Working With Vague Instructions

Today was a day full of vague instructions.

A few of my dog were regulars in for their regular hair cuts.

A couple had been in before, but the instructions were a little different than prior groomings, and they were vague.

Three of the dogs were new customers, and their instructions were the most vague.

The funny thing was, all but one of the instructions were the same.

When asked how they wanted their dogs groomed, they all said "short".

I have to say that I have come to the conclusion that some owners panic when asked questions about their dogs grooming.

I think that they think I am giving them some kind of test.

Some owners just stare at me like I have three heads, and seem to have no idea what to answer when I ask "how short?"

Or, "how would you like the face cut?"

Or, "do you want the ears trimmed?"

It is funny, some owners come in and they have a detailed list for you of what they want done to every inch of their dog.

Some could care less what you do, and just tell you to "do what you think, you are the groomer."

Other owners send someone else with the dog, and that person has absolutely no idea what the owner wants done, or their instructions are very vague, "just cut him short."

My first two dogs of the day were new customers.

One dog was very matted, the other had no mats at all.

They knew that the matted dog had to be clipped short.

They wanted the other dog short also.

So, did I just say 'okay' and cut them short?

Nope.

To their dismay, I had to ask questions.

I had to ask, because if this had been my dog, I would have left her shaggy.

I love the shaggy Terrier look, but that is just me.

So, what were my questions?

"How short do you want the body?"
"Short."
"Like shaved short, like I have to take the poodle?" (their other matted dog)
I showed them this length with my fingers. ( __ )
"Yes."
"How about the face? Do you want a Terrier face with the beard and eyebrows?"
"No, I don't like the long beard."
"Okay, would you like the face short all over like the body?"
"Yes"

The next question caused a little bit of a debate between the two owners.

"Would you like me to leave the ears, trim them up, or take them short like the rest of the body?"
Him: "You like them long, right?"  Her: "No, short."

Then I think that I surprised them by asking about the poodle.

I knew that the body and legs had to be clipped short, but I still had questions.

"Do you want her to look like a Poodle?"
"............"
"Would you like her face and feet shaved clean like a poodle?"
"What does that look like?" (I showed them a picture)
"?????"
"Or would you like me to leave the face like it is, only short to match the body?
"Yes."
"Would you like the top of the head full like a poodle?
Him: "I like that."  Her: "No."

I had my instructions.

 The Terrier would have looked cute with a nice trim.

This is her after the bath.

 She would have looked great hand stripped also.

I stripped a little of her back while waiting to get her in the tub.

She had a really nice coat under all of the shaggy hair.

I decided to use a #5F blade to match up the patch on the back that I hand stripped.

The #5F matched the length that I had shown the owners with my fingers.

I also decided to hand strip the ears.

I love the velvet look that it leaves.

Then I scissored the face short and tight.

She turned out nice, but I still like the shaggy look. :)

Although, I think that I would have left her shaggy and still have hand stripped her ears.....that would have been cute.

 I put the Poodle straight into the tub, and then HV dried the mats to loosen them up a little.

They were very tight in some places.

The mats loosened up enough to get a #5F blade through her coat.

The legs were fairly tight, but I was able to get the #5F under most of them.

I clipped as much of her as I could safely with the #5F blade.

I got the rest of the mats off by picking at them with a #7F blade.

Then I blended the #5F and #7F lengths together.

This way I didn't have to clip her whole body in a #7F.

There were some places where her coat was really thinned out from the matting.

Then it was time to scissor her head.

This is how I would have scissored the head if it were up to me.

 But, the owner wanted the face 'short', like the body.

So, this is what I did.

I left a little on top for the guy owner.

This guy was another new customer.

A friend of the owner brought him in.

The instructions were, "take him short, just leave the ears and tail."

The person who brought the dog in was not sure exactly how short "short" was.

I had to take a guess.

My go to blade when a customer says "short" is the #4F blade.

I figure that it takes most dogs short without taking them too short.

Does that make any sense to you?

The owner did not pick the dog up, so I am not sure if I got this one right or not.

I figure, if they come back for another grooming, I will have something to go by the next time, and can ask "would you like him longer or shorter than last time, or did I get it right the first time?" :)

I have groomed this next dog several times before, but had not groomed him in almost 3 years.

"Would you like me to groom him the same as I have before?"
"Yes, short." (there was that word again)
"How short is short?"
"About this short."
(she showed me this length with her fingers (_____)

The only problem was, the length she showed me was longer than I used to take the dog, but I knew she liked him on the short side.

So I took matters into my own hands and took him to a length in between how I used to groom him and what she showed me with her fingers.

A #4F on the body and a #3 3/4 blade on the legs.

This next dogs instructions were the same as I had groomed him the last time he was in.

So, why am I showing him in this post?

Just because he is so darn cute. :)

He was a scissor all over to shape up tight.

He just has the cutest face.

Both, when it is shaggy, and.....

....especially when he is all shaped up!

So......remember to always ask those questions, because everyone's idea of 'short' is different.

✂ Happy Grooming, MFF ✂

Monday Makeover #18.....Matted Cockapoo

I have to admit, that when I checked this guy out before his owner left, I was pretty sure that he was mostly curls and very little matting.

I put him straight in the tub, and soaped him up with Best Shot Shampoo and Best Shot Conditioner.

I was hoping that the small mats that I did feel would be blown out by the HV dryer.

I knew by the time I was rubbing this dog dry with a towel that I had made a mistake.

The HV did blow out just about all of the small knots in his legs, but he had some tight spider matting all around his neck, chest, and belly, the rest of his body was in good shape.

This was only his second grooming with me.

The first grooming was basically a bath and scissor all over to shape up, because he had been growing out from a shave down at another shop.

His owner wanted him scissored again.

 The spider matting around the neck, chest, and belly were way too tight to brush out, so a call to the owner was in order.

We let the owner know that we had to take the dog shorter than she wanted to get under the mats.....she gave the okay.

Even though the dog was partially matted, I did not want to clip the entire dog short.

I had to clip the neck, chest, and belly with a #5F blade.

 I used a 3 3/4 blade on the back, sides, and tail.

I ran a yellow clip comb, with the grain, over the legs.

Then I scissored up the legs, and......

....blended the legs into the 3 3/4 length on the body.

I clipped the pads of the feet with a #40 blade.

I like to leave just a little bit of hair between the toes as a little protection for the webbing between the toes.

I used my scissors to blend the #5F blade length on the neck into the 3 3/4 length on the back.

✂ Happy Grooming, MFF ✂

Grooming Notes From The Past

I have always wished that I had kept a grooming journal.

Not really about grooming dogs per say, but about some of the customers I have dealt with over the years.

Then it dawned on me the other day.....my dead files.

I have a box full of old files from past customers that have moved, or dogs have passed and the owners never got another dog.

In these files are notes.

A lot of notes.

Notes about how each dog was groomed, and notes about things that customers did and said.

I started going through some of the old files and thought that I would share some of those notes.

The one thing that I found while going through these old files was, that people never change.

The excuses never change.

The complaints never change.

AND, that some customers were just down right crazy.

Of course, when I first opened my business all I wanted to do was please my customers, and build my business with a good reputation.

I would bend over backwards to please them.

I also let them walk all over me.

One of the worst things that I did was not respect myself and my skill enough to charge what my grooming was worth.

It was almost painful looking at some of the old prices that I used to charge, and the fact that some dogs I groomed for years and years without ever raising their prices.

I was so worried about growing my business that I started out under charging my grooming.

So, make sure that you are not drinking anything while you read this post, because you just may spit that drink back out at your computer when you choke while reading some of the prices that I used to charge.

I will type the notes just the way they were written on the files.

File1:
I groomed this dog from 1986 to 1999.
Lhasa/Poo--clipdown#4---Price (1986) $20 - (1999) $25
Other than grooming notes, there was only one other note on this card.

July 1990: Cust called for appt, told Lisa was booking 3wks out--owner said he could take the dog to another groomer--still didn't  get appt they wanted--then sd last time dog went home he was limping, Vet said he had sprained shoulder, told him nothing happened here and if it had we would have told him, it pissed me off

This owner was used to calling and getting an appointment the next day.
 My business had grown and for the first time I was starting to book up two to three weeks in advance.
My regulars were not used to that, and were not happy.
The favorite thing to say, seemed to be the threat to take the dog to another groomer.
When that didn't work to get them the appointment that they wanted, some would then complain about the last grooming.

This particular customer continued to come every 6 weeks till 1999 when the dog passed away.
There were no other bad notes on the file.
Oh, and according to the file, we must have fit him in a week after he called. lol


File 2:
I groomed this dog from 1987 to 2000
Yorkie (@6 pounds, very thick hair)--groom varied between hand scissor and Lamb cut-- Price (1987) $10 - (2000) $20
I had been grooming for 4 years when this customer first came to me. The owner was a nice lady, but she absolutely terrified and intimidated me.The very first thing that she said to me was that she had been to several other groomers and none of them had done what she asked, now she was trying me. Well if none of the other groomers got it right, surely I wouldn't either.
I was so scared that I wrote a detailed note on her file as she told me what she wanted.

April 1987: FACE: bangs short, back of head long, eyes close, short around beard EARS: 1/2 off, close FEET: short, round LEGS: trim BACK: thin TUMMY: clip stomach, shorten belly with a #7 TAIL: long, clip underneath UNDERARMS: clip, shorten inside of hind legs.

Above is exactly what and how I wrote the instructions on my file card. 
I wanted to make sure that I did everything exactly how she said.
I was so scared as I groomed that little Yorkie.
I had never seen a Yorkie with such thick hair.
As you can see, I passed the test.
She was a really great customer for 13 years.
In 13 years, there was only one no-show note where she forgot her appointment.
I only raised her price three times in that 13 years period....don't ask me why. :(


File 3:
I groomed this dog every month from 1989 to 1998.
Min Poo--Lamb cut--Price (1989) $24 - (1998) $28
There is only one note on this file.
It was the very last time that I groomed this dog.

Aug 1998: Told customer about closing the shop and Lisa grooming out of the van. Told him the price would be $10 more to come to his home in the grooming van. He felt that we were ridicules and our prices were getting too expensive and didn't make an appointment for the van.

This customer was half an hour outside of my grooming area, but I was willing to go to him anyway. 
I loved the dog and he had been really good customer for nine years.
Plus the dog was older and arthritic.
I would have worked something out.
Sadly, $10 wasn't worth all that to this customer.

File 4:
I groomed this dog from 1993 to 1998.
Schnauzer--Schn style---Price (1993) $26 - (1998) $26
I am a little surprised that this file is not covered in notes.
This particular customer was a complete nut case.
Her dog was a complete nervous wreck that I totally blamed on the owner.
This was a customer that we would pray, after each grooming, that she would never come back....she always did....even after we asked  her not to.

April 1998: cust came back after an hour and took her dog back home, because she saw our Collie come over to greet her dog when he went through the gate, back to the grooming room. She was concerned, suggested that she get a mobile groomer, she called back 2 hrs later, sd she wanted to bring dog back to us. (Our Collie was always behind the desk in the lobby. Never a problem before)

June 1998: Told cust to call at 2pm - she walked in at 1pm - complained that the pick up time changes all of the time (she always has different appt times) said she would have to go elsewhere (woohoo) - I said you have to do what you have to do, but the pick up time did not change, you came back early - she got upset and sd don't you want to do him anymore? - I sd NO - she had to wait until 2 pm and did not make another appointment when she picked him up - but she was pleasant - who knows.....

Believe me, there was much more with this customer, a lot of small things, but my husband didn't bother to write it down every time.
I groomed the dog two more times before I moved to my van.
No, we didn't tell her about the van. :/


File 5:
We groomed this dog from 1989 to 1998
Brd CollieX --  long puppy cut -- Price (1989) $25 - (1998) $33
There was only one note on this file, but I thought that it was funny, so I will share.

Dec 1991: cust walked in without an appointment. Thought she called us, but turned out she called her kennel. Wanted us to take her anyway, because she DID call for an appointment.

That was a unique excuse for trying to get the dog groomed before Christmas.
Yes, we let her dog stay and groomed it.

I am going to stop there tonight.

I have more.

I'll post some more next week.

Oh, I am much better about pricing now. 

Well, at least with most of my customers. :)

✂ Happy Grooming, MFF  ✂

Happy Ending....Thankfully

I have a question.

There are so many different fields of dog professionals.

Dog Groomers, Dog Trainers, Veterinarians, Dog Behaviorists, Breeders, and so on.

So, what is my question?

Why, why can't we all work together?

I know that some of us do....work together I mean.

 I have a Vet that I have worked with for many years.

I recommend him, and he recommends my shop for grooming.

I am sure that there are plenty of groomers out there that also have Vets they work with.

They may also have a Trainer or two that they recommend.

Unfortunately, more often than not, I see and hear stories of pet professionals that do not recommend each other.

Not only don't they recommend each other, but they talk about, or against each other.

Now, I can understand not recommending a Vet, or Trainer, or some other Pet Professional that you know is not good at their job, or you don't particularly agree with the way they do things.

That is fine, you just recommend someone else that you do know is good, or can help.

What I don't understand is when one pet professional will talk against another pet profession as a whole.

Take today for instance. (and this has happened more than once to me)

I had a new customer come in today with her Coton de Tulear.

It was 6 months old.

The breeder that they had gotten the puppy from told them not to take it to a groomer.

(Thankfully my Vet told them to take it to a groomer)

Not take it to a groomer?

Why?

I just love the answer. (she said in a sarcastic tone)

Because all groomers do is shave the dog down and do not know how to properly groom a Coton's coat.

Really?!

This is the information that the breeder is giving their new puppy customers?

How about teaching the new puppy owners how the take care and comb and brush their new puppies coat?

How about explaining to the new owner that if they do not brush and comb the coat properly and often, that the groomer will have no choice but to clip or shave their dogs coat.

Good grief, why are we always made out to be the bad guy?

Yes, unfortunately there are groomers out there that do not know what they are doing.

I have seen some bad groom jobs.

Just today I had a regular customer who lives at the shore during the summer, come in with their Corgi for its regular grooming. (they come to me in the fall, winter, and spring)

Most of the time they come back once in awhile in the summer too to have us groom their Corgi, and go to Doctors appointments, then go back to the Shore.

This summer they took their Corgi to a groomer that someone recommended to them down at the Shore.

Their Corgi is about 6 or 7 years old and we have always given him a bath, de-shed, scissor rear feathering tight, and clip belly only.

He had a beautiful white and dark orange coat.

Yes, I said 'he had'.

The groomer shaved him!

All that beautiful coat gone with a #7 blade.

No, the owners did not ask the groomer to shave their dog.

His hair is growing back, but not that beautiful top coat that he had.

His owners are so upset.

I don't blame them.

They want the dark orange coat that he had before.

There are also areas, like around his neck, that are not growing back.

I am sorry that they had a bad grooming experience.

As I said before, there are bad, or uneducated groomers out there.

There are also bad Hair Dressers. (been to some of those myself)

There are bad Doctors.

There are bad Vets, Trainers, ect.

BUT, there  are also really great Groomers, Doctors, Trainers, Vets, you just have to look for them.

Just because of a bad experience, a person should not think that all people in that profession are bad.

I have seen comments online, when there is a News story about a bad groomer.

People commenting left and right about how they would 'never take their dog to a groomer.'

'The groomer shaved their dog to short.'

'The groomer didn't groom their dog the way they wanted.'

'Their breeder told them not to go to a groomer.'

If only Groomers, Vets, Trainers, and Breeders would work together to educate pet owners.

Educate them on the proper way to maintain their dogs coat at home.

Educate them on the time and commitment that it would take to care for some of the breeds out there.

Educate them on how quickly a coat can mat up to the point that a groomer has no choice but to shave the dog and start over.

Educate the pet owner on the fact that most of them have lifestyles that are to busy to maintain a coat to look like the beautiful dogs that they see on dog shows.

Educate the pet owner on the fact that if they have their pet groomed professionally on a regular schedule, they could keep their pet looking good in a nice, cute, easy to maintain, medium length cut all of the time.

NOT tell the pet owner to never take their dog to a groomer!!

So, what happened with the Coton puppy today.

What kind of shape was the 6 month old puppy in?

Actually she was in great shape.

Or, should I say 'thankfully'?

Thankfully, because if this dog had been matted and had to be shaved, the pet owner would have thought that their Breeder had told them the truth....that groomers only shave dogs.

Thankfully I was able to prove the Breeder wrong.

I gave the puppy a bath, blow dry, and comb out with a light trim if the feet and rear.

The owner did not want anything cut on the face.

She wanted the hair to grow out to be pulled back.

The owner also wanted the hair at the corner of the eyes to grow out long.

I sprayed a tiny bit of freeze hair spray on my fingers and then very carefully wiped my finger over the areas where I wanted to help the hair stay in place.

I pulled the hair back in two small topknots right over top of the eyes, because the hair was not long enough yet to set the topknots back further.

I owners were very pleased. :)

I think that the puppy was very pleased that she could see now.

AND.....

I was very pleased that I could prove this dogs breeder wrong.

I sure do hope that all of the other pet owners that she sold puppies to did not listen to her, and that they took their puppies to a groomer before they got matted.

✂ Happy Grooming, MFF ✂