I rarely get the fluffies professionally groomed.
I just don’t trust anyone, so I do it myself.
I constantly see horror stories about people taking their dog to the groomer’s and the dog coming back in poor condition. I haven’t been willing to risk that.
After talking to pretty much every groomer in the area, I finally found one that I felt would be a good fit. We talked at length about Mauja and Atka and what I wanted in a grooming session. When grooming time finally came, I seriously considered cancelling. I had a horrible knot in my stomach about letting the fluffies in someone else’s care.
After a serious pep talk from Nick, I took them to the groomer’s. They made me feel absolutely horrible by whining and scratching at the door when I left. I didn’t think it would be this difficult!
I was a nervous wreck until the groomer called me to let me know the pups were done. Nick would probably say that I wasn’t the most pleasant one all evening. I just couldn’t stop worrying!
When we arrived to pick them up, I couldn’t have been more pleased. Not only did they look immaculate, but they were out in the main room with all the workers. I expected them to be in a crate in the back when I got there, but they were both just relaxing on the floor like they were the grooming welcoming committee. I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Since it was such a long day, I wanted to give them a special dinner.
The other day, we saw a post from our pal Oz the Terrier about a limited edition Merrick recipe, Forever Home. Forever Home is a canned food that benefits homeless pets. With every purchase of Forever Home, Merrick will donate a meal to PAWS Chicago.
We picked up two cans of Forever Home, which will lead to two meals being donated by Merrick to PAWS Chicago.
The fluffies were thrilled with their special dinner. They gobbled up their meals and then passed out for the night.
I don’t think I’ll ever be completely comfortable leaving the fluffies, but this groomer has settled my nerves a bit.
Does your dog visit the groomer? Would you try the Forever Home recipe?
We’re joining the Thoughtless Thursday Blog Hop Hosted by Ruckus the Eskie and Love is Being Owned by a Husky!
wow!!!!! Gorgeous!!!! I go to the groomer to have their nails trimmed but haven’t done the whole sha-bang yet.
Thanks for linking up with us!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
you look great Mauja! I only need some grooming with a glove and the nails does the vet :o)
I totally get where you’re coming from. I don’t even like leaving my dogs at the vets and I love my vet! I’m glad however the groomer worked out and your guys were happy and relaxed. 🙂
We feed raw so I wouldn’t buy the Merrick for my dogs, but I would buy a couple of cans to donate to the local shelter. Then it’s a double win!
I have a hard time trusting people to groom Boomer and Dottie too but I finally found a groomer that I trust to use several times a year when they are blowing their coats.
Funny thing, we just bathed the dogs the other day and as a treat picked up a couple cans on Merrick too!
I don’t even attempt to groom the Poodles. My groomer has been in the business for 25 years and she is wonderful. I also have her bathe, clip nails and do the anal glands of the short haired dogs, well worth whatever she charges.
I’ve never been groomed. The peeps have talked about it a few times but so far I’m subjected to their inexpert bathing, brushing and nail clipping
That’s great that they were okay at the groomer! I had a regular great pyr client that was 11! He was always a good boy, even though grooming wore him out. 🙂
I rarely take Honey to the groomer. And I’m not even that good at doing it myself. But I’m lucky to have found a wonderful groomer when I need one.
Her first priority was keeping Honey calm. If that means doing less, that’s okay. She was also comfortable with me staying there while she groomed Honey. That made me feel really relieved.
I’m glad you found someone you can trust your pups with. I’ve read those horror stories too. And it is scary.
I am always apprehensive taking Riley to the groomer’s too…however, our groomer is housed in a veterinarian’s office, so we don’t get too worried. I think it was worth it for Mauja and Atka, though – they look amazing!
I’m with you on the self-grooming! I have German shepherds — also double coated but smaller than your pups. I don’t like taking them to anybody either — except for nails. I’m a wuss when it comes to nails. With the right equipment and a little training grooming is a snap. (I saw your post on a grooming table. I LOVE my table, well worth the $100!)
I’m glad you found a back-up though, just in case you’re not able to do it yourself. I probably should too, but . . .
They look great, so at least all the stress was worth it. I totally understand how hard it is to leave your babies in someone else’s care. I was terrified about picking a groomer for Sadie, especially when one of the places I was considering got shut down for running secret dog fights. After that I just went and asked my vet, and even though there are dozens of other groomers much closer, I only trust the cage-free groomer my vet recommended. Sadie still hates going, but I just think of it like a vet visit. It’s for her own good and I know she is well taken care of.
Beautiful job done.
Glad it all worked out so well for ALL of you! I finally taught myself how to groom the Ruff Girls. The groomer I had previously though was very good. Thanks for the tip on the Merrick food – that is actually one of their favorite brands.
They look gorgeous! It’s always nice to find someone you trust when it comes to grooming your dogs. Harley’s tummy is too sensitive for wet food, but I would purchase some to give away in support. Thanks for the tip on Merrrick food.
Oh my gosh. Ruckus is self groomed too. Well self–as in I groom him. So much work but so worth it. Once the carpal tunnel clicks in..it’s time to call the groomer! Happy Thoughtless Thursday, Ruckus the Eskie
I resisted taking our golden to the groomer for years. Sheba is a nervous dog and I feared it would be too stressful for her. Whenever I tried to do it myself, she either looked botched or it just didn’t get done. Finally one of the vet techs at our vet’s office, who I really like and trust, started grooming and I decided to take Sheba. It was the best thing I ever did! I love how she looks when she comes home, and she was a little nervous but did pretty well, plus she gets less nervous every time she goes.
Finding a groomer can be really tough. The chessies don’t need grooming but before them we had a golden. I must have gone through at least 5 groomers before I found one that did a good job (and she was at our vet…go figure). One groomer I tried did not even clip his nails as part of the grooming! Hello that is one reason I was having him groomed. Bath, trim feet, tail, around ears, clean ears, clip nails. After that I asked what the grooming included, but once I found a good one, we were set.
I believe that grooming your own pet is truly a rewarding experience. Not only are we satisfied that the tools and products we use are safe and effective, we also get to bond with our lovable pets. Also, I think that pet grooming is something that anyone can do, regardless of disability, provided they are able to patiently and lovingly handle and work with pets.
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City Dogs
Cheap Mobile Dog Grooming Service in Adelaide
My wife and I have one dog and she absolutely loves to be groomed. She always gets really excited when she sees me pick up the brush and I totally agree when you say it promotes quality time. I have been thinking about some more heavy duty dog grooming here in Clayton, NC and maybe getting some tips on what else I can do. Thanks for the tips!
Just curious what town this was in? Soind just as awesome as our shop in placerville!
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