Pet Peeve...

....CELLPHONES!

Hold on, because I am going to vent!

I should say that my pet peeve is not really cellphones, it is how rude cellphones have made people nowadays.

My age is going to show in this post, because I remember our family owning a rotary phone...a phone with a dial with numbers on it, for those young groomers out there that may have never seen one.

I remember the very first time I saw someone with a cellphone.

My husband and I were not married yet.

We were out to dinner one night.

A couple was seated at a table not far from us.

When the man sat down he sat a large narrow looking box,with an antenna, on the table next to his plate.

One of those new fangled mobile phones that most people could not afford at the time.

At first we were fascinated.

Wow, he had one of those phones that you could carry around with you that we had only seen on TV shows.

OMG I sound really, really old.......!

Anyway, we were fascinated until the darn thing started to ring.

It echoed around the restaurant.

The man grabbed it and proceeded to have a loud conversation right there, at his table, in the middle of the restaurant, for everyone to hear.

And boy, we hear every word.

  So did everyone else in the restaurant.

The place just seemed to freeze and listen.

I'll tell you something else....that man was very proud of himself and enjoyed showing off.

That was my first experience with a so called cellphone.

I remember telling my husband (boyfriend at the time) how rude I thought that man was, and why in the world would he want to have a private conversation out in public.

Oh, if only I had known what was coming in the next 25 years. lol

Okay, back to my pet peeve.

Customers that walk into my lobby while they are on their cellphones!!!!!

AND, they don't get off their cellphones!!

They either have a conversation with you AND the person on the phone at the same time...you just have to figure out if the question that they are asking is for you or the person on the phone.

OR, they don't say a word to you and keep on with the conversation that they are having on the phone.

They either just hand you the dog, and just nod their head when you ask them if they want the same cut, then nod their head again when you ask if they want you to call them when their dog is done.

Then they are out the door still yacking.

Is it just me?!

Is it that hard to hang up and call back later?

Am I the only person out there that thinks this is extremely rude?

So, why am I venting about this tonight?

Because, my very first customer today came into my lobby while talking on her cellphone.

She was talking to me and the person on the phone at the same time.

She had a small dog that we have groomed many times before.

Because one of her hands was occupied holding the phone to her ear, she could not pick up her dog to hand her to me.

I had to go through my gate and reach for the dog myself.

Normally this is not a problem.

I go out into the lobby all of the time to pick up dogs.

The problem was that this dog is what I call an 'Academy Award Winning Actor'.

What does that mean?

Hold on....I am going to slide off track here for a minute.

I feel that there are four different types of dogs that come into a groomers lobby.

'The Like Family' dog.

These dogs can't wait to get in the shop to see you.

Yes, there are actually dogs that love coming to get groomed.

They drag their owners in the door.

They jump all over the groomer, so happy to see them.

They push their way through the grooming room door and go pick out their own kennels.

I have two Cockers that love coming to my shop.

We go out to help the owner bring them in only because they pull the poor man so hard trying to get to the door that they almost knocked him down in the parking lot one day.

They run in and barge through the grooming room door.

They jump in a kennel, turn around, sit down, and wait for someone to come and close the kennel door.

They enjoy their visit with us just like they were part of the family.

'The Visitor' dog.

These dogs come walking easily into the shop also.

The only difference is, that once they jump on you and greet you, they turn and head for the shop door to go back home.

They look at their owner like they are saying; "Okay Mom/Dad, I said 'Hi' to the groomer now lets go home."

They might want to go right back home, but they will easily walk away from their owner and follow you back to the grooming room.

'The Academy Award Winning Actor' dogs.

I'll get back to this type of dog in a minute.

'The Separation Anxiety' dog.

This dog is truly terrified to be separated from it's owner.

They do not like being taken away from their comfort zone..'home'.

No matter how much you, the groomer, cuddles them, love them, or tries to make them feel comfortable, they just want you to get the grooming done and over with and go home.

Now, back to 'The Academy Award Winning Actor' dog.

This dog comes into your lobby and immediately starts to shake.

They hide behind their owner.

They smash their body to the floor when you try to pick them up.

They struggle to get out of your arms, and back to their owner, once you get a hold of them.

They are still shaking in your arms.

Then, you take them through the  grooming room door...

They almost immediately stop shaking.

By the time you walk across the room to a kennel, they are no longer shaking at all.

They get in the kennel and settle right down.

They don't bark.

They don't paw at the kennel door.

Most of the time they curl up and take a nap.

All of that 'acting' in the lobby was strictly to make their owner feel awful and take them back home.

I have had dogs literally sigh as we walk into the grooming room.

I always imagine that that dog is thinking; "Well crap, that didn't work. I'll have to shake harder the next time my owner brings me here."

That was my first dog customer today.

She puts on one heck of a show in the lobby.

Today, her owner walked in talking on her cellphone.

I bent down to pick up her dog.

She promptly jumped behind her owners legs.

Her owner backed up against the lobby wall.

The dog tried to climb up the back of her legs.

Because the owner was still talking on the phone (phone in one hand, leash in the other) she was no help.

All I could think was; " Good grief (insert dogs name),could you act anymore like I was an Ogre that was after you to eat you?"

I was also thinking; "Come on lady, get the heck off the phone and help me pick up your dog!!"

I finally got a hold of the dog.

As I was backing out from between the owner and the wall, I was turning the dog in my arms so that she would be tucked safely under my arm.

I just about had her turned around while I was straightening up.

She was struggling to get out of my arms to get back to her owner.

(Could they possibly make you feel any worse?)

Just as I straightened up, she took her foot and her nails, (pictured left) and raked them down the side of my face.

From my eye down to my neck.

She didn't brake skin, but boy did it burn.

The owner never noticed.

She walked out still talking on her phone.

The dog?

As soon as the owner started  walking out the door, and we headed into the grooming room, she settled right down.

Another award winning performance that did not get the dog out of being groomed.

She settled right down in her kennel.

No shaking.

No barking.

No pawing at the kennel door.

She settled right down and waited to get her bath.

Did I get mad at the dog?

No.

She is very, very sweet, and very good about being groomed.

I rarely blame dogs for their behavior.

I always blame the owner. :/

I was very pissed with the owner.

If she had not been on her phone, she could have picked up her dog and handed her to me.

If she had not been on her phone, I would not have had to practically crawl between her and the wall to catch her dog.

If she had not been on the phone, my face would not have gotten scratched.

Maybe I am just old fashioned.

Maybe I am the only person that thinks it is rude when people have loud, personal conversations in the middle of a store, restaurant, doctors office....grooming shop...ect.

Well, if you are still with me...thanks for letting me vent. 

I feel better now. :)

Happy Grooming, MFF