"Why would you let them do that!?!?" ~ my 13yo

[kimberly3421]

@natalia2019 Could’ve pre shaved.

 

[natalia2019]

@kimberly3421 I could not.

 

[tamlamc]

@natalia2019 So sorry - not a groomer, just a lurker. What is stripping and why do you do it to a doodle?

 

[rickt65]

@tamlamc They don't mean hand stripping here (pulling out a wire coat essentially, you can Google for more info), they just mean they had to take off all that hair all the way to the shortest blade

 

[tamlamc]

@rickt65 Ah. Thank you. My dogs get cut 3/8 comb attachment I think. Is that considered short? I think they look great and feel like velvet. Does this do long-term coat damage?

 

[rickt65]

@tamlamc I see you have a labradoodle, so unless they've got labrador type fur then no, shaving does no coat damage whatsoever. And I'd say that's a fairly short trim, but no reason not to if that's what you like

 

[tamlamc]

@rickt65 One is curly, the other wavy. Wavy one always combs out really easily, never mats. The other is very dense and curly and she does mat. I get them groomed at the same time so they are both short. I think they might look better - especially the wavy one - if they were longer but I want them living their best doggies lives jumping in the ocean and rolling in the grass I don’t want to worry about the coat. We have non shedders not bcz of allergies but bcz cleaning up dog hair would make me crazy (my sister had 3 labs I had a front row seat).

 

[rickt65]

@tamlamc This is what I love to see, I keep one of mine short so she can just be a dog and love when other owners do the same. Just make sure to brush the curly one regularly so you don't get too many mats as that's uncomfortable for them

 

[tamlamc]

@rickt65 I’m practicing line brushing - they don’t like it, so I must not be very good at it. I also bought a pin brush with balls on the ends and they love it for the massage so I’m using it at the end as a treat/reward for letting me get through the line brushing. They get a full groom every 6 weeks and I take them to a self wash as necessary. I am afraid to do nails so I get them cut by a vet tech every 3 weeks. Ears skeev me out so I don’t do them. I cut hair out of their eyes as necessary. What else would you want an owner to do?

 

[rickt65]

@tamlamc Honestly that sounds good. When line brushing I'm assuming you're using a slicker brush and a metal comb? That'll make sure knots don't really get a chance to form, if you're not constantly pulling on knots they're more likely to accept brushing. At the self wash make sure to blow dry them properly as that can cause matting too. Curly hair is more difficult to look after, just keep doing what you're doing regularly and I think things will be good

 

[tamlamc]

@rickt65 Thank you! The curly one doesn’t mind the self wash and she’s tolerant of letting me brush through conditioner. Wavy one hates hates hates the blow dry. They are getting groomed later in the week; I’ll ask our groomer what she thinks (of how I’m doing, not of what you said).

 

[natalia2019]

@tamlamc Because I was asked to. This is what the owner wanted.

 

[tamlamc]

@natalia2019 But what is”stripping” pls?

 

[natalia2019]

@tamlamc It means to cut the hair super short.

 

[oceanwaves]

@natalia2019 I will never understand why so many groomers bathe a matted dog and don't do any rough ins. Honestly, most dogs don't like the blow drying process, why are you making it take longer? Why are you making it harder on you AND THE DOG?

Getting my equipment sharpened more often is definitely worth a shorter bath and drying time. Sharpening once a month for my tools doing this and my tools were FINE. Like seriously. I never understood why some groomers don't do a thorough rough in before the bath. Nails, ears, dematt, pads, sanitary, take the hair off that needs to be gone, ect. and your finish is a breeze. Plus, why risk the owner coming in early and you still have nails and dematting to do and now the dog is all hyped up?

Seems absolutely ludicrous to me. I have had to rehabilitate so many dogs who hated brushing and combing because groomers bathed them with mats, made the mats tighter with the dryer and then yanked and pulled on them with that AWFUL razor mat splitter comb.

Seriously such a waste of time, struggling through mats to try and get to the skin to clean, all for an extra maybe 1/4" of coat or because it "ruins" your tools? Sure it dulls them faster than it would if you didn't but SO INCREMENTALLY What the heck are you using your tools for if not to maintain and sharpen them often?

Makes 0 sense. Poor dogs.

 

[natalia2019]

@oceanwaves 1) I don't work for myself. We have bathers where I work. The owner decides if it's pre-stripped.

2) It wasn't matted. That's the cut that the owner wanted

3) I walked into it already in the tub.

 

[oceanwaves]

@natalia2019 Doesn't change the fact that it happens all the time for no good reason.