Quote: lisa harrison

I have also been a dog groomer for 15 years. I bought the discs to correct the barking dogs, before I lose my patience and want to snap their little necks (Just kidding....I think?)

What do your clients think about this?

I did see that this "tool" is not meant to be used around multiple dogs - at all.

 Quote: barbara schuler

I did see that this "tool" is not meant to be used around multiple dogs - at all.

 Quote:

Here we have gathered several tips that will help you to establish the hierarchy between you and your dog.

1. Your dog should not have access to all rooms in your home. Keep doors to the off-limit rooms closed, and close off stairways with gates. Keep these constraints of movement up as long as necessary until your dog has gotten used to the rules.

2. Your dog should only be rewarded (ex. with treats, petting, playing, etc.) when he/she has actually earned it. Don't allow your dog to demand this from you. In this case, make your dog wait, then control the event.

3. Do not allow your dog up on the furniture. Assign your dog a sleeping place that you can take away or use yourself in order to emphasize the hierarchy between you and your dog.

4. Fill your dog's bowl with food while he is present. Don't allow him to eat immediately, but rather give him his food only after you have eaten. That way he learns that you get the best, and he gets the rest.

5. Only play fighting games that you can win, ex. rope pulling, etc. The game is over when you want it to be. Place the toy somewhere your dog cannot reach it when you are finished.

6. Go through narrow passage ways such as gates and doors first. Your dog should neither go first, nor place himself in the way.

7. Your dog must stand up and change his spot when you come near him in the house or apartment.

Your dog should wear a collar during the training phase so that you can more easily assert yourself in certain situations.

Well I would have to say I break everyone of those rules.....guess I'm a bad trainer

Melissa,

I own my business. My grooming room is a 15 by 20 room with crates and 3 large grooming areas. I sometimes have 8-10 dogs in there at one time. I try to avoid having that many dogs in there at once but sometimes clients have to drop off before and pick up after work. I like to schedule one dog at a time and have it picked up immediately after it is groomed, but sometimes it is not possible.

I have no sound barrier,a large part of my problem. I am building a small kennel to house approx. 12 dogs but it will not be finished until spring (If it ever stops raining!)When the kennel is built I am then going to blow a hole thru my grooming room wall and expand into the storage part of the room. That is where I will be moving the crates into with a door to close off that area. I am then going to put up sound proof glass over my greeting area.

I cannot talk to clients when they pick up and drop off their dogs with 10 dogs barking in my ear. They have to be corrected for barking, I have no choice do to my setup.

I guarantee if I put any of you in that room for 12-14 hours a day, 6 days a week you would be using aversive techniques too, and if you say you wouldn't, well God Bless Ya, your a better man than me. They bark, whine, mark, deficate, urinate and jump all day long. I do have a bit of groomer burnout.

So, Melissa, does that mean when a dog bites you, you don't correct it for doing so?

Michael,

I correct clients dogs in front of them all the time. If they are not going to correct their dominate, obnoxious, un potty trained dog, (Taking a big smelly dump on my floor as their talking to me and just standing there watching the dog do so and doing nothing about it) then yes, I am going to correct them for their behavior or show them how to correct the dog. The client usually says, so that's how you stop them from barking, then they go home and try it themselves.If they don't like it, then I hope the door doesn't hit them in the butt on the way out. 90% of the dogs I groom have never had any training at all. I know I am not thier handler, but most of these dogs have no respect for their owners at all. People in this area are very uneducated about training. Their idea of training is to whack the dog with a newspaper or fly swatter, step on thier feet, flick them on the nose or spank them.So my aversive technique of startling the dog with a sound is mild compared to what they do. Half of them let there dogs run freely outside unsupervised. It is a whole different mentality in this area. I have to do what works for me in my situation. These people's dogs are not behaved like ours are, they don't understand or even know what pack structure is.If you have a better idea to stop barking, I'm all ears!

Dennis,

I don't know why you put the hierarchy comment there, could you be more specific or am I just slow? I do not have the time to establish leadership with a dog who is not mine. Like Melissa said, I am there to groom the dog, not train them or establish rank.I do not allow a dog to act like a ahole in my shop, if they do then I do not want them as a client anyway. Good riddance! (I worked in customer service for Charles Schwab for years and trust me, the client is almost never right)

These might help ( and I'm serious here, they work *great* ):

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=netcon&id=0041171228289a&navCount=1&podId=0041171&parentId=cat20801&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IA&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true

You can hear normal conversation while wearing these, but they cut out noise at a certain decibel.
Wish we had these back when I was in the Military, maybe I wouldn't be so hard of hearing now...

just commenting on the website and the value of their "training device"

Thanks whoever sent that link, it was exactly the information I was looking for.

Will,

I have worn ear protection in the past and it did help with noise throughout the day but not when I had to speak to clients..

I look like I am going into battle just to go to work....wearing a back brace, hand brace, elbow brace and ear protection.

Getting old sucks!

To each his own and I can see how being a dog groomer would have a special set of challenges. I'm just really glad I read this thread. I, too, at first thought it was some kind of toy or treat for a dog and that's why I looked it up.


But, boy o boy, I guess I'll never take my dog to a groomer. For the reasons of this thread.

I was actually considering taking her to a groomer so she could have her fur blown out in one of those dryer thing-ys and maybe even getting her toenails painted. (I know, I know) but not now.
I've never taken her before because I was afraid someone would mash her little foot or something. I wouldn't want to put her thru the trauma of having some one make loud noises to quiet her.

Thanks for filling me in on what really goes on behind closed doors.

So, Nora what would you do for a dog that excessively barks? I have never mashed a foot, slapped a dog or hurt him physically, your overreacting and insinuating that I am cruel to the dogs, which I am not. I"m all ears.

All this method does is startle a dog and get him to refocus his attention. Similar to clapping your hands or making a loud noise to divert his attention. It is a correction, not a punishment or retribution. (If they do not quiet with a verbal "Enough or NO" )

OOOH gosh a loud noise, how terrifying! A dog high in drive is not going to be ruined by a set of discs being tossed on the floor or a squirt of water .

I guess I never knew how the biz worked.

I assumed that if a dog was the biting type that you informed the owners that you would no longer be grooming their dog, or request a muzzle at most.

I also assumed that barking was part of having 8 to 10 strange dogs in a small room.

I thought groomers were groomers and trainers were trainers.

Thanks for the correction. I was wrong once before. I guess this is my second time.:smile: