A question I thought would be interesting

Not a chance. If I have a bad feeling about you as a person I'll for sure not be bringing my baby back in. If I'm not allowed to stay for the grooming session, I wouldn't be bringing my baby in At All.

So, since we are on the topic of groomers, I'd like to pose a question to those of you that are a bit unsure or have had negative experience's at a grooming shop.
 
Hypothetically, if there were a professional groomer that would come to your home and actually groom your dog right there in your house, would you be more likely to trust that person and would you be more likely to have your dog groomed professionally? Also, would you be willing to pay the extra cost for such personal service?

Well, I'm not in the least unhappy with my groomer, but I'll answer your question anyway. []

If a professional groomer would come to my home and groom my dog I wouldn't have more trust in them for doing so - I'd have to have even more trust to *allow* them to do so. I guess I'm weird like that. When Ginger went on crate rest for her arthritis my groomer actually offered to come to the house to groom her (she was really hairy at that point), and I would have agreed in a heartbeat. Turned out Ginger was back on track quickly so it was unnecessary, but I certainly *really* appreciated her willingness to do so.

I don't think it would change my willingness to get Ginger & Zippy groomed professionally - I'm already happy to do so. I would imagine if my issues were trust issues - as in not trusting because I cannot see what is happening, then yes it might make me more comfortable. It might also make me more comfortable if my dog were more settled at home than out somewhere.

I *would* be willing to pay more for the service. I pay my holistic vet more because she travels to my house... and Ginger *loves* her. Love. Like lick her face love. [] I'd do the same for my groomer as well.

I now groom all 4 of mine myself but if someone was willing to come to my home and I could be there for the whole session sure I would let them and yes I would pay a little more for the grooming. Now ofcourse if I witnessed something that I didn't like they wouldn't be back and I'm not talking about their abilities I'm talking about the way they treat my babies.

i would think that after what 3 of us told you about the way dogs act at a grooming salon would change the way you guys felt a little bit. im just curious what you would define as "treated badly". trust me when you try and trim the nails of a dog who does not want them done, it looks bad. most salons (at petco especially) we had to go in the back where no customers could see b/c it looks bad, when in reality it isnt. all we are doing is holding the dog, while it thrashes around and scratches us everywhere. so most people who saw that who had never groomed would think "what are we doing to that poor dog". same with grooming a dog who doesnt like its face done. it is a lot of firm "nos" and holding while the dog thrashes and acts like we are killing it. honestly same with grooming ANY dog who doesnt like some aspect of being groomed. or what if your dog is trying to bite, what should we do? if we do nothing and walk away, in dog speak, we are telling them that was ok. but if we say no, we are being abusive. no groomer should ever get physically mean with a dog, but if a dog tries to bite me, it gets a firm pat on the butt so it knows i will not tolerate that behavior.

so if you insisted on staying to watch the whole grooming (where your dog can see you) and your dog is a pain the whole time because it can see and sense your nervousness (the only people who insist on watching are people who are nervous for the dogs, for many reasons), what do you expect us to do when it misbehaves, or starts thrashing, or whining, or biting, or any of the other things dogs do to avoid what we are doig?

ORIGINAL: purplex15
 if we do nothing and walk away, in dog speak, we are telling them that was ok. but if we say no, we are being abusive. no groomer should ever get physically mean with a dog, but if a dog tries to bite me, it gets a firm pat on the butt so it knows i will not tolerate that behavior.

I'd like to know which Petco you work at.  Hitting a dog is NOT how you resolve problems.  It only shows the dog that physical aggression is ok.  I agree that sometimes, restraining a thrashing dog looks bad, but its not.  However, in NO WAY should the dog ever receive any type of physical aggression from you.  A firm no is all that is needed. 

I would Freak out and probably want to hit you if you "spanked" my baby. I happen to have one that doesn't just stand there to be groomed and she does nip sometimes. When my groomer/friend would do her, I would be there to help hold her and if needed I would put the muzzle on her. It's too easy to get frustrated and lose your cool, they can be hurt soo easily even if you are  just trying to hold them still which is why I would Never leave my baby anywhere.  I do when it comes to the vet. but I've known her for 9yrs. and I call like crazy, which she tolerates she knows how I am and she's the same way w/hers and her clients.
 
This is why I now do all 4 of mine here at home. My hubby put a grooming station downstairs and I've purchased all the supplies from my friend. Eve, my problem child, is Soooo much better and more calm now that she's here at home w/me. I can even trim right by her eyes w/out worrying about poking her.
 
I've heard too many horror stories to let my babies stay anywhere w/out me.
 
 

I went through 3 groomers when we moved to Florida before I found one that Michelle (dog) and I liked.
 

Hypothetically, if there were a professional groomer that would come to your home and actually groom your dog right there in your house, would you be more likely to trust that person and would you be more likely to have your dog groomed professionally? Also, would you be willing to pay the extra cost for such personal service?

 
And that's exactly what I ended up with.  She comes in a hugh custom bus.  I can watch from the house if I want, but I generally don't.   I really like her and she felt SO bad after her first time grooming Prancer because her fur is too soft and the cut came out choppy.   I know she'll do better next time, and if not, well ... hair grows ... its more important to me that I have someone I can trust my furbaby with than to have a glamorous haircut

I happen to have one that doesn't just stand there to be groomed and she does nip sometimes.

 
There are situations where it is probably best for the owner to groom their own dogs and your case if most likely one of those cases []  As a groomer, I would be glad for an owner to do their own dog if it was a biter.
 

they can be hurt soo easily even if you are  just trying to hold them still which is why I would Never leave my baby anywhere. ... I've heard too many horror stories to let my babies stay anywhere w/out me.

 
I'm sure that it would be very difficult to find ANY groomer you could trust and that would definately come across to your precious little ones. It's amazing how they pick up on things, isn't it. It's really great that you were able to get a ersonal grooming shop and have the time to do them yourself.
 

it gets a firm pat on the butt so it knows i will not tolerate that behavior.

Sorry, but I feel that this is the wrong way to handle it. You will NOT get a dog to trust you this way. I don't spank my dogs and I would NEVER dream of doing it to someone elses dog. EVER! There are better ways to get dogs to cooperate (as best they can), but you just have to be patient and willing to try. You can be firm, but you don't have to use corporal punishment.
 
There has to be a bit of understanding on the part of the owners as well, because the dogs need to be taught to cooperate and tolerate certain procedures from puppyhood and many of the smaller breeds are seriously lacking obedience training. The owner should take a bit of responsibility for their dogs behavior and realize that it's not necessarily the groomer that they (the dogs) disapprove of, but the grooming itself because it's something they don't enjoy and they will act out. This situations can be very stressful for the groomer, as well as the dog. I don't mean to sound accusatory or insulting, it's just something that we (groomers) deal with all of the time and it's a way to improve your dogs grooming experience AND eliminate their distress at the whole grooming process.

There are a few traveling groomers around here, one of these days I am going to try them. I see the vans around a lot.
I would be very mad if someone  whacked my dog anywhere on their body, no telling what I would do. If my dogs ever went to bite the groomer, I would prefer they stop and not finish the job, when I picked them up they should tell me, or better yet call me and ask if it's ok to muzzle them. Fortunately my dogs have never tried to bite anyone. I have never gotten anything but good reports from the groomers about my dogs behavior. I never stayed and watched, I would drop them off in the morning and pick them up in the late afternoon.
I don't know for sure if anything happened to my dogs at the groomers, all I know is they used to love going there and then all of a sudden they were very fearful about being left there. I didn't want to take the chance and go back any more. I taught myself how to groom them.
I used to go to another groomers in my town, but the last 2 times I went there, I had early morning appointments and one time they were an hour late opening up, so I waited in the parking lot for an hour. I let it go because it had never happened before. The next appointment, I waited 45 minutes and then went home. I called them and they told me the girl came in late and it was now too late to do Molly that day but they had an appointment the next week. That was it for them, I think they should have made room for her and at the very least given me a discount. I never had a problem with the grooming, but their busness practice was awful.
 
Just wanted to add something that happened last week. Molly had an ear infection so I had her at the vet. The vet said I should tell the groomer to do a better job plucking the hair out of her ears, that's why she probably got the ear infection. I had to hang my head and tell her I do the grooming herself.

no groomer should ever get physically mean with a dog, but if a dog tries to bite me, it gets a firm pat on the butt so it knows i will not tolerate that behavior.

 
After reading that statement I can assure you....you would NEVER groom my dogs....I have 3 tzus..I groom them my self....If I ever caught anyone giving my dog a FIRM pat on the butt..Ohhhh look out...I dont pat my dogs on the butt...and I better never find out anyone else has...I am sure not all groomer do this...or at least I would hope not....

In my 5ish years of grooming, never once did I have to "spank" a dog.  Yes, I have had to physically restrain a dog, but never in such a manner that the dog could be injured...and it was also for my own protection as well.  If safely restraining a dog and/or the use of a muzzle (which to be honest I think I may have used a muzzle 5 times, I don't like them and many dogs have had them used inappropiately so that they associated the presence of them with something to fear even more!) was not enough to safely perform the grooming services, the dog was sent home with an explanation.  I only had to do that once, and I actually mostly groomed the dog (a geriatric malamute whose feet I could not touch with a ten foot pole, and I could not muzzle because he had breathing concerns). 

I am sorry, but hitting a dog, regardless of how light a pat, is never necessary.  Nor are muzzles half the time (part of the reason I left the groom shop I worked at was we got a few gung ho muzzle users who would slap one on without even attempting a groom without one). 

I agree with perplex about how the dogs act when coming in to the grooming shop. Most are fine but the ones that act the worst are the ones whose owner is oohing at them and tellings the stuff like "OH its ok baby you are going to fine don't worry" This has just the opposite reaction in  the dog,he thinks if Mom is that worried it must be something awful. I always say just had me the leash and leave with confidence. The dogs always comes right back with me just fine. A lot of the dogs  just put on a show for Mom. But if you are really getting bad vibs from the grooming shop, then change shops, as in every business there are good and bad shops.And don't price shop. Remember the groomers still have to make a living and if the shop is too cheap then they have to do more dogs in a day and may rush through the dogs and not take the time to make your dog comfortable with  the grooming procedure.

if we do nothing and walk away, in dog speak, we are telling them that was ok. but if we say no, we are being abusive. no groomer should ever get physically mean with a dog, but if a dog tries to bite me, it gets a firm pat on the butt so it knows i will not tolerate that behavior.

 
Sorry, I don't care HOW obnoxious my dog acted at the groomer's, if I ever, EVER had even the slightest notion that a groomer- or anyone else- EVER hit my dog....they had better just go ahead and put my butt in jail, because I would end that person.