just an inch off the end- PLEASE!




Groomers. You either love them or you fear them with all your life.

Maybe you're lucky and your pup doesn't need anything more than a nail clip and a bath. However, for a lot of pups, the transformation from a groom can completely change the appearance of your dog- so it's important that you take them somewhere you trust.



Now I won't lie- Clover has had some BELTERS of a groom, ones I can't even look her in the eye because I know she hates me type of grooms but we have learned our lesson well.

Clover is a Cockapoo, meaning she is half poodle, half cocker spaniel. According to the internet, I was recommended to brush her coat every day and to have her properly trimmed every few weeks (either by myself or a professional).

Initially, I looked online for groomers in my local area that had good ratings for her first puppy groom (really a session just to get her clean and tidy, whilst getting used to being groomed). She didn't seem to mind too much, but it became evident that after a few trips to this groomer, Clover was more and more anxious as she came out. Of course, it could just be an irrational fear Clover developed due to being uncomfortable during the groom and was likely not the fault of the groomer. However, I felt it was only right that I take her somewhere else in future just in case there was more to the story.


The next place I took her was a massive chain pet groomer- very well known and competitive pricing. I went in with her and she came out looking fab, but still not happy. The next time we took her, we were told her mats were quite bad and would need SHAVED. Trust me- not the words you want to hear. After much deliberation we decided to only shave the matted areas and then let the groom look patchy rather than bald the dog. 

When she had to go for her next groom with this company, she was very, very distressed going in and even had an accident on the floor (even though she had just been to the toilet on her walk 20 mins prior). Not good. She came out looking great again, but it was evident she was far more upset and stressed at this venue.

The next time I took her in she had developed quite a few mats again from her little rain coat so we agreed to do the same patchy groom to get rid of the mats- however this was not the outcome. 
Clover got absolutely SCALPED- she looked like the vet had done it to prep her for surgery. 

After learning our lesson, we did rigorous research to find a groomer that was talented with her breed, as well as her anxiety. This is the groomer we have stayed with now, and we seem to have hit the jackpot!




So let's go over some key tips for choosing and going to a groomer, with Clover as the guinea pig!

  1. DO YOUR RESEARCH! Does this groomer have a good reputation? Are they experienced? Do they specialise in your dog's breed?
  2. KNOW WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR! It's just like going to the hairdressers. Show a picture, know the jargon- they can only go off on what you have asked for, so be specific and educated on your decisions.
  3. MAKE SURE YOUR DOG IS HAPPY! It would be unrealistic to expect your dog to love going to the groomer, but make sure they don't hate going either. Get them used to it, brush them often and make sure they like the person that's grooming them!
  4. THINK- AM I BETTER DOING THIS, OR SHOULD I LEAVE IT TO THE PROFESSIONAL? Especially if you have an anxious dog, consider trying to groom them yourself from time to time to minimise the trauma of visiting a groomer for them. That is totally fine for a bath or a brush, but be careful when it comes to shaving, cutting or clipping nails- you don't want to hurt your pup by accident!
I'm not going to give recommendations of any specific places, because I feel like groomers aren't a one-size-fits-all type of thing- make sure you're picking the right groomer for your dog! What works for you might not work for someone else.





And there you have it! Hopefully this helps you dodge some of the bullets that Clover and I unfortunately faced! Drop us a comment down below of some of your favourite groomers (or some horror stories) so we can all share.

P.S.
Please enjoy Clover's bad groom hall of fame, featuring the 'my head is too big for my body' and the 'Willy Wonka ears'





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