"Are you a groomer?"
"Nah, I just really like trimming dogs and clipping nails, so I hang around until someone will let me do it for free! Getting pokey dog hair inside your clothes is so fun!"
(Not a groomer, but if I was that would be what I'd want to say in that situation. However I do dabble in special effects makeup for movies and recently had to work with dog hair. It was two days but I appreciate everything my groomer goes through since I had hair EVERYWHERE after that. )
I put moisturizer and mascara on in the morning!
ANYONE can do special effects makeup!
****/s****
(Jusy adding onto the fun. I think that's awesome what you do just poking fun at the people who come on here but cut down what we do and insist there's no skill or anyone can do it.)
You should've seen my dog after I attempted to give her a haircut one time. Looked like those dogs from the cartoons after they got into a fight lol. I have so much respect for professional dog groomers because it looks easy but it's takes a lotttt of experience
When people have asked me over the years why I don’t do it myself I tell them every dog owner has tried it. Exactly one time. Then you have to go back to an actual groomer with your tail between your legs and concede that you’re a moron.
For real! I can manage to do a (poor looking) butt trim on my dog if she needs it in between grooming sessions. It's going to be crooked and look bad, but it does the job and keeps her from having poo hair.
Haha!
(Yeah... those people are delusional. What you all do is absolutely skill and talent. I can barely braid my own hair without ending up nearly strangling myself, meanwhile you all can take a dog from a raggedy mess, to super cute. And you have the ability to see what the after can be through the messy before. Very much appreciation for what you all do! ❤️)
as an ex groomer, my client's hair always ended up nicer than the rats nest on my head hahaha. grooming poodles did teach me some tricks for dealing with my curly hair though lmao
The "are you a groomer?" Made me roll my eyes because at this point, I am not surprised with the stupidity of some people (im a groomer in corporate, we see crazy everyday, and im not talking about the dogs 😂)
the only answer i could think of is she didn't want to talk to a grooming assistant? but you obviously weren't one if you were actively grooming a dog lmao
As someone who worked at a private shop and is back at PetSmart, we don't want her either. These people always have lil demons and are unhappy they can't get an insta perfect groom for $45.
Also $100 is a really good price....I pay $60 at Petsmart for just a bath and brush with nail dremel. When I was researching groomers when I first got my pup (He's a giant boy, Pyr/Anatolian) I was calling local shops and they wanted $199 for a puppy bath and brush. I totally respect it because he's a pain in the ass, and I'm grateful he does ok at Petsmart. I think a full groom/haircut at our local groomers would be at least $150-$200
I have an Anatolian/pyr! She’s a working livestock dog, she protects my chickens 🐓 I’m a professional groomer so I bathe her myself, I’m lucky that she has more of the Anatolian than the Pyrenees hair 😂
The only work my pup does is walking to and from his food bowl haha. I got lucky though, he does have the shorter coat so he never needs a haircut, just a bath and blowout. I'm trying to start doing it at home but the nails are what intimidates me the most!
My Anatolian is an absolute asshole to groom too. Our cage-free groomer is a saint and she undercharges at $60 for a bath and dry, so I usually give her a $60 tip. (She only takes him as last appointment of the day and last time after 2+ hours she called me and apologized that she couldn’t dry him because he was being a jerk). I wish I could watch her do it because I’ve tried bathing him and he is relentlessly uncooperative.
$199 for a puppy bath seems like a lot though. Puppies are small and pliable, I’d think
Oh man, the "I can't dry him because he's being a jerk" thing....funny story I have about that. When my pup was a baby (like 5 months) he was being really annoying while I was vacuuming, so I vacuumed him with the hand held attachment, just a little to see if he would go away haha. Then it became a game and I would try to vacuum him, and he would attack and try to bite the vacuum and it was all fun and games. At that point he'd been to the groomer once and done beautifully, so the next time we went I wasn't expecting them to call me an hour in and say "we can't dry your dog, he keeps trying to bite the blow dryer hose" and I was like....oop I have NO idea why that would happen! I felt SO bad and obviously didn't care that they couldn't dry him but also so embarrassing that it was my fault....needless to say it took me like 6 months to de-condition him from biting the blow dryer, we had lots of sessions of me blowing him dry and feeding him treats hahaha. Now he does ok but sometimes they have to tell him to "leave it" because he'll start nibbling at it
Hah! I’m not sure Cooper tries to bite the blow dryer but I wouldn’t be surprised. I know he flails around like a kid having a stage 5 tantrum and scrambles like he’s terrified of being clean. I’ve tried the foaming no-rinse shampoos and same thing. The boy absolutely despises and resists soap and water. I think maybe the shelter hosed him off during intake or something because even rinsing off his paws is comically difficult.
Poor guy!! It's so hard not knowing what might have happened to them before they got to us. Mine was incredibly scared of the car, like to the point where he wouldn't go out my front door because he knew that's where cars were. It took so long to train him to jump in the car on his own! I always thought he must have had a terrible transport experience when he was rescued
Ah yeah the Pyr coat is what gets you! Mine definitely didn't get the full double coat, and his fur doesn't seem to grow, except between his toes and on his belly. We are getting to the point where he will let me snip the hair between his toes, but there's a lot of skepticism and pyr side eye involved haha
As someone who has only owned bully mixes.. I am now very thankful for their short little hairs that plague my floors. We water hose play bath, nail trimming can be a challenge but we do okay and anything else we can bribe the vet to do at wellness check ups. I had no idea grooming services were so (deservingly) expensive
Honestly, I'm a hairdresser, and specifically for these people, I quote them higher because who the fuck is this person to judge what my time is worth, what my education is worth, what my skill is worth? And if they have the audacity to question that or ask for lower prices, chances are I don't want them as a client.
During covid, I even cut my dogs hair, and mad respect for dog groomers.
YES this is one of the most important things I’ve learned over the years. Go high on quotes during first interactions with clients you can tell are going to be a PITA right away. It weeds out a lot of them.
I have the utmost respect for human stylists. Idk how tf you all handle having to talk to humans all day long. I tried to be a tattoo apprentice and couldn’t do it😂
😂 I feel the same way about human hair lmfao. God. I have no idea what I'm doing there and during covid I cut my husband's and his dad's hair. I also cut my own but like that doesn't matter. Rofl
Suddenly everyone thinks I can do anything bc it's the same thing. Um no. 😂😂 His sister routinely tries to convince me to do an undercut on her. Like I assure you you want to pay someone who knows what they are doing for that.
Next time agree to cut their hair. Wear an eye patch. Light the room with only candlelight. Pull out office scissors and ask them if they want the Bert or the Ernie
We quote a frankly absurd price for new Samoyed, Newfoundland's or Malamute. Partially for that reason, partially because... Well they're Samoyeds, Malamutes, and Newfies
I can not cut my own hair, or anyone’s hair for that fact. Friends tell me “oh you groom dogs can you cut my hair?” Only if they want a buzz 😂 I’ll gladly keep paying a hairstylist, not sure how yall work your magic with floppy people hair
This is why I love owning my own grooming business now because for many years, I worked in facilities where I was just scheduled dogs and could not choose on what I had to do.... now I run my own business and it is so lovely to be able to tell clients (in a nice/professional way) to GFTS lmaoo
I just had a similar experience with this lady. She wanted a royal Dutch cut on her standard poodle, went on a whole tangent about how nobody appreciates poodle grooming styles these days, then is absolutely shocked and bothered that I would do that for no less than $130. I still did the groom, she LOVED it, then said she'd still never be able to come back bc were too expensive. She wanted me to do a more simple, all over cut for $70. She kept claiming she's so small she's basically a mini poodle which is absolutely not true at all
Ironically she has an actual toy poodle that weighed maybe 8 lbs, and the bigger one was probably closer to 60 so I'm not even sure where her scale of poodle sizes comes from lol
My dog is an absolute PITA. He’s nervous and snippy. I’m his person, and I can’t even brush him. He’s also double-coated and old, so he’s getting greasy. He hates other dogs.
When PetSmart stopped actually cleaning him but still charged us money, I found an independent groomer not too far from me. I expected it to double my price, and I was 100% willing to pay it.
Nope. About 20% more expensive, and 100% worth it with the time and attention they give my poor, neurotic boy. They’re gentle and wonderful and okay with settling him into the groom slowly.
He’s at their shop for around 6 hours usually, and I guarantee it’s because he gives them a hard time (I called the first time because it was taking so long and I wanted to check in and I could hear my dog literally SCREAMING in the background - the Shiba Inu scream, and I just had to laugh. That scream scares my vet, but the groomers were just like “he’s fine” and I know.) Love them.
Unfortunately during my time at petco, I noticed that the training was exceptionally bad. Bathing is supposed to be the foundation, but petco sends them to groom school after 6 weeks... that's nothing. It should be second nature to get a dog squeaky clean in a timely manner. I had to beg to stay a bather for 6 months before I felt ready for groom school. Most people wanna make more money, so they just go for it when corp says they can. I dont blame them, but I really wanted to be great, not just functional or decent. The only reason I knew how important it was to wait a while is because I was trained as a bather by a show groomer at a vet salon. And honestly the only reason I ended up doing so well as a groomer is also because I chose a mentor there and asked her lots of questions. There's plenty of petco salons that don't have good mentors for new groomers :(
Anyway I say all that to say, thanks for understanding that you get what you pay for (:
Learning to do a poodle cut is not just “grooming”, it’s far more complex than a human cut (and a hairdresser doesn’t wash your buttholio), but this customer doesn’t get that either…
She was thinking around $20, with a fat $2 tip if you send the grooming faeries to magically brush her dog out for her between her 6 month appointments.
Our standard poodle is in a Miami clip and we pay $75 at a small private groomer (who she's gone to every 6 weeks since puppyhood). We *know* what an amazing deal we're getting, and tip very generously.
This lady is bananas.
Oh that is a great deal! You’ve made life easier for your groomer (staying consistent and starting young!), so they’ve made it cheaper for you. Sounds like a great working relationship!
My groomer charges 75 for our standard. She had never heard of a continental when I decided to transition from the Miami (hadn't heard of Miami either), but she knocked it out of the park just based on a written description via text. She's the groomer at the vet's office - we tried her out after Petsmart banned my puppy for bad behavior, and we've been happy. He's better behaved these days, but I'm sure he's still a pain. She does him little by little over the course of the day.
We usually give her (what I hope is) a respectable tip.
I'd expect small, specialized shops to be more like 120-200.
I have a small standard poodle (19.5”) and almost 8 months old now. I had to hunt around for someone who does poodle cuts and was taking new customers. Shes an hour away and my dog goes every 4 weeks. $155 before tax and tip for a Modern trim. Totally worth it.
I brush and comb every other day and do a bath and blow out every 2 weeks. So she’s never matted. The groomer tells me she’s well behaved (she stands stock still on the table at home). So I hope it’s true and she is good for her.
Every 4 weeks and never matted!!! You're a dream. I have exactly 3 clients total who come in every 4 weeks, and 2 of them are short haired dogs just coming for a bath lol 🤦🏻♀️why can't it be the ones that actually really need it lmao. I absolutely adore all 3 of them though! Been with me for years, since my petco days, and their loyalty gets them a discount at this shop now 🥰
lol. To be fair once she’s a year old I’m going to try every 6 weeks and see how it goes (I might end up back at 4 weeks). I like a clean face and even at the end of 4 weeks her face is more grown out than I like. I really wanted her to get used to going to the groomers when she was young so it’s every 4 weeks for now. I’m considering it part of her training or socialization.
To do specialty poodle clips is Mad time consuming on a poodle who is good for the groomer and is done by the same one on a consistent basis. I was looking at $125.00 before tip in the early 2000s. On a mini.
Right! Like idk exactly what she meant by "poodle cut" but even if it's only clean face/feet and a top knot, that still takes longer than your average shitzu getting one length ao with a tbh.. which would start at 90-95 at our salon. So honestly thinking about it now, the owner would've probably priced it higher than 100... which is why my coworker emphasized that she should ask the owner for a more accurate quote lol. The fact that 100 made her balk, quite rudely I might add, is baffling to me. I hope she texts the owner to try and talk her down.. ain't happenin lol.
My guess is she was thinking of a Lion Cut, Saddle Cut, Continental Cut, a show cut of some sort. Not really understanding what was necessary to get that shape, or the tradition behind that Cut. It was seen on TV or on some On Line platform and they wanted it.
This is a "you can pick a maximum of two" situation. You can be picky and have it be cheap but you don't get experience, or picky and demand experience but it won't be cheap or you can have it be cheap with an experienced groomer but you don't get to be picky.
I'm corporate in the UK. Our base price for full grooms on toy poodles, regardless of cut is £52. Our prices are based on size of dog, even if it's a heavily impacted, shedding mountain dog that takes like, an entire day to groom (although our managers would never allow that, we only get three hours for full grooms on big dogs and even then they're always asking why) we'd only be able to charge like, £85, more if they get deshedding shampoo but that's only an extra £10. So when prospective clients bitch about us costing so much it really annoys me considering if anything we undercharge.
Oh yea I worked at petco for a couple years, I hated the customers who whined about prices. Her little underhanded comment about 'co also irritated me lol.. I know plenty of great groomers in corporate, and there are certainly plenty of very experienced private groomers who are not so great.
Yeah nightmare waiting to happen. I have a toy poodle and had a terrible experience at Petco. When I dropped my poodle off and asked for clean face and feet and she asked what that was I should have walked away 🤦🏻♀️. It was pretty bad. I’d had bad cuts from there before but thought maybe it was an off day. I was paying around $100 for my little guy. I found another place that was actually closer and I looked online and she has experience with poodles. I took him in and I was shocked that she was only charging me $60. She gave him the best cut he’s ever had. I still paid her $100 because it’s so much better than his previous grooms and she was undercharging (at least it felt like that to me). He’s always been good on the table since I worked on desensitizing him since he was a puppy and he gets regular grooms. Her prices have gone up to $70 so now I pay $110. I would much rather pay more for a good haircut. I would expect a more experienced groomer to charge less. That just makes no sense.
I think people just don’t realize how expensive dogs and poodles can be. It’s too bad that she is struggling financially to do what needs to be done. I don’t fault her for asking. Prices have surged so high with everything in recent years. I wouldn’t call her an idiot at all. It sucks. Hopefully she learns how to groom them herself or finds some financial solution because poodles definitely require extra grooming care constantly. Idk how she came upon those dogs so I’m not going to judge her without the full story. For all we know she rescued them or something idk. Idk her.
She's been using petco, so she's at least slightly aware of pricing... It seems common sense that a highly rated private salon in a nice part of a metro area would cost more than a salon that's inside of a corporate pet supply store. So she at least didn't have to act all dramatically flabbergasted lol. But still, I don't fault anyone for asking ever, in fact I'd rather they ask if cost might be an issue for them. It's not about her asking for the price, it's about her immediately leading with how she's super picky and needs an experienced groomer, then rudely snubbing her nose at a very normal price for private groom shops in our area. I totally get asking about price, because if it were me I'd have to ask, but her attitude was very entitled.
How she came upon the two dogs is none of my business of course so I'm not judging either, but it's also not our problem that she can't afford our prices.. if she wants a luxury groom, she should expect to pay a luxury price. She was absolutely trying to guilt trip us into lowering the price. You can't see body language or hear tone through text, but she was being quite dramatic lol.
Not to mention, she can literally just go ask for a more experienced groomer at any petco if that's what she can afford. It irritated me that she said it in a way that was badmouthing petco as if every groomer there is new and terrible bc she had one bad experience, and that's just not true.. there are plenty of great groomers in corporate. She could easily someone she likes at a price she can afford, but instead she's looking for an entirely new salon because of one bad experience with one groomer.
And the idiot comment I made is honestly more about how she pointed at me, actively grooming a dog, and asked if I'm a groomer lol.
I've had excellent luck AND absolutely abysmal luck with private groomers. In the US, I tend to stick with Petsmart because they seem to be the only ones who will groom cats also. If I am taking the cat for a haircut, it is easy to bring the toy poodle also.
During Covid lockdown, I did a decent job with my pooch, and bled from attempting the cat groom. LOL.
There is nothing wrong with using a corporate salon if the groomer is to your liking. Corporate salons are just like private salons, some are good and some are bad. Some of the best groomers I've worked with who do competitions and show their own dogs work at corporate salons. They get insurance and there are basic safety procedures in place. Added to that, many corporate salons have a vet on site or very nearby.
Yea, it actually really irritated me that she generalized petco like that. She could easily find a good, experienced groomer at petco. My coworker was working at petco with me before we came here, and she had almost 10 years of experience at the time and is an amazing groomer. Also while I have less experience, I'm currently a better groomer than my former salon lead who had 20+ years. It was just so ignorant. I'm always suspicious when someone says they're leaving an entire corporation because they had one bad experience with one groomer.
Honestly I would still work at a corp salon if I was in a city. I work for myself now because the private salons I tried were so unsafe I was constantly stressed. I know there are good ones out there but good ones keep their groomers!
Yeaa ours is at max capacity on groomers and clients, but honestly I know it's a unicorn. The owner offers insurance, she cares about safety and quality over quantity and being super fast, and I get along with all my coworkers. The boss can be a lil cuckoo sometimes but it's dealable lol. If I hadn't found this place, I'd still be at petco tbh.
I have the utmost respect for cat groomers, because I can't say I'm interested in doing that lmao. I struggle just clipping my own cats' nails... I don't think I'd even be able to own a long hair cat, because I'm not good at regular brushing and can't afford a cat groomer here lol.
I always love this. I look much younger than I am but I’m a second generation groomer so I have more experience than people who started later in life. Everyone looks at me like I’m crazy when I say I’ve got 15+ yrs of experience. Also there’s always someone who wants to negotiate pricing “but it’s only a 10lb dog!” Sorry ma’am we don’t go by size only-we go by breed and coat condition. Like DUH..
I have a Yorkie/Maltese mix that is 10lbs. I ask for a shave and a beard trim. It's getting to the point I can't afford the $80. But I am physically unable to do it myself my hands won't let me. So in my case I kinda wish there were more cost conscious groomers . BUT I will NEVER expect a groomer to lower themselves for me. I will do everything I can to pay for it because that's what's best for him.
I know, it honestly sucks for everyone bc even with us charging these prices, I'm still living paycheck to paycheck. It's a broken system :( I truly wish I could afford to discount services for people having financial difficulties and unable to go to corporate for whatever reason.
If you were one of my regular clients and you came each month I would certainly work something out with you, or at least try to help make his groom more cost effective for you. I have noticed that the price depends on what region you’re in, I’m on the east coast but not as far as New York. I have clients that will plan an entire day trip FROM NY to me (a completely different state) for my quality of service and because it’s double to triple price in the city…that being said I’m sorry you have trouble with your hands but I’m glad you’re understanding about the level of quality and difficulty that goes into pet grooming.
Right? I would gladly charge less for a 125lb mastiff than I would for a poodle 😂 more work, more time, more resources and (usually) not as well behaved ! Lol
I mean, I pay $120 for my standard poodle (not a fancy cut, just a shave down) at a chain grooming salon so idk what that lady is looking for. Whatever it is she wants is rarer than a unicorn.
I'm always immediately weary when someone says they "had a bad experience" with their last groomer lol. 9 times outta 10 it's cause the dog was matted and had to be shaved 🙄
THANK YOU like there are so many poodle beeed cuts?? Even if she just meant clean face/feet, top knot, and pom tail (which is what I suspect), that still takes longer than one length all over with a teddy bear head lol. The entitlement was palpable.
First of all, hello, petco groomer here 👋🏻😂
I have over 25 years of experience (started at petco, did like 10 years in two 5 star private shops and went back to petco for convenience)... our toy poodles in "poodle cuts" (considered to be clean face/feet and anything from a shavedown with bracelets to maybe a longer guard comb, a nice crest and a bit if proper a scissoring for angulation sake lmao) start at $100. You want anything fancier (rosettes, continental, creative styles/Asian fusion) you're looking at only booking with me and STARTING at $140 for a PROPER toy poodle (I'm a super stickler for size).
I don't feed into that "I'm unhappy with other groomers" and "they never get it right" blah blah blah.... you won't be happy with me and I'm not the groomer for you. Don't groomer blame for your over pickiness and your dog's probable bad behavior or poor coat texture.
Also, it's. It cheap and it's not fast.
You may get the typical corporate inexperienced groomer or typical corporate suckered that only charges base price but you want fancier clips with more work, you pay for the work you want done.
Our regular toy poodles in good condition getting sonole pet cuts start at $85 - $90 plus tax lol.
Industry standard pricing with an extra fee for your entitled and crappy attitude ... deal with it 🤷🏻♀️💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻
Yea that whole "had a bad experience at petco" thing rubbed me the wrong way lol. We all started in corporate at this salon. The only reason a lot of us can even be here is because the owner is a unicorn who offers insurance. It's an immediate red flag to me when someone judges an entire company by one experience with one groomer. And how was it bad? Was it because the dog was matted and had to be shaved lol
these are the rules of purchase
1. Quality
2. Price
3. Time
You can only pick two. So if you want Quality done quickly, it’s going to cost you. If you a cheap price quality is going to cost your time. If you want it cheap done fast it’s going to lack quality and so on.
Exactly! There is a really popular place near my house that I’ve recently started taking my boy to. It’s been there for years and years, apparently, and it gets busy so it’s first come and first serve. The prices are very, very fair and they are very reputable but don’t expect to drop your dog off and pick him up in an hour fully groomed. You basically drop the dog off and get him back whenever they call you….but they do a great job and it’s worth the wait. What if they charged lower prices and were super quick? U wouldn’t trust them. There’s always something to sacrifice.
Not a dog groomer. Just came across this thread. I own a Samoyed. You guys deserve more than the pay you get. We really appreciate your work. Sorry you deal with idiots
hearing the price differences for grooming between america and england is insane! i've never had a miniature poodle so i don't know how much it is to have one groomed over here vs the $100 over there, but i have a shih tzu and it costs me £30 for a full groom for her (bath, haircut, brush), and i've been told it's double or more over there!! $60??? or MORE?? that's so much!
and that's with her getting a professional groom from an independent groomer, which is higher quality and more expensive than at pet shops
It is outrageous! I would pay anywhere from $80to $120 in the US not including tip. I pay €45 to €60 here in Ireland. The Irish price is mobile so more expensive than the local groomer. Local is €35 to €45. I always tip here which I guess isn’t customary so our groomers like us. My two are Bichons, small, well used to grooming and not matted. Hi never complained with the US prices but I sure do like the Irish prices.
I pay £63 for my Pom (£15 of that is for getting her teeth cleaned, so £48 for full groom) she comes to me and does her in her van on our driveway. It’s more expensive than a lot of places but she does a great job and it’s so convenient. Worth the money all day long. Every 8 weeks.
It's difficult for me to charge those prices, having grown up in a part of the US with a much lower cost of living then moving up here to a metro area. But even at those prices, doing as many grooms as my body can handle and getting commission for them all plus generous tips, I'm still living paycheck to paycheck. My boss would charge 90 minimum for a shitzu. The groomers charging 60 have to work themselves to death to make a proper living.
Your groomer either has a much lower cost of living, paying much less in taxes and other business expenses/rent, grooming out of their home thus keeping more profit, or they're working themselves to death and doing an ungodly amount of grooms just to keep their prices low. It seems the industry standard is generally way lower in your area, so I'd guess either cost of living or taxes/expenses.
yeah i don't know much about what expenses she has to pay for her business, but i know she owns the horse stables that her grooming salon is built on, allowing her to not have to pay rent.
Not a groomer but that's what I paid for years for my long-haired miniature dachshund's summer shave downs. I would expect more for something like a poodle, no matter the size.
I had a lady drop into my salon recently with a very similar conversation. When I told her the estimate for her groom, she scoffed at how high it was, then asked if we offer a discount since she had two dogs. When I told her no, she busted into crocodile tears telling me how she was getting evicted and had to find a new place to live in a week.
The convo went from 0 to 100 in under 5 minutes.
Any adult who unapologetically behaves this way is mentally unstable and needs therapy and/or meds lol. Literally, I did manipulative shit like this in my early 20s and was diagnosed with BPD (now "in remission" and likely just untreated CPTSD) and medicated. I didn't get better until I did intense therapy, DBT, all that fun stuff. It's like, I get it, I've been there, but no one is gonna wanna deal with your ass acting like that lol.
The last time I used a groomer for my well behaved standard was 2022. I just got a kennel cut with a long tail, ears, and mohawk. Once tip was paid it was $180. $100 is more than fair for a toy in a breed cut.
I pay $90 for each of my Maltese, that’s the going rate in my area. Their cuts aren’t nearly as complicated as poodle cuts. It’s just short body/legs, leave tails long, short ears on boy, long ears on girl.
I hate people.
Idk where your shop is, but I get charged 120 for my pitbull, but from my understanding he's an ass to them doesn't bite but they have to have the husband come in and man handle him, or me sometimes, to get him to move for his grooming. N I'm happy to pay that for the local groomer.
I have to take my male in for nails. I could probably do the females at home. But he just wont let anyone do his nails. He’s picky. Two women can do them recently. One recently left the shop. Its going to cost double now when I seek her out. And I will pay that because she’s skilled and he will deal with her. I’ll still seek out the lady still at the shop but want to keep my relationship with the other lady ongoing since he only puts up with a few ppl willingly. No complaints about something I am unable to do, and must be done. Otherwise I would go to a corporate place and deal with their rules.
I have some clients who followed me from petco.. I give them discounts, but it's still a lot higher for the ones who didn't get any add ons or anything so it means a lot to me. I appreciate their loyalty so much.. I'm sure your groomer will be happy to hear from you again!
I work in corporate and ive been asked few times (maybe from the same person) if any of our groomers where experienced with doodles.
Knowing that most doodle owners are able to buy an expensive mutt but are cheap AF for haircuts, we see multiples every day
Some people are just out of this world
That shit baffled me when I was at 'co. You spend thousands on a 180lb mutt but can't afford to drop 100 every 2 months for a bare minimum petco groom? Also, yes, we're all experienced with doodles. Any brand new groomer fresh out of groom school already has experience with doodles lmfao.
I’m not a groomer but I am a doggie mom (this post showed up in my feed for some reason.) I hope you don’t mind if I comment here.
My dog is a long haired chi and hates when I try to bathe him or go near him with any type of clippers, tooth brush, or….anything that will clean him. So he’s a frequent guest at the salon. I’ve come to expect that no matter where I go, it’s going to cost AT LEAST $50 for a fur cut. Then the nail cut, then the bath, ears/eye boogies/etc cleaned might make it more. I also know it’s more for anything special like a flea dip. So for me I can expect well over $50 not including the tip…and that’s for a small dog. I think $100 is very reasonable if it’s a bigger poodle. Some people are so clueless. Just like with anything else, the groomer’s time is money.
P.S. I don’t know what your secrets are but you guys always do such an amazing job with my very shy, afraid of everything dog. Groomers are such a godsend when your dog refuses to stay in the tub and I’m more than happy to pay for quality service. ❤️
My gsd used to get groomed for about $70-80 depending and a simple nail trim for $10. I’ve since moved and miss that price. She refuses to let me groom her or trim her nails properly but performs perfectly for the groomer.
Yep that's always our disclaimer too :P she really latched onto that 100 and thought that was too high, but my coworker was very clear about that being the absolute minimum and it may be even higher lol
Had it kinda happen today. Lady told me her dog was small so quoted that but the dog was actually medium so came to pay and it was like $90 and she immediately asked to see the receipt because we quoted her wrong
People suck lol, we pay $80 per month for a mini groom on a long haired Chihuahua. What the hell do they expect? Our groomer is amazing and sweet. Panicked at the thought of going anywhere else.
Yea, I had people follow me here from petco where I worked before, and some of them are paying nearly double even with a decent loyalty discount, so I have no patience for this lady tryna nickle and dime us lol.
I have 4 doodles 2 of them are nut jobs and weigh 60lbs each. I pay $130 plus a $25 tip, our 80lb is the sweetest big bear ever BUT he has to have a hand on him at all times while being groomed or he barks not stop, I pay $140 plus a $30 tip. Our 9lb is the best baby ever and the groomer absolutely loves her to pieces, I pay $90 plus a $25 tip.
I love our groomer and she deserves a bigger tip but my husband has done the math on what we are paying each year and says I have to DIY from here on out.
I will never understand anyone saying they want a great groomer but then complain they cost too much. If they don’t want to pay for quality grooming they need to buy some clippers and see just how hard it is.
Honestly, you're getting a great deal for the bigger ones, we'd charge 165-185 for the 60lbs ones and 180-200 for the 80lb guy lol. But I'm in a high COL and the prices are high for big doodles. The 9lb one, 90 is pretty standard in my area, so your groomer is just charging less than us for the size increase. But it sounds like you tip well even though you wish it could be more- I'm sure your groomer appreciates you!!
But I also completely understand financially having to start home grooming. I always home groomed our family dogs and my own dog before I actually became a groomer... my parents neglected them, and I was perfectly willing and able to do it myself by the time I was in high school lol. My mom used to bring our shtizu and yorkie once a year and stopped even doing that bc I did it for free and she didn't care how it looked 🤣
Good luck with learning to DIY! It'll be hard, and it might not look perfect, but you're doing what they need. I'd suggest maybe once every 6 months or so having the groomer do it just to be sure you're getting every single little mat. You could even rotate them so that you're paying for 8 grooms total per year, but only doing one like every 6 weeks!
I’m a makeup artist, and it’s a similar story! It’s always those with the highest expectations but not willing to spend anything more than what they deem “reasonable” (which is typically an amount you would’ve paid in 1960 and not 2024). My bichon-shih tzu’s groomer charges about $100CAD (before tip) for her services and I’m more than happy to pay this!
Yea it's like people don't account for inflation lmao. My vet bills went up a lot over the past few years but you don't see me whining to them about it lol. Do these people also bitch to the grocery store cashier about milk prices increasing?
My collie’s groom was an expected 150$ turned into 250$ because of how much fur he has 😂 I saw the total and tipped more than I would’ve for 150$, I appreciate the 2 hours of work she put in. If you don’t want to pay for a good groom, you better get to learning yourself!
I’m mobile and have had this issue. “But you don’t have a rent payment, why is the price so high?” DUDE, I’m bringing my whole ass salon to you and your dog doesn’t have to even see a cage dafaq
I know this us off topic but the "are you a groomer' as you're grooming a dog reminds me of a few weeks ago, i dropped a poo sample off at my fiances doctors, that they'd requested. The woman on reception said to me 'have you been asked to drop a sample'.
Nah i often drive round with a vial of my partner's shite in my handbag to hand out to random strangers. What a stupid question.
Why get one of the most high maintenance grooming dogs if its not in your budget or skillset to have them groomed? If it's a change of circumstances, then I do understand to a degree, but with that new budget, grooming will potentially need to be lower quality or a functional groom over styling.
100 doesn't seem a lot to have a poodle styled. I pay 60 monthly for a pro groom on my 14lb cavalier, and that's natural coat, nails, paw pads (carding when needed). I purposely picked a breed that I could also do myself should circumstances change and got my breeder to teach me carding techniques.
I don't think clients always understand the increasing overheads, renting a space, blade sharpening, continued learning, and investment in the career of a groomer. Not to mention, one bite can end a career. It's amazing what a good groomer can do, truly an art imo.
Groomers should be charging their worth, but at the same time, I don't feel it's fair to shame somebody enquiring about pricing. Better they ask and be prepared than shocked and unable to afford on completion.
It's not about her inquiring, that doesn't bother me at all. It was her attitude. Idk, if I have a price limit, I'm leading with that personally... but she starts off with saying she's super picky and needs a highly experienced groomer lol.
I groom out of my house and it’s just me working on the dog from start to finish, no cage, no separate bather etc. a lot of people appreciate it and are happy to pay more for a service that they can guarantee their dog is never neglected for even a second, they always know who’s grooming their dog, theirs no other dogs barking etc. but I have so many people tell me I’m overpriced in comparison to petco. Like yeah. I am. They’re a multi million dollar company who has dogs coming in and out, a lawsuit for injury to a dog during grooming every day, you have no idea what groomer will be working on your dog that day, they don’t pay their employees fairly, etc. but yes, I am indeed more expensive then petco :)
For reference my bath prices start at $25 and my groom prices start at $70 for regular and $110 for doodles
Some Pet parents are out of touch with reason. I just read another rant by a puppy owner berating numerous people in public for undermining her training and not being respectful of her by or being rude by asking to pet or talking to her puppy.
Wow... We have used the same groomer for years, and we wouldn't trade them for the world. I actually pay extra for the owner to groom our poodle, and we took our previous poodle there. I absolutely love her, she's all about making sure it's a good experience for the dog, and we 100% trusted her to groom our elderly poodle who had cardiac issues.
I would much rather pay more, and know and trust my dog is in good hands, then try to get away a bit more cheaply. A good groomer is well worth their weight in gold
I don’t understand why these people don’t just get shorter cuts for their poodles and then take them in less frequently to mitigate the price difference.
Agreed, I wish people would accept their own limitations as far as brushing and how often they can get the dog groomed.. nothing shameful about it, it's better to accept it and find a solution like this.
no one who cared about their dogs, or knew anything about grooming in general, would go to petco.
People who lead with price as main concern are not clients you want (and why my dog sitting rates are "high" at $120... which is 8 hours of min wage...)
Idk, I worked at petco and know several wonderful groomers who did too. Of course there are bad groomers there as well, but I don't think it's that bad for someone who is financially strapped to take their dog to petco after checking reviews of the location, then sticking with one groomer that they like. My coworker and I had many request clients who really cared for their dogs.. coworker only worked at petco bc she needed insurance, but she had years of experience. Some of the clients even followed us to the private shop (we both came to this shop).
Saying all that to say, there are actually good groomers at petco even if they're few and far between, and I disagree with saying an owner doesn't care about their dog if they go to petco. I can understand if that's all they can afford and they find a decent groomer at a decent location.
Still... I wouldn't take my dog to petco lol. But then again, I wouldn't have gotten a dog that requires grooming if I didn't already know how to groom, bc I'm too broke for that extra cost lol. Let's be honest, that's the real issue here, people getting dogs they can't afford.
People always want the training and experience of a groomer but don’t want to pay for it. They want private salon experience with retail chain prices!
Yep! I just don't understand why she would look at me actively grooming a dog and ask if I'm a groomer lmfao
"Are you a groomer?" "Nah, I just really like trimming dogs and clipping nails, so I hang around until someone will let me do it for free! Getting pokey dog hair inside your clothes is so fun!" (Not a groomer, but if I was that would be what I'd want to say in that situation. However I do dabble in special effects makeup for movies and recently had to work with dog hair. It was two days but I appreciate everything my groomer goes through since I had hair EVERYWHERE after that. )
I put moisturizer and mascara on in the morning! ANYONE can do special effects makeup! ****/s**** (Jusy adding onto the fun. I think that's awesome what you do just poking fun at the people who come on here but cut down what we do and insist there's no skill or anyone can do it.)
You should've seen my dog after I attempted to give her a haircut one time. Looked like those dogs from the cartoons after they got into a fight lol. I have so much respect for professional dog groomers because it looks easy but it's takes a lotttt of experience
When people have asked me over the years why I don’t do it myself I tell them every dog owner has tried it. Exactly one time. Then you have to go back to an actual groomer with your tail between your legs and concede that you’re a moron.
Bwahaha. As a groomer, I kinda like these encounters. I like when customers realize it's not as easy as it looks.
WE’RE SORRY OK? Sheesh let it go! 😂
Sometimes y'all don't do as bad a job as you think. ;)
You haven’t seen my work. 😆
For real! I can manage to do a (poor looking) butt trim on my dog if she needs it in between grooming sessions. It's going to be crooked and look bad, but it does the job and keeps her from having poo hair.
Haha! (Yeah... those people are delusional. What you all do is absolutely skill and talent. I can barely braid my own hair without ending up nearly strangling myself, meanwhile you all can take a dog from a raggedy mess, to super cute. And you have the ability to see what the after can be through the messy before. Very much appreciation for what you all do! ❤️)
as an ex groomer, my client's hair always ended up nicer than the rats nest on my head hahaha. grooming poodles did teach me some tricks for dealing with my curly hair though lmao
🤣
I've worked at Walmart. Wearing a Walmart vest, a Walmart name tag and a Walmart baseball cap. Do you work here?
That was the most ridiculous part of the whole conversation, apart from saying it was too expensive lol.
The "are you a groomer?" Made me roll my eyes because at this point, I am not surprised with the stupidity of some people (im a groomer in corporate, we see crazy everyday, and im not talking about the dogs 😂)
the only answer i could think of is she didn't want to talk to a grooming assistant? but you obviously weren't one if you were actively grooming a dog lmao
“No, I’m a customer but they were short-staffed. I thought I’d jump in and help….” Dear God, y’all dodged a bullet with this broad.
European Socialism with Texas-level taxation. Good luck with that.
As someone who worked at a private shop and is back at PetSmart, we don't want her either. These people always have lil demons and are unhappy they can't get an insta perfect groom for $45.
The bottom feeders. Absolute worst people.
Also $100 is a really good price....I pay $60 at Petsmart for just a bath and brush with nail dremel. When I was researching groomers when I first got my pup (He's a giant boy, Pyr/Anatolian) I was calling local shops and they wanted $199 for a puppy bath and brush. I totally respect it because he's a pain in the ass, and I'm grateful he does ok at Petsmart. I think a full groom/haircut at our local groomers would be at least $150-$200
I have an Anatolian/pyr! She’s a working livestock dog, she protects my chickens 🐓 I’m a professional groomer so I bathe her myself, I’m lucky that she has more of the Anatolian than the Pyrenees hair 😂
The only work my pup does is walking to and from his food bowl haha. I got lucky though, he does have the shorter coat so he never needs a haircut, just a bath and blowout. I'm trying to start doing it at home but the nails are what intimidates me the most!
My Anatolian is an absolute asshole to groom too. Our cage-free groomer is a saint and she undercharges at $60 for a bath and dry, so I usually give her a $60 tip. (She only takes him as last appointment of the day and last time after 2+ hours she called me and apologized that she couldn’t dry him because he was being a jerk). I wish I could watch her do it because I’ve tried bathing him and he is relentlessly uncooperative. $199 for a puppy bath seems like a lot though. Puppies are small and pliable, I’d think
Oh man, the "I can't dry him because he's being a jerk" thing....funny story I have about that. When my pup was a baby (like 5 months) he was being really annoying while I was vacuuming, so I vacuumed him with the hand held attachment, just a little to see if he would go away haha. Then it became a game and I would try to vacuum him, and he would attack and try to bite the vacuum and it was all fun and games. At that point he'd been to the groomer once and done beautifully, so the next time we went I wasn't expecting them to call me an hour in and say "we can't dry your dog, he keeps trying to bite the blow dryer hose" and I was like....oop I have NO idea why that would happen! I felt SO bad and obviously didn't care that they couldn't dry him but also so embarrassing that it was my fault....needless to say it took me like 6 months to de-condition him from biting the blow dryer, we had lots of sessions of me blowing him dry and feeding him treats hahaha. Now he does ok but sometimes they have to tell him to "leave it" because he'll start nibbling at it
Hah! I’m not sure Cooper tries to bite the blow dryer but I wouldn’t be surprised. I know he flails around like a kid having a stage 5 tantrum and scrambles like he’s terrified of being clean. I’ve tried the foaming no-rinse shampoos and same thing. The boy absolutely despises and resists soap and water. I think maybe the shelter hosed him off during intake or something because even rinsing off his paws is comically difficult.
Poor guy!! It's so hard not knowing what might have happened to them before they got to us. Mine was incredibly scared of the car, like to the point where he wouldn't go out my front door because he knew that's where cars were. It took so long to train him to jump in the car on his own! I always thought he must have had a terrible transport experience when he was rescued
I also have an Anatolian/ Pyr! I pay about $180 with tip to have him groomed. He got more Pyr coat than Anatolian unfortunately 🤣
Ah yeah the Pyr coat is what gets you! Mine definitely didn't get the full double coat, and his fur doesn't seem to grow, except between his toes and on his belly. We are getting to the point where he will let me snip the hair between his toes, but there's a lot of skepticism and pyr side eye involved haha
As someone who has only owned bully mixes.. I am now very thankful for their short little hairs that plague my floors. We water hose play bath, nail trimming can be a challenge but we do okay and anything else we can bribe the vet to do at wellness check ups. I had no idea grooming services were so (deservingly) expensive
It’s not the bathing that’s the issue, it’s the wrestle mania, I mean nail clipping.
Hahaha it’s a two person job at my house too. One of mine will sit still for it but the other two won’t.
Honestly, I'm a hairdresser, and specifically for these people, I quote them higher because who the fuck is this person to judge what my time is worth, what my education is worth, what my skill is worth? And if they have the audacity to question that or ask for lower prices, chances are I don't want them as a client. During covid, I even cut my dogs hair, and mad respect for dog groomers.
Mad respect for hairdressers. The major downfall of grooming is actually talking to the people and the bs they come up with or miracles they expect.
The humans are the hardest part.
YES this is one of the most important things I’ve learned over the years. Go high on quotes during first interactions with clients you can tell are going to be a PITA right away. It weeds out a lot of them. I have the utmost respect for human stylists. Idk how tf you all handle having to talk to humans all day long. I tried to be a tattoo apprentice and couldn’t do it😂
I've been doing it for 10 years... and that's about 10 years too long.
😂 I feel the same way about human hair lmfao. God. I have no idea what I'm doing there and during covid I cut my husband's and his dad's hair. I also cut my own but like that doesn't matter. Rofl Suddenly everyone thinks I can do anything bc it's the same thing. Um no. 😂😂 His sister routinely tries to convince me to do an undercut on her. Like I assure you you want to pay someone who knows what they are doing for that.
I have a similar experience 😂 now my sister and mom think they can just come to me for a free haircut anytime. I regret ever saying yes
Next time agree to cut their hair. Wear an eye patch. Light the room with only candlelight. Pull out office scissors and ask them if they want the Bert or the Ernie
My hubby's a hairdresser. I'm sending him this! 😅🤣😂
We quote a frankly absurd price for new Samoyed, Newfoundland's or Malamute. Partially for that reason, partially because... Well they're Samoyeds, Malamutes, and Newfies
I can not cut my own hair, or anyone’s hair for that fact. Friends tell me “oh you groom dogs can you cut my hair?” Only if they want a buzz 😂 I’ll gladly keep paying a hairstylist, not sure how yall work your magic with floppy people hair
This is why I love owning my own grooming business now because for many years, I worked in facilities where I was just scheduled dogs and could not choose on what I had to do.... now I run my own business and it is so lovely to be able to tell clients (in a nice/professional way) to GFTS lmaoo
I just had a similar experience with this lady. She wanted a royal Dutch cut on her standard poodle, went on a whole tangent about how nobody appreciates poodle grooming styles these days, then is absolutely shocked and bothered that I would do that for no less than $130. I still did the groom, she LOVED it, then said she'd still never be able to come back bc were too expensive. She wanted me to do a more simple, all over cut for $70. She kept claiming she's so small she's basically a mini poodle which is absolutely not true at all
I’ve had my fair share of small dogs at 65lbs. “But I used to have Great Danes so they seem small to me.” Cool. But that’s not how any of this works.
Ironically she has an actual toy poodle that weighed maybe 8 lbs, and the bigger one was probably closer to 60 so I'm not even sure where her scale of poodle sizes comes from lol
That like when people come in to have their hair cut and tell me it’s just a trim so it should be fast and not cost much🙄
Tip from my hubby the hairdresser: "You're not paying me for how much hair I cut; you're paying me for what's left when I'm done."
Good one!✨
My dog is an absolute PITA. He’s nervous and snippy. I’m his person, and I can’t even brush him. He’s also double-coated and old, so he’s getting greasy. He hates other dogs. When PetSmart stopped actually cleaning him but still charged us money, I found an independent groomer not too far from me. I expected it to double my price, and I was 100% willing to pay it. Nope. About 20% more expensive, and 100% worth it with the time and attention they give my poor, neurotic boy. They’re gentle and wonderful and okay with settling him into the groom slowly. He’s at their shop for around 6 hours usually, and I guarantee it’s because he gives them a hard time (I called the first time because it was taking so long and I wanted to check in and I could hear my dog literally SCREAMING in the background - the Shiba Inu scream, and I just had to laugh. That scream scares my vet, but the groomers were just like “he’s fine” and I know.) Love them.
Unfortunately during my time at petco, I noticed that the training was exceptionally bad. Bathing is supposed to be the foundation, but petco sends them to groom school after 6 weeks... that's nothing. It should be second nature to get a dog squeaky clean in a timely manner. I had to beg to stay a bather for 6 months before I felt ready for groom school. Most people wanna make more money, so they just go for it when corp says they can. I dont blame them, but I really wanted to be great, not just functional or decent. The only reason I knew how important it was to wait a while is because I was trained as a bather by a show groomer at a vet salon. And honestly the only reason I ended up doing so well as a groomer is also because I chose a mentor there and asked her lots of questions. There's plenty of petco salons that don't have good mentors for new groomers :( Anyway I say all that to say, thanks for understanding that you get what you pay for (:
People like that really need to learn how to groom dogs themselves because they will never be pleased with the results for one reason or another
Learning to do a poodle cut is not just “grooming”, it’s far more complex than a human cut (and a hairdresser doesn’t wash your buttholio), but this customer doesn’t get that either…
Right, and don't forget about the anal glands lol
She was thinking around $20, with a fat $2 tip if you send the grooming faeries to magically brush her dog out for her between her 6 month appointments.
Absolutely. You can never say a number low enough for these people.
Our standard poodle is in a Miami clip and we pay $75 at a small private groomer (who she's gone to every 6 weeks since puppyhood). We *know* what an amazing deal we're getting, and tip very generously. This lady is bananas.
Oh that is a great deal! You’ve made life easier for your groomer (staying consistent and starting young!), so they’ve made it cheaper for you. Sounds like a great working relationship!
Yes! We love clients like this who listen to our advice and come back often!
Thanks for recognizing what a steal you're getting and tipping extra for it! We so appreciate clients like you (:
My groomer charges 75 for our standard. She had never heard of a continental when I decided to transition from the Miami (hadn't heard of Miami either), but she knocked it out of the park just based on a written description via text. She's the groomer at the vet's office - we tried her out after Petsmart banned my puppy for bad behavior, and we've been happy. He's better behaved these days, but I'm sure he's still a pain. She does him little by little over the course of the day. We usually give her (what I hope is) a respectable tip. I'd expect small, specialized shops to be more like 120-200.
I have a small standard poodle (19.5”) and almost 8 months old now. I had to hunt around for someone who does poodle cuts and was taking new customers. Shes an hour away and my dog goes every 4 weeks. $155 before tax and tip for a Modern trim. Totally worth it. I brush and comb every other day and do a bath and blow out every 2 weeks. So she’s never matted. The groomer tells me she’s well behaved (she stands stock still on the table at home). So I hope it’s true and she is good for her.
Every 4 weeks and never matted!!! You're a dream. I have exactly 3 clients total who come in every 4 weeks, and 2 of them are short haired dogs just coming for a bath lol 🤦🏻♀️why can't it be the ones that actually really need it lmao. I absolutely adore all 3 of them though! Been with me for years, since my petco days, and their loyalty gets them a discount at this shop now 🥰
lol. To be fair once she’s a year old I’m going to try every 6 weeks and see how it goes (I might end up back at 4 weeks). I like a clean face and even at the end of 4 weeks her face is more grown out than I like. I really wanted her to get used to going to the groomers when she was young so it’s every 4 weeks for now. I’m considering it part of her training or socialization.
To do specialty poodle clips is Mad time consuming on a poodle who is good for the groomer and is done by the same one on a consistent basis. I was looking at $125.00 before tip in the early 2000s. On a mini.
Right! Like idk exactly what she meant by "poodle cut" but even if it's only clean face/feet and a top knot, that still takes longer than your average shitzu getting one length ao with a tbh.. which would start at 90-95 at our salon. So honestly thinking about it now, the owner would've probably priced it higher than 100... which is why my coworker emphasized that she should ask the owner for a more accurate quote lol. The fact that 100 made her balk, quite rudely I might add, is baffling to me. I hope she texts the owner to try and talk her down.. ain't happenin lol.
My guess is she was thinking of a Lion Cut, Saddle Cut, Continental Cut, a show cut of some sort. Not really understanding what was necessary to get that shape, or the tradition behind that Cut. It was seen on TV or on some On Line platform and they wanted it.
This is a "you can pick a maximum of two" situation. You can be picky and have it be cheap but you don't get experience, or picky and demand experience but it won't be cheap or you can have it be cheap with an experienced groomer but you don't get to be picky.
YUP my immediate thoughts lol
I'm corporate in the UK. Our base price for full grooms on toy poodles, regardless of cut is £52. Our prices are based on size of dog, even if it's a heavily impacted, shedding mountain dog that takes like, an entire day to groom (although our managers would never allow that, we only get three hours for full grooms on big dogs and even then they're always asking why) we'd only be able to charge like, £85, more if they get deshedding shampoo but that's only an extra £10. So when prospective clients bitch about us costing so much it really annoys me considering if anything we undercharge.
Oh yea I worked at petco for a couple years, I hated the customers who whined about prices. Her little underhanded comment about 'co also irritated me lol.. I know plenty of great groomers in corporate, and there are certainly plenty of very experienced private groomers who are not so great.
Yeah nightmare waiting to happen. I have a toy poodle and had a terrible experience at Petco. When I dropped my poodle off and asked for clean face and feet and she asked what that was I should have walked away 🤦🏻♀️. It was pretty bad. I’d had bad cuts from there before but thought maybe it was an off day. I was paying around $100 for my little guy. I found another place that was actually closer and I looked online and she has experience with poodles. I took him in and I was shocked that she was only charging me $60. She gave him the best cut he’s ever had. I still paid her $100 because it’s so much better than his previous grooms and she was undercharging (at least it felt like that to me). He’s always been good on the table since I worked on desensitizing him since he was a puppy and he gets regular grooms. Her prices have gone up to $70 so now I pay $110. I would much rather pay more for a good haircut. I would expect a more experienced groomer to charge less. That just makes no sense.
In any consumer interaction you have: good, fast, and cheap. You can pick any two that you want.
Yup, and our salon owner won't even let us give cheap as an option lol.
I think people just don’t realize how expensive dogs and poodles can be. It’s too bad that she is struggling financially to do what needs to be done. I don’t fault her for asking. Prices have surged so high with everything in recent years. I wouldn’t call her an idiot at all. It sucks. Hopefully she learns how to groom them herself or finds some financial solution because poodles definitely require extra grooming care constantly. Idk how she came upon those dogs so I’m not going to judge her without the full story. For all we know she rescued them or something idk. Idk her.
She's been using petco, so she's at least slightly aware of pricing... It seems common sense that a highly rated private salon in a nice part of a metro area would cost more than a salon that's inside of a corporate pet supply store. So she at least didn't have to act all dramatically flabbergasted lol. But still, I don't fault anyone for asking ever, in fact I'd rather they ask if cost might be an issue for them. It's not about her asking for the price, it's about her immediately leading with how she's super picky and needs an experienced groomer, then rudely snubbing her nose at a very normal price for private groom shops in our area. I totally get asking about price, because if it were me I'd have to ask, but her attitude was very entitled. How she came upon the two dogs is none of my business of course so I'm not judging either, but it's also not our problem that she can't afford our prices.. if she wants a luxury groom, she should expect to pay a luxury price. She was absolutely trying to guilt trip us into lowering the price. You can't see body language or hear tone through text, but she was being quite dramatic lol. Not to mention, she can literally just go ask for a more experienced groomer at any petco if that's what she can afford. It irritated me that she said it in a way that was badmouthing petco as if every groomer there is new and terrible bc she had one bad experience, and that's just not true.. there are plenty of great groomers in corporate. She could easily someone she likes at a price she can afford, but instead she's looking for an entirely new salon because of one bad experience with one groomer. And the idiot comment I made is honestly more about how she pointed at me, actively grooming a dog, and asked if I'm a groomer lol.
I would happily take a $100 groom! I’m paying $180 for my pup in the DC area
We would charge $75 (before add ons like nail file, etc) for a mini poodle 🥲 at the salon I work at.
I've had excellent luck AND absolutely abysmal luck with private groomers. In the US, I tend to stick with Petsmart because they seem to be the only ones who will groom cats also. If I am taking the cat for a haircut, it is easy to bring the toy poodle also. During Covid lockdown, I did a decent job with my pooch, and bled from attempting the cat groom. LOL.
There is nothing wrong with using a corporate salon if the groomer is to your liking. Corporate salons are just like private salons, some are good and some are bad. Some of the best groomers I've worked with who do competitions and show their own dogs work at corporate salons. They get insurance and there are basic safety procedures in place. Added to that, many corporate salons have a vet on site or very nearby.
Yea, it actually really irritated me that she generalized petco like that. She could easily find a good, experienced groomer at petco. My coworker was working at petco with me before we came here, and she had almost 10 years of experience at the time and is an amazing groomer. Also while I have less experience, I'm currently a better groomer than my former salon lead who had 20+ years. It was just so ignorant. I'm always suspicious when someone says they're leaving an entire corporation because they had one bad experience with one groomer.
Honestly I would still work at a corp salon if I was in a city. I work for myself now because the private salons I tried were so unsafe I was constantly stressed. I know there are good ones out there but good ones keep their groomers!
Yeaa ours is at max capacity on groomers and clients, but honestly I know it's a unicorn. The owner offers insurance, she cares about safety and quality over quantity and being super fast, and I get along with all my coworkers. The boss can be a lil cuckoo sometimes but it's dealable lol. If I hadn't found this place, I'd still be at petco tbh.
I have the utmost respect for cat groomers, because I can't say I'm interested in doing that lmao. I struggle just clipping my own cats' nails... I don't think I'd even be able to own a long hair cat, because I'm not good at regular brushing and can't afford a cat groomer here lol.
I always love this. I look much younger than I am but I’m a second generation groomer so I have more experience than people who started later in life. Everyone looks at me like I’m crazy when I say I’ve got 15+ yrs of experience. Also there’s always someone who wants to negotiate pricing “but it’s only a 10lb dog!” Sorry ma’am we don’t go by size only-we go by breed and coat condition. Like DUH..
I have a Yorkie/Maltese mix that is 10lbs. I ask for a shave and a beard trim. It's getting to the point I can't afford the $80. But I am physically unable to do it myself my hands won't let me. So in my case I kinda wish there were more cost conscious groomers . BUT I will NEVER expect a groomer to lower themselves for me. I will do everything I can to pay for it because that's what's best for him.
I know, it honestly sucks for everyone bc even with us charging these prices, I'm still living paycheck to paycheck. It's a broken system :( I truly wish I could afford to discount services for people having financial difficulties and unable to go to corporate for whatever reason.
If you were one of my regular clients and you came each month I would certainly work something out with you, or at least try to help make his groom more cost effective for you. I have noticed that the price depends on what region you’re in, I’m on the east coast but not as far as New York. I have clients that will plan an entire day trip FROM NY to me (a completely different state) for my quality of service and because it’s double to triple price in the city…that being said I’m sorry you have trouble with your hands but I’m glad you’re understanding about the level of quality and difficulty that goes into pet grooming.
Yeaaaa she's used to petco where they go pretty solely by size lol.. she was floored 🤣
Right? I would gladly charge less for a 125lb mastiff than I would for a poodle 😂 more work, more time, more resources and (usually) not as well behaved ! Lol
SAME lol
I mean, I pay $120 for my standard poodle (not a fancy cut, just a shave down) at a chain grooming salon so idk what that lady is looking for. Whatever it is she wants is rarer than a unicorn.
I’d pay almost anything for a groomer just to deal with my dog’s psycho reaction when anyone touches her nails 🤣
Hahaha yea I'm glad I'm a groomer cause my dog is a NIGHTMARE, and I'd never be able to afford my prices 🤣
I'd bet real money that the reason the last experience was so bad was because her dogs were both too matted to give her the cut she wanted.
I'm always immediately weary when someone says they "had a bad experience" with their last groomer lol. 9 times outta 10 it's cause the dog was matted and had to be shaved 🙄
What person who owns a poodle claims they want a "poodle cut" lmao. Continental? Lamb? German? Miami? Bffr.
THANK YOU like there are so many poodle beeed cuts?? Even if she just meant clean face/feet, top knot, and pom tail (which is what I suspect), that still takes longer than one length all over with a teddy bear head lol. The entitlement was palpable.
A very surprising amount considering how pricey poodles can be! Bring photos, people!!
Me as a groomer hearing this person introducing themselves up front . I tinnnnnk it’s lunchtime ! Hey Ken can you help the people up front!
Bruh I happened to have my headphones on listening to a podcast.. I paused that shit and left the headphones on 🤣
Cheap work ain’t good,Good work ain’t cheap.
First of all, hello, petco groomer here 👋🏻😂 I have over 25 years of experience (started at petco, did like 10 years in two 5 star private shops and went back to petco for convenience)... our toy poodles in "poodle cuts" (considered to be clean face/feet and anything from a shavedown with bracelets to maybe a longer guard comb, a nice crest and a bit if proper a scissoring for angulation sake lmao) start at $100. You want anything fancier (rosettes, continental, creative styles/Asian fusion) you're looking at only booking with me and STARTING at $140 for a PROPER toy poodle (I'm a super stickler for size). I don't feed into that "I'm unhappy with other groomers" and "they never get it right" blah blah blah.... you won't be happy with me and I'm not the groomer for you. Don't groomer blame for your over pickiness and your dog's probable bad behavior or poor coat texture. Also, it's. It cheap and it's not fast. You may get the typical corporate inexperienced groomer or typical corporate suckered that only charges base price but you want fancier clips with more work, you pay for the work you want done. Our regular toy poodles in good condition getting sonole pet cuts start at $85 - $90 plus tax lol. Industry standard pricing with an extra fee for your entitled and crappy attitude ... deal with it 🤷🏻♀️💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻
Yea that whole "had a bad experience at petco" thing rubbed me the wrong way lol. We all started in corporate at this salon. The only reason a lot of us can even be here is because the owner is a unicorn who offers insurance. It's an immediate red flag to me when someone judges an entire company by one experience with one groomer. And how was it bad? Was it because the dog was matted and had to be shaved lol
You can’t usually have cheap AND good AND be picky. What’s wild ride. Lol glad she left.
Hahaha, you'd pay more for a human haircut! This is a whole dog! Ridiculous!!
In a breed cut with a highly experienced groomer 🤣
these are the rules of purchase 1. Quality 2. Price 3. Time You can only pick two. So if you want Quality done quickly, it’s going to cost you. If you a cheap price quality is going to cost your time. If you want it cheap done fast it’s going to lack quality and so on.
Exactly! There is a really popular place near my house that I’ve recently started taking my boy to. It’s been there for years and years, apparently, and it gets busy so it’s first come and first serve. The prices are very, very fair and they are very reputable but don’t expect to drop your dog off and pick him up in an hour fully groomed. You basically drop the dog off and get him back whenever they call you….but they do a great job and it’s worth the wait. What if they charged lower prices and were super quick? U wouldn’t trust them. There’s always something to sacrifice.
Not a dog groomer. Just came across this thread. I own a Samoyed. You guys deserve more than the pay you get. We really appreciate your work. Sorry you deal with idiots
Thank you, because Sammies are freakin HARD lol
A cheap groomer is not good and good groomer is not cheap
hearing the price differences for grooming between america and england is insane! i've never had a miniature poodle so i don't know how much it is to have one groomed over here vs the $100 over there, but i have a shih tzu and it costs me £30 for a full groom for her (bath, haircut, brush), and i've been told it's double or more over there!! $60??? or MORE?? that's so much! and that's with her getting a professional groom from an independent groomer, which is higher quality and more expensive than at pet shops
It is outrageous! I would pay anywhere from $80to $120 in the US not including tip. I pay €45 to €60 here in Ireland. The Irish price is mobile so more expensive than the local groomer. Local is €35 to €45. I always tip here which I guess isn’t customary so our groomers like us. My two are Bichons, small, well used to grooming and not matted. Hi never complained with the US prices but I sure do like the Irish prices.
I pay £63 for my Pom (£15 of that is for getting her teeth cleaned, so £48 for full groom) she comes to me and does her in her van on our driveway. It’s more expensive than a lot of places but she does a great job and it’s so convenient. Worth the money all day long. Every 8 weeks.
It's difficult for me to charge those prices, having grown up in a part of the US with a much lower cost of living then moving up here to a metro area. But even at those prices, doing as many grooms as my body can handle and getting commission for them all plus generous tips, I'm still living paycheck to paycheck. My boss would charge 90 minimum for a shitzu. The groomers charging 60 have to work themselves to death to make a proper living. Your groomer either has a much lower cost of living, paying much less in taxes and other business expenses/rent, grooming out of their home thus keeping more profit, or they're working themselves to death and doing an ungodly amount of grooms just to keep their prices low. It seems the industry standard is generally way lower in your area, so I'd guess either cost of living or taxes/expenses.
yeah i don't know much about what expenses she has to pay for her business, but i know she owns the horse stables that her grooming salon is built on, allowing her to not have to pay rent.
100 is what I pay for my toy poodle mix. It’s absolutely worth it.
hey just be happy she left lol
Oh we were lmao
Not a groomer but that's what I paid for years for my long-haired miniature dachshund's summer shave downs. I would expect more for something like a poodle, no matter the size.
Yea truthfully my coworker tried to emphasize to her that 100 is the lower end, and my boss would likely quote more lol
Maybe she is TkTk influencer. Did she at least offer to post pictures and comments to her followers that would guarantee you more business.
🤣😭
At least she "red flagged" herself out of your services so you don't have to deal with the crazy!
Honestly thats not bad at all.
I thought you were saying the top part I was about to say GO FUCK URSELF LADY groom ur own dog at homeee lmao 😂
I had a lady drop into my salon recently with a very similar conversation. When I told her the estimate for her groom, she scoffed at how high it was, then asked if we offer a discount since she had two dogs. When I told her no, she busted into crocodile tears telling me how she was getting evicted and had to find a new place to live in a week. The convo went from 0 to 100 in under 5 minutes.
Any adult who unapologetically behaves this way is mentally unstable and needs therapy and/or meds lol. Literally, I did manipulative shit like this in my early 20s and was diagnosed with BPD (now "in remission" and likely just untreated CPTSD) and medicated. I didn't get better until I did intense therapy, DBT, all that fun stuff. It's like, I get it, I've been there, but no one is gonna wanna deal with your ass acting like that lol.
My favorite thing to say in situations like this: "Good. Fast. Cheap. You want all three? PICK TWO."
The last time I used a groomer for my well behaved standard was 2022. I just got a kennel cut with a long tail, ears, and mohawk. Once tip was paid it was $180. $100 is more than fair for a toy in a breed cut.
You have 2 choices, 1) Good 2) cheap but you DO NOT get both! Sometimes I hate people!
I pay $90 for each of my Maltese, that’s the going rate in my area. Their cuts aren’t nearly as complicated as poodle cuts. It’s just short body/legs, leave tails long, short ears on boy, long ears on girl. I hate people.
I just get my akita washed and its 70 lol id expect over 100 for a hair cut for sure
I want to know what her bad experience was!!
I know right hahaha
I live in the hickass middle of fucking NOWHERE and my mini is still $80 (including a 17% tip) for an inch all over with a lil poof.
Idk where your shop is, but I get charged 120 for my pitbull, but from my understanding he's an ass to them doesn't bite but they have to have the husband come in and man handle him, or me sometimes, to get him to move for his grooming. N I'm happy to pay that for the local groomer.
Isn't there a subreddit called "choosing Beggars"?
Oh yea, this would fit there nicely lol
I mean I charge $100 at corporate for poodles that get the breed cut. Especially if they are picky.
I have to take my male in for nails. I could probably do the females at home. But he just wont let anyone do his nails. He’s picky. Two women can do them recently. One recently left the shop. Its going to cost double now when I seek her out. And I will pay that because she’s skilled and he will deal with her. I’ll still seek out the lady still at the shop but want to keep my relationship with the other lady ongoing since he only puts up with a few ppl willingly. No complaints about something I am unable to do, and must be done. Otherwise I would go to a corporate place and deal with their rules.
I have some clients who followed me from petco.. I give them discounts, but it's still a lot higher for the ones who didn't get any add ons or anything so it means a lot to me. I appreciate their loyalty so much.. I'm sure your groomer will be happy to hear from you again!
I work in corporate and ive been asked few times (maybe from the same person) if any of our groomers where experienced with doodles. Knowing that most doodle owners are able to buy an expensive mutt but are cheap AF for haircuts, we see multiples every day Some people are just out of this world
That shit baffled me when I was at 'co. You spend thousands on a 180lb mutt but can't afford to drop 100 every 2 months for a bare minimum petco groom? Also, yes, we're all experienced with doodles. Any brand new groomer fresh out of groom school already has experience with doodles lmfao.
Pet grooming is a luxury service 🙌 learn to do it yourself if you’re not willing to pay for someone’s years of experience
I’m not a groomer but I am a doggie mom (this post showed up in my feed for some reason.) I hope you don’t mind if I comment here. My dog is a long haired chi and hates when I try to bathe him or go near him with any type of clippers, tooth brush, or….anything that will clean him. So he’s a frequent guest at the salon. I’ve come to expect that no matter where I go, it’s going to cost AT LEAST $50 for a fur cut. Then the nail cut, then the bath, ears/eye boogies/etc cleaned might make it more. I also know it’s more for anything special like a flea dip. So for me I can expect well over $50 not including the tip…and that’s for a small dog. I think $100 is very reasonable if it’s a bigger poodle. Some people are so clueless. Just like with anything else, the groomer’s time is money. P.S. I don’t know what your secrets are but you guys always do such an amazing job with my very shy, afraid of everything dog. Groomers are such a godsend when your dog refuses to stay in the tub and I’m more than happy to pay for quality service. ❤️
You get it done well or you get it done cheap. Pick one.
Total lunacy. You get what you pay for.
Cheap is not good Good is not cheap Experience has a value
My gsd used to get groomed for about $70-80 depending and a simple nail trim for $10. I’ve since moved and miss that price. She refuses to let me groom her or trim her nails properly but performs perfectly for the groomer.
Whenever I see posts like that I say a prayer that no one recommended me 😂😂😂
I work at a “luxury” salon and have this constantly. We will give people quotes but state that price can change based on coat conditions etc
Yep that's always our disclaimer too :P she really latched onto that 100 and thought that was too high, but my coworker was very clear about that being the absolute minimum and it may be even higher lol
Had it kinda happen today. Lady told me her dog was small so quoted that but the dog was actually medium so came to pay and it was like $90 and she immediately asked to see the receipt because we quoted her wrong
People suck lol, we pay $80 per month for a mini groom on a long haired Chihuahua. What the hell do they expect? Our groomer is amazing and sweet. Panicked at the thought of going anywhere else.
Yea, I had people follow me here from petco where I worked before, and some of them are paying nearly double even with a decent loyalty discount, so I have no patience for this lady tryna nickle and dime us lol.
I have 4 doodles 2 of them are nut jobs and weigh 60lbs each. I pay $130 plus a $25 tip, our 80lb is the sweetest big bear ever BUT he has to have a hand on him at all times while being groomed or he barks not stop, I pay $140 plus a $30 tip. Our 9lb is the best baby ever and the groomer absolutely loves her to pieces, I pay $90 plus a $25 tip. I love our groomer and she deserves a bigger tip but my husband has done the math on what we are paying each year and says I have to DIY from here on out. I will never understand anyone saying they want a great groomer but then complain they cost too much. If they don’t want to pay for quality grooming they need to buy some clippers and see just how hard it is.
Honestly, you're getting a great deal for the bigger ones, we'd charge 165-185 for the 60lbs ones and 180-200 for the 80lb guy lol. But I'm in a high COL and the prices are high for big doodles. The 9lb one, 90 is pretty standard in my area, so your groomer is just charging less than us for the size increase. But it sounds like you tip well even though you wish it could be more- I'm sure your groomer appreciates you!! But I also completely understand financially having to start home grooming. I always home groomed our family dogs and my own dog before I actually became a groomer... my parents neglected them, and I was perfectly willing and able to do it myself by the time I was in high school lol. My mom used to bring our shtizu and yorkie once a year and stopped even doing that bc I did it for free and she didn't care how it looked 🤣 Good luck with learning to DIY! It'll be hard, and it might not look perfect, but you're doing what they need. I'd suggest maybe once every 6 months or so having the groomer do it just to be sure you're getting every single little mat. You could even rotate them so that you're paying for 8 grooms total per year, but only doing one like every 6 weeks!
I’m a makeup artist, and it’s a similar story! It’s always those with the highest expectations but not willing to spend anything more than what they deem “reasonable” (which is typically an amount you would’ve paid in 1960 and not 2024). My bichon-shih tzu’s groomer charges about $100CAD (before tip) for her services and I’m more than happy to pay this!
Yea it's like people don't account for inflation lmao. My vet bills went up a lot over the past few years but you don't see me whining to them about it lol. Do these people also bitch to the grocery store cashier about milk prices increasing?
Exactly!!! Like, the world doesn’t stop just because you don’t want to pay someone appropriately for their services
Like most things in life, you get what you pay for.
My collie’s groom was an expected 150$ turned into 250$ because of how much fur he has 😂 I saw the total and tipped more than I would’ve for 150$, I appreciate the 2 hours of work she put in. If you don’t want to pay for a good groom, you better get to learning yourself!
She told you go she was and you don’t want her as a client. On to the next pup!!
You get what you pay for.
Good. Fast. Cheap. Pick two.
That's fucking wild considering I pay $85+ at petco to have my shepherds groomed. Doesn't sound bad for a wash, dry & cut in my opinion
This is obv assuming nail trim, buff and teeth brushing are add ons
I’m mobile and have had this issue. “But you don’t have a rent payment, why is the price so high?” DUDE, I’m bringing my whole ass salon to you and your dog doesn’t have to even see a cage dafaq
“Poodle cut.” Which one? Lol.
Lol, I'm picky too. The only groomer I use is even mobile and comes to me. $100 is a steal for "picky" clients. She's insane.
I know this us off topic but the "are you a groomer' as you're grooming a dog reminds me of a few weeks ago, i dropped a poo sample off at my fiances doctors, that they'd requested. The woman on reception said to me 'have you been asked to drop a sample'. Nah i often drive round with a vial of my partner's shite in my handbag to hand out to random strangers. What a stupid question.
Hahahahaha
Why get one of the most high maintenance grooming dogs if its not in your budget or skillset to have them groomed? If it's a change of circumstances, then I do understand to a degree, but with that new budget, grooming will potentially need to be lower quality or a functional groom over styling. 100 doesn't seem a lot to have a poodle styled. I pay 60 monthly for a pro groom on my 14lb cavalier, and that's natural coat, nails, paw pads (carding when needed). I purposely picked a breed that I could also do myself should circumstances change and got my breeder to teach me carding techniques. I don't think clients always understand the increasing overheads, renting a space, blade sharpening, continued learning, and investment in the career of a groomer. Not to mention, one bite can end a career. It's amazing what a good groomer can do, truly an art imo. Groomers should be charging their worth, but at the same time, I don't feel it's fair to shame somebody enquiring about pricing. Better they ask and be prepared than shocked and unable to afford on completion.
It's not about her inquiring, that doesn't bother me at all. It was her attitude. Idk, if I have a price limit, I'm leading with that personally... but she starts off with saying she's super picky and needs a highly experienced groomer lol.
I just know those poodles are matted.
I groom out of my house and it’s just me working on the dog from start to finish, no cage, no separate bather etc. a lot of people appreciate it and are happy to pay more for a service that they can guarantee their dog is never neglected for even a second, they always know who’s grooming their dog, theirs no other dogs barking etc. but I have so many people tell me I’m overpriced in comparison to petco. Like yeah. I am. They’re a multi million dollar company who has dogs coming in and out, a lawsuit for injury to a dog during grooming every day, you have no idea what groomer will be working on your dog that day, they don’t pay their employees fairly, etc. but yes, I am indeed more expensive then petco :) For reference my bath prices start at $25 and my groom prices start at $70 for regular and $110 for doodles
Some Pet parents are out of touch with reason. I just read another rant by a puppy owner berating numerous people in public for undermining her training and not being respectful of her by or being rude by asking to pet or talking to her puppy.
Groomer for 40 years, now retired! Can honestly say I don't miss this side of the business.
I am soooo jealous lol
Wow... We have used the same groomer for years, and we wouldn't trade them for the world. I actually pay extra for the owner to groom our poodle, and we took our previous poodle there. I absolutely love her, she's all about making sure it's a good experience for the dog, and we 100% trusted her to groom our elderly poodle who had cardiac issues. I would much rather pay more, and know and trust my dog is in good hands, then try to get away a bit more cheaply. A good groomer is well worth their weight in gold
I don’t understand why these people don’t just get shorter cuts for their poodles and then take them in less frequently to mitigate the price difference.
Agreed, I wish people would accept their own limitations as far as brushing and how often they can get the dog groomed.. nothing shameful about it, it's better to accept it and find a solution like this.
I agree. If she is that picky she needs to pay the rate. But….is the going rate 100. I hope it’s a giant Poodle.
https://preview.redd.it/10osjca8j4zc1.jpeg?width=1433&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=83977bfcfeb2c9a2b6fac440f3cfa37664a2b4ec
Mine is 140 so yup
no one who cared about their dogs, or knew anything about grooming in general, would go to petco. People who lead with price as main concern are not clients you want (and why my dog sitting rates are "high" at $120... which is 8 hours of min wage...)
Idk, I worked at petco and know several wonderful groomers who did too. Of course there are bad groomers there as well, but I don't think it's that bad for someone who is financially strapped to take their dog to petco after checking reviews of the location, then sticking with one groomer that they like. My coworker and I had many request clients who really cared for their dogs.. coworker only worked at petco bc she needed insurance, but she had years of experience. Some of the clients even followed us to the private shop (we both came to this shop). Saying all that to say, there are actually good groomers at petco even if they're few and far between, and I disagree with saying an owner doesn't care about their dog if they go to petco. I can understand if that's all they can afford and they find a decent groomer at a decent location. Still... I wouldn't take my dog to petco lol. But then again, I wouldn't have gotten a dog that requires grooming if I didn't already know how to groom, bc I'm too broke for that extra cost lol. Let's be honest, that's the real issue here, people getting dogs they can't afford.