Compassion fatigue.
âIgaf how this turns out anymore. F this dog, F their owner.â
NEUROTIC PET OWNERS
âAre you sure youâre not going to hurt my dog?â
âI want the haircut like this, or my wife is going to flip sh!t.â
âMy dog bites, itâs okay for you to muzzle him.â
âJust so you know my dog has diarrhea rn.â
âJust so you know my dog has âXâ health condition.â
âJust so you know my dog is aggressive towards other dogs and has bitten groomers in the past and will bite for blood.â
âYou did the haircut wrong! I told you NOT TO SHAVE MY DOG SO SHORT!â Dog was severely matted upon check in, pet owner agreed it was okay to shave down.â
âCan you grind my dogs nails shorter?â *Dogs quiks are long from the nails being overgrown
Splashed with water from the bath.
Dog hair / dander / nail grindings up your nose, on your clothes, hair, 8+ hrs a day.
Dog hair all over your clothes still after washing them.
Working 10+ hours a day to make enough money to pay your bills.
Over load yourself with dogs to make money.
Dogs that pull their feet.
Dogs that RAKE THEIR CLAWS ON YOUR ARM.
BACK PAIN.
Psychical and mental exhaustion.
Not being able to take a lunch break/any breaks at all on busy days.
Holding it when you have to pee.
Crying during the haircut because the dog is impossible to get done/fighting you.
FURMINATORS. Hair, itâs everywhere.
Arms sore from all the brushing.
Those dogs that require 2 people to get them done- no one to help you in sight.
The schedule so overbooked youâre scrambling to get it done.
Angry pet owners who are mad itâs taking so long.
Pet owners that try to record you on the phone becuz they think ur abusing their dog.
Owners who donât tip you after youâve gone thru 2 hours of being pissed/and shat on.
Explosive diarrhea dogs.
Dogs who shat in the kennel. Re wash them.
Anal glands accidentally squirt on your smock. Fishy fishy all dayyy.
Accidentally cutting a dog. Wonât stop bleeding for 10 mins.
Crazy customers who try to haggle the price down. Complain the service is soo expensive.
Customers who try to run out of the store without paying.
Ticks / fleas. Trying to pick all those bug nuggets off
Weird skins conditions that get irritated due to the service. Told them upon pickup their skin is a tad irritated from the service. It will go away. Customer calls up to complain to your manager, wants to have their vet visit paid for.
Having to explain why we canât take their dog into the salon due to âXâ health issue, refer them to a vet/mobile groomer.
Dog in heat. Bleeding. Diaper. Big fat no to the customer. They wig out you cancel their appointment and storm out.
Explaining to the customer that âXâ haircut isnât possible for their specific breed due to the hair type/ face shape.
Crazy amount of drama, gossip, and favoritism amongst groomers / management.
Walk ins - while the salon is busy.
Having to put your dog away to answer the phone or check in another dog.
Customers showing up EARLY RIGHT AS YOU TRY TO CLOCK OUT ON YOUR LUNCH BREAK.
Being stopped in the store when you arenât in the salon to help customers find stuff. PetsmartPetco
Being asked to groom peoples dog at their house because they think it will be cheaper / less stressful for the dog.
In your head like âThis dog isnât a pure bred. Lololo they paid $1-5 grand for a backyard bred mutt.â
âLabradoodles are the best!â I h8 your energetic neurotic mutt with Mattâs in its privates/arm pits that wonât stop pulling its feet during brushing then his/her haircut. Fighting the urge to sneakily shave/cut/blend the hair fed up with brushing.
Owner leaves their dog at the salon for 7+ hours. Upon pickup 30 mins after closing time you ban them from ever coming back. They give you some b.s excuse. Explain we arenât a dog boarding service. Storm out. They leave a voicemail trying to schedule ANOTHER appointment thinking someone else will pick up the phone and not knowing they CANT COME BACK.
Petsmart Dog slices paw on the edge of the kennel whist being dried. Rushed to the vet. Owner files lawsuit and threatens store owner and everyone in that salon. A security guard is hired for 1 week to guard the salon from him.
Owner is irresponsible and their dog slips off itâs leash and runs into the parking lot and almost gets hit by a car. Petco
Please share your bad grooming experiences and help me feel better I quit grooming
@sam1986 Yeah animal professions are rarely what they seem and definitely not âplaying with puppies all dayâ. The jobs that are easier like dog daycare pay minimum wage. Dog training is an âevenings and weekendsâ job unless youâve really grown your business. For dog walking you need to either have a large vehicle or invest in one to make any money.
Veterinary and shelter jobs are the ones I would never be able to handle. It takes a special kind of person to deal with suffering/dying animals all the time and then get screamed at for how heartless they are for charging the going rate for their services. Veterinarians have the profession with some of the highest suicide rates.
Dog jobs are definitely a labor of love. Love of adrenaline lol.
@cathya Dog Daycare is not easy at all helllllll nope. You get paid min wage to deal with a room full of people's overstimulated dogs with a couple of other, usually unqualified folks and be in danger of getting bit, your nose broken from leaping boxers, knocked on cement floor because a 100 lb sheperd decided to randomly sprint and take your legs from under you. And every dog has diarrhea all summer. I truly don't get why they pay so little because you are absolutely not getting paid enough to risk severe injuries for something so unnecessary as cramming tons of dogs in a renovated warehouse for "fun". I think grooming, at least at my shop is like 1000000Ă safer than the daycares I've worked at.
And I definitely agree with not being able to do veterinary work. I tried that route first. Had a working interview and almost fainted seeing a cat get spayed, and watched them deal with this poor puppy who had parvo and the owners did not care whatsoever and were still planning on dog sitting for 3 dogs that night despite vet techs pleading with them to not do that. I could not deal with that level of ignorance without eventually snapping on someone.
@liorex Oh god that brings it back. I fucking hate working in dog daycares. Itâs exhausting watching to make sure the dogs in the group arenât going to kill each other and constantly watching body language so you can stop a fight before it happens. And dealing with people that think bringing their introverted dog in every day is good for him when in reality youâre just stressing him out. 99% of adult dogs do not actively enjoy that kind of environment. In fact we would often see aggression in dogs that were brought in too often because itâs just too much stimulation.
@beta2 Same in my case! To be fair I'm sure some owners would have stopped bringing them if we were allowed to be truthful about their dogs behavior. I'm fully against daycares now and I don't think I can be personally convinced otherwise
@sam1986 If I may add, people who show up way too early for their appointments. I work on my dogs in the order they show up, when people are constantly 30+ minutes early it causes me unnecessary stress because even though I tell them their dog will be started at the time their appointment is booked they still want to show up to pick up early. Also, if I am scheduled to come in at 9, and their appointment is at 9, I don't see why they show up at 8:15 and get mad that I'm not there. I DONT LIVE IN THE SALON PEOPLE.
@ch4dd Exactly. My 1:30 showed up 30 minutes early today, and of course it's a dog I try not to keep longer than 2.5 hours. Needless to say she stayed for 3 hours
@sam1986 Only a bather and still pretty new (4 months) and MAN i still relate to so many of these. Especially the dogs clawing your arms, walk-ins, and the âis my dog done yet?â phone calls after itâs only been an hour and I told them 2-3 at drop off.
@jcc19240 Hi! Do you mind if I ask how comfortable are you handling dogs, doing nail trims, etc at four months in? Do you need someone to help hold a lot of dogs for nails?
Iâm just curious how other new bathers are. I have a new bather and she is doing an amazing job at prepping my dogs coats for me, but she needs a lot of help with nails, and is very timid with some bath dogs. I help her when she asks because I donât want her to become overwhelmed, but Iâm also worried that Iâm enabling her to not learn how to handle dogs on her own. I donât want her to feel like I abandoned her.
@surrenderingtogod I was VERY nervous for the first month and a half or so especially, and needed help for almost all nail trims unless the dog was being like absolutely perfect for them, but even then Iâd sometimes ask someone to watch me to make sure I was doing it right. I was very nervous of either not doing them short enough or quicking a do and wanted to ensure I was doing it right.
Now Iâm much more comfortable doing them myself, I only ever really need help if the dog is being wild. In those cases Iâll have a coworker distract the dog with a head pat or something so theyâre more still. I very rarely have to have a groomer do them for me anymore. It took me quite a while to get comfortable and faster with them, but itâll come with time and experience. Iâve done easily over 300 dogs nails at this point so Iâm pretty used to doing them now, even the some of the squirmy ones.
@surrenderingtogod If youâre going to teach them, teach them. âFiguring it out themselvesâ is how accidents happen. Provide resources on how to read dog body language, that should help with their confidence in handling them.
@seventytimes7 Hi, luckily she actually knows dog body language very well already. We worked together at a doggy daycare and she was taught by a behaviorist. I think that she maybe knows a little too much and she reads too much into little things and then gets nervous. Like if a dog is standing kind of stiff in the bathtub, or if they look at her sideways she immediately thinks whale eyes. I have explained to her that body language in a group of daycare dogs is a little different than in the bath because a lot of dogs just donât like baths, so while you should pay close attention to the body language, you have to realize they may just be more stiff because of nerves and they can still be ok. I have noticed that some of the daycare employees that give baths when they are new and donât really know much seem to have had an easier time handling some of the dogs.
Iâve been super impressed at how quickly she picked up on other things like when to back off with the dryer, or turn it lower, and stuff to make the dogs feel comfortable. Sheâs also so good at getting ears dry. When I was new that was really scary for me.
I would definitely never just abandon her. Iâm right there in the room the whole time to help physically and to answer questions. I just tend to be an enabler in other areas of my life and I am trying to be conscious of making sure sheâs learning and Iâm not stopping her from learning how to be independent.
Dogs that are that aggressive need to be sent to a veterinarian groomer/appropriate groomer/behaviorist
Shave down or no groom for you. Do not reward neglectful owners.
Reassess your schedule and find what works for you. Spend time for yourself. Eat well, rest well, take mental health days as needed.
Tell them they can either trust you or move on. You are not required to be a perfect match for every pet or pet owner.
Wear appropriate clothes or donât be a dog groomer. This is part of bathing an animal.
Wear a mask and eye protection + ear buds for music/podcasts that make you happy.
Find clothes that sheâs hair (lots of scrubs are made of great materials that help this issue).
Keep an eye out for better paying jobs or go housecall and keep all that you make minus taxes/expenses. The market for groomers is wiiiide open right now. Get a piece of that pie. Call the shots.
See #9
Do your best and have a limit. Be honest with the pet owner or send them elsewhere.
Anxiety/poor habits. Not your fault. See #11. Stand where they canât reach you and do your best. Do nails last.
Join a gym and work your core. Pay attention to how you posture and adjust to find comfort/balance. Eat healthy. Hydrate. Wear good shoes. Take breaks and stretch your back and rest your brain.
Pretty much try this entire list and reassess your life.
Find a job that values breaks or talk with your boss about why this is unacceptable to not have.
See #15
See #11
Clipper vac has attachments for this. Also itâs dog grooming. Hair gets everywhere.
Utilize hv dryers and products to make less brushing needed. Use excellent tools that work well for the job. Ask seasoned groomers what they use and why and try new stuff.
Refuse to groom those dogs without appropriate staff. Might need to change jobs to get what you need.
See #15 and apply to this issue.
Be honest and if they are unread they can fuck right off. You arenât a slave or robot.
Rude of them but if youâre not abusing their dog you have nothing to worry about. Also voice to them that you do not consent to being recorded. If they donât trust you they should go elsewhere.
Never expect tips. Charge accordingly for the work. Always.
This is dog grooming. Shit happens. Clean them up and send them home to get treatment. They can return after the dog is well. Disinfect the shop because certain things (giardia for example) can be spread to other animals. In fact if diarrhea is a known donât accept the groom in the first place. If itâs anxiety related refer them to a Mobile or housecall groomer.
Make a note and donât kennel them next time, ask owner to potty them first or have staff potty them before starting. If diarrhea, see #25
This is dog grooming and the noises, sights and smells are stressful. This is going to happen. Bring spare clothes.
Accidents happen. Have a pro come in and teach your entire staff pet first and cpr.
They can accept it or go elsewhere. Donât acknowledge their complaints tell them they can shop around they donât have to come to you. Or get cocky and asks why are they there then?
Report to police. Theft of service. Require payment prior to handing pet over. They can look but wait until âtheir hands are free and on hand the pet overâ.
Require pets be on preventive, treat the shop as needed. Also this is dog grooming. Part of the job.
Refuse to accept them from the beginning of this is that bad of an issue. They must get the all clear from their vet with a letter. Covers your ass.
Part of the job and it is being honest.
Too bad for them being reality checked.
Reality check. Accept it or they can move on and go be crazy for someone else. Bonus points if you educate them kindly and offer the options they DO have with that pet.
Find another shop or work for yourself and set all the rules.
See #36
See #36 request a receptionist that can assist groomers as needed.
See #38 to handle this. Ask the owner kindly to wait. This is a management issue.
Take the work shirt off or cover it up. Tell them youâre at lunch sorry.
Tell them yes if you want housecall and charge them more for the convenience. Say no if you donât wanna.
Thatâs an opinion and has nothing to do with grooming what they spent on their dog. Tbh comes off as holier than thou because you are clearly super unhappy. If you have these feelings a lot and donât truly wish to make it better maybe dog grooming just isnât for you. And that is 100% okay to not do the job. You just take care of yourself.
See #42
Donât respond. They have already been informed. Donât waste another moment stressing about this.
Have salon checked for safety. Make appropriate repairs to prevent this from happening again. You canât fix crazy thereâs not really a solution for the owner other than to leave and work elsewhere if heâs a continued threat and law enforcement wonât help you/restraining order.
Literally not your problem or fault. Why are you thinking of this? Could happen anywhere there is an outside.
This is my best thoughtful response to real problems! If you just wanted to vent that is ok too. Source: grooming and vet tech for 24 years going strong. Iâve grown a spine and have a better bullshit meter and more self confidence than when I was a puppy
@imagebeastmarkbeast This is very well thought out and a lot of things on here are what i am trying to do and do well. Ive only been a bather for 3 years and trained myself haircuts from july 2021. Ive been loving it. This is a great piece of info for people who want to learn and continue in this line. Appreciate all of it.
ď¸This was all very helpful constructive criticism. 
Iâm a new groomer and was getting pretty frustrated struggling a lot. 