when you walk in. Most of them say it doesn't smell like anything really which is the whole point.

I don't EVER leave dog hair laying around on the floor. It's swept or vac***ed right away. Having hair laying around on the floor all day is one of my biggest pet peeves. It's so easy to slip on if it isn't cleaned up and heaven forbid you just shaved a dog with fleas! You'll have them everywhere if you don't clean up. When a dog get's picked up and goes home the kennel is cleaned and disinfected right away and a new clean towel if laid down so that the kennel is ready for the next dog when they arrive for their appointment.

Maybe tt's a little easier for me because I usualy only work on one or two dogs at a time but even if I had a whole shop full all day long that would be no excuse for things to be hairy, smelly, and dirty.

In answer to your question YES there are clean groomers out there, you just have to look I suppose. Don't take your precious baby to be cleaned in a place that is not clean itself. If your lungs were hurting imagine what poor dutch felt like. The poor dogs that have to stay in that filthy place all day long, how awful for them!!!

Ok stepping down off my soap box.... Sorry safe and clean,(in that order) are my biggest concerns at work. They come before everything!

tannerokeefe

Oh, believe me!!! WE were NOT going back!! We will keep looking until we find somewhere that suits us!!! Thanks Wonderpup

WonderPup

I re-read what you wrote in your first post and it occures to me that what is really disgusting about that place is the the person you talked with who gave you a tour probably has no clue why you didn't make an appointment right away and convert yourself into an instant client. They probably don't think there is anything wrong with their place. *shakes head* thats just sad.

Back in the day I think it was probably pretty common for mom and pop type grooming places and even some vet clinics to be a little on the dirty side. But pet care in general and pet grooming in particular was not a multi ga-zillion dollar industry back then either. The industry has grown so much and come so far, it's a shame that places like the one you visited have not grown and matured along with the industry trends. It would be my guess that the groomers in that shop were also not up to date on the latest methods and styles and likely do a lot of things that are outdated :(
It's either that or they are just uncareing and lazy.... I hope not though.