Rant

[aquarian215]

So I decided to bring Dudley to Petco to get groomed. I have been doing myself, but it never compares to the job the groomer did when I first got him (not Petco, I should have just gone back to her, sigh) I decided to bring him to Petco because I was going to do some Christmas shopping and Petco is right by the malls and they could fit him right in. Well I decided to splurge and get the works (50 bucks). Well I went and picked him up and he looked the same as when I brought him in, he did smell better though, lol. We got in the car and I had the window down and as soon as I started driving the wind blew all kinds of loose fur all over me (shouldn't all the loose hair been taken care of?) And then a couple of hours after my husband had been playing frisbee with Dudley and when he came in his front paw was covered in blood. My first thought was he stepped on something and cut himself. After inspecting his paw I saw it was because his nails were cut too short, one in front and one in back. I was very mad because she hadn't said anything to me about it, so I called to complain, and all she said was yeah I did quick one in the back, but that happens sometimes. She hadn't even noticed the one she did in front, not to mention she didn't even tell me when I picked him up, I could have been prepared, instead I was all worried because Dudleys paw was all bloody. Grrrrr. I know this happens, but shouldn't a "professinal" know how not to have this happen? Not to mention all his nails were rough and chipped and uneven. Now, maybe because I am paranoid, but he looks like he is limping. Well I know better now, and I won't bring him back again.

[k9hullio_sam]

Wow, that it horrible! Sorry to hear that! I agree, I would stay away from petco for awhile--defininetely isn't worth it.

[Kuchi]

Some groomers are lazy. And with a short coated dog, they will most likely not be given that much attention. Since I was a groomer at Petco awhile ago, I know the "type" of people that work there, not saying they're all bad, but some irresponsible ones. They don't pay well, so the work doesn't show. I would stop by and get a rubber brush if you don't have one yet and do a good 15 min, so no more hair comes out. And with the nail clipped, we weren't required to tell the owner, but we were responsible for getting the quick stopped. With a short haired dog you aren't seeing a professional groomer, you're seeing a bather brusher, no training required. As with the works well that just added to commission, its a quick tooth brushing and a conditioning. When I worked there, I pretty much gave everyone a conditioning because I thought it should included in the price.

[Chester]

This thing is the best for short-haired dogs. I was totally amazed at the amount of hair that actually comes off. Unfortunately I can't say who makes it but I know that it only cost a few dollars. I have never had any luck with places like Petco, but I know people who use them all of the time. Who knows.

[Swiftwind]

I'm sorry to hear that you (and Dudley) had a bad grooming experience! I used to work at a dog grooming salon, and some of the stuff that went on there shocked me. I know if I ever got my dogs professionaly groomed again I would be super picky about where I sent them.

[purplex15]

Originally Posted by Kuchi

Some groomers are lazy. And with a short coated dog, they will most likely not be given that much attention. Since I was a groomer at Petco awhile ago, I know the "type" of people that work there, not saying they're all bad, but some irresponsible ones. They don't pay well, so the work doesn't show. I would stop by and get a rubber brush if you don't have one yet and do a good 15 min, so no more hair comes out. And with the nail clipped, we weren't required to tell the owner, but we were responsible for getting the quick stopped. With a short haired dog you aren't seeing a professional groomer, you're seeing a bather brusher, no training required. As with the works well that just added to commission, its a quick tooth brushing and a conditioning. When I worked there, I pretty much gave everyone a conditioning because I thought it should included in the price.

ok i know this thread is very old, but i have to set it straight, especially this poster. first off petco does not pay worse than a private salon. actually if you consider the benefits at corp, petco actually pays better. groomers make 50-60% of what they do, and bathers make 40-50% (which is better than any salon anywhere). bathers are required to go through a training program. i worked for them and can tell you that not all are run the same.

as far as the specific situation, well i have many explanations for you. forst off, when i do any sort of shedding breed, i warn the owners that right after the groom, the dog will seem to shed more, b/c the shedding treatments loosens all the dead hair, and im really sorry if it takes longer than 2 hours for all of it to get out of the dog, but it does. usually about a day of loose hair and then all is well.

now about the nails. first off, while it may be nice, they arent required to tell you and the bather will not get in trouble for not telling you. now if the groomer had not stopped the bleeding, like you claim, then the dog would have been bleeding when you picked him up. so the bleeding was stopped, and it was opened up, i bet you walked the dog on pavement or some other hard surface, which make it start again. "professionals" will even quick a nail once in a while, and it is not a big deal and most dogs do not even feel pain from it. as far as them being "rough,chipped, and uneven", here you go: rough/chipped- there is no way for nails to be smooth after being done unless the groomer uses a dremel or file, both take extra time, and extra money. and a lot of corp salons will not fund to have them in the place; uneven- if nails have all been cut at different times, the quicks can grow back unevenly. and if the groomer quicked 2 nails, then yes they probbly do look uneven/

overall, you are complaining about comething really little. in my opinion and personal practice, i always tell owners about quicked nails and warn them not to walk the dog on hard ground for a day or so, and send them home witrh a baggie of quikstop just in case. but you just wont get that courtesy everywhere. that really is the only thing she did wrong, and it would be more of an ethical thing than an against the rules thing.

[Kuchi]

The petco salary will depend on area. In the north, its min. wage. Here in Colorado its 40%-60%. Since I've worked there for over 4 years through my high school and some college, I've seen quite an array of employees.
Training program: Watch some videos about fish and birds. Watch me bathe dog, I watch you bathe dog, I show you how to clip nails, etc. Its not rocket science, but if you slack off, you will have some pretty upset people. So take pride in your work and people will recommend you. No not all Petcos are run the same, but most nationwide cooperate chains aren't, its going to depend on you GM, and pay will definetly depend on the area.
Good you tell owners, but some don't. I'm sure you'll have good references when you decide to go elsewhere.

[aquarian215]

I have brought Dudley to a private groomer who charged me 20 dollars less, and his nails were smooth and he had no shedding after the bath. There was no excuse IMO for the crappy job that was done, and I recieved no apology. I understand that sometimes a dogs nails get quicked, and she did stop the bleeding, but did not tell me about it, and he was playing in the backyard, no pavement, just soft grass and dirt, I should have been told so I would not have been so scared when I saw my dogs paw covered in blood. And the rough uneven, chipped nails can lead to infection, and you can get a smooth nail with clippers, I know because I have done it, all it takes is bathing the dog first and the warm water will soften the nails and make them easier to trim.

[purplex15]

"The petco salary will depend on area. In the north, its min. wage. Here in Colorado its 40%-60%. Since I've worked there for over 4 years through my high school and some college, I've seen quite an array of employees.
Training program: Watch some videos about fish and birds. Watch me bathe dog, I watch you bathe dog, I show you how to clip nails, etc. Its not rocket science, but if you slack off, you will have some pretty upset people. So take pride in your work and people will recommend you. No not all Petcos are run the same, but most nationwide cooperate chains aren't, its going to depend on you GM, and pay will definetly depend on the area.
Good you tell owners, but some don't. I'm sure you'll have good references when you decide to go elsewhere. "

sorry kuchi, but you are wrong about the wage. all grooming employees at petco are on a commision, or min. wage pay. ill use my state (CA) as an example. if a groomer works 40 hours a week on the clock, they would make about 300-350 in minimum wage pay. that groomer has to beat that amount in order to make commision. so a groomer who consistently does about $800 in commission weekly will make 50-60% commssion depending on their job title. but a groomer who does not make the necessary commission will get payed mimimum wage. this is something that is set in all stores, no matter where it is. if a groomer is making min. wage at opetco, itmeans that business is not there, or that groomer is lazy and probably wont be with the company much longer.

most groomers do not clip nails after the bath. most are taught to do it before, b/c if by chance a nail is quiked and it bleeds, you dont have to worry about it getting on the dog. if you really did find a private groomer who did the same process for 30 bucks as oppossed to 50, well then why didnt you just keep going to that groomer? 30 bucks for a shedding treatment and the works is extremely cheap. and from personal experiance dogs hair DOES shed more after a shed treatment. i have had many people complain about the loose hair at first, and then they call me the next day and tell me i was right it did stop. there is no way to ever get all the hair out, nor do you want all the hair out. and how can an uneven nail cause infection? you cannot get a smooth cut with clippers. yes they should have been even, but if only a clipper was used, the nails would be sharp, not smooth, and like i said they only way to avoid that is to use a dremel (which the private groomer probably did).

i really dont understand the point of your post really. why are you ranting about this? to warn people? i wish that dog owners would stop warning people about corp groomers, and just warn them in general about all groomers. a private groomer is actually more dangerous to take your dog to. why? b/c you dont know if that person is insured, you dont know if they will pay for vet care if they do something to yourdog. at petco, you at least know these people were trained, b/c they have to go through the course to work there. private groomers do not have to prove to anyone what they know, and can basically open up a shop with no experiance and have at it. dog owners need to work harder on eduacating themselves about grooming, and really talking to who is doing your dog. it is very easy to tell if someone knows what they are doing if you ask the right questions.

[aquarian215]

Chipped nails. I think you are confused, his nails were chipped, they were cut and then they had large chunks peeled out of them, I am not saying nails cut at different legnths will cause infection, I am saying nails with big chunks taken out of them (over the quik) can lead to infection. And if you read my post you would see why I didn't take him to the first groomer, I did explain. The point of my post was a rant, I was upset by the job that was done to my dog, by the pain that he suffered (he was limping afterwards). And its obvious we have different opinions, but I am thinking its because you work at Petco. It was not an attack on Petco, but on the groomer that groomed my dog, who happened to work at Petco, and how can you say every Petco is the same as the one you work at? You live in Cal? I live in NH, have you ever been to the Petco in NH? Have you met any of the groomers who work at the petco in NH? You did not see my dog after his grooming, I did, so really how do you know that I am wrong, and you are right? My husband came home that day after work and said what happened to Dudley? He looks like crap.

[purplex15]

it isnt about right and wrong, all im telling you, and everyone else, is that this could happen anywhere, not just at petco. if it had been a private groomer, you wouldnt have said the business name, you would have just said my groomer. i just dont get why its different with chain store salons. it gives them and the respectable people that work at some of them a bad name. i actually do not work for petco, nor do i think of them as a good company. i have worked there and for many other groomers. the things i saw at private salons would really make you never want to get your dog groomed again. i am also in no way saying the salon near you doesnt indeed suck. but the thing is, they get away with it b/c no one complains about it. i hope you did file a complaint with the store and with corporate. i really do feel bad about your dog, and i know what your saying, but a rant doesnt do anything.

[Beryl]

This is an old thread but I'm with perplex15 on this one. The rant has NOTHING to do with PetCO -- just THAT groomer at THAT PetCO. You should just contact PetCO HQ and they will either refund your money or send you a coupon for a free grooming that you can use at ANY PetCO. That is what I did when a PetCo groomer was too lazy to brush away loose hairs on my Min Pin. That is the advantage of using a chain store -- they have deeper pockets to avoid bad press.

My worse grooming experiences were at private groomers. I'm quite certain there are great private groomers out there since many of them groom show dogs but my bad experiences cause me to avoid them completely.

Here are my recent private groomer nightmares - 2 different "recommended" private groomers:
1. All nails too cut too short on min pin. She wanted me to pick up my dog after 1 HOUR because she wanted the bleeding to stop. I figured that out after I got home and saw how he tipped around the house. He is now traumatized. The next time I tried to have his nails clipped the PetX grooming manager did one paw and refunded my money because he couldn't finish -- his tongue turned blue because of the stress! The vet will do it with sedation but after several weeks of loving paw holding, I can trim his nails while holding and cuddling over 30 minutes or so.

2. Permanently scarred my toy poo on one of his legs. She covered it up with some kind of spray and the rest of his fur. The fur in the scarred area is brown and straight (he is a cream poodle).

My bad experiences at the "PetX" (I go to Petsmart more often than Petco) have never been as bad as the ones I've had at the private groomers. Rant in this forum (nail cutting) is the worse I've ever had at a PetX. I have had a PetX groomer cut ONE nail too short at the PetX but not ALL nails like the private groomer did.

I'm tired of the trial and error with groomers anyway. Fortunately, my house has a laundry room sink and large countertop so I can easily groom myself and only use a PetX occasionally for a special poodle cut.