[nagdu] Groomers revisited

Wed Nov 5 02:53:21 UTC 2014

Darla,

I think it's traditional to leave the ears longer, and it is cute... But 
in a working dog, the mess just ain't worth it. Same with the longer 
hair on the legs Gary mentioned. What a mess! I find that if I start out 
by requesting a "modified puppy cut" and explain the modifications and 
why I want them, it generally works. Our current groomer does Mitzi's 
ears differently, shaving them close all over instead of leaving the 
curls somewhat and just cutting the ends around the ear flap. She still 
gets lots of compliments, though. Loki's ears are still cut long, and 
they seem longer than Mitzi's to begin with, so they are way cool. For 
now. /lol/ In a couple of years, he won't be able to be such a hippie 
because of his job. Mitzi can have the long ears and maybe more fun 
cuts, I guess.

I've been generally lucky with groomers, although I do grill them over 
the phone before making an appointment, then arrive early and observe 
and listen and talk to them before handing over the leash. And I watch 
Mitzi's response, too. It was nice having a groomer already for Loki's 
intro puppy cuts. He's getting due for his third. She understands that 
it is more important that he have a good experience than that he comes 
out with perfect clean feet and all that jazz. He comes out looking like 
a poodle for sure. /smile/

Mitzi was quicked once, and they didn't tell us, nor did Wayne notice 
when we picked her up and put her in the car with the white upholstery, 
then took her into the restaurant with the white floor. The stuff they 
stuck on the nail to stop the bleeding had come off at some point, so it 
was plain where she had walked. Sigh.

Sometimes her tummy will feel a bit sensitive, but I don't think she's 
ever been nicked. I will often use shea butter (when I have it) or aloe 
vera gel or something like on the skin after a grooming. I like having 
the hygienic area totallly shaved, especially because of her tendency to 
urinary tract infections, so I'm glad her skin isn't super sensitive.

Tami

On 11/04/2014 01:19 PM, Darla via nagdu wrote:
> Besides, you are paying for the service and thus your Bogart should be cut
> as requested which makes a lot of sense to me, and the poodle owners I have
> spoken with so far, seem to prefer the puppy cut, as well, though I'm not
> sure how long they leave the hair on the ears; I'll have to ask or ask if I
> can look next poodle and owner I happen to meet.
> Darla & Handsome Huck
>
> P.S.  The nicks would seem to be very painful and leave your precious Bogart
> vulnerable to infection?
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of GARY STEEVES via
> nagdu
> Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2014 11:54 AM
> To: Larry D Keeler
> Cc: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Groomers revisited
>
> Hi Larry:
>
> Yes, Bogart is a poodle. Ironically, when I took him back to the groomer I
> liked to get his cut back to what I liked hoping it would be easy for my new
> groomer to follow, Bogart ended up with inflamations, or nicks from having
> his belly shaved. Poodles, especially blues have very sensative skin. I had
> asked them to not shave his tummy for this reason  but they obviously forgot
> my instructions.
>
> My only complaint about my current groomer is that she likes Bogarts ears
> nice and long. Yes, I agree they look great but I'm always brushing food out
> of them which is annoying. When you have a poodle groomers have a particluar
> idea of how a poodle should be cut. Even though I state I just want a puppy
> cut but keep a slightly pouffy tail and a pouf on his head they come up with
> cuts with short body with long legs. Looks great but most poodles aren't
> lying around on bus floors and restaurant floors. Maintainence is my
> concern. I guess I always am annoyed by anyone who think sthey  know more
> about dogs than anyone else and talks down to them. I'm sure groomers know
> lots of things but I'm the expert on my dog though and having such a highly
> trained and skilled dog might even be pretty good at training and dog
> behaviours as well. :)
>
> To conclude, I don't want to leave people, especially newer guide dog users,
> with the impression to be afraid to use groomers. My experiences I have
> shared are over a 4.5 year period and Bogart goes to a groomer every 6 - 8
> weeks where as most labs or other dogs who don't need to be cut mmay go much
> less often.  Ask questions, trust your instincts and those of your dog and
> you'll find a groomer who you can trust and work with.
>
> Gary
>
>
> In the end, I'm not patient enough to learn how to ckp Bogart myself. We
> give him baths periodically (after particularly gross days at the dog partk
> for example) and my partner, Susan, clips his nails.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Larry D Keeler <lkeeler at comcast.net>
> To: GARY STEEVES <rainshadowmusic at shaw.ca>, NAGDU Mailing List,the National
> Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 16:59:47 -0700 (MST)
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Groomers revisited
>
> Isn't he a poodle? I know sometimes when folks trim poodles they often knick
> them. So, of course they grow not to like it!
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "GARY STEEVES via nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> To: "Daryl Marie" <crazymusician at shaw.ca>
> Cc: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, November 03, 2014 6:10 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Groomers revisited
>
>
>> Hi Daryl:
>>
>> I have changed bogart's groomers several times. Once was because he
>> wouldn't go to the door. I made him go in and after wards he was
>> having problmes walking. His back leg kept giving out on him. I have a
>> feeling it is because they tie up the back leg when he is on the table
>> and if he was struggling he might of sort of strained a muscle. So I
>> never took im back there. When meeting others in the dog park I
>> learned that they had a reputation for having ffleas there and not being
> very caring.
>>
>> The most recent time was more because they never seemed to listen to
>> me and what I wanted in Bogart's cut. This was to the point where I
>> went back to his old groomer from the other suburb I used to live in
>> to get him done right. Then when he needed his next hair cut I thought
>> it would be simpel to follw the pattern but just cut his hair in
>> proportion but this seems hard for groomers to do at times. Also, the
>> last time he was there he had asub par cut and they didn' tdo his
>> nails. When I called about it she apologized saying they were having a
>> bad day. Offered to fix him but never offered any sort of discount for my
> time so that was the last straw.
>>
>>
>> Bogart didn't mind that place or the one he goes to now. However, my
>> friend with a lab guide dog told me that they had to walk past his
>> groomers every day on the way to work and Victor would make a wide
>> arch around that doorway hoping he wasn't going in there and all he
>> was getting done was bathed and nails. :)
>>
>> Wish there was a place I could go that would bathe me a couple of
>> times, trim my hhair and goatee, do my nails, pamper me and make me
>> look awesome for only $80!
>>
>> Gary
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Daryl Marie via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> Sent: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 15:59:13 -0700 (MST)
>> Subject: [nagdu] Groomers revisited
>>
>> Hi!
>> I took jenny to the groomer today for a second time since we graduated
>> training.  I guess I am just wondering if she doesn't like to be
>> groomed, or if she doesn't like the groomer/environment itself.  how can I
> tell?
>> For those who have switched groomers or chosen to groom yourself, wha
>> tprompted the decision?
>>
>> Just curious.
>>
>> Daryl
>>
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