[Karma'sACat]

So how do I find a good groomer? What questions should I ask? Any red flags I should look out for?
Ideally, I would like the groom not to take all day, since it will be very hard for me to be without my service dog for 6-8 hours. I would also like a groomer who will teach me how to groom my Spoo myself for times I am getting treated or traveling. Obviously I'm willing to pay for that
I'm around the Triad in NC (Greensboro/Winston/High Point/Burlington) if anyone has any recommendations.
TIA

 

[flyingduster]

I'd be calling up all over the place first, talk to groomers on the phone to make a short list. Your priority is to not have it there all day, and some places do require the dog stays for a long time so ask them about that for sure. Personally, I am happy to do a service dog while the owner waits in reception if they wish, as being without their dog is hard so I am happy to get it done within an hour or so while the owner waits. Generally a service dog is well enough behaved too!! And also it's generally a very simple kennel clip for them too so not a big deal to have to spend hours on them!!!

To be honest a 'good' groomer is someone who is compassionate enough to care about you and your dog, and to be able to work with you happily. The skill level may vary, but if the groomer is happy to work with you and take critiques if you don't like something, then their skill level isn't the biggest deal, as I'd personally prefer to have a good relationship with a reasonable groomer than have an amazingly skilled groomer who is cold and hard to deal with!

Some groomers might be a bit stand-off-ish if you talk about wanting to learn to groom a bit yourself, I'd play it by ear a bit and build a relationship with someone and then see about seeing if they'll help teach you, even if it's just to shave the face and feet between groomings or something...

Call around, try to talk to as many place as possible, perhaps think about mobile groomers too as they WILL have your dog done much quicker than shops who'd often have several dogs being done at once, but talk to shops too as many work on 'one at a time' basis anyway. Also talk to anyone you see with a groom-able dog about their recommendations!

Good luck.

 

[Karma'sACat]

I've been going through the phone book and google local searches and have been e-mailing people (I should have mentioned that because of the medication I'm on and my disease, I am very hard to understand on the phone) but so many of the groomers have said there is no way they could have the dog done without it staying all day.
I don't want to be my dog's groomer, but if I'm away for a month for treatment, I want to be able to trim my dog. I try and make that clear when I e-mail groomers and haven't gotten a bad response thus far.
The other problem is that I can't drive, so I have to rely on others to get out which means I don't see many people with dogs very often. And my family isn't really enthused about driving from salon to salon for me to "interview" groomers. They are fine with taking my service dog and I to the groomers when I have him/her but they don't understand why I don't just go to the first one I find.

 

[Cameo]

I'm near the Burlington area

If you'd like to pm me, we can discuss further your needs! I also know a few groomers in Greensboro that might be a possibility.