[mashaphan]

I think I know how my PF folks will respond,but I may be surprised.

Otter has been going to the same groomer since he was about 6m old.Technically,she is a pet groomer (read Otter's breeder was appalled to see his cut last March,and insisted I bring him to HER when I was ready to show him:ahhhhh I went to her because the shop owner is a cousin of a dear friend,and the shop is somewhat close. Time before last i heard the groomer say quite loudly, unaware I had come back to the shop "WHEN is she going to neuter him so he isn't so jacked up??" when I had made it perfectly clear from my 1st visit that I was NOT going to neuter him. Anywho, last week groomer and shop owner said they suggest mild sedation before Otter's next groom.

He is not terrible,but he is uncooperative,esp w/feet.Last job was,in my opinion,half assed-stray hairs on face,one foot done, NONE of the nails clipped. (I can try to do the nails,but even the whippet is too strong for me to fight with.so not likely to work:alberteinstein These are nice people,but...

What say you all?

 

[lily cd re]

How far away is the breeder? Not nice that the current groomer was talking behind your back (or maybe not meant to be behind your back).

 

[Zael]

I can relate. My first groomer wasn't all that professional... It led to a really awkward and frustrating situation that left me feeling rotten.

I'd find someone else. Zael too can be uncooperative, especially with his feet, but my current groomer hasn't ever suggested sedation... or even shown any frustration. She just takes her time and keeps her cool, giving him a small break whenever he gets really fidgety.

I'd see about taking the breeder up on their offer if it's possible, or even see if they have a groomer they'd recommend to you if constantly going out to them is an issue.

 

[Skylar]

I would look for another groomer - the ideal would be to go to your breeder if that's an option.

 

[Legs&Leashes21]

I personally would look for a different groomer. Nothing wrong with seeing if both you and your pup are more comfortable elsewhere.

I’ve seen some lovely groomers over time build the most trusting relationships with their pup clients. Poodles are sensitive so if the groomer is frustrated or less than happy to see him, I would definitely say it effects the overall experience.

Just my 2cents.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Eclipse]

I think I know how my PF folks will respond,but I may be surprised.

Otter has been going to the same groomer since he was about 6m old.Technically,she is a pet groomer (read Otter's breeder was appalled to see his cut last March,and insisted I bring him to HER when I was ready to show him:ahhhhh I went to her because the shop owner is a cousin of a dear friend,and the shop is somewhat close. Time before last i heard the groomer say quite loudly, unaware I had come back to the shop "WHEN is she going to neuter him so he isn't so jacked up??" when I had made it perfectly clear from my 1st visit that I was NOT going to neuter him. Anywho, last week groomer and shop owner said they suggest mild sedation before Otter's next groom.

He is not terrible,but he is uncooperative,esp w/feet.Last job was,in my opinion,half assed-stray hairs on face,one foot done, NONE of the nails clipped. (I can try to do the nails,but even the whippet is too strong for me to fight with.so not likely to work:alberteinstein These are nice people,but...

What say you all?

I'm a little bit confused...If you are planning to show him (I assume you are talking about showing in breed) he should not be going to a pet groomer who doesn't know about show grooming. Mistakes they make if they are not familiar with show coat and clipping can take months and months to grow out and correct. And if you are going to show him your breeder should be mentoring you constantly if you are not experienced in keeping a poodle in coat. There is so much weekly care (bathing, drying, brushing, banding, etc.) required in between actual groomings (FFT/bathing/scissoring) I can't imagine your breeder just telling you to bring him to her when you are ready to show.

That being said, if he is going to be shown, way, way, more than a pet, he MUST learn to behave properly for grooming. Show dogs can need to be on the table for hours each week for regular maintenance and even longer when being prepped in the days before a show and at the show itself. If you are not close enough to your breeder to have her work on him - both on the coat care/grooming aspect as well as proper behavior for grooming, I would get recommendations from her for someone else in your location who can handle show grooming as well as training your puppy to behave when being groomed.

 

[fjm]

If you plan on showing, I second Eclipse's excellent advice. If you don't intend to show, I would still find another groomer, and still do a lot of work at home, desensitising to tricky things like brushing, feet, nails, ears, etc. Patience during grooming is a life skill for a poodle, and one well worth teaching early - an impatient groomer is not going to help. It can also have unexpected side benefits - Poppy has to have regular check ups for her heart, and there was some discussion as to whether she may need sedation, as she can be nervy. But the examination involves shaving part of her chest, and running a scanner over it while she stands on a table - to her this comes under the familiar heading of grooming, and she stands like a rock!

Lots of short sessions, building up his tolerance. Never get into a battle - even nails are easy if you spend enough time building up the steps. Touch foot with finger, treat. Repeat till all is well. Build up until he is happy to have his foot held and his pads spread. Show nail clipper, treat, tap nail with clipper treat, snip in front of nail, treat, and carry on, over many short sessions, until clip a tiny bit of one nail, then off all the nails on one paw, then all the nails. Take care not to cut to the quick. The key is not to think "I am trying to cut his nails" but "I am teaching him that nail cutting is nothing to worry about", and reckon that it will take several weeks of many short sessions a day.

 

[lily cd re]

I know them. She wants to show in obedience and rally, not conformation. She just doesn't want him looking like a ragamuffin.

 

[Click-N-Treat]

Oh, thanks for clearing that up, Catherine. In that case, find another groomer. I wouldn't sedate a dog that's a bit rambunctious. Too much risk. Aggressive and trying to bite is a whole other story.

 

[lily cd re]

Otter is a bit like Javelin, high spirited young and a boy! They can be silly, but he isn't a dog with a mean bone cell in his body.

 

[Click-N-Treat]

I never got the feeling Otter or Javelin knew what being mean was. I'm betting grooming Otter's feet is like grooming Noelle's feet. Since I do it myself, I don't mind grooming a moving target, but I'm sure a pro would get annoyed. Noelle kicks for a bit, then holds still, goes back to kicking, holds still again. I just hang on to her foot and wait for the pauses.

Noelle grooms her own nails on a scratch board. Far easier on both of us.

 

[lily cd re]

And Javelin and Lily are exactly the same about their feet! I think I would find it annoying too! Freeze dried chicken liver does a lot of foot grooming bribery at our house.

 

[Mfmst]

I agree, find a more calm and confident groomer. My groomer is no nonsense in a cheerful way. He talks to Buck, calls him Buck Rogers, or son. He was able to deal with my late Scottie’s paws without a muzzle, which the vet needed in Charlie’s later years. Good luck finding another groomer.

 

[mashaphan]

Thank you all! I was pretty sure I knew the way this would go, and was prepared to go elsewhere.despite my relationship with the owner. This groomer felt he needed to be sedated since he has (according to her) just gotten worse between 6 months and nearly 3 yrs old. I brush him everyday,do ears weekly-I would groom him myself if I had access to a bathtub! (another thing that drove my breeder crazy was this shop's policy of air drying instead of blowdry:ahhhhh I knew I could not handle a show coat,or Otter would have been shown. But,since I tested and chose him based on performance ability, I wanted to do that exclusively.

I do have access to a master groomer not HORRIBLY far away,but my car is iffy. Nevertheless,I am going to try to get him in there sometime,and maybe try to do him myself in the terrible winter time:afraid:. I have a table,pet clippers,will get scissors (though I am sure he has never been scissored at current shop. Breeder also used a haunch harness when she did him at 4 mos. Stay tuned:adore:!

 

[dogsavvy]

In the world of dogs we often reap what we sew. The groomer doesn't have the right attitude for dealing with such a dog. I would definitely find another groomer. Anytime I felt the urge to talk about a client, I go study the dog. It's more productive & nicer.

A good groomer knows all kinds of little tricks to get the job done without making the dog hate the experience. I knew one lady who put a little loop of yarn on one dogs right front paw. While he was glaring at the yarn & growling at it, sometimes even barking at it, she groomed all 3 other paws, sanitary, & cleaned ears. Then she took that little yarn off the remaining foot & he would allow her to groom it. She told me she had some scars from that dog & she tried twenty some odd things before she found what worked. Every dog has something you can do to reach them or get cooperation. Another lady had a big Rottie that hated his nails trimmed but he was a slave to food. She'd put his yam treats under a plastic dome where he could see them. He wasn't allowed to touch. She trimmed his nails while he never took his eyes off the prize. As soon as the last paw was done... she gave him the yams.

 

[JudyD]

And Javelin and Lily are exactly the same about their feet! I think I would find it annoying too! Freeze dried chicken liver does a lot of foot grooming bribery at our house.

Peanut butter works, too. I Dremel while my husband feeds peanut butter. The dogs hardly even notice what's going on with their nails.

 

[Eclipse]

When I was in high school/college/and for a couple years after, I groomed professionally, working on show Poodles and eventually all breeds. If this groomer has been working on your dog since he was 6 months old and he is now almost 3, and they still can't get a complete job done, it's more than time to move on. In all the time I groomed I had a minority of dogs that had to be sedated and they were almost always dogs that were highly aggressive and dangerous to work on otherwise, which doesn't seem to be your dog's issue. I don't know where you live, but if you say you can groom yourself, and would be doing so if you had access to a tub, you might want to look into seeing if any local pet stores have self bathing stations. I used to bathe my dogs at home and now use the local self bathe place. I don't have to clean my tub, wash towels, etc. and they have raised tubs which is so much easier on my back LOL. The other issue for you might be drying if you groom yourself. I have all the equipment here - force, professional stand dryer, etc. so it's not an issue for me......

 

[mashaphan]

well,we did it! Though the "poodle/master" groomer does not work on wknds, Otter has his first appt at her shop the first Saturday in Oct,and I am sure she only hired competent people. The receptionist to whom I spoke is (I believe) the owner's daughter and is familiar with my breeder. As she said "he's three,he is going to be "dance-y" . I have high hopes!

Sadly,the shop where i could bathe Otter easily has closed. I will look around for another. Really,I just want to be able to keep up when winter keeps us inside!:adore:

 

[Poodlebeguiled]

I'm late to this thread but it sounds like you've got a good plan. I was just going to say that I'd never sedate a dog for something like this. That groomer/breeder woman sounds like she's just too lazy to deal with it. Sedating a dog would just dull what's bothering him and he wouldn't learn (by going through it) the very valuable and necessary lessons needed for a pleasant time on the grooming table. Take it slowly...reward for baby steps. Make it pleasant and lots of treats. You don't have to get the whole dog done in one session if it means he's going to have a difficult time learning to hold still. (You or the next groomer) I'm glad you found someone else. That was very unprofessional to say something like that about neutering. That is totally your choice. I hate that when people assume that neutering should be the default setting. It's NOT.:angry: Good luck! Hope all goes well for you and your pup.

 

[Michigan Gal]

My rescue dogs typically have never had their nails cut. I am not any kind of groomer, but I get them to accept a pedicure. I would find another groomer.