Why Do We Charge A Daycare Fee?

We get this question a lot. We say that a groom will take 3-4 hours. We know people are busy running errands and it may take a while to get back to Tempe. We give a total of 6 hours, including the groom time, before we charge daycare. 

Let me explain why we charge the $10 daycare fee per dog. When your dogs are finished with their groom, they don't just get shoved in a kennel and forgotten. They are out playing with all our other clients. We also take the time to play with them. We let them outback to take care of business. They get treats and tons of belly rubs. The $10 fee is all that extra attention they get while they are patiently waiting for you, their parent to come get them. I know I would rather have my dogs being loved than just shoved in a kennel. Wouldn't you?

Grooming Is Easy. Right?

It is very difficult. You have to have the patience of a Saint, in order to be a groomer. Grooming isn't just doing a haircut. There is a lot more too it. It's washing and blow drying. Then there is the expressing of the anal glands. If you have never had the pleasure of your dog blowing his anal glands, then you are a very lucky person. :) We clean your dog's ears. Sometimes this means plucking the hair out of them. Let's not forget trimming the nails. Now let's talk the actual haircut. Most dog's are inquisitive and wiggly. What this means for the groomer is, that they need to be able to work around a wiggly dog, who is not going to hold still. Most dogs also get the sanitary cut. This is when the groomer shaves around the dogs privates. Again, dogs do not just sit there even when we are around this area. Hopefully, this has given you some insight into what really goes on when we are grooming your pet. :)   

The Love Between A Human And Their Best Friend.

It is never easy to end a family member's life. Even if that member is a dog. How do you decide when it is time?

We had a Cocker Spaniel who ended up with liver disease. Of course the vet wanted us to do all these tests. But, we didn't see the need since we knew Chewey would be going to the rainbow bridge soon. Chewey was our first dog together. Of course we tried to make him comfortable. I think we did it more for us than Chewey. My Dad always told me he could tell when a dog was getting ready to pass, by the amount of flies you would see. One day I came home early from work and let Chewey out. When I came to let him in he was covered in flies. It was at that moment I knew it was time. I called Don and he rushed home and we took him to the vet. He was put to sleep that day. I always wonder if we should have done it sooner. Was I being selfish for waiting that long?

We have a client who is facing this same decision. It is just so hard. What do you base your decisions on?

For me it is:

Quality of Life

Are they in any pain

Any suffering

I guess the best thing I can say is letting go is extremely hard. But, the love your pet gave will be with you forever. 

I would love to hear your thoughts or stories. 

Dog's Toe Nail Care

Sometime's it can be hard to tell when your dog's nails need to be trimmed. The easiest way to know,( if you have hardwood or tiled floors) is that you will hear a clicking sound when they walk. Most groom shops do nails for a small fee, without  needing an appointment.

If you are wanting to try this at home. Here are a few steps.

1. If your dog has white nails you will be able to see where the quick ends. You don't not want to cut above that quick line. (if you do, this will cause the nail to bleed)

2. If your dog has black nails it is a little trickier. You will want to bend your dogs foot so that the pads are facing up on the back side of the leg. Black nails take 2 -3 clips. One on each side of the nail then if needed in the center. There will be a little black circle you need to watch for, once your have trimmed the sides.. That circle is the quick.

3. If you have a dremel or nail file you can file the rough edges.

If you are nervous about doing this, then please leave it to a professional. We would hate to see your dogs get hurt.

Now, lets talk about the quick. If you go for a long time with out having your dogs nails done. Just know that you are letting the quick grow out. Groomers will not be able to trim them back really short, because of the quick. We can however, work the quick back by trimming the nails on a monthly basis.

Also, if a dogs nails grow too long, it can hurt them. This may also lead to them not being able to walk correctly. These are a few things to look out for. 

Reviews

I am thinking out loud today.

What makes you review a business/service that you have used?

Is it great customer service? Or maybe bad customer service?

Was it that the groom you wanted wasn't exactly right? If it wasn't exactly right, do you go to a different groomer or do you call the business and let them know it wasn't right and give the business a second chance?

We have had a lot of different situations. As the business owner I like all feedback, good or bad. Of course we LOVE to hear good feedback. But, we also, know we are human and we do make mistakes. Sometimes, a negative review is what the doctor ordered.So that we can fix the problem. I am not saying that we need the negative reviews. We work really hard to keep them at a minimum. But, they happen and when they do, it allows me to make the changes that are necessary.

We are very open here, at the Dog Wash. We have a survey on our website, for people to tell us anonymously what they think of our place and the job we did. We welcome all feedback in all forms.

There are so many reason to do a review. What are some of yours?

Feel free to post comments below.

Common Places For Mats On Your Dog.

Where do you find the most mats on your dog? Do you know how to get rid of those mats?

If you have a full coated dog, the mats can be found anywhere. Here are the most common spots our groomers find them.

*Behind the ears
*Around the neck (where the collar rubs)
*Between the pads of the feet
*Around the dogs rear end

Do you know how to keep these mats from forming? Brushing, Brushing and more brushing. When I say brushing, I don't mean the normal brushing from head to tail to feet. Most times that is only getting the top coat of hair. If you want to keep those mats from forming, I suggest you go out and get a slicker brush. (photo below)

 

When using this brush you can brush from head to tail.  But, it works so much better to go backwards. Brush your dog from foot up. Then from tail to head. This helps get to places that you won't get to, brushing the normal way.

 

I have always had short haired dogs, until I got my Teacup, Yorkie. This was the first thing I was taught. I know that you are probably busy like me. Doing this every other night will help your groomer out more than you know. It will also help you to keep your dog in full coat.

 

Just remember brushing backwards is the key.

 

This can also be done on short haired dogs too. It helps with their shedding.

 

Too Shave Your Dog Or Not Too Shave Your Dog, That Is The Question!

In grooming school we are taught not to shave a dog, even a double coated one. Why, you ask? They say that the double coat insulates them from cold and heat. I think we have humanized our dogs so much that we forget why a certain dog has the type of coat they do. On the other hand, I think there are a lot of different reasons for shaving a dog. I guess I am on the fence. Let's talk reasons for shaving. Feel free to comment at anytime.

When reading these reasons, please keep in mind we do live in the desert, where it gets to 115 degrees.

*My dog sheds constantly - Yes, we get this a lot. Normally we would offer the DeShed Package to help get the undercoat out. But, that requires up keep. Right now a lot of people cant afford to bring their dogs every 4-6 weeks. We do shave several Labs and Rotties.

*I'm allergic to dog hair. - It probably isn't the hair a person is allergic too, but the dander. This is another reason for wanting the dog shaved.

*My dog is in bad health, I just want my dog to be comfortable. - This one is usually for elderly dogs. The ritual of grooming is sometimes hard on our older pets. It's let painful to give them a short haircut.

*It's getting too hot for my dog. - Normally, starting in May, when the temperature rises we get a lot of dogs, every breed that gets a shave down.

I guess the best that we can do, is to educate our clients one why their dogs coat is important no matter what the season. We are also in a service where the customer is "always right". If they want a shave down we will do it. But, only after educating them. Do I really know if a Chow, who lives outside will over heat during the summer, because of the double coat? No, I don't. As groomer's this is where our training comes into play.  Somebody once told me to put on a fur coat and stand outside in the hottest part  the day and see how it felt. She just knew that feeling is what the dogs felt too.

I have a photo to share with your. This is Cody. He was diabetic. His owner wanted to shave him down to make him comfortable and easier to give his insulin shots. We did our best to educate her. She still wanted him shaved. So, we did it. His beautiful, Husky coat, never grew back. This is what he spent a majority of his life looking like. Was it worth it? To his owner it was. He was loved by everyone just the same.

This is a big reason why we try to educate before we shave a double coated dog. As I said we will do what the owner asks. It's not always easy.

What do you think? Too Shave or Not too?