I went to the dog groomers today...?

my dog's seven months old and it's his first time to the groomers. I have an Australian Shepherd. I took him to the groomers in Petsmart. Firstly, they were very rude. THere was a dog there that had been sprayed by a skunk so naturally, i asked questions about where my dog would be bathed. They didn't answer my question really. So then i asked about how much my dogs hair would be cut, they said they would only trim him and not shave him because dogs use their hair as protection from the sun. Is this true, or are they just saying that to save time? I know i'm not taking him there again after this time because it wasn't clean and the staff was rude.

I went to the dog groomers today...?

If they are rude, don't go back.

It doesn't matter if your dog is bathed in the same tub used by the skunk dog, the smell will not transfer that way.

Normally we only trim Aussies on the feet, maybe a bit on the pants, skirt and feathers. Some owners want us to cut the pants etc fairly short, since they grow longer than the rest of the coat and are more difficult to maintain. Occasionally we get a request to shave it. Groomers usually prefer not to shave this type of dog, but it can be done. Most of the time this is not a problem, but SOMETIMES, usually with an older dog or one who has some sort of health problem, the hair will not grow back properly and the dog will look funny when only part of the coat grows back.

If it's well-maintained (clean and brushed) the coat will protect the dog from the sun and insects, however if the coat is neglected, thick and matted it's like wearing a wool coat. I have not yet seen an Aussie with a long/thick enough coat to NEED shaving.

You could always compromise by having the coat clipped down to a length that is longer than a complete shave-down, but this is more time consuming for the groomer therefore more expensive, and you still run the risk of problems growing back.

Find a good groomer and discuss with them what you want to accomplish (clean and tidy/heat relief/less shedding/particular appearance). In the end, it's your dog. Whatever haircut you want, as long as it's not harmful to the dog the groomer should do it.

I went to the dog groomers today...?

it is true dogs use there hair as a protection from the sun like we use layers of our skin but i wouldn't take him back there because they sound very rude. there hair also helps them prevent mosquito bites and in the winter to keep them warm and believe it or not in the summer to keep them cool! i hoped i helped.

I went to the dog groomers today...?

Yes it's true, a dogs coat protects them from the cold %26amp; insulates them from the heat.

I went to the dog groomers today...?

I'm not totally defending them--I'd never take my baby back to a smelly, dirty, rude establishment--but they were telling the truth about trimming your pet.

A dog's coat does protect it's skin, so it's probably a bad idea to completely clip down an outside dog. Most reputable groomers could do a clipper trim using clipper guards (just like they use for humans) to leave more length. I usually have my dog trimmed down to about 1". . . enough hair for protection, but much cooler for her %26amp; less sheddy stuff about the house.

I went to the dog groomers today...?

Here's some questions for YOU!!

WHY would you take it to ANY groomer??? Can't YOU use a brush/COMB??

WHY don't YOU know that Ausies are NOT CLIPPERED OR ANYTHING ELSE than *maybe* the long hairs on FEET trimmed %26amp; a bit of "sanitary" at the crotch???

WHY would think it would make ANY difference WHERE it would get a BATH??

IN THE TUB!! WHERE ELSE??

Did you concider that the PROs might be REALLY sick of stupid pet-owners REALLY IGNORANT comments/questions???

Bet you a DOLLAR,it's ALL *YOU*,not the shop! No,make that a GAZILLION!

I went to the dog groomers today...?

I think it's great that you took your dog to a professional to have it groomed. I don't see any wrongdoing on your part in asking them where your dog would be bathed....especially after seeing a dog there that was sprayed by a skunk. I, myself, would have done the same thing. I just had to put my dog down 3 weeks ago, but she was a Lhasa Apso. She was at the groomers every 6 weeks throughout her whole life. Lhasa's tend to get VERY furry VERY quick. In the summer, we did not shave her, since their fur does tend to protect them from the sun. They weren't lying to you. If you weren't happy with them, look up some other groomers in your area (they would be in the phone book), or ask other people that own dogs where they go. I loved the groomer I took my dog to, and recommended him to at least 10 other people. Good luck.....and hope you can find a groomer just like Buffy, my dog, had. She was the best and I miss her like crazy!!

I went to the dog groomers today...?

True that the hair protects from the sun..but you can still do a modified cut ..like half off ...They could have used an extension blade to make that happen...As far as rude...most of the help in their are young and inexperienced..