Many times over the years I have had husbands and wives wanting their dog groomed differently......meaning they can't agree on the hair cut.
Nine times out of ten the wife wins.
Even when a husband drops the dog off, I find myself calling to wife to make sure the husband told me to do the right cut.
I remember years ago when the receptionist at the Vet office I was working at told me about a husband that had brought in a full coated Bearded Collie.
The Breadie had been groomed there several times before by the previous groomer, always a bath and comb-out.
The husband gave instructions that the dog was to be shaved down do to medical reasons.
So the groomer shaved the dogs beautiful full coat off as per instructions.
The wife picked the dog up.
You can use your imagination for what happened next.
The receptionist told me it was very bad.
Apparently the husband and wife were going through a divorce.
The husband knew how much the wife loved the dog, and how much care she took with the dogs coat care.
One of his complaints was that she took more care of the dog than him.
Now, why this wife still trusted the man she was divorcing with her dog is beyond me.
Unfortunately, her husband decided to get back at her for whatever reason and have the groomer shave the coat off of her beloved dog.
Needless to say, the receptionist said that that was the last time they trusted someone giving grooming instructions that would cause a drastic change to the dogs appearance.
Whenever they were asked to do a different grooming from the norm, they required a signature okaying the grooming instructions.
They would also call spouses to check.
I have always remembered this story.
It is one of the reasons why I call wives.
Then there is what happened the other day.....
Both husband and wife came in with their new dog.
Both husband and wife already knew how they wanted their Schnoodle groomed.
The Schnauzer style.
I made sure that they knew what they were asking for.
I made sure that they knew the top and sides of the head would be shaved.
The ears would be shaved.
The back would be clipped very short.
The hair on the tail would be shaved off.
Yes, they wanted the Schnauzer cut.
Just like the picture on my lobby wall.
Sadly, this is the best I could do to get a side shot of her.
She kept turning right as I took the picture.
The husband really liked the cut.
The wife.....
The wife was in shock.
I could tell.
She was so quite.
She was used to her shaggy guy.
This was a new, very different looking dog.
Personally, I think the cut fit him.
Of course he looked cute with his scruffy look too.
So, we shall see when they come back for their next appointment.
How will he be groomed the next time?
Like a Schnauzer, the way the husband liked it?
Or, back to the scruffy look? (the way that I have a feeling the wife likes better)
Maybe the cut will grow on the wife. :)
On a completely unrelated note, as a pet owner I've used a few of your grooming techniques and tips to groom my own dog better. I put my two small dogs in a small clothes hamper (the kind with holes in the side) so they will be closer to me while I bathe them. I even learned how to turn my shower head down while still keeping the water warm for faces. (I used to just not wash their faces because the sprayer was too harsh and I didn't have anything else) I even tried blow drying the one with more hair, but it took forever with a hand dryer and she hated it, so we haven't done that anymore. (I was also afraid to use it on warm because it does get very warm, so I used it on cold and she got cold and scared....) Next up: trimming ears on australian shepherds. I WILL learn to get those stringy greasy hairs to lay right or be gone...without looking like the hack job they do now! On that note: If you get any aussies/shelties/collies in for summer, could you do a tutorial on those types of ears? (specifically the button/rose ear types, which I just had to look up, I would have called them "foldover" ears)
ReplyDeleteHi Nugget,
DeleteI will have to find the pictures of the Australian Shepard that I groomed to show you what I did with the ears.
Oh, go ahead and try to use your hand dryer on warm, just use the cold blast button (most dryers have a small blue button above the switches) to keep it from getting too warm. Every time the air feels like it is getting too warm press the blue button for a few seconds to cool the air. Remember, when a dogs hair is wet the warm air will still feel a little cool to them until the hair starts to dry. Just like when we get out of the shower and warm air blows on our wet skin, it still feel chilly.
Lisa, MFF
That's a very... ummm... unusual looking dog. I think he looks MUCH better in the schnauzer trim! Hopefully the husband will win this battle. ;)
ReplyDeleteGot a complete shock in the process of reading this post. I truly didn't think the schnauzer clip would suit. And then I saw the picture and thought it was a completely different dog. Great job the schnauzer clip definitely suited it. The wife will get used to it haha
ReplyDeleteI really like the look. I had a terrible grooming experience. I have a small sheltie with a HUGE coat. I brush it often and trim it a little since she is on the short side and she can easily end up looking like a mop! As I was exhausted with my final exams, my parents offered to have her groom. I relunctantly accepted and made sure to let the groomer know that I just wanted her clean and to even the length on the back of the paws and under the belly, cutting at most half an inch of fur.
ReplyDeleteComing back home that night, it did not register at first that it was my pup: she was left with fur trimmed everywhere at a 1.5 inch length. Her beautiful red and black fox mane was gone; all fur that was showing was a grey or beige undercoat. I cried. I know it's only hair, but it was upsetting for me. My sweet pup folded her ears backwards thinking she had done something wrong for me to cry. 2 and a half year later, her coat isn't as beautiful as it once was. The color is still beautiful but the texture is harsher. I understand the lady with the bearded collie :(