# This is what happened at the doggie spa yesterday :(



## Linck (Mar 25, 2013)

This is not really a question or anything. I just want to get some comments to see if I was reasonable or am I overreacting..

We are redoing our backyard. Lincoln Loves to dig and roll himself in those mud. We bathe him every time he got into it, but the smell doesn't really go away. So we thought of sending him to get bathe by professional. We are also too scared of cutting his nails too deep and accidentally hurt him. The vet nurse usually cuts his nails for us but he does not need to go to the vet anymore. 

I took a tour at 5 different grooming/kennel places in town. Only one kennel made the cut. This place is exceptionally clean compare to others. They don't allow group play, reasonable price and close to our house. They show me a kennel where Lincoln will be put in the day he comes in for grooming. Its big and have access to outdoor grassy area which I love. I thought heck yeah this is perfect.

I dropped him off at 8 am. They said he will be done around 3 to 4 but wait until they call first. So I did. I wait til 5 pm they still hadn't call. So I call to check on him and they said "oh sorry about that, yes he is ready to go".. Strike 1.

We drove to pick him up. I ask the lady specifically, "was he a good boy?" and ask if everything went smooth with him. She said yes he is just like normal german shepherd puppy. I asked her practically the same question twice. She said everything was ok.

She brought Lincoln to us. We walked him to the truck. As soon as he got on the grass in front of the kennel he pees for probably 2 minutes straight. Before Lincoln is fully housebroken, we crate him 3-4 hours at a time during the day. He has never need to pee this much. This is a sign, to me, that he was in a small crate. NOT a kennel they showed me. Strike 2.

We pick him up to get in the truck. Then we start to see blood dripping. I freaked out. My husband said they probably cut his nail too deep. I ran right back inside and ask them when did they cut his nail. They said this morning. I said well he is bleeding. The lady was like "oh he is still bleeding?" I was like... so you KNOW that happened but you purposedly not telling me?? How long has he been bleeding?? The lady take this powder thing to the truck and patch it on Lincoln's toe. He was crying and whining and I want to slap that b face. I understand accident happened. but not telling me is absolutely unacceptable. At this point I was already sure i'm not bringing Lincoln back here anymore. My husband said maybe they don't think it is a big deal.... He usually is the calm one anyway... Strike 3

When we got home, Lincoln ran to his water bowl and drink probably a gallon of water.... He didn't have access to the water???! At this point, my husband is totally agree with me. We are not going back there ever again. Strike 4

After the drink, Lincoln ran to the backyard and poop. Another sign that he was in a small crate not a freakin kennel like they told me he would be in... Strike 5

Then, he ran back inside and go straight to the food container. I have seen hungry Lincoln before but this is not just hungry. He was starving. I left them a bag of lunch at the dropped off this morning. I told them Lincoln get three meals a day so please don't forget his lunch. I'm pretty certain they didn't feed him...

I'm so done with this place. 

The dog can't speak. They probably think they can always get away with it. I raise this boy for 2 month. I know every little bit of him. 

I was so frustrated. I know this is probably not the worst yet. But I'm scared to send him to the place like that again......


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

I'm sorry that happened  No, I wouldn't be going back

What's done is done, don't kick yourself for not knowing as you did check it out and talk to them before dropping him off. Puppies recover quickly 

If you're scared about cutting his nails, book a nail trimming back at the vets. Most charge around $20 and a vet tech will do it for you. If you're not comfortable doing it yourself, that's probably your best solution if you're not comfortable with any groomers nearby.

As for bathing, get a good shampoo and do it yourself  Now that it's warmer you could even haul a few pails of warm water outside and do it in a kiddie pool to minimize mess in the house.


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

For $20 you can do it yourself with the Oster nail trimmer.

Learn to do it yourself and create a little more bonding with your puppy.

It's worth it.

I would never go back to that Vet.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

If you are not happy I would call and let them know.

As for the peeing and pooping, I don't see how it indicates he was kept in a too small crate all day? My dogs pee and poop freely at home but tend to be, uh, more reserved at other places and will hold it much longer until they go. If they are kenneled at a boarding place or groomer they will not soil in a kennel and will hold it even if dogs are expected to potty in the kennel/run. This is why there are only a handful of people/places I take my dogs locally. When most places say the dog has access to a kennel, they mean the dog potties IN the kennel and then the kennel is cleaned out. My dogs are super "clean" and won't soil a kennel/run, they will hold it. I only take them to my friend for boarding because she takes them OUTside to potty in the large yard. Has your dog pooped and peed in a kennel before? If not I would not be the least bit surprised that he'd hold it and I'd actually be happy. I prefer "clean" dogs, personally.

As for the bleeding foot...I don't know, to me this is very common, quicking a dog. Often if you ask a pro groomer for a nail trim that is what you are getting. If you haven't been trimming your dog's nails back regularly, they get long and the quick moves forward so when the groomer trims them, they bleed. Unfortunately without constant pressure or re-applying styptic powder they can bleed for a while. I guess to a lot of owners and groomers it's kind of a given, not even worth mentioning. If the dog's nails were long and a trim was ordered, they are probably going to get quicked unless you want the nails left long.


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## Linck (Mar 25, 2013)

Liesje said:


> As for the peeing and pooping, I don't see how it indicates he was kept in a too small crate all day? My dogs pee and poop freely at home but tend to be, uh, more reserved at other places and will hold it much longer until they go. If they are kenneled at a boarding place or groomer they will not soil in a kennel and will hold it even if dogs are expected to potty in the kennel/run. This is why there are only a handful of people/places I take my dogs locally. When most places say the dog has access to a kennel, they mean the dog potties IN the kennel and then the kennel is cleaned out. My dogs are super "clean" and won't soil a kennel/run, they will hold it. I only take them to my friend for boarding because she takes them OUTside to potty in the large yard. Has your dog pooped and peed in a kennel before? If not I would not be the least bit surprised that he'd hold it and I'd actually be happy. I prefer "clean" dogs, personally.


He has been in a crate (just enough for him to turn around) and a kennel (probably about 6x6 ft) at home. He never soil his crate. But he did choose a corner in the kennel to go. This is back when he was still in potty training. From this observation, I take a guess that wherever he was must be small. The kennel they showed me is more roomy than 6x6 especially with the long length he would definitely "go" somewhere in there.



> As for the bleeding foot...I don't know, to me this is very common, quicking a dog. Often if you ask a pro groomer for a nail trim that is what you are getting. If you haven't been trimming your dog's nails back regularly, they get long and the quick moves forward so when the groomer trims them, they bleed. Unfortunately without constant pressure or re-applying styptic powder they can bleed for a while. I guess to a lot of owners and groomers it's kind of a given, not even worth mentioning. If the dog's nails were long and a trim was ordered, they are probably going to get quicked unless you want the nails left long.


I understand accident can happened. They did explain to me later that they lose grip of his paw. I also understand that it may be so common that it is not worth mentioning. But I asked them twice. They said everything went great. I don't like this. I feel like if its this small and they won't tell me, would they tell me if its a bigger deal??

*@Shade*: Thank you  That is what I plan to do.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

Well...you never know what Lincoln did or didn't. I'd never drop my boy off for a whole day for just a grooming appointment...then again, I don't groom him. I don't like leaving my car at the dealer's for a whole day just for an oil change, why would I leave my dog somewhere for the whole day when its probably just a 1-2 hour job.

Maybe Lincoln was stressed and didn't drink or eat the food? Or maybe like you assumed they didn't give him the food. The place probably deals with dozens of dogs on a daily basis, to expect them to follow your directions to a T, especially when they're not what most people do, is maybe expecting a little too much IMO.

Cutting the quick is probably not that big of a deal for them. They probably try to do it as fast as possible, your dog flinches, they hit the quick. You know what they say...if you want it done right, do it yourself! Get a dremmel, hard to hit the quick if you're using one of those. Buy a good shampoo and a hand held shower head and wash your dog yourself. It takes me maybe 10 minutes to give my boy a good bath, and probably about 10 minutes to cut all 18 nails. 

I guess if I was going to a groomer, I'd expect to have a set appointment time and be there the whole time it was happening. This is kind of one of those things that baffles me. Just like putting your dog under for a teeth cleaning...unnecessary anesthesia for something that could be easily dealt with without risking your dog's life.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I still don't think it's bad the dog didn't soil in the kennel. My dogs wouldn't soil a kennel if it was 12'x12', they just won't go. If you've got a "clean" dog, next time I would ask if they can take the dog outside to potty on a leash or an enclosed area if they have one. I would not assume that because the dog was reluctant to soil the kennel that he was put in a cramped crate.

Yes as for quicking the nail this is very common and probably something they didn't think was worth mentioning. I've quicked nails on a lot of dogs, even ones I'm fostering or trimming for someone else and don't usually mention it unless I've just done the nails and it's still bleeding. If someone asks me to trim a dog and the quick is long, it is probably unavoidable. It's not a bad idea to note it and mention to the owner but at the same time I don't necessarily assume they are hiding worse stuff because they didn't mention it. One time I quicked my own dog and didn't notice, it must not have started bleeding right away because I always check the nails. I took a shower and when I came out there was blood streaked ALL over every square foot of the carpeting. It happens no matter how careful we are and most dogs don't even notice or react.


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## Linck (Mar 25, 2013)

I made a call like one of the respond suggested. They apologize for not telling me about the nail. I asked about the crate and they said it is a 42" crate. They said the kennels they showed me were all full.

*@martemchik:*



> Well...you never know what Lincoln did or didn't. I'd never drop my boy off for a whole day for just a grooming appointment...then again, I don't groom him. I don't like leaving my car at the dealer's for a whole day just for an oil change, why would I leave my dog somewhere for the whole day when its probably just a 1-2 hour job


Oh yes, I totally agree with that. Actually the first question I asked to all those kennel at the tour was "Can I wait?" They all give me a blank and said you can but its going to take at least half a day. I don't know if that is my town's thing or what. The shortest one I found require 3 hours on him at the quickest but they still can't promise. 



> Maybe Lincoln was stressed and didn't drink or eat the food? Or maybe like you assumed they didn't give him the food. The place probably deals with dozens of dogs on a daily basis, to expect them to follow your directions to a T, especially when they're not what most people do, is maybe expecting a little too much IMO


That is true. It may be stressed thats why he didn't eat. 



> Cutting the quick is probably not that big of a deal for them. They probably try to do it as fast as possible, your dog flinches, they hit the quick. You know what they say...if you want it done right, do it yourself!


LOL That is exactly why I take him to the groomer. I'm not sure if I can do it right. 

*@Liesje:*



> I still don't think it's bad the dog didn't soil in the kennel. My dogs wouldn't soil a kennel if it was 12'x12', they just won't go. If you've got a "clean" dog, next time I would ask if they can take the dog outside to potty on a leash or an enclosed area if they have one. I would not assume that because the dog was reluctant to soil the kennel that he was put in a cramped crate.


Oh I'm glad to have a clean dog too! I didn't think its a bad idea he didn't soil in the kennel. They did tell me they take the dog out for a walk every couple of hours. They even say there is play time (alone) once in the morning and once in the afternoon if he stays that long.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Years ago I brought my parents female to my home for the night. She was not use to being away from her home. She would not go to the bathroom at my house, it was so weird. I actually brought her home very early the next morining because it was stressing me out. As soon as she got to my parents yard she peed and pooped! 

I only offer this story because it's possible he was in the area they committed to putting him in but he just didn't go.


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## Jukebox (Mar 11, 2013)

i am a first time GSD owner, but have been around dogs all my life. unless i had a dog that needed to get its hair cut, i could never see taking them to a groomer.with a gsd, all you have to do is wash them and cut their nails. Quicking happens all the time. i always try to avoid it but it happens sometimes. i cut poor jackson's dew claw way too short last week and it bled a lot. i felt terrible. he didnt even flinch and just ran around the back yard playing until it stopped bleeding.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I don't think it's bad you left your dog there, don't feel bad about that. I do the same with my dog that I sometimes have professionally groomed (not a GSD, a mixed breed that requires actual trimming and shaving). We drop him off and pick him up when they call or before they close if we are working.

My experience with the cleanest, nicest, most expensive place in our town was not that good, both times. This place does grooming, day-care, and boarding. The first time I went there I needed to board one dog overnight. I pre-arranged to have my sister pickup my dog because they had a very narrow window for pickup and we weren't going to be back. First, my sister called in a panic because they were asking her to pay when I'd already had them charge my credit card. My sister was like 17, she didn't have a credit card or money to pay for boarding. I was a little annoyed they missed the note I had them write saying I had paid in advance. Then I got home and found a note with my dogs' things. The note was from the person that had taken care of my dog at the kennel. Most of it was nice but then there was this line saying, "I brushed all the prickers out of her coat." That bothered me because my dog had never had prickers in her coat and we didn't have that in our yard so she must have gotten them while at the kennel. I let them know they might want to check the edges of their exterior play area. The second time I went there was for my mixed breed to get a haircut. Since they do day-care we also signed up for him to play with the other dogs and then get cut. When I picked him up, they said he had been cut in the morning and didn't get to go out because they didn't want his hair messed up, so I was disappointed that he didn't get to play since he's my one dog that loves dog parks and day-care. Also I'd left photos and detailed how I wanted him groomed and they barely did anything, some areas didn't look trimmed at all. He was obviously bathed and brushed and they did an excellent job stripping his undercoat but didn't do anything I can't do at home with a hose and a shedding rake. So....I don't know, I just haven't gone back there for anything. A friend of mine takes her dog there every week and they love it. Instead we use a tiny little grooming shop at the end of my block, they are great and do the exact cut I ask for. Last time I made an appointment online and they never confirmed so they gave me half off the entire groom job.


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## ayoitzrimz (Apr 14, 2010)

Don't take him there again but don't beat yourself up over what happened. In all likelihood the puppy has long forgotten about it and is too busy chasing leaves or digging around  

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

This is a dog not a child. I can see going to 3-5 places before deciding on which one was good enough for your kid, but with a dog, I would take him to the place I made an appointment with, and if I got bad vibes while dropping him off, I simply would not drop him off. 

Most of the places you leave your dog for a bath, they are crated in cages. It is not the end of the world, so long as they are given the opportunity to potty. Usually the trip is only 2-3 hours, with a bath and a brush out, the dog has had plenty to keep his mind busy. 

Your dog will not die if you do not feed him for a whole day -- 24 hours. Lots of people fast their dogs regularly. After having breakfast, and then getting dinner, your dog will be perfectly fine missing his lunch. In fact, sometimes the dog is so nervous in a new place with different things going on, that he will not eat there. So they may have given your dog his food, and he wouldn't eat it. My neighbor had a lab mix, that I would feed and water when they were on vacation. I thought that dog would die. She refused to eat the whole time the people were gone. One meal would not freak me out.

As for peeing and pooping in a strange place. Sometimes there is nervous urination, and even diarrhea caused by being in a strange place, etc. But there is the other reaction too. When everything shuts tightly. Once he sees you are back with him, Oh Mom! You're here! You're Alive! I love you so much! whizzzzzzz. And everything else starts moving too. 

It might not be them, it might be your dog who is not used to being on his own in a strange place, and was picking up vibes from you being a bit nervous at leaving him. 

They should have told you about quicking your pup. Groomers need to realize that the rest of us have a single dog we are concerned with and blood coming out of the nail is a big deal to us. Yes, I have quicked my share of nails. But I give any groomer a negative mark for not telling me that they cut a nail too short and made it bleed.


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## Linck (Mar 25, 2013)

*@Selzer:
*


> This is a dog not a child. I can see going to 3-5 places before deciding on which one was good enough for your kid, but with a dog, I would take him to the place I made an appointment with, and if I got bad vibes while dropping him off, I simply would not drop him off


This doesn't make any sense. I have to decide WHERE to go before I make an appointment. Are you trying to say 3-5 places surveying was too much to do for your dog? Well, we are different here. He is not a human child. I don't raise him like i would raise a human child. But I would treat him like how I treat my human child. And No I did not have bad vibe when I dropped him off. 



> It might not be them, it might be your dog who is not used to being on his own in a strange place, and was picking up vibes from you being a bit nervous at leaving him.


Yes, you are right. It might not be them. It could all be just a result of my dog was misplace. This is my first time and first experience I have with a grooming place. My original post was my first reaction to the situation. Really, the biggest problem I have with this kennel is lack of communication. They forgot to call me to pick him up. They did not tell me anything about quicking my pup. They did not tell me my pup didn't eat at lunch by his choice. They didn't tell me he didn't drink. They didn't tell me he hasn't poop or pee for god know how long he was in the cage. *Even though I asked twice.*

*@ayoitzrimz:*

Yes he really does forget all about it


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Linck said:


> *@Selzer:
> *
> 
> 
> This doesn't make any sense. I have to decide WHERE to go before I make an appointment. *Are you trying to say 3-5 places surveying was too much to do for your dog?* Well, we are different here. He is not a human child. I don't raise him like i would raise a human child. But I would treat him like how I treat my human child. And No I did not have bad vibe when I dropped him off.


Yupp, that is what I am saying. I think we in general, on this site, perhaps the elite pet owners, are way too over-protective when it comes to our dogs. Checking to see what the facilities look like, making sure your dog will be in this huge kennelled area with a grassy area -- how the heck would they even know the dog never peed if there was a grassy area in there.

Actually, the grassy area would probably make me not want to leave my dog. Because worms and parasites grow in earth. In concrete the runs could be cleaned/disinfected properly between dogs, and the dog would be less likely to carry home parasites. 

But whatever. If you were leaving your dog for a week, then yes, I would want to see what the facility was like, what their policies were. How often the dog would be exercised, etc. 

If I was leaving a dog between breakfast and dinner, I am sorry, but I wouldn't have any problem whatsoever with them crating the dog during that time. 

Ya know what, when a dog is given their druthers, they will roll on dead things, play in the mud, swim in a swampy foul creek or river, and drink out of the toilet. No we do not want our dogs to pick up anything nasty at a grooming salon, and we want the people to treat them nicely. But I think we can go over-board too. 

You were asking if you over-reacted. I think you did not because you did not say any of those words you mentioned. Would I go back to that place, probably not, because I gage that your stomach was not satisfied with the overall situation. If it was me and my dog, and only those things you mentioned happened, I probably would give them another shot. But if I felt in my gut that the place was not good for my dog, of course I would choose not to go to them again.


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## Linck (Mar 25, 2013)

selzer said:


> Yupp, that is what I am saying. I think we in general, on this site, perhaps the elite pet owners, are way too over-protective when it comes to our dogs. Checking to see what the facilities look like, making sure your dog will be in this huge kennelled area with a grassy area -- how the heck would they even know the dog never peed if there was a grassy area in there.
> 
> Actually, the grassy area would probably make me not want to leave my dog. Because worms and parasites grow in earth. In concrete the runs could be cleaned/disinfected properly between dogs, and the dog would be less likely to carry home parasites.
> 
> ...


LOL well, how do I say this in the polite way..... Just because you wouldn't do it to your dog, doesn't mean I shouldn't do it to my dog. Yeah yeah yeah with all the bad things in the world, worm, parasite all that crap I can't prevent that from happening to Lincoln but guess what, if I can go back in time, I would still do the best in my power to make sure he gets the best. What is the harm in that? 

Maybe I wasn't clear on my OP. I meant to ask if I overreacting if I don't take my dog back to this kennel again. I did not ask if I should have take a tour at 5 different kennels before I book the appointment.  Bottom line is we all treat our dog differently so you do it your way... don't criticize mine.


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

It's your dog and you're entitled to do what you want with it, barring abuse of which this is obviously not. 

I wouldn't be happy with the kennel either, the lack of communication would tick me off. I'm paying for a service regardless of it being my dog or myself, and I expect honesty and open communication. You should have been made aware of the change in kennel, the quick, and I would hope a quick play by play of the day mentioning whether he had been fed and if he had gone to the bathroom. A apology regarding the missed pick up call would have been nice as well


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## DaniFani (Jan 24, 2013)

selzer said:


> This is a dog not a child. I can see going to 3-5 places before deciding on which one was good enough for your kid, but with a dog, I would take him to the place I made an appointment with, and if I got bad vibes while dropping him off, I simply would not drop him off.
> 
> Most of the places you leave your dog for a bath, they are crated in cages. It is not the end of the world, so long as they are given the opportunity to potty. Usually the trip is only 2-3 hours, with a bath and a brush out, the dog has had plenty to keep his mind busy.
> 
> ...


I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought touring five places was extreme. No offense OP, but it made me think of that thread recently about the Pom that was having a wedding, lol. But I grew up in a house where the dog got a bath with the hose when they rolled in something, nails trimmed by my dad (sometimes he'd hit the quick on accident, little dip in flour and it was fine), and they ate some "horrible" grocery store crap food, lol. So I may be a little biased, but I personally think you are a little over the top in your reaction. IMHO


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

I'm sorry this happened, it took me a long time to find a grooming establishment I'm comfortable with (it's the same place I take the Hooligans to be boarded) ... like you I hit on a few that were HORRIBLE. 

One was at our local PetSmart when the groomer left my dog unattended while he was tied to a head restraint by his neck (not sure what they're called) ... the groomer hadn't started doing anything to him and I immediately demanded he be taken down and brought out to me and we left (I just happened to watch a couple minutes thru the glass window into the grooming area when I saw it). 

The second time we had an appointment at a place recommended by my former groomer ... I took Mac in and they put him in a crate in the grooming area with a broken door tied with a bungie cord ... the salon's front door was propped open to the street. I warned them Mac was an escape artist and not to put him in that kennel, they ignored me and said he'd be fine. About that time my boy opened the kennel door (a piece of cake for him), ran thru the grooming area, jumped over the gate separating the grooming area from the counter area, and would have been out the open front door if I hadn't been standing there and called him back into the salon ... we left and never returned.

FWIW I *ALWAYS* ask what time my dog will be ready and I call them even if they say they'll call me.

GOOD LUCK ... I hope you find a place you're happy with.


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## GSDBriard (Jul 1, 2013)

I've worked at a boarding/grooming place and honestly nails to get quicked all the time..it's very very common..especially with shepherds who are well known for hating their feet touched. However, they SHOULD tell you about it..but it does happen so often that I am sure the place I worked didn't tell every single person. If it was just that small issue I wouldn't hold that against the place. Dogs move, accidents happen!

The kennel thing..eh, it's hit or miss. I know my dog goes to the groomer regularly and she stays in a typical dog crate. I don't mind, she's been crate trained since she was 9 weeks old. She likes her crate.

I think out of all the stuff you mentioned the only thing I wouldn't like would be not getting a call when my dog is ready. Dropping a dog off at 8am and not getting him back until 5 is crazy. I drop mine off around 9am and usually have her back before lunch! I don't think they give them free access to food/water at the place I leave mine at but it's not a big deal since it only takes me 3 hours max before I have her back!


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Another thread that makes me thank my lucky stars that I have the clients I do. 

A quicked toenail is so minor that it hardly deserves mention, IMO. I've been grooming over 20 years and even though I consider myself a toenail ninja, I still quick nails from time to time. The other day I was doing a Lab's toenails and I took off literally a millimeter of nail--it bled. Each dog is different and the quick grows with the nail; on black nails, you can't see where the quick is and you have to make an educated guess. Mistakes happen and half the time the dog doesn't even notice. Sometimes they don't even bleed until a minute or so after the trim. When you get a quicked nail, you put a little styptic/antiseptic powder on it, and move on. No big whoop for most dogs. I have more dogs get upset about me holding their foot than they do about a quicked nail. The only time I bother mentioning it to the owner is if it won't *stop* bleeding, which may indicate a clotting disorder, and the client needs to know this.

In my grooming salon, dogs are put in a crate for their own safety. If a dog can spend the night in a crate, he can certainly spend a few hours at the groomer's. I allow 3-4 hours for each pet that comes in, and they're only in a crate about half that time.

Many dogs don't like to pee or poop when they're away from home. I once had a dog that I took on a roadtrip, she was about a year old at the time, I believe. She did not pee for almost 48 hours, despite many walks and pleas to do so. So just because your dog pees a lot after leaving the groomer's doesn't mean anything. I usually don't bother to walk adult dogs unless they are here for more than 5 hours or so, most dogs can hold it 3-4 hours, and I know the ones who can't and those dogs get walked, sometimes 3-4 times during that 3-4 hours.



selzer said:


> I think we in general, on this site, perhaps the elite pet owners, are way too over-protective when it comes to our dogs.


Bingo!

Did I address every concern of the OP's?


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## Heidigsd (Sep 4, 2004)

Linck: I don't blame you for being cautious about where you take your dog at all. In my experience you can't be too careful. Nikki has been to groomer twice in her life and while nothing bad happened, I don't care for leaving her most of the day either when the groomer told me it takes her about two hours to do a GSD.

The second groomer I took Nikki too actually got a little attitude with me when all I asked her if I could make an appointment which was uncalled for. So, no more trips to the groomer for us, I take care of everything 

Would you be willing to learn how to Dremel his nails? I have been doing this for years and love it. You just have to get them used to it. Here are instructions: How to Dremel Dog Nails @ DoberDawn.com

Michaela


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Give her a "nice" rating on yelp.com


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## marbury (Apr 3, 2012)

I'm currently a kennel tech at our clinic. I do intake and discharge on every animal, I feed and walk and bathe every dog. I know them better than I know most people. And just so you know, MANY dogs will NOT poop or pee voluntarily for a day or two after they arrive, even boarders who are not first-timers. He might have had the biggest run in the world and could still just not feel comfortable pottying in a new place. That is not a strike in my book, it's the reality of boarding a dog. I have a dog at the clinic right now who has been boarding since last week. It took him THREE DAYS to feel comfortable enough to poop! And he didn't touch his food for a day and a half and even though he had access to clean, cool, fresh water 24/7 it looked like he never drank a drop. Obviously he had to, as he's still alive, but some dogs just don't like change.

Now, nails. The reality is that quick cutting happens, even with the pros. If you do it long enough with enough animals you'll probably quick somebody one day. A professional groomer/vet/clinic/boarder who cuts nails probably handles a few nail trims a day. Most dogs have 18 opportunities to cut a little close, so if we do a few nail trims every day for five days we have 180 chances to make an 'oops' cut. Trust me, it's not what we aim for. Luckily, there are products to deal with it. Unfortunately, if the facility has rough floors (concrete is the big culprit!) they can pull the clot open easily after the bleeding has stopped. Our kennels at the clinic have concrete floors, and even pets that we haven't done nail trims on at all do it themselves. If they're exuberant and skittering up and down their run even a perfect nail trim can turn into four bleeding paws; that's on the dog, not the trimmer.

If you were uncomfortable, turn and walk away. You're the customer and you have the choice as to whom you offer your custom. I'm not saying your choice was 'wrong' or that they were not at fault, but I do want to share some of the 'realities' that we see at our boarding facility. Sorry you had such a rough time!


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## kjdreyer (Feb 7, 2013)

Any chance you can find a place that uses a Dremmel to grind the nails? No chance of a bleeder then! One of the daycare/grooming places I use will either let you hold your dog for the grind, or they'll hold while you give treats. And I go to a do-it-yourself dog wash, with the professional equipment but not the price, and having that high tub that you can tether the dog to makes it so much easier than the bathtub! I don't really like to turn my dog over to anybody, either, too many horror stories!


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## Narny (Sep 8, 2010)

OP Can you PM me the name of this place please? Also, what part of Texas are you in?


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Freestep said:


> Another thread that makes me thank my lucky stars that I have the clients I do.
> 
> A quicked toenail is so minor that it hardly deserves mention, IMO. I've been grooming over 20 years and even though I consider myself a toenail ninja, I still quick nails from time to time. The other day I was doing a Lab's toenails and I took off literally a millimeter of nail--it bled. Each dog is different and the quick grows with the nail; on black nails, you can't see where the quick is and you have to make an educated guess. Mistakes happen and half the time the dog doesn't even notice. Sometimes they don't even bleed until a minute or so after the trim. When you get a quicked nail, you put a little styptic/antiseptic powder on it, and move on. No big whoop for most dogs. I have more dogs get upset about me holding their foot than they do about a quicked nail. The only time I bother mentioning it to the owner is if it won't *stop* bleeding, which may indicate a clotting disorder, and the client needs to know this.
> 
> ...



I rarely quote a whole post, but I agree with everything that Freestep wrote. 

I've been a groomer for over 35 years, at several different shops over the years. Really good shops, not scary little dives. 

That said... No, we don't feed and water dogs while they are at the shop being groomed. If a dog is going to be at the shop for quite a while, then we will take them out to pee. And no, they don't always pee. If someone brings a puppy, we try to accommodate them, and get them out early. 

Toenail quicking. Yes, it happens sometimes. And as Freestep said, it's not a big deal. If there's a problem, we tell the customer. Unless it's hard to get the bleeding stopped, then it _isn't_ a problem.

As for not calling you when your dog was ready. I don't know. Things happen. Frankly, you might be happier with a smaller grooming shop that isn't also a kennel. I'm in a very small 2 person shop, and have been for the last 16 years. It's not chaotic.


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## Anubis_Star (Jul 25, 2012)

martemchik said:


> I guess if I was going to a groomer, I'd expect to have a set appointment time and be there the whole time it was happening. This is kind of one of those things that baffles me. Just like putting your dog under for a teeth cleaning...unnecessary anesthesia for something that could be easily dealt with without risking your dog's life.


NO you can NOT do a proper and humane anesthesia free dental. You cant clean under the gum lines, the dog would NEVER allow you to hold open his mouth and properly examine/clean back teeth, and you can not polish during an anesthesia free dental. Therefor you leave deep grooves on the teeth from scaling that tartar sticks to and comes back much faster.

Any vet doing anesthesia free dentals is ripping you out of your money and doing more harm than good to your pet. Avma stands AGAINST the procedure along with most vets, and some places are looking at making it illegal 

Sorry, rant over....


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

dogfaeries said:


> As for not calling you when your dog was ready. I don't know. Things happen. Frankly, you might be happier with a smaller grooming shop that isn't also a kennel. I'm in a very small 2 person shop, and have been for the last 16 years. It's not chaotic.


Oh, I knew I forgot something. Yes, a large boarding and grooming kennel can be quite busy and chaotic; if someone said they would call you and they didn't, they may have just been crazy busy dealing with other dogs and dog owners, and simply didn't have a moment to break free and call. Not saying that's right, but it can easily happen in a very busy atmosphere. When I worked at my salon in town, I had two assistants and would groom up to 20 dogs a day or more. There were days where I couldn't even go to the bathroom or eat, let alone take a break to make callbacks. 

That's part of the reason I had to stop working like that--it was so chaotic and stressful. Eventually the help left, I moved my salon to an out-of-the-way location, and cut waaaaay back on my volume. Now I work alone, I do 6-8 dogs per day, and I can breathe, go to the bathroom, eat, and make phone calls when necessary. You might want to find a groomer like that, as opposed to a crazy busy facility.


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

Linck said:


> This is not really a question or anything. I just want to get some comments to see if I was reasonable or am I overreacting..
> 
> We are redoing our backyard. Lincoln Loves to dig and roll himself in those mud. We bathe him every time he got into it, but the smell doesn't really go away. So we thought of sending him to get bathe by professional. We are also too scared of cutting his nails too deep and accidentally hurt him. The vet nurse usually cuts his nails for us but he does not need to go to the vet anymore.
> 
> ...


 
Unfortunately your learning to some of them it's just a buisness and dogs are just another number. I've taken my previous Shepherd to a groomer before and they did a fine job on him several times until I picked him up after a trip and he had poo on his feet and he had been bathed that day I picked him up. I was pissed! It was the last time I seen the inside of that place.

But what you have described is not uncommon and is everything I've experienced when picking dogs up from a kennel and even the vet after surgery. They always seem to be thirsty beyond belief and hungry as well as having to pee and poo.

Best advice I can give you is to learn to do this stuff yourself. Take the time and pick out some shampoo and learn to cut his nails yourself. I'm always nervous cutting my dogs nails. But if you take moderate amounts off and don't try to take off a big ammount, you won't get into the bloodvessel area. They probably just knicked it. They will bleed like a stuck pig if you hit it and yes it's painful for them but what happens is the vessel will retreat back up into the nail. So next time you cut it at that length you shouldn't hit the vessel area. People who wait to long to cut nails have to take it in steps. Alittle at a time to give the vessel time to retreat back into the nail further. Eventually, if you keep up on it, you can keep the nails the same length all the time and it trains your eye on whats too short. My previous dog I bribed him with dog biscuits while I trimmed his nails. My current dog I'll do the same.


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