Quote: lisa harrison

Michael,

What happens when you have a groomer/trainer?

Did I bring the dog in for grooming or training?

If I brought a dog in for grooming, then just grooming.

 Quote: lisa harrison

Debbie,


I have a radio on all day long. The back part of the groom room is unfinished,so I have to finish the kennel first.

I'm just not getting the picture of your layout here. Can you finish the back part of the groom room before the kennel is finished and move the dog ctates to the back and put up your sound proof glass at the front and temporarily groom in the quiet front part until you have the kennel finished?

 Quote: lisa harrison

The dogs I groom, as I said, have never had any OB training or even manners. They don't even know what a OB certificate is. So right off the bat,it sounds like the dogs you groom at least have manners.

1/4 to 1/2 of the dogs I groom bite for nails. If I have a helper with me that day I will have them hold the dog and talk soothingly to them while I clip. My husband sings them songs he makes up using their name constantly, that really helps. If I don't have a helper,I use a muzzle. Many of the dogs are matted to the skin,so they are a shavedown with a 7 blade, so that doesn't help their cause for a pleasant, easy groom.

I have never turned a dog away for biting and misbehaving,I always finish the dog, and most of the time I do the dog from start to finish myself, taking about 1 1/2 to 2 hours as well. I never answer my phone either. If I did I would be on the phone all day long. And there is never time for play or ball afterward, I am too booked. I groom 12 hours a day. I don't wear gloves for protection. My clients are far from high end. I do have regulars that come every 6-8 weeks and there dogs of course are very nice. So we have a very different clientle.

I've been thinking about this all day. I guess I am just going to come out and say it. You are the professional in this role, it's not your job to do anything but cut hair and work with the dogs youre given within the capacity of a groomer. What troubles me more than the fact that you use these shaker cans on dogs in your shop is that you feel it's ok to do so because the dogs have no manners or behave like dogs under stress which is completely understandable when they're being groomed by someone in strange environment, with lots of noises, other dogs, and strangers walking in and out. It is unethical to harm a dog's psyche in exchange for 30 seconds of silence. It is enraging to me that a groomer would believe it's their right to do so to a dog that doesn't belong to them.

As the owner of your business you have 100% control over your environment. If you only want one or two dogs in your shop at a time, you can do that. If you want to only take dogs that don't make your ears ring you can do that too. If barking dogs drive you nuts, figure out a way around it but in my eyes correcting via startling client dogs is just plain wrong and counter productive to what you're trying to do.

If you can't handle treating dogs correctly within your shop as it's set up now you shouldn't be grooming them until this is remedied. I know it's how you make your living just as I make mine but there are minimum standards to this practice.

I didnt read all the posts, I think Debbie has already said what I would about changing the shop around to separate the dogs a little more. But I gotta say Melissa, I dont think shaker cans are all that damaging. I think shutting them up so they settle down is a lot better then letting them bark like idiots. Lol.

Melissa,

I use the training discs on occasion, maybe once or twice per week.You make it sound like I correct everytime they bark, which I don't.

I don't correct the barking when people or dogs walk in the shop. I correct the excessive barker who is barking to bark. Most of the dogs are not in a strange place. Many of them I have groomed for years and the dogs know me, contrary to what you may believe, they actually like me. Owners say my name and the dogs get all excited to come and see me.

I have worked in grooming shops, vet clinics and pet stores grooming .None of the places I have worked in have we allowed dogs to bark nonstop all day, just for the sake of barking. If they are stressed that is a entirely different matter and situation.

Our set up is apples and oranges. I don't know how long you have been grooming or in how many different places, but your situation is not the norm in the grooming industry. Consider yourself lucky. My stress level and yours are night and day.

I will meet you halfway. I will ask clients if their dog is consistantly barking if they mind if I correct them. If they do, then they have the opportunity to go elsewhere. I have 300 clients in my base, 150 of which are regulars. So for the most part, most of the dogs know me and are not in a strange place.Alot of the dogs actually know each other and have played together. I appreciate your input, thanks.

Debbie,

To make that change is a major renovation. My husband is doing most of the work himself and he is spread very thin. He can only work on Saturday, and it has been raining the past 8 weeks. It is too wet to do anything. So construction is slow. When I first opened I didn't think I would have that much business, so my setup for noise was not that big of a concern. Well now, I have more business than I can handle by myself. I try not to have too many dogs in there at once. But someone always seems to call with a morning appt. and want me to keep the dog all day because they have things to do.

I apologize, this thread has gotten way off track.

You should treat the dogs the same regardless of who is present. I would expect that from any groomer in our shop. Whether or not its appropriate, as a groomer, you will have to deal with barking. There's no way to say that without sounding like a jerk, but seriously. I listen to barking at work all...day...long... And after so many years I learned to tune out what would make some people nuts. The best you can do is let the customers know that the dog isn't well-behaved. And hire an assistant.

 Quote: lisa harrison

Melissa,

Well now, I have more business than I can handle by myself.

But someone always seems to call with a morning appt. and want me to keep the dog all day because they have things to do.

Tell them "No". Then you will not have more business than you can handle, you will be in a better mood, and you'll have fewer dogs in the building at one time. You are not doing anyone a favor by working yourself into a frazzle.