PetsMart grooming...

Don't know how many time people have come to our grooming shop and say they never want to groom at petco ever again. one lady said her dog came back still wet! another saud that fisr they asked her if she wanted fluff or somethign, she said yes, and then they said they had something special to put on the nails to keep them from growing so fast (i don't think there is such a thing) and when the final bill came it was 55.00![]
she loved our prices, 12.00 for dogs up to 33lb, and has been a customer ever since[]

So I bought clippers and the DVD instructions and started gooming her myself. Both of us are much happier now.

I bought one of those, then *died* as I watched the "master groomer" show PET OWNERS who had never groomed their dogs, how to hold the scissors to groom the dog's face. She was pointing the scissors directly INTO a Westie's eye. So scary!

I use the clippers for quick stuff that I want to do between real grooms, like pads and sanitaries.

she loved our prices, 12.00 for dogs up to 33lb, and has been a customer ever since

How can you groom for that little???

i'm not sure i just help out there, its more for bigger dogs and we have 2 german sheps, an alaskan mala, countless goldens, an irish set ect.
but still countless poodles and small fries.[&:]

I also love pets mart grooming. I don't use them anymore because I just end up grooming them myself now that hubby got me a groomers table , but the one thing I loved about it in the first place is they don't knock your dog out to groom them. It is standard practice at some places to give them a shot, and then once they are sleeping to groom them. So if you ever use anyone besides petsmart, ask if they keep them awake or knock them out for grooming.
Just a tip. []

It is standard practice at some places to give them a shot, and then once they are sleeping to groom them.

 
I'd think it would be illeagal to do that without the owner's conscent AND a vet's supervision.

I use petsmart for all 3 of my dogs... I can do it myself but I figure why?? a bath & brush (nails &ears) is only $17.00 for each of my Border Collie Lab mixes (i have 2)... it is less stressful for them to get bathed at petsmart than to have me do it... Petsmart is much faster than I am and they have there super blower that dries them fast... plus the groomers have all been trained to do their job.

I also have a 7 month Pomeranian puppy Leo who had the 9.99 special... I loved this deal, its to bad it had to end at 6 months ... I plan on continuing to groom him there every 6-8 weeks for him.

The people that work at petsmart as groomers are just as certified to groom as the people at other grooming salons... at least where I live in Michigan ... I actually feel better taking them to petsmart knowing these people have passed their grooming exams (every one of them is very professional) & that they have benefits like health insurance... the petsmart by me won't just hire any old groomer off the street they have to pass a test to be hired.
 
If your puppy has 1 ear erect and the other one floppy it is probably teething if it is still a puppy... My poms ears did this as well as 3 GSD's in my puppy OB class.

Around here (VA) you DON'T want to use petsmart's groomers. Let me give you an example as to why: I used to work in a grooming place as a receptionist. This place trained people to be groomers, it was a school. There was one groomer who was absolutely terrible. He disobeyed all of the rules, and the grooming instructor constantly had to clean up after him (make his dogs look better, etc.). The owner graduated this person when he SHOULD have been failed and dismissed. This person got a job as a groomer at petsmart. The petsmarts around here hire ANYBODY. [:@]   [sm=banghead002.gif] 

I heard so many horror stories about dogs being cut, groomed wrong, overcharged, etc.

I feel it is ignorant to say that all Petco's or Petsmarts have bad groomers.  I hear it all the time.  There are people who have been grooming for years, who competed, received master groomer certification and are awesome groomers.  They chose to work at the corporations because they received paid vacations, 401K, sick time, health ins etc.  things that a smaller shop cannot afford to do at times.  The best thing for an owner to do is ask about training and how long someone has been grooming.  It's funny, now that I own my own mobile grooming business everyone comments on how professional and what a good job I do, etc.....  yet when I tell them I started at a corporation they are amazed because they assumed they hired just anyone.  As far as horror stories about dogs being cut, or abused I hear far more stories like that from private shops.  If you look up grooming deaths in recents months they've all been in private shops.  Corporate shops have very strict safety regulations, and their groomers work in a fishbowl, so everyone can see what is going on.  Unfortunately, alot of people know nothing about what it takes to groom a dog, and can perceive things to be different than what they actually are.

Never heard of anyone giving shots for grooming, they better not be doing that to my pup!  Actually, I know they don't do that where I go.  Have never heard of that around here.

It is NOT standard practice to sedate a dog before grooming.  If your dog is too spunky to be groomed safely, YOU must request a sedative from your vet and administer it yourself before your grooming appointment and must sign a waiver holding the groomer harmless of illness or death resulting from the meds.
I am a groomer and I will tell you that no amount of money would persuade me to sedate a pet for the sole purpose of not losing a customers grooming fee.
Most groomers are true animal lovers and the safety of your pet is of the utmost importance. 

ARRRGGGHHH!!!   Just called Petsmart to make an appointment for Boomer to get clipped and found out the girl that we like and always cuts Boomer is no longer working there.  Great, now hopefully the new person will do a good job and not butcher him.  I knew this was going to happen but just not this soon.

My dog Chewie has had good grooms from Petco, but since a petsmart had just opened in town we decided to try them.  It was a disaster.  He came back shaved, which I definitly had not asked for, and it wasn't even a smooth shave, very patchy.  They left his tail and head completely fluffy.  He seemed so sad without his coat.  Not to mention that he never had skin problems until after that grooming.  Needless to say, we will not be returning to petsmart.

I took my maltipoo puppy to Petsmart for the puppy package - bath, blow dry, brush, nails and ears.  He was very well-behaved because I hid in the aisle and watched her trim his face.  I'd like to bathe him at home but could use some pointers.  He could use an all-over trim but I don't want to chance having him come back shaved!  How do you get them to sit still at home while clipping and grooming?

I used to take a little lab/cocker mix to Pet-Co about every 3 months or so and they always did a wonderful job on him.

Joyce