Rant: doodles are making me want to quit dog grooming

[gilliannno]

@hazelelponi That would be nice. Where I work, we just charge per dog and not per hour. So a giant pyredoodle could take 3 or more hours but the charge would only be $120 and the groomer would only get $60 of that. Then if the owner leaves a tip using their credit card, the groomer only gets a certain percentage of that tip. Then taxes are taken out so all in all, the groomer is lucky to make $50 bucks off of it. We work sooo hard to make a living with dog grooming.

 

[andy0]

@otfl4jah I saw a comment of yours saying you work for a business so you can’t decide your own prices etc. I only did dog grooming for two and a half years so my advice is probably useless, but maybe enquire about just bathing and blowdrying when it comes to the doodle breeds? and then another employee can finish off with the brushing and trimming. Obviously, this is way easier said than done, but maybe consider trying to open your own grooming business down the line. If you drive, you could have a mobile business, which could potentially make it easier for you to do less doodle breeds? Unfortunately wherever you go you’ll probably never escape the doodles but simply limiting how many youre doing in the long term might help. Sorry again if my advice is silly but I hope it helps nonetheless!

 

[otfl4jah]

Thank you all for your comments!!!! I feel so heard the main takeaway I got is that the prices at my place of work are too low. And I agree! I think grooming from home would work best for me in the long run where I can set my own prices and my own pace, but for now, I’m going to band together with the other groomers and ask for price increases. All of us have been feeling the way I feel for a very long time and something needs to change. Thank you all for your replies!

 

[rachelr15]

@otfl4jah Talk to your boss about raising prices. It will make you and them more money.

 

[laralara]

@otfl4jah You definitely should be charging an hourly rate!! I have and adore my doodle … BUT I keep her brushed, brush her right before the groom and if she’s so long that it takes my groomer extra time, she charges me for it and that’s fine. Also, when I found out my groomer was struggling with pain, I asked her to set the schedule she was comfortable with. Good groomers are gold!!!!

Doodles can be amazing if they’re trained properly and cared for.

 

[xeena]

@otfl4jah My mom started dog grooming when I was 5... I'm 43 now and my mom has so many injuries from years of grooming (and she still grooms dogs 25lbs and under in her retirement community at 73 yrs old because she loves dogs). Carpal tunnel, varicose veins, bad rotator cuffs, back problems from lifting and wrestling big dogs with anxiety in the bath tub... scars from being bitten because she never required reactive dogs to be medicated ... I have a 40lb bernedoodle, and I brush him every 48 hrs per her instructions, and I STILL shave home down to look like a poodle a couple times a year because he is more comfortable. I say charge more money and make yourself a "doodle specialist" since it is already all you do....and charge twice the price for doodles... and take longer so you can have breaks for your wrists and elbows. I have also heard of groomers that require doodles to come in every 8 weeks or they refuse to groom them... So you could put that rule out there that they must come every 8 weeks or they are fired as a client. Your body and mind are worth more and doodle parents will complain but pay it.

 

[whidbyministries]

@otfl4jah literally my plan to avoid this is to eventually try to do show dog grooming on my own terms. so that way i can avoid both pet home only dogs and doodles lol.

 

[vissie]

@otfl4jah At my shop, if the pet owner cannot reasonably maintain a long haircut at home/does not have their dog on a schedule then we refuse to demat. They’ll get the longest blade that will cut through the mats. They can take it or leave it we explain number one reason is the stress to the dogs skin and the pain it causes them, and that it is unfair and traumatic for them.

 

[xeena]

@vissie If they care about their dog, they will either do better or deal with the short cut. A.. freaking...men

 

[ulrichgood]

@otfl4jah I don’t get as much doodles as you, but I just made a post complaining about doodles. I am sorry. It sucks. I love my job, but it is definitely a strain.

I have been dealing with a wrist injury for several months now. Ice, physical therapy, etc. It sucks. I hope things get better for you. Maybe you should switch to smaller dogs. I have been thinking about doing the same.

It’ll definitely be a hit, but the clientele should pick up eventually, right? I don’t know. I wish I could be more helpful to you. I hope things get better.

 

[jkohlmeier]

@otfl4jah Stop dematting these dogs! Owners won't wake up unless there are consequences(and education) for letting their dogs get matted; shave downs and higher pricing even if only a demat fee.

As for those coats that the owner wants fluffy but is tangled all over but not badly matted, my protocol is to give them a quick and rough shave before the bath with a 3/4" HT/19mm blade, #5 on the inside of the back legs. Remove any tight mats on the tail/ears/cheeks/etc.(shaving or cutting if necessary) Brush beard/tail/topknot but no brushing on the body yet. Wash and see if the conditioner will work some magic for me. See if the HV dryer will work some magic for me. Only after that will I brush the body and legs and it's so much faster and easier.

 

[preng]

@otfl4jah What’s your average price for doodles?

 

[otfl4jah]

@preng I work for a business that decides the charges. They go by weight so it’s like :
0-24 lbs is $70
25-49 lb is $85
50-74 lb is $100
75-99 lb is $115

 

[otfl4jah]

Oh and I get 55% commission if that helps

 

[colinscouser]

@otfl4jah Can you work in a suite concept for yourself? See less appointments since you're not splitting your commission?

 

[baothy2201]

@otfl4jah Can you bump the prices? If the work is good, it'll weed out those who want something cheaper, and keep those that want quality. We are one of the more expensive salons, but they get quality

 

[leoriofarel]

@otfl4jah Those sound like (low) shave down prices. Brushing/ deshed prices double that. Demat price double plus $50 per hour of dematting. Then you don't have to do so many to make your income goals. Seriously unless you're in BFE, your prices are too low. Frustrating when your boss doesn't get that.

 

[creativechris]

@otfl4jah Obligatory: I am not a groomer, but I do own a long coated rough collie and I could not imagine paying such a low rate to take my girl in to the groomer. I've home groomed her enough to know that even for a non-doodle coat you're not charging enough or getting paid enough for that.

That can't possibly be a living hourly wage. Maybe you're the Lightning McQueen of the dog grooming world but I can't imagine doing my girl in a short enough time to make that hourly rate worth it at your rates. You deserve better than that.

 

[turnkeyforex]

@creativechris Yeah I live in a very high cost of living city but my 30 lb double coated, never matted pup costs more than $115 for a bath, deshed, sanitary trim, line trim, and nail clip. And she's easy and really only goes in to keep her coat as light as possible in the summer. Those prices are extremely low.

 

[otfl4jah]

@turnkeyforex I’ve been grooming at this place for around 2 years now and I’m realizing just how messed up it is here. It’s an extremely reputable place in my city and is loved by so many people, but none of the clients know what it’s like to work here. The front desk is clean and stylish while the back where I work is unclean and disorganized.
The place is mostly for daycare, and there are only 3 groomers there including myself.
Our prices are definitely too low, the equipment they provide is always breaking and cheap, and there were times where we would run out of shampoo and have to use dawn dish soap as an alternative until they’d ship our supplies.
Last summer, our air conditioner stopped working and my coworkers and I work in a very small room together and the thermostat said that everyday it would be 85 degrees in there along with the humidity from bathing and drying. We complained for months of feeling light headed and they only just got a new ac for us a month before summer ended.
With all that needs to be fixed for us there, this year they opened another location. It felt like a slap in the face.
They over work us, under pay us, and don’t care about the conditions in which we have to work. It’s wrong not just for us, but for the clients that don’t know the state of the grooming area.
I’m planning on quitting and grooming from home, but I have to buy supplies first. But once I get my set up together, I’m quitting and I’m going to tell them exactly why.
This thread has really helped me feel valid in my outrage. Thank you all