# Not what I expected -- at all...



## SnickersDad (Apr 9, 2010)

I took Snoopy in to be groomed today. I thought I'd try a new groomer for a couple of reasons. One being a recommendation from a friend of mine that gets his "doodle" dog groomed there, and Second because I've been trying to groom Snoopy myself, and I'm not so good at it, But not so terrible at it either. I'm still learning and sadly Snoops was more of a guinea pig than I'd planned! I found that Snoopy was very very reactive to any potential for pain, for example if I was using a comb on him and had to even gently pull through a small (Tiny Tiny) tangle he'd try to nip the comb, also he refused to let me get near his feet with the clippers so he looked a bit shaggy when I brought him in.

My instructions were to Ëven him out" and to clean up his face-- another area he wanted me to leave alone.

Full Coat -- Before he became so matted I knew he'd have to be shaved.









Heres how he went in --









Note that his head is still inpretty much full coat as is his tail and feet. My instructions were to even him up and to get his head back in balance...

Here's how he came out.

























He looks ok I guess, but there is no way I expected them to shave him down to his skin. I had expected them to give him a haircut and to leave his body about 1/2 to 5/8 of an inch long on his body and torso while his tail and head would become a bit more 'right sized' for the way the rest of his body looked.

So, for those that are attending the No Ca. Havanese Club meeting tomorrow at Steve and Susans home in Tracy -- please give Snoopy some encouragement ... He'll need it.


----------



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Jim he looks fine, but yeah they evened him out.. Even with his skin line. LOL


----------



## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

I always read these threads with a sick dread. The title gives it away but you still have to look. 

Well, at least he will be comfortable for the summer.


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

awwwwww, can't wait to meet him (and snoopy and YOU!) tomorrow!!
He will surely be COOL. literally!!  and as I reminded myself when I had Tillie shaved down... it WILL grow back... eventually!!


----------



## klf0110 (Jun 30, 2009)

They evened him out all right, shaved the little guy all over . I always go by the comb size on the clippers for instructions and never by how much length to leave. I have my groomer use a 1/2 comb on Huey and in 6 weeks he grows out to where he needs to be groomed again. The 1/2 comb leaves enough fur that he doesn't have that shaved look. When he was a puppy I started with a long length and slowly went down each grooming visit until I found the comb size that cut his fur exactly the length I wanted. That whole process took about a year. My current groomer recently left so I am going to be trying out someone new too. I always worry until I know they know exactly what I want-usually takes a few trips.


----------



## Cailleach (Jan 30, 2010)

He looks alright. At least he must have been good for the clippers.


----------



## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

Actually I think he looks pretty good!:becky:


----------



## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

I think who ever groomed him just took the easy route,shave the body down and clipper the face,not much skill involved.But he is such a cute dog,he can get away with his new look!Anyway now you can pretty much start from scratch and get his coat how you want it,but I don't think they evened him up as his head and tail are not in keeping with his body.How is Snickers doing?


----------



## inlovewithhav (Feb 18, 2011)

I read these threads and it helps me to keep putting off taking Kipper to be groomed. I was fine with the groomer that used to take care of my dear departed Golden but then I saw a Hav mix that they did and they had shaved him. Where we Kennel grooms as well and I THINK they will do an excellent job, especially since she used to handle Hav's in AKC shows but I have never used them..... sigh blowing coat is coming on fast so I know I will have to take him soon. Snoopy looks cute as a button though and I am sure he feels great for the summer


----------



## Jplatthy (Jan 16, 2011)

LOL Dave....I only think I've found one thread where the person was happy with the way the grooming turned out .......seems to be a common issue no matter where you are located...I did take the advice from ONE person who had a bad first experience and I write a note about everything I do NOT want done and then exactly what I DO want done and that seems to work better than anything else I've tried...I also "carefully" explain that I am paying for this and it is a service they are providing and I want it done the way I WANT it regardless of whether they "think" it is the way they should look or not LOL..they probably think I am the "nightmare" customer lol but at least I haven't had anymore shaved areas on my furbabies


----------



## Divaskychick (May 18, 2011)

Jplatthy said:


> LOL Dave....I only think I've found one thread where the person was happy with the way the grooming turned out .......seems to be a common issue no matter where you are located...I did take the advice from ONE person who had a bad first experience and I write a note about everything I do NOT want done and then exactly what I DO want done and that seems to work better than anything else I've tried...I also "carefully" explain that I am paying for this and it is a service they are providing and I want it done the way I WANT it regardless of whether they "think" it is the way they should look or not LOL..they probably think I am the "nightmare" customer lol but at least I haven't had anymore shaved areas on my furbabies


Right on!


----------



## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

*Happy after grooming!!*

Here is a pic of Dizzie after his summer grooming last year,I was pleased with it,he will be going again shortly,accompanied by Nellie for a summer make over!Hope all goes well again.


----------



## LuckyOne (Sep 3, 2009)

Very nice Claire. That's more what I was expecting and why my husband thinks they should look like.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

LuckyOne said:


> Very nice Claire. That's more what I was expecting and why my husband thinks they should look like.


I agree. I LOVE how Claire's dogs are done. They have enough less hair to make them a little easier to manage, but there is still no mistaking them for any other breed. You just want to pick them up and hug them!!!

If I were to go for a shorter look, that would be it!


----------



## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Nellie and Dizzie look AMAZING!!! that's it, I'm moving to ENGLAND.


----------



## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

The mats do start right very close to the skin. The groomers had no choice and Snickers was spared the pain. 

Hair grows! What is your goal considering Snicker's hair? (Short, Medium, or Medium Long or Full Coat).

Hair combing every day even if it is only 15 seconds to start on with and slowly lengthening the grooming sessions is a must. As you are combing...you will soon learn where the mats will most likely be located.

Doing your own grooming is a learning in process. Mistakes WILL be made! It can be done though! 

When I use the clippers on Dexter, I basically use them on his back, sides, rump....everything else is done with scissors and cheap thinners.


----------



## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

When I lived in Calif. I had a wonderful groomer she had been a show groomer then got married had a child started her own business. She would brush out the matts and most of the people going to her wanted their dogs long, yes she cost more, worth it. She would even take the time to show some of the people how to deal with the matts with out hurting their dogs. My dogs loved her.


----------



## jessegirl (May 13, 2011)

Claire, so THAT'S where all the good groomers are - England! Dizzy looks perfect!!!

We really like the scruffy look that Rollie has now. Maybe we should take a bunch of pics so when we go to the groomer we can show them what we want . . .


----------



## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

One more thing........I can relate to the very short muzzle trim. I do not know what poscess me to trim so much on Dexter but I did and a picture was not shown for at least six months. 

Hair does grow back, just look at Dexter's picture...he is my grooming experience!


----------



## West End Girl (Feb 18, 2011)

I think owners need to be very specific about what they want regarding their dog grooming. Telling the groomer to "even him out" isn't specific at all- in fact, it's quite vague. 

Bottom line, a good groomer will research the breed to see what it's supposed to properly resemble PRIOR to grooming. My dog is a Havanese and as such, I want her to look like one regardless of whether she has a short cut, or longer hair kwim? Many of these grooming threads are real nightmares and sorry to say, the dogs do not resemble what a Hav should look like. 

I know that my groomer friend will ONLY shave a dog at the owners request or when the dog has been severely neglected or so matted that even a 1 hour deep conditioning treatment doesn't work.


----------



## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

Yes. It's always helpful to groomers if you are specific with what you want, yet realistic as well. Groomers are very busy and often do not have time to demat a whole dog unless they've already set aside time for it (plan on paying dematting fees). In my salon almost all clients are very happy with how the grooms turn out, and if a dog is so matted that it has to be shaved, we make sure to tell them in no uncertain terms that their dog is so badly matted the only humane thing to do is to shave him down.

I can completely understand why some people can feel uneasy about leaving their dog at the groomer's. I myself would never let one of the groomers I work with bathe my dog. My philosophy is to be as gentle with the dog as possible, but retain his dignity if I can. I neither shave a dog all the way down for convenience, nor put a dog through the torture of dematting soley because the owner was neglectful and doesn't want him shaved. The bottom line is unfortunately you may have to "shop around" until you can find a groomer you can trust.

To get a nice puppy trim, try to have your dog 95% mat free (Line brush with a comb from the skin out, if the comb gets stuck that is a mat, there should be no resistance). The 5% that is matted can either be shaved or partially de matted or completely de matted, and often the shaved areas aren't even that noticable (behind the ears, armpits, inside thighs). If you know what comb length you like, that's the best (My dog gets a "B" cut, etc). The groomer is there to give your dog a bath and haircut, not catch up on your neglecting to brush your dog daily.

I've attached a picture of a Tibetan Terrier I groomed. The owner brought the dog in before the appointment for an evaluation. I looked the dog over and told him she was matted (she was) and that she would have to be de matted. I showed him how to de mat and instructed him to try to demat her as much as possible before the grooming appointment. When he brought the dog in, her mats were 50% better. I was able to demat her, bathe, dry, and trim her in approximately 3 hours.


----------



## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

Sorry I don't think the pictures posted. Let me try again:


----------



## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

He is so cute!


----------



## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

how you get those cute little rounded feet?


----------



## Annie Clark (Nov 6, 2008)

I think he looks very cute! Maybe he likes his new cut.

Annie


----------



## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

The term for how I groomed the feet is called "beveled," where basically you trim around the bottom of the feet and then trim it up at an upwards angle. On the TT, the beveling slopes towards the front of the feet. I don't really trim up and over the top of the foot as that would be incorrect for a long coated dog. You will also see it on full coated cockers and bichons in a breed cut, and sometimes schnauzers if they have really nice thick leg furnishings. 

Note: This is NOT the correct way to trim a Havanese foot for show. There's a good video for Havanese show grooming by Pure Paws, the dark grey Have with silver points, the groomer trims around the foot.


----------



## Divaskychick (May 18, 2011)

atsilvers27 said:


> I myself would never let one of the groomers I work with bathe my dog.


Why is that?


----------



## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

Divaskychick said:


> Why is that?


She can sometimes be too rough. She will yell loudly at the dogs. It can get pretty uncomfortable working around her. If I were the mangager I would fire her, but I guess there's a whole process to go through before someone gets fired, so she has to do something like break policy multiple times and be on a final warning etc etc (I work for PetSmart). Unfortunately, she just went through the grooming school so now she's a groomer and grooming dogs, which is WAY more stressful than just bathing dogs (she obviously has a temper problem). Corporate just wants people going through the academy so they become groomers and make PetSmart more money, but the manager does have the power to say, no this person should not be a groomer. That's what happened when I was at academy, the manager there said about one of her bathers that wanted to be a groomer and I quote, "I will never put a pair of scissors in her hand." I guess my manager just didn't have the spine to do that.

PetSmart has to hire anyone that is qualified for the job (or else they can be sued for discrimination) and it's the same sort of scenario in any retail setting, all you need to be hired is a high school diploma or a GED and pass a drug test (I was so horrified to learn that almost everyone I work with does drugs and knows how to pass a drug test), so sometimes the ones that aren't up to it end up quitting since a busy grooming salon is a high stress, fast-paced, physically demanding, dangerous, dirty and disgusting place to work (featured in Discovery Channel's Filthiest Jobs).

The PetSmart salon I worked in in Massachusetts had respectable groomers that took pride in their work and were very nice, clean people. So I guess it really varies from salon to salon, and I woudn't exclude private salons from these people too since one of the groomers that got fired from my salon now works for a private groomer (also at least at PetSmart there are many safety and hiegene policies in place that many private salons won't match). Yes, private salons tend to be more selective with the people they hire, but you can find master groomers at the big box pet stores too because of benefits (almost no private salons offer benefits).

So from my view it doesn't matter were you take your dog for grooming, you can find great and not-so-great groomers anywhere. If you find a groomer you like, try to work with her/him, listen to whe s/he says and don't forget to tip!


----------



## Kygroomergal (Aug 7, 2011)

I really prefer to have my customers come in with exactly what they want. That way I know what is expected of me to do, otherwise we just pretty much have free reighn on what to do. I have even had some customers come in with pictures. Ask to stay for the first groom and watch what they are doing. I have even had the clients help me so that they can make sure the groom is what they want. Most groomers aim to please their clients, otherwise we will be out of business. Go in with the knowledge of what you want the cut to look like and give precise instructions to the groomer.

To the OP, sorry the groom wasn't what you wanted. I hope you have better luck next time.
Jennifer



Jplatthy said:


> LOL Dave....I only think I've found one thread where the person was happy with the way the grooming turned out .......seems to be a common issue no matter where you are located...I did take the advice from ONE person who had a bad first experience and I write a note about everything I do NOT want done and then exactly what I DO want done and that seems to work better than anything else I've tried...I also "carefully" explain that I am paying for this and it is a service they are providing and I want it done the way I WANT it regardless of whether they "think" it is the way they should look or not LOL..they probably think I am the "nightmare" customer lol but at least I haven't had anymore shaved areas on my furbabies


----------

